Season in Review
The MAAC has sneakily been one of the better conferences in the country, with Monmouth and Iona teams worthy of at large bids in recent memory, and getting two teams in back in 2012. However, the league was pretty bad this season, with multiple teams underperforming. However, much like the Missouri Valley, there was lots of parity, with all of the top 4 teams finishing at 11-7 and the conference champion Iona finishing two games ahead of Monmouth in sixth place. Monmouth had a very weird season, losing their first 12 games before turning around and finishing the season 11-8. We also saw preseason favorite Rider struggle, and they will take on predicted preseason bottom dweller Siena and freshman sensation Jalen Pickett in the first round. I am irrationally excited for this tournament because it figures to be absolutely insane and there are some great players that could go wild, as I'll get into later, but overall, I really want to see some MAACtion.
Bracket
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Contenders
Iona (14-15, 12-6)
The Gaels have been a fixture atop the conference for the past few seasons, and have represented the conference in the last three seasons. They won the regular season title this season, and they figure to be one of the main contenders for the tournament championship. This season, they have two of the top players in the conference in Rickey McGill and EJ Crawford, and they have been key in giving the Gaels the top offensive efficiency in the conference per KenPom. They've been excellent around the basket, and they should have no problem scoring enough to win games. Their defense hasn't been great, but they are dynamic enough on the offensive enough that it isn't that big of a deal. They also enter on a seven game winning streak, so they have momentum on their side as they hunt for a conference title.
Quinnipiac (16-13, 11-7)
Cameron Young might be the best player in the country you don't know about. He's a walking bucket, and I'll get more into him later, but he's led the Bobcats to the top of the MAAC this season. The team does one thing very well: shoot. They take 53.2% of their shots from behind the arc, which isn't a problem when you are making 37.2% of your shots from deep. Young and sophomore Rich Kelly each make over 43% of their attempts from three, so you could say the Bobcats are sharpshooters. Additionally, they do a really good job of not fouling on defense and limiting opponents free throw numbers. No one is going to confuse them for Texas Tech on that end, but having the best player in the conference along with potent perimeter shooting is a very good combo in conference tournaments.
Siena (16-15, 11-7)
The Saints weren't expected to be this good, picked to finished eleventh in the preseason poll, but first year head coach Jamion Christian and stud freshman point guard Jalen Pickett led a massive turnaround, leading them to a tie for second place in the conference. Pickett has been a stabilizing force for the offense, and he has led to the the Saints rarely turning the ball over. They have also had the best defense in MAAC play, and have been very good at challenging shots at the rim. If their talent wasn't enough, the tournament is held in Albany, the same city as Siena's campus, so they should have a home court advantage with plenty of fans attending their games. They will be a tough out thanks to their fans, Pickett and Evan Fisher, a senior big who I haven't mentioned yet but has also been very productive, and their defense.
Sleeper Team
Marist (12-18, 7-11)
The Red Foxes can be a very dangerous team for their opposition. They knocked off Iona, Canisius, and Quinnipiac while winning four of five. Unfortunately, they then lost their last four games, but they clearly haver the potential to be a team that can win some games in the tournament. They are led by guard Brian Parker, who has been spectacular this season, averaging 14.7 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.5 assists. He has been balling of late as well, going for 16 a game over his last 6 contests. They will have to play Iona should they best Saint Peter's in the first round, and they have the ability to introduce a little bit of chaos into Albany after that game.
Players to Watch
Cameron Young
Stats: 23 PPG, 5 RPG, 2 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.3 BPG, 47.4/43.3/76.3
As I mentioned earlier, Young is one of the best scorers in the country. He's fourteenth in the nation in points per game, two spots behind RJ Barrett and one ahead of Myles Powell. He made national headlines with his 55 points, 10 rebound performance in a triple overtime win over Siena, but even excluding that game, he's been very, very good, especially in conference play. He scored 24 points a game in MAAC play not including his 55 point outburst, so he can put the ball in the basket. If he gets going from behind the arc, forget it, as the Bobcats rarely lose when he is playing at his best. since there aren't a lot of 6'6" wings with his athleticism in the MAAC to guard him, he can win the tournament almost singlehandedly with his scoring ability.
Jalen Pickett
Stats: 15.7 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 6.7 APG, 2 SPG, 0.8 BPG, 43.2/35/73.4
Pickett might be the best freshman in the country who you've never heard of. He was ninth in the country is assists per game, one spot ahead of Josh Perkins of Gonzaga, and his vision is up there with any player in the country. He finished with double digit assists 5 times this season, and he's no slouch scoring the ball either. While he doesn't have explosive athleticism or a consistent jump shot yet, he is undoubtably talented and in that triple overtime game mentioned above, Pickett was just as impressive as Young, scoring 46 points and dishing out 13 assists, with just 1 turnover in 53 minutes. He also ended the season with a Ja Morant-esque 27 point, 8 assist, 6 rebound performance, and while he isn't as good as Morant, he is very good and is going to make an impact in the tournament.
My All Conference Teams
First Team
G: Rickey McGill, Iona
G: Jalen Pickett, Siena
G: Takal Molson, Canisius
G: Brian Parker, Marist
F: Cameron Young, Quinnipiac
Second Team
G: Davauhnte Turner, St. Peter's
G: Stevie Jordan, Rider
F: EJ Crawford, Iona
F: Marvin Prochet, Niagra
F: Evan Fisher, Siena
My Pick: Quinnipiac over Siena
I made my love for the Bobcats clear, and I think having the best player and best shooting is enough to win them the tournament. I also think Siena's defense matches up great with Iona's offense, both games they played the Gaels scored under 60 points, and playing at home should give them enough of an advantage to win the semifinal game. However, I don't think it will be enough to take down Cameron Young and company as I think Quinnipiac punches their ticket to the big dance.
The MAAC has sneakily been one of the better conferences in the country, with Monmouth and Iona teams worthy of at large bids in recent memory, and getting two teams in back in 2012. However, the league was pretty bad this season, with multiple teams underperforming. However, much like the Missouri Valley, there was lots of parity, with all of the top 4 teams finishing at 11-7 and the conference champion Iona finishing two games ahead of Monmouth in sixth place. Monmouth had a very weird season, losing their first 12 games before turning around and finishing the season 11-8. We also saw preseason favorite Rider struggle, and they will take on predicted preseason bottom dweller Siena and freshman sensation Jalen Pickett in the first round. I am irrationally excited for this tournament because it figures to be absolutely insane and there are some great players that could go wild, as I'll get into later, but overall, I really want to see some MAACtion.
Bracket
Contenders
Iona (14-15, 12-6)
The Gaels have been a fixture atop the conference for the past few seasons, and have represented the conference in the last three seasons. They won the regular season title this season, and they figure to be one of the main contenders for the tournament championship. This season, they have two of the top players in the conference in Rickey McGill and EJ Crawford, and they have been key in giving the Gaels the top offensive efficiency in the conference per KenPom. They've been excellent around the basket, and they should have no problem scoring enough to win games. Their defense hasn't been great, but they are dynamic enough on the offensive enough that it isn't that big of a deal. They also enter on a seven game winning streak, so they have momentum on their side as they hunt for a conference title.
Quinnipiac (16-13, 11-7)
Cameron Young might be the best player in the country you don't know about. He's a walking bucket, and I'll get more into him later, but he's led the Bobcats to the top of the MAAC this season. The team does one thing very well: shoot. They take 53.2% of their shots from behind the arc, which isn't a problem when you are making 37.2% of your shots from deep. Young and sophomore Rich Kelly each make over 43% of their attempts from three, so you could say the Bobcats are sharpshooters. Additionally, they do a really good job of not fouling on defense and limiting opponents free throw numbers. No one is going to confuse them for Texas Tech on that end, but having the best player in the conference along with potent perimeter shooting is a very good combo in conference tournaments.
