March is upon us. Champ week has arrived. Bubbles will burst, and tickets will be punched.
In the thick of all of that, the MAAC men’s basketball championships begin Tuesday, March 12. The league this year proved extremely competitive, ranking first in close games (decided by less than four points) and ranked 25th out of 31 conferences in home win percentage.
The new tournament format, taking the top-10 teams out of 13, offered more late-season drama, with Niagara’s postseason hopes evaporating after a late 3-pointer by Rider’s Flash Burton. Then Saint Peter’s saw their postseason bid stolen by Fairfield’s last win over Quinnipiac.
Before previewing Atlantic City, let’s briefly review Marist’s regular season.
Red Foxes Making History
Marist won 20 games for the first time since 2007 and just the fifth time in program history. The Red Foxes had three four-game or better win streaks, including a nine-game heater in December and January. They defeated the reigning A-10 champions Richmond on the road and had a strong 7-2 record in the non-conference.
That momentum carried into MAAC play, going 9-1 in the first half of the conference slate and starting 6-0. Marist led by 20 in the second half to eventual regular season champion Quinnipiac in their lone matchup on Jan. 5.
Sophomore guard Josh Pascarelli scored at a high rate, junior guard Elijah Lewis and senior forward Jackson Price complemented him either in the midrange or stretching the floor.
Sophomore guard Jadin Collins-Roberts directed the troops and junior forward Jaden Daughtry did the dirty work needed to win close games. 16 of Marist’s 29 games were decided by five points or less. Marist won 12.
With four games remaining, Marist and Quinnipiac each had a 13-3 MAAC record, with the regular season championship hanging in the balance.
The Bobcats’ record: 2-2. Marist’s record: 0-4
A four-game skid provided a grim end to a special regular season as Marist dropped to the No. 3 seed and only a one-game improvement in their conference record compared to a year ago. A major factor in this slide goes back to a Friday night win over Siena on Jan. 31. Price injured his foot in that game, and sat on the sidelines for eight games, where Marist went 4-4.
Price returned for the final two games, but Marist lost both. The offense did not look the same; shots for Pascarelli and Lewis came by much harder and the Red Foxes’ 3-point shooting slumped hard. In the last four games, Marist did not surpass 60 points.
The Red Foxes stumbled to the finish line, but Atlantic City offers a clean slate if they can reset mentally over four days of rest. Marist can lean on its defense, ranked eighth in the country in 2PT%, 17th in Offensive Rebound % and 27th in Effective FG %. However, if a deep run is in the cards, the offense must find its footing.
Outside of Price’s nice game last Saturday, another positive is that despite Pascarelli and the rest of the team missing a lot of 3-point shots, the looks themselves were open; something hard to come by with Price out.
In addition, redshirt freshman Jason Schofield seemed fully recovered from his ankle injury suffered in that same Siena game where Price got hurt. Last weekend, Schofield scored a career-high 17 points in the Red Foxes’ loss to Merrimack and scored eight in 18 minutes against the Mount.
Marist put together a wonderful season that energized the fan base and community. The next step for them is to find a way to rekindle the fire that burned through opponents but was extinguished in the last month of the season.
To preview the MAAC tournament, let’s break down the field individually.
- Quinnipiac Bobcats
19-12 overall, 15-5 MAAC
Quinnipiac won its second MAAC title in a row, finishing 15-5 in conference play for the second straight year. Amarri Monroe is the MAAC Player of the Year, averaging 17 points and nine rebounds, notching seven double-doubles in his last eight games. Monroe, a 6-foot-7 hyper-athletic player, can put the ball on the floor and get his own shot. He also is a menace on the defensive end, ranking high in steal and block percentage.
The Bobcats lost veteran shot-maker Matt Balanc to graduation but found other guards to replace his scoring. Sophomore Khaden Bennett and freshman Jaden Zimmerman each averaged 10 points per game. Zimmerman was named to the MAAC All-Rookie Team.
Veteran forward Paul Otieno provided another lethally efficient season and controls the glass on both ends. He also developed his 3-point shot, making 12-30 after attempting only six last year and finding his way to the All-MAAC First Team.
Head coach Tom Pecora is Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season, making Quinnipiac into a perennial northeast mid-major program.
Like 2024, the Bobcats are the favorites to win the tournament. The offense is not as efficient as last year, but the super-speed pace they play with in addition to a top-three defense in the conference, Quinnipiac is once again in prime position to make the NCAA tournament.
- Merrimack Warriors
17-14 overall, 14-6 MAAC
In its first year in the MAAC, Merrimack stifