Category: Manhattan

Off the cuff MAAC schedule analysis

I’d prefer to do a little more in depth investigation of each of these schedules, but the four MAAC contenders definitely have different levels of difficulty to climb over the final few weeks of the season. It obviously starts tonight with Iona at Loyola (MD). The Gaels are a slight favorite, somewhere between two points (KenPom, Sagarin) and just over a half point (Accuscore), and I can’t believe Vegas has it all the way up around 2.5 points.

After this game in Baltimore the schedule really breaks nicely for Iona. Here’s what the Gaels have remaining:

  • Marist (H)
  • Rider (A)
  • Fairfield (H)
  • St. Peter’s (H)

That’s a pretty easy schedule. There’s three home games and a tricky road game against a good Rider team. The Stags have been rolling lately, but it might come to and end here down the stretch. That’s because they probably have the hardest remaining schedule of any MAAC contender and it starts on Sunday against Loyola (MD). Here it is:

  • Loyola (MD) (A)
  • St. Peter’s (H)
  • Iona (A)
  • Rider (A)

There’s three tough games in there and they’re all on the road. Sydney Johnson’s club has a great chance to prove that the recent four-game winning streak is no fluke by going into some tough environments and getting the wins that would put them right back at or near the top of the conference standings.

For completeness here are the two middle schedules. First Manhattan:

  • St. Peter’s (A)
  • Siena (A)
  • Canisius (H)
  • Loyola (MD) (H)

The Jaspers have just one game against a MAAC contender remaining, but the rest of these aren’t givens either considering two are on the road. Manhattan will have to bring its offense to Jersey City and Albany in order to remain in the top four in the standings.

And here’s Loyola (MD)’s post tonight’s big game against Iona:

  • Fairfield (H)
  • Marist (A)
  • Rider (A)
  • Manhattan (A)

The toughest part about this schedule is that the Greyhounds have to go on the road for their three final games. That’s going to make things a bit more difficult, but only one is against a top contender – though another is against the very variable Broncs squad. In fact, with games against three of the four contenders remaining – and all of them at home – Rider is one of the most interesting teams to watch down the stretch. Tommy Dempsey’s team is just 8-6 in conference play right now, but after Saturday’s game at Niagara they will be the team outside of these four that has the biggest impact on the final MAAC results.

Then it’s off to Springfield and MAACachusetts.

Deception on the Road

Game #8-511: Iona Gaels at Manhattan Jaspers

February 4, 2012 7:00 pm
Draddy Gymnasium
BBState Stats/Recap

I’ll admit it. I got there late. Iona vs. Manhattan was probably going to be one of (if not the) biggest regular season games of the year in New York City and I got there late.

It was my fault. I tried to pull off a triple-header, but something crazy happened in game two. After a lot of jawing during the game and a number of technical fouls, a shoving match broke out in the handshake line at the end of the LIU Brooklyn – Central Connecticut game. While I waited for that to die down, and a chance to get interviews, the seconds ticked away.

Thankfully, I had a ride. So we sped up the interstate from Brooklyn back to the Bronx, where I’d already been earlier that day to watch Fordham play Charlotte. As we did, I anxiously checked the score on my iPhone, while sitting in the passenger seat of course.

As we drove, it looked like the game was working itself in a Manhattan sort of way. The Jaspers want to play defense and grind games out against opponents. The trapping system that Steve Masiello brought with him from Louisville eventually wears down opponents and gives the Jaspers the chance to pull out games late. That’s exactly what happened the last time these two teams met — a last-second Manhattan victory.

Once I got settled into my seat on press row around the eight-minute mark in the first half, I realized that wasn’t the case at all. Sometimes box scores, especially mid-game ones, can be deceiving. The game in front of me wasn’t anything like the one I expected; instead, it was a furious up-and-down relay race in Draddy Gymnasium. The only problem was that Manhattan was trying to run a 4×100 relay with just one runner. George Beamon was hitting everything and trying to keep Manhattan in the game.

Iona, on the other hand, has lots of runners. Mike Glover, Scott Machado and Momo Jones form a trio that some MAAC observers have likened to the Miami Heat’s combination of Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh. While that’s an overstatement, there’s no doubt that the Gaels are extremely talented. It’s not their basketball skills that people worry about, but their focus.

And on Saturday they were focused.

Tim Cluess’ squad wanted revenge for the three that had ripped a victory away from them on their home court. They wanted to prove to all the Manhattan fans wearing green and the students saying dirty things that they were the elite team in the MAAC.

Starting the second half, that’s exactly what the Gaels did. Iona ripped off a quick seven-point run to build a working margin, and managed to not blow it this time. With the win, Iona once again sat in first place in the conference, but the Gaels will have to beat Loyola (MD) this week to stay there.

Near the end, Machado threw down the first dunk of his career on a fast break. There was no one around him, and he could’ve run off some more time, but he decided to throw it down, even with a banged-up knee. That play was to be the biggest display of emotion. It was the moment when Iona let their actions do all of the talking.

