Iona will likely face an all-or-nothing proposition when it heads into the MAAC Tournament this weekend in Springfield, Mass.
As the league champion and No. 1 seed, the Gaels (24-6) need to win the tournament in order to get the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament because the MAAC likely won’t get an at-large bid. This despite Iona’s RPI of 41.
“Not likely,” Jerry Palm of CollegeRPI.com told SNY.tv of the MAAC’s chances of getting an at-large bid.
Not surprisingly, several MAAC coaches disagree. (more…)
Iona needed a win over Fairfield Friday night in order to capture their first regular-season MAAC title since 2001.
Thanks to Sean Armand, they got it.
Armand scored all 17 of his points in the second half to lead the Gaels to a 77-72 victory at the Hynes Center.
Iona, which lost in the conference tournament final to St. Peter’s last year, earned the top seed in next weekend’s MAAC Tournament in Springfield, Mass. (more…)
Ice Asortse, a 6-foot-7, 238-pound forward from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, has pledged to play for head coach Tim Cluess and associate head coach Jared Grasso.
“I have verbally committed to Iona a minute ago,” Asortse told SNY.tv. (more…)
Iona and Manhattan may both be capable of winning a few games in the NCAA Tournament this year, but it’s likely that only one of them will get to Dance.
The MAAC has historically been a one-bid league, and first-year Manhattan coach Steve Masiello doesn’t see that changing this March.
“Don’t get me wrong, the regular season matters and the seeding matters and you want to win the conference,” Masiello, whose team hosts Iona Saturday night, told SNY.tv Friday by phone. “But it all comes down to what you do on March 2-5.” (more…)
Ice Asortse, a 6-foot-7, 238-pound forward from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, said Iona is among his favorites at this point in his recruitment.
“I haven’t taken a visit yet but I like Iona,” the Iceman, a 22-year-old Nigerian native, told SNY.tv by text.
Niagara, Stephen F. Austin and LIU are also involved for Asortse, who will have two years of Division 1 eligibility beginning next season. (more…)
Scott Machado is getting contact lenses, which could spell really bad news for Iona’s opponents going forward.
You see, Machado already leads the nation with 10.33 assists per game, yet he’s been having trouble seeing.
“I went to the doctor because I was having these mild headaches and people were telling me it was because of my vision,” the former St. Benedict’s star told SNY.tv Friday before putting up a near-triple-double of 11 points, 15 assists and nine rebounds in an 91-71 home win over Rider.
“I went to go check it out and the lady was like, ‘You need glasses.’ And she was like, ‘That could be the cause of your headaches.” (more…)
NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. – If all the key figures declare for this June’s NBA Draft, there is going to be a whole lot of exceptional talent at the top waiting for David Stern to call their name.
The Draft lottery could be a smorgasbord of talent at the top with the likes of Kentucky freshman forward Anthony Davis, UConn freshman center Andre Drummond, North Carolina sophomore swingman Harrison Barnes and Ohio State sophomore forward Jared Sullinger at the top.
What you won’t find is a pure point guard. The first point guard listed among the “Top 100 Prospects” on DraftExpress.com is Carolina sophomore Kendall Marshall at No. 20.
NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. — The best thing that happened to Iona point guard Scott Machado was spending this summer in Brazil and China.
Machado, whose parents were both born in Brazil, trained with the Brazilian team for the World University Games and then competed with the team in Shenzhen, China from Aug. 13-17.
He now leads Division 1 with 12.2 assists per game while averaging 18.6 points through five games for the 4-1 Gaels.
“I think it helped him grow up a lot,” Iona coach Tim Cluess said after his team pasted LIU, 100-84, Monday night. “He probably got to see some people who played professionally or work at the game professionally and realize where his work ethic is compared to theirs. (more…)
NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. — Iona’s dynamic offense rolled through Long Island University for 100 points Monday night, and LIU coach Jim Ferry said afterward the Gaels could keep on rolling into an NCAA Tournament run.
“That is one of the most dynamic offensive teams I’ve seen in maybe 10 years,” Ferry said after Iona destroyed LIU, 100-84, for their second straight 100-plus point game. “All their pieces just really fit.
“That’s a five seed. I mean, I don’t want to put any pressure on them, but come on.” (more…)
“Adam Zagoria sees the story behind the daily happenings.”
~ St. Anthony Coach Bob Hurley
Zagoria covers the New York Knicks and Big East hoops for NBA.com and SNY.tv. He also appears as a Big East Basketball Insider on SNY and 1050 ESPN Radio.
He is an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, SI and Basketball Times.
The MAAC Tournament bracket is now set and the event runs March 2-5 at the MassMutual Center in Springfield, Mass.
The Iceman is headed to Iona.
Iona and Manhattan may both be capable of winning a few games in the NCAA Tournament this year, but it’s likely that only one of them will get to Dance.
Scott Machado is getting contact lenses, which could spell really bad news for Iona’s opponents going forward.
