Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference 2007-08 Preview
by Matthew Moll
The cyclical nature of amateur sports is painstakingly pronounced in college basketball. This is particularly true in a conference like the MAAC, where small schools, their fans and coaches begrudgingly assume some peak or valley every two to four years. No right-minded fan would foolishly foresee half a decade of dominance.
Just two seasons ago Iona was on top of the MAAC world, giving eventual Final Four participants a scare in the first half of the NCAA tournament game. A season later they are the last team in the nation to win a game and they would only win one other. Jeff Ruland’s rise to “Coach of the Year” that was immediately followed by “floundering and desperate for a win” and led the distinction of a “bought out contract” may have been the starkest anti-turnaround in MAAC history. This season Iona is still young and with a new coach, but not with much higher expectations.
Two seasons ago St. Peter’s was a win away from the NCAAs and had the MAAC’s most potent scorer forcing their tempo. Last season the Peacocks were listless on offense and unlisted in the standings, racking up less than five conference wins. This season virtually the same team returns with the only place to go is last rather than second last as their highest expectation.
Expectations are reserved for other teams. One such team was considered a lame duck two seasons ago and too young a season later, while another boasted the peculiarity of never having a winning season for a decade.
Siena for the past two seasons pummeled prognosticators’ pre-season predictions and vaulted themselves into the meaningless number-one standing before the first tip-off polls. But the Saints are on notice and rightfully so after dispatching last season’s MAAC regular season champ with little regard for said polls in the 2007 MAAC Tournament.
Resuscitated by a former Maryland Terp in Jimmy Patsos, Loyola’s program and fan base can realistically think about dancing for the first time since the turn of the century.
But as the MAAC cycle continues to turn look for many of the same interested parties to make a run as well. Rider has a formidable team anchored by Jason Thompson and Manhattan is young but quick. Few will look past the lurking NCAA single-bid rep from last season. Niagara could easily leapfrog either Loyola or Siena and have last season’s NCAA run to prove what few question: in college basketball its not where you start, its how hot you are when you finish.
Hoopville Preseason Awards
All-Conference Team
First Team
Gerald Brown, Loyola Sr. G
Charron Fisher, Niagara Sr. G/F
Tyrone Lewis, Niagara Sr. G
Jason Thompson, Rider Sr. F
Kenny Hasbrouck, Siena Jr. G
Second Team
Frank Turner, Canisius So.
Marquis Sullivan, Loyola Jr.
Devon Austin, Manhattan Jr.
Louie McCroskey, Marist Sr.
Ryan Stilphen, Marist Sr. F/C
Player of the Year
Jason Thompson
Defensive Player of the Year
Jason Thompson
Top Newcomer
Clarence Jackson, Siena, G
1. Siena Saints (20-12 overall, 12-6 MAAC)
Projected Starters: Kenny Hasbrouck, Ronald Moore, Edwin Ubiles (if/when he returns), Alex Franklin, Cory Magee
Significant games: at Syracuse on Nov. 12, NIT Season Tip-Off Nov. 12-13, ESPN BracketBusters Feb. 23.
The best before it starts: Before the indefinite suspension of Ubiles, the Saints needed to replace Michael Haddix’s points and intangibles per game. Now with Ubiles potentially out for the first half of the year, nearly 30 points per game are missing from last season’s MAAC Tournament final team.
But Mr. Rebuild-a-Program Fran McCaffery still has his floor general in Ronald Moore, his indispensable glue-guy Kenny Hasbrouck and a team that showed off-the-charts moxie playing against more experienced teams in last season’s MAAC tourney. While the Saints have shown what they can do in the postseason the teams below lurk with extended regular season success on their resumes.
2. Loyola Greyhounds (18-13, 12-6)
Projected Starters: Gerald Brown, Omari Israel, Marquis Sullivan, Brett Harvey, Michael Tuck
Team versus Team: At Seton Hall Nov. 20, at Illinois Dec. 28, at Kansas Jan. 8, BracketBusters Feb. 23.
