Iona Gaels
MAAC (25-7, 15-3)
In a surprisingly competitive conference, the Gaels have the best team. They’ve had to fend off the likes of Loyola (Md.) and Fairfield, but they found themselves atop the MAAC at the end of the season. This is one of the more unheralded teams in the country. Led by senior Scott Machado, the Gaels have only lost seven games, and could make some noise in the tournament. They are the best scoring team in the country. With the likes of Kentucky and North Carolina, it’s hard to believe a small college from New Rochelle, NY would be leading the nation in putting the ball in the hoop.
Big Wins: 11/20 vs Maryland (89-63), 11/23 St. Joe’s (104-99), 2/18 Nevada (90-84)
Bad Losses: 12/29 at Hofstra (75-83), 1/12 Manhattan (72-75), 1/23 at Siena (62-65)
Coach: Tim Cluess (2 seasons at Iona)
Why They Can Surprise:
As previously stated, this team has a lot of firepower. They are well-balanced and put the ball in the basket at will it seems. They play an inside-out game as they can score from behind the arc as well. They shoot nearly 50% from the field overall. They share better than everybody too. They lead the country in assists. They generally only go about seven or eight deep, but three players average over 35 minutes per game. There is some real talent on the roster. It is a veteran team that boasts five seniors and five juniors. Scott Machado, their lauded senior, is agonizingly close to averaging a double-double (13.7 points, 9.9 assists). He’s their engine. With his leadership, Iona has the ability to win a few games in the tournament and possibly even take out one of the big boys. Pair him with leading scorer Michael Glover, and you have a dynamic duo.
Why They Can Disappoint:
Where this team will falter is on the defensive side of the ball. As great as they are on offense, they are nearly just as bad on defense. They just happen to be able to outscore people so they win games. Their opponents shoot 45.0% from the field against them and they give up 72.6 points per game. Down the line, as the teams get stronger, it will be hard even for Iona to keep up with that pace. They aren’t a particularly big team, so they aren’t able to block many shots or nab many steals. They only rack up 2.1 blocks per game. As they play rangier more athletic teams, a hand in the face is going to be a necessity. If they can’t press the ball, they will have trouble beating elite squads.
Probable Starters:
Scott Machado, Senior, Guard, 13.6 ppg, 9.9 apg, 5.0 rpg
Lamont Jones, Junior, Guard, 16.0 ppg, 3.0 apg
Sean Armand, Sophomore, Guard, 9.5 ppg, 1.2 apg
Taaj Ridley, Junior, Forward, 6.9 ppg, 4.1 rpg
Michael Glover, Senior, Forward, 18.5 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 1.1 bpg
Key Roleplayers:
Jermel Jenkins, Senior, Guard, 5.2 ppg, 1.0 apg
Kyle Smith, Junior, Guard, 5.7 ppg, 1.4 apg
Randy Dezourve, Senior, Guard-Forward, 5.0 ppg, 2.8 rpg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 83.3 (1st in nation, 1st in conference)
Scoring Defense: 72.6 (293, 6)
Field-Goal Percentage: 50.4 (2, 1)
Field-Goal Defense: 45.0 (256, 7)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 7.8 (47, 1)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 39.3 (17, 1)
Free-Throw Percentage: 71.6 (85, 5)
Rebound Margin: 0.9 (155, 5)
Assists Per Game: 19.3 (1, 1)
Turnovers Per Game: 12.4 (72, 1)
Last Five Postseason Appearances:
Iona 2011 CIT First Round win over Valparaiso
Iona 2011 CIT Quarterfinal win over Buffalo
Iona 2011 CIT Semifinal win over East Tennessee State
Iona 2011 CIT Final loss to Santa Clara
Iona 2006 NCAA Round of 64 loss to LSU
Iona 2001 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Mississippi
Iona 2000 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Maryland
Iona 1998 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Syracuse
*all team stats through 3/4
See All Men’s Basketball Postseason Capsules