For the Gaels proved on Saturday night in a hostile gym that they’re not going down easy, and that Iona is still a team with a bunch of talent and bigger dreams ahead.

IONA 85, at MANHATTAN 73
02/04/2012

IONA 19-5 (11-2)– D. Burton 5-12 6-7 18; M. Glover 7-10 5-7 19; L. Jones 6-14 5-7 18; S. Machado 5-7 6-8 18; T. Ridley 3-7 1-3 7; S. Armand 4-9 4-4 14; K. Smyth 1-5 0-0 2; R. Dezouvre 2-3 3-4 7; J. Jenkins 0-0 0-0 0; R. James 0-0 0-0 0; T. Fields 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 28-55 24-33 85.

MANHATTAN 17-8 (10-3)– G. Beamon 8-15 7-7 26; M. Alvarado 3-11 0-0 7; K. Brutus 4-13 0-0 12; E. Andujar 3-9 0-0 7; R. Colonette 2-6 2-2 6; R. Brown 4-6 0-2 8; D. Kates 1-1 0-1 2; L. McCabe-Moran 2-3 0-0 5; M. Koita 0-1 0-0 0; D. Anderson 0-1 0-0 0; D. Coulibaly 0-1 0-0 0; K. Laue 0-0 0-0 0; R. McCoy 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 27-67 9-12 73.

Three-point goals: IONA 5-16 (S. Machado 2-3; K. Smyth 0-3; L. Jones 1-4; S. Armand 2-6), MAN 10-30 (L. McCabe-Moran 1-2; G. Beamon 3-7; M. Koita 0-1; M. Alvarado 1-3; K. Brutus 4-12; D. Anderson 0-1; E. Andujar 1-4); Rebounds: IONA 32 (M. Glover 7), MAN 30 (G. Beamon 8); Assists: IONA 21 (S. Machado 9), MAN 17 (E. Andujar 6); Total Fouls — IONA 15, MAN 23; Fouled Out: IONA-None; MAN-K. Brutus.

Game #8-511: Iona Gaels at Manhattan Jaspers

February 4, 2012 7:00 pm
Draddy Gymnasium
BBState Stats/Recap

I’ll admit it. I got there late. Iona vs. Manhattan was probably going to be one of (if not the) biggest regular season games of the year in New York City and I got there late.

It was my fault. I tried to pull off a triple-header, but something crazy happened in game two. After a lot of jawing during the game and a number of technical fouls, a shoving match broke out in the handshake line at the end of the LIU Brooklyn – Central Connecticut game. While I waited for that to die down, and a chance to get interviews, the seconds ticked away.

Thankfully, I had a ride. So we sped up the interstate from Brooklyn back to the Bronx, where I’d already been earlier that day to watch Fordham play Charlotte. As we did, I anxiously checked the score on my iPhone, while sitting in the passenger seat of course.

As we drove, it looked like the game was working itself in a Manhattan sort of way. The Jaspers want to play defense and grind games out against opponents. The trapping system that Steve Masiello brought with him from Louisville eventually wears down opponents and gives the Jaspers the chance to pull out games late. That’s exactly what happened the last time these two teams met — a last-second Manhattan victory.

Once I got settled into my seat on press row around the eight-minute mark in the first half, I realized that wasn’t the case at all. Sometimes box scores, especially mid-game ones, can be deceiving. The game in front of me wasn’t anything like the one I expected; instead, it was a furious up-and-down relay race in Draddy Gymnasium. The only problem was that Manhattan was trying to run a 4×100 relay with just one runner. George Beamon was hitting everything and trying to keep Manhattan in the game.

Iona, on the other hand, has lots of runners. Mike Glover, Scott Machado and Momo Jones form a trio that some MAAC observers have likened to the Miami Heat’s combination of Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh. While that’s an overstatement, there’s no doubt that the Gaels are extremely talented. It’s not their basketball skills that people worry about, but their focus.

And on Saturday they were focused.

Tim Cluess’ squad wanted revenge for the three that had ripped a victory away from them on their home court. They wanted to prove to all the Manhattan fans wearing green and the students saying dirty things that they were the elite team in the MAAC.

Starting the second half, that’s exactly what the Gaels did. Iona ripped off a quick seven-point run to build a working margin, and managed to not blow it this time. With the win, Iona once again sat in first place in the conference, but the Gaels will have to beat Loyola (MD) this week to stay there.

Near the end, Machado threw down the first dunk of his career on a fast break. There was no one around him, and he could’ve run off some more time, but he decided to throw it down, even with a banged-up knee. That play was to be the biggest display of emotion. It was the moment when Iona let their actions do all of the talking.

For the Gaels proved on Saturday night in a hostile gym that they’re not going down easy, and that Iona is still a team with a bunch of talent and bigger dreams ahead.