Siena (16-15, 11-7)
The Saints weren't expected to be this good, picked to finished eleventh in the preseason poll, but first year head coach Jamion Christian and stud freshman point guard Jalen Pickett led a massive turnaround, leading them to a tie for second place in the conference. Pickett has been a stabilizing force for the offense, and he has led to the the Saints rarely turning the ball over. They have also had the best defense in MAAC play, and have been very good at challenging shots at the rim. If their talent wasn't enough, the tournament is held in Albany, the same city as Siena's campus, so they should have a home court advantage with plenty of fans attending their games. They will be a tough out thanks to their fans, Pickett and Evan Fisher, a senior big who I haven't mentioned yet but has also been very productive, and their defense.
Sleeper Team
Marist (12-18, 7-11)
The Red Foxes can be a very dangerous team for their opposition. They knocked off Iona, Canisius, and Quinnipiac while winning four of five. Unfortunately, they then lost their last four games, but they clearly haver the potential to be a team that can win some games in the tournament. They are led by guard Brian Parker, who has been spectacular this season, averaging 14.7 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.5 assists. He has been balling of late as well, going for 16 a game over his last 6 contests. They will have to play Iona should they best Saint Peter's in the first round, and they have the ability to introduce a little bit of chaos into Albany after that game.
Players to Watch
Cameron Young
Stats: 23 PPG, 5 RPG, 2 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.3 BPG, 47.4/43.3/76.3
As I mentioned earlier, Young is one of the best scorers in the country. He's fourteenth in the nation in points per game, two spots behind RJ Barrett and one ahead of Myles Powell. He made national headlines with his 55 points, 10 rebound performance in a triple overtime win over Siena, but even excluding that game, he's been very, very good, especially in conference play. He scored 24 points a game in MAAC play not including his 55 point outburst, so he can put the ball in the basket. If he gets going from behind the arc, forget it, as the Bobcats rarely lose when he is playing at his best. since there aren't a lot of 6'6" wings with his athleticism in the MAAC to guard him, he can win the tournament almost singlehandedly with his scoring ability.
Jalen Pickett
Stats: 15.7 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 6.7 APG, 2 SPG, 0.8 BPG, 43.2/35/73.4
Pickett might be the best freshman in the country who you've never heard of. He was ninth in the country is assists per game, one spot ahead of Josh Perkins of Gonzaga, and his vision is up there with any player in the country. He finished with double digit assists 5 times this season, and he's no slouch scoring the ball either. While he doesn't have explosive athleticism or a consistent jump shot yet, he is undoubtably talented and in that triple overtime game mentioned above, Pickett was just as impressive as Young, scoring 46 points and dishing out 13 assists, with just 1 turnover in 53 minutes. He also ended the season with a Ja Morant-esque 27 point, 8 assist, 6 rebound performance, and while he isn't as good as Morant, he is very good and is going to make an impact in the tournament.
My All Conference Teams
First Team
G: Rickey McGill, Iona
G: Jalen Pickett, Siena
G: Takal Molson, Canisius
G: Brian Parker, Marist
F: Cameron Young, Quinnipiac
Second Team
G: Davauhnte Turner, St. Peter's
G: Stevie Jordan, Rider
F: EJ Crawford, Iona
F: Marvin Prochet, Niagra
F: Evan Fisher, Siena
My Pick: Quinnipiac over Siena
I made my love for the Bobcats clear, and I think having the best player and best shooting is enough to win them the tournament. I also think Siena's defense matches up great with Iona's offense, both games they played the Gaels scored under 60 points, and playing at home should give them enough of an advantage to win the semifinal game. However, I don't think it will be enough to take down Cameron Young and company as I think Quinnipiac punches their ticket to the big dance.
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