By Marley Pope and Hayden Shapiro
MAAC Conference men’s basketball fans can expect to see a number of standout players making a difference for their squads this season.
Here is a glimpse at some of the top players throughout the conference.
Marist: sophomore guard Josh Pascarelli
The Red Fox offense runs through Josh Pascarelli and that’s not a bad thing. The sophomore guard from Cambria Heights, NY was sensational during his freshman campaign, and he looks to build upon that this season. Pascarelli is a lethal threat from behind the arc but came on for Marist when he started taking balls to the hoop. He finished on the All-MAAC Rookie Team in 2024.
Pascarelli excels at getting set in an instant, shoulders square to the basket and it often ends in a make. His high motor allows him to be effective defensively as well, closing out on shooters and using his body inside the three-point line. Watch out for Pascarelli because if he gets hot, there’s little a defense can do to stop him.
Quinnipiac: graduate student guard Savion Lewis
Savion Lewis is a pure point guard. The Dix Hills, NY native ranked among some of the best players in the country last year in assists per game with seven. He is a master of the kick-out pass and finds open teammates all over the floor. Lewis moves extremely well off the ball, ultimately creating open shots and driving lanes for his fellow Bobcats. Quinnipiac plays an extremely cut-heavy brand of basketball and that’s tailored to Lewis’ ability to find the open man. Backdoor feeds and no-look dimes are the name of his game.
He won’t dazzle you on the score sheet, but his ability to see the floor is evident when the Bobcats play. Lewis is a pass-first guard, meaning he’s always looking for the open man; and often finds him. Lewis was an All-MAAC Second Team selection in 2024 and looks to build on that this season.
Manhattan: sophomore guard Jaden Winston
The sophomore guard out of the DMV will man the point again for the Jaspers this season. Winston is an extremely quick guard who can distribute and operate the offense while creating chaos on defense with active hands. His speed allows him to cause havoc in transition and create quality scoring opportunities. Last season he averaged nine points, five assists, four rebounds and over two steals per game; he does it all.
Winston played many minutes as a freshman and could thrive even more with more support at the guard spot, an area in which Manhattan was thin last year. The only knock on Winston last season was his lack of efficiency, but with how much responsibility he took on that is not too surprising. He more than made up for it with other contributions and will look to take the next step this season. Winston was selected to the All-MAAC third team.
Merrimack: sophomore guard Budd Clark
Adam “Budd” Clark will fit right into the MAAC, a conference that is guard-driven and has produced tough-minded, crafty guards year after year. The sophomore out of Philadelphia racked up the honors in his freshman season being named NEC ROY, All-NEC second team and All-NEC rookie team. He averaged 13.5 points and four assists while stepping into a major role as soon as he came to North Andover.
In the first two games of this season, he averaged 19 points, 4.5 assists and 4.5 rebounds as the leader of Joe Gallo’s squad. He runs the point with a quick handle and clever movement. Clark shot 49% on long twos last season with a strong midrange game. At 5-foot-10, he plays bigger than his size and makes an impact each night.
Gallo runs an aggressive 2-3 zone and Clark is at the top of it with tons of activity on defense. He recorded 81 steals last season and will start the fast break any chance he gets.
Clark was selected to the All-MAAC preseason first team and will be a dangerous player this season as the Warriors try to continue their recent success.
Niagara: senior wing Olumide Adelodun
Adelodun is one of those players that’s hard to miss when you watch his games. He really does it all. The Ohio transfer can bring up the ball, shoot the lights out and even go to work down low. His fundamentals are phenomenal. He boxes out and hustles for loose balls every opportunity he gets; that says something given his 6-foot-5 frame. He can be found lurking in the corner or getting set on the wing, where he excels due to his lightning-quick release.
As this Niagara team resets their entire roster, it would not be a surprise to see the Purple Eagles’ offense run through Adelodun. His length and intangibles serve him well on the defensive end, too.
Iona: freshman guard Adam Njie Jr
The Gaels rebuilt their entire roster from a year ago, but Tobin Anderson and staff put together a talented roster ahead of this season. Freshman guard Adam Njie Jr. is one of Iona’s highest-ranked recruits in program history. The 6-3 Bronx native out of Cardinal Hayes received offers from major schools like Illinois, Arizona State and Mississippi State.
Njie is shifty with the ball in his hands and can put all types of moves on defenders while getting to his shot. Through two games this season, he has averaged 13 points and 3.5 assists.
Iona works a high-paced offense with tons of movement, a system where Njie can thrive. He will be one of the most impactful freshmen in the MAAC, as evidenced by his 19-point, six-assist debut against Princeton.