Goat no more: Jimmy Patsos has erased a decade’s worth of ineptitude in his four seasons at the helm of the Greyhounds. This season Loyola returns the MAAC’s most prolific scorer and a prohibitive MAAC first teamer in Gerald Brown. The Providence transfer went for 22.2 per contest and has a cast of seasoned vets on the cusp of capturing MAAC greatness.
The Greyhounds have no glaring weaknesses on the perimeter (where they are exceptional) or at the four and five. The potential tail-between-the-legs for the Hounds is its lack of postseason success and what has them looking up in the preseason standings.
3. Niagara Purple Eagles (23-12, 13-5)
Projected starters: Charron Fisher, Stanley Hodge, Tyrone Lewis, Andrew Patterson, Benson Egemonye
Sea of Purple: at St. John’s Dec. 15, ESPN BracketBuster Feb. 23.
Stage set for back-to-back: Charron Fisher is healthy and back for the Purple Eagles, who look to be the first team to reach the NCAA tournament in consecutive seasons since Bobby Gonzalez’s 2003 and 2004 Manhattan teams.
Joe Mihalich has one of the fiercest weapons in the MAAC in Fisher and a team playing with a chip on its shoulder after the sub-field of 65 seeding a tournament ago. Stanley Hodge will be near the top of the MAAC in assists, and if he can emerge as a leader Niagara could match last season’s late season magic.
4. Rider Broncos (16-15, 9-9)
Projected Starters: Jason Thompson, Harris Mansel, Lamar Johnson, Ryan Thompson, Joel Green
Not from Denver: ESPN Old Spice Classic Nov. 22-25, at Rutgers Dec. 27, ESPN BracketBuster Feb. 23.
Potentially a letdown: Full season number two for Tommy Dempsey starts with Jason Thompson, the default favorite for MAAC POY, on top of everyone’s list. Thompson is a force in the middle in a league shallow in the lane. Last season Thompson nearly averaged a double-double but could not push his team past the .500 mark in the MAAC, but this year a winning season is for the taking.
Thompson will attract double teams opening the floor for his sharp-shooting younger brother, but the Broncos are without their playmaker of yesteryear in Terrance Mouton and will need someone to feed Thompson the ball. Otherwise, the revered senior will exit the MAAC without the spoils of the post-season success.
5. Manhattan Jaspers (13-17, 10-8)
Projected Starters: Devon Austin, Patrick Bouli, Antoine Pearson, Herve Bangole, Andrew Gabriel
Highlighted highlights: hosting Fordham Nov. 28 and the BracketBuster on Feb. 23.
Youth Movement: The first season of the Barry Rohrssen era ended in a surprising fourth place MAAC finish and the team looked to return each of its major parts. Most parts have returned, but they are minus Arturo Dubois, as the man in the middle who secured the lane and caroled the team’s most caroms was dismissed from the team. The Jaspers are now a team with a single junior who has started a Division I basketball game.
Manhattan is young and had Dubois stayed he would have only been one of two upperclassmen with experience, but they proved last season they are able to string together numerous wins and become a threat. Where this team lands will frazzle prognosticators all season with their vacillating play.
6. Marist Red Foxes (25-9, 14-4)
Projected starters: Ryan Stilphen, Louie McCroskey, Dejuan Goodwin, Wilfred “Spongy” Benjamin
Brand new shoes: O’Reilly Auto Parts Puerto Rico Tip-Off Nov. 15-18, ESPN BracketBusters Feb. 23.
Life without JJ: Matt Brady has a new contract and virtually a new team since the nation’s leading assist man, Jared Jordan, and his two highest-scoring cohorts graduated. Gone too is the pressure that comes with being number one. Last season the Red Foxes were the anointed favorites and delivered in the regular season before the MAAC tourney melt-down against Siena.
Marist will not be in that same category this season, but in a league where size is as rare as a spotted owl Stilphen could push this team into the upper echelon of the MAAC.