IONA 85, at MANHATTAN 73
02/04/2012

IONA 19-5 (11-2)– D. Burton 5-12 6-7 18; M. Glover 7-10 5-7 19; L. Jones 6-14 5-7 18; S. Machado 5-7 6-8 18; T. Ridley 3-7 1-3 7; S. Armand 4-9 4-4 14; K. Smyth 1-5 0-0 2; R. Dezouvre 2-3 3-4 7; J. Jenkins 0-0 0-0 0; R. James 0-0 0-0 0; T. Fields 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 28-55 24-33 85.

MANHATTAN 17-8 (10-3)– G. Beamon 8-15 7-7 26; M. Alvarado 3-11 0-0 7; K. Brutus 4-13 0-0 12; E. Andujar 3-9 0-0 7; R. Colonette 2-6 2-2 6; R. Brown 4-6 0-2 8; D. Kates 1-1 0-1 2; L. McCabe-Moran 2-3 0-0 5; M. Koita 0-1 0-0 0; D. Anderson 0-1 0-0 0; D. Coulibaly 0-1 0-0 0; K. Laue 0-0 0-0 0; R. McCoy 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 27-67 9-12 73.

Three-point goals: IONA 5-16 (S. Machado 2-3; K. Smyth 0-3; L. Jones 1-4; S. Armand 2-6), MAN 10-30 (L. McCabe-Moran 1-2; G. Beamon 3-7; M. Koita 0-1; M. Alvarado 1-3; K. Brutus 4-12; D. Anderson 0-1; E. Andujar 1-4); Rebounds: IONA 32 (M. Glover 7), MAN 30 (G. Beamon 8); Assists: IONA 21 (S. Machado 9), MAN 17 (E. Andujar 6); Total Fouls — IONA 15, MAN 23; Fouled Out: IONA-None; MAN-K. Brutus.

Tempo-free MAAC: The consistent contender

There’s one team in the MAAC that has been fairly consistent this season. It’s not Iona. It’s not Manhattan. It’s Loyola (MD). The Greyhounds have played at about the same level all season as they’ve compiled a 10-2 record to tie the Gaels atop the conference standings. Jimmy Patsos has his team limiting the ups and down and thus limiting the ways they can lose games. Their variance is half of anyone else in the league. (Just don’t ask how the Niagara game happened.)

Continue reading “Tempo-free MAAC: The consistent contender” →

Iona is growing up

Three and a half weeks ago Iona was the lead dog in the MAAC. The Gaels were undefeated and controlled their own destiny up by 17 against Manhattan at the Hynes Athletic Center. Then everything changed. Iona collapsed and the Jaspers pulled out a dramatic 75-72 victory. Tim Cluess’ squad got to show just how much it had learned from that moment on Saturday at Draddy Gymnasium.

Continue reading “Iona is growing up” →

Saturday Basketball Bonanza

The boys over at Ballin’ Is a Habit went over 2,500 miles to watch college basketball. I commend them on this incredible journey. Thankfully though I live in New York City, most definitely one of if not the greatest city in the world. It’s also so incredibly densely populated that there are always college basketball games happening during the season. Saturday I’m going to attempt to take advantage of what the city has to offer and attend three games in one day.

Continue reading “Saturday Basketball Bonanza” →

Rough draw for MAAC in BracketBusters

Let’s be honest, the top of the MAAC caught absolutely zero breaks in the ESPN BracketBusters. Iona is playing on TV, but its a no-win home game against Nevada. Also, if you looked at RPI and accomplishments before the pairings were announced it was quite logical to assume that either Loyola (MD) or Manhattan would get a marquee home game on television as well. Look at the schedule and you’ll find none of it.

Continue reading “Rough draw for MAAC in BracketBusters” →

BracketBuster Pairings Being Announced

Iona is going to be hosting Nevada at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 18 on ESPN or ESPN2. This is a tough game for the Gaels to stomach. It’s not a game that winning really helps. Nevada is currently 59th in RPI and 91st in KenPom rankings. While they’re cleaning up in the WAC right now it’s not particularly useful in terms of getting a bubble game. Wichita State was sitting there and Iona could’ve used it. Also, Iona has to return this game at some point. I’m sure Tim Cluess isn’t happy about this game.

Stony Brook will take on former America East conference member Northeastern at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 18. That’s a nice game for both teams involved. There’s some history, there’s a chance for SBU to get a win over a CAA team that actually might help their conference rating and it means that the Seawolves get to go to Massachusetts again. I’m not sure if they really want to, but if it’s okay for a conference road trip I think it’s fine for a BracketBusters game.

Per a whole bunch of sources Manhattan will be hosting UNC-Wilmington on Feb. 18. There’s a whole bunch of reasons why this is a terrible matchup. Let’s start with the fact that Wilmington has lost six of its last seven games, including to Towson on Saturday. Bonus though: Brian Mull, who writes for the Star News in North Carolina and does great tempo-free work, will be coming to the game.

Hofstra will host Siena at 4 p.m. on February 18. Here’s a nice regional matchup between to teams at pretty similar levels. There’s some reasons to be excited for this game. Also, if both these teams move upwards as expected over the next few seasons the return game could be valuable to both side as well.