Iona is the overwhelming favorites to take home the Mid-American Athletic Conference this season. After a 25-6 record as well as a tournament berth last season, Rick Pitino and the Gaels will surely take home another title.
This team has been great all season long. They took down SEC foe and tournament bound Alabama earlier in the season before coasting through MAAC play with a 17-3 record.
Iona has three losses this season in conference, all on the road. Niagara, Siena, and Manhattan all defeated the Gaels but I predict none of these teams to be a challenge come tourney time.
Siena has an overall record of 15-13 and they are the number three seed entering the tournament. Niagara is the six seed and went 9-11 in conference play. While for Manhattan, they pulled off an incredible upset defeating Iona as they went only 8-12 in conference play and are the eight seed.
So not only does Iona have a bye game but they also avoid two of the teams they lost this season. In theory, they could meet Manhattan for their first game.
Pitino shot down rumors of a potential head coaching hire over at Maryland, a Big Ten school. Pitino is a coaching legend, but was fired out of Louisville in 2017 because he bribed recruits. He coached in the Greek League and then came back to the college scene and led Iona to a tournament berth last season.
Tyson Jolly and Nelly Junior Joseph are the two leading scorers for the Gaels, averaging 14.5 12.9 points per game, respectively.
Of course, this is March. There always seems to be surprises this month. `
Having said that, Saint Peter’s is the two seed in this year’s tournament, certainly a team to watch for. Winners of four in a row, the Peacocks are probably the biggest threat to Iona’s title chances.
Monmouth has the second best overall record for the conference, going 19-12. They are also the MAAC’s best road team, going 10-7 away from home. This is crucial because the entire tournament is played in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Even with Saint Peter’s, Monmouth or even maybe Marist being a contender, I have no doubt that Iona can take home the MAAC title this March.
THE PICK: Iona