7. Fairfield Stags (13-19, 10-8)
Projected starters: Jonathan Han, Devin Johnson, Greg Nero, Marty O’Sullivan, Anthony Johnson
Gamey Game: At Wake Forest on Nov. 9, at Cincinnati Nov. 24, at Georgetown Dec. 1.
Wouldn’t be surprised if this is a surprising team: Ed Cooley’s second campaign might consist of the toughest non-conference schedule in the MAAC. But Cooley is armed with graduate student O’Sullivan and a trio of underclassman who have played a full season together and a full season under the Cooley system.
The combination of Devin and Anthony Johnson, who can rely on the junior Han to run the floor could prove to be a potent triumvirate. Senior Geoff Middleton will shore up the middle for the Stags as they look to try to erase their MAAC tournament first round exit from a season ago.
8. Canisius Golden Griffins (12-19, 6-12)
Projected Starters: Frank Turner, Menghe “Papi” a’Nyam, Pawel Malesa, Shaun James
Games to watch: At Penn State on Nov. 16, MAAC conference play starts Dec. 5, Big East power West Virginia Dec. 22, ESPNU BracketBuster Feb. 22.
Novice Lane Patrollers: The Golden Griffins will be without three seniors from last season’s double-digit win team. Coach Tom Parrotta can rely on Frank Turner, the MAAC’s second best assist-er from a year ago, but returns a team second from the bottom in field goal accuracy. Last season the anemic offense was lead by someone who averaged less than 15 ppg, but this season the Griffs lack size and experience in the middle, so discontinuing last year’s scoring blight could be Canisius’ Golden Fleece.
9. Iona Gaels (2-28, 1-17)
Projected Starters: Gary Springer, De’Shaune Griffin, Devon Clarke, Alejo Rodriguez, Kyle Camper
Matchy match match: Las Vegas Invitational Nov. 18-24 first round at North Carolina, at Louisville Dec. 29, at Vandy Dec. 31, at Madison Square Garden vs. Manhattan College Jan. 30.
Where there is a Willard there is a way: Last season’s 0-22 start and 2-28 finish was not a fitting exit for the coach who led the Gaels to three NCAA Tournaments and three MAAC crowns. But Jeff Ruland is out and Kevin Willard, a former Rick Pitino assistant, ushers in a new era.
Iona’s roster is wrought with inexperience and uncertainty. The team’s default leader, Gary Springer, missed all of last season and the highest returning scorer averaged less than eight points per contest. But with the new sideline manager to coincide with the facelift of the Hynes Center’s sidelines the Gaels cannot be worse than a season ago. Should Gaels pent-uple last year’s output it would be a major turnaround for the former MAAC titans.
10. St. Peter’s Saints (5-25, 3-15)
Projected Starters: Todd Sowell, Raul Orta, Tim Spitler, Akeem Gooding, Wesley Jenkins
40 Minutes: Hosting Rutgers on Nov. 25, at Seton Hall Dec. 4, ESPN BracketBusters Feb. 23
New feathers or same story: Last season the Peacocks’ offense scored at a glacial pace and racked up the wins similarly. The previous season’s second-leading scorer and top rebounder Todd Sowell returns to fortify the frontline with sophomore Akeem Gooding. Even with the solid post presence, staying out of the MAAC cellar might be the only realistic goal for the Peacocks.
John Dunne’s second season will require too much from the young supporting cast and senior guard Raul Orta to expect St. Peter’s to return to MAAC significance.
Do the Steve Miller – Dance, dance, dance
This season looks to have two separate packs; the five at the top and the five at the bottom. The five at the bottom will play spoiler and try to avoid the last place distinction while one through five will do the usual jockeying for a MAAC tournament double bye.
Mostly this will be a test for sophomore coaches who look to make their move after a year of practice. As always with the MAAC, as the team with the best guard play goes, so goes to the MAAC. With a total lack of middle men it will be again up to the boys on the wings to will an automatic bid.