Rider: graduate student guard TJ Weeks Jr.
The sixth-year guard is one of two returning starters for Rider and will need to have a bounce-back season if the Broncs want to compete in the MAAC. So far, Weeks has started red hot, averaging 16 points a night while shooting 46% from the field and 40% from beyond the arc.
Weeks is one of the best shooters in the conference with a smooth lefty stroke but struggled last season (34% from three). The grad student has displayed an ability to score inside the arc too, shooting 8-14 from two in the young season.
Weeks also wanted to be more impactful defensively, and he’s recorded a steal in every game this season.
Fairfield: junior guard Prophet Johnson
With his trio of guards not returning this season, head coach Chris Casey reloaded on the perimeter for this season. Southern Utah transfer Prophet Johnson offers physical play from the guard spot while causing problems defensively and attacking in transition.
Johnson averaged nine points, four rebounds and two assists last season and scored over 20 points per game during his freshman season in junior college. He plays downhill and is difficult to stop when he’s attacking the rim. His ability to contribute on multiple fronts makes him a player that Casey has to leave on the court for heavy minutes.
Saint Peter’s: sophomore guard Armoni Zeigler
Armoni Zeigler is one of those players with all the intangibles needed to be a star, but he still needs to put it all together. The 6-foot-4 guard has the length and quickness to defend whoever is bringing the ball up for the opposing team and the pressure he provides on defense really boosts this Peacocks squad’s defensive presence.
In limited action last season, Zeigler put up just under seven points per game for the Peacocks. With more play time this year, look for Zeigler to not only continue his impressive defensive play but also look for him to step up on the offensive side of the basketball. He dives for loose balls and plays the St. Peter’s way: hustle, hustle, hustle.
Sacred Heart: redshirt junior forward Tanner Thomas
Thomas played just eight games last season before suffering an injury in the early months of 2023-24. He returns healthy as the leading returning scorer for the Pioneers, where he scored 10 points a night on incredible efficiency (44/48/92) while adding six rebounds per game. The 6-foot-6 senior wing is a two-way player who can guard multiple positions. If Thomas can combine his finishing ability in 2022 and his shooting in 2023, he can finish the season much better than a preseason All-MAAC third-team player.
Siena: junior guard Justice Shoats
Shoats, a Wilkes-Barre, PA native, is an absolute energizer for the Saints. His ability to track down long rebounds is extremely impressive as well as his movement off the ball. Shoats was inserted directly into the Saints’ starting lineup and he’s making the most of his opportunity.
Siena brought in a lot of new faces this year and Shoats might end up being the most important one to this team. He controls the pace and his understanding of the game is top-tier. If he can improve his 3-point shot, the junior guard can really take his game to another level. But even without being a threat on the perimeter, his gritty play style and intense defense make him a key player to watch for Siena this season.
Canisius: Junior guard Paul McMillan IV
The Central Michigan transfer is making an immediate impact for the Golden Griffins, averaging 22 points per game through five contests. McMillan IV is one of the few players in the MAAC who plays nearly every minute of every game, averaging just under 35 mpg. He is an uber-athletic guard who can bring up the ball, but where he really makes his mark is from midrange. Mid-range shooting is becoming a lost art, especially in college basketball, but the way McMillan can create space with a simple step-back or side-step is remarkable. The fact that he doesn’t need much room to let it fly helps, too, as well as his high release. Shooting just under 58% from the field early on this season, the Ohio product has been the central point of the Golden Griffins’ offense.
Not only is this Griff extremely efficient, but he does so on nearly 14 shots a game. The toolsy, off-ball guard trails the primary ball handler beautifully, setting him up for a three sometimes three to four feet beyond the arc; but he has the ability to shoot from there, backed up by his 50% three-point shooting percentage.
Mount St. Mary’s: redshirt junior forward Dola Adebayo
The 6-foot-8 wing from Florida showed his versatility last season as an athletic defender and efficient offensive player. He only averaged 6.7 points, but boasted the best offensive rating of any player with more than 50% of his team’s minutes played. Adebayo’s ceiling only increases if he can be more consistent from three-point range (33% last season).
Adebayo was a preseason All-MAAC third-team selection and is expected to play a larger role for the Mount. He fits right in with new head coach Donny Lind’s aggressive defense, which allows guys like Adebayo to make life difficult for opposing offenses. His ability to guard multiple positions, rebound and defend the rim makes him a player to watch in the MAAC.
Edited by Max Rosen and Luke Sassa
Graphic by Raegan Van Zandt; Photos from Marist Athletics, Siena Athletics, Iona Athletics, Manhattan Athletics and Niagara Athletics
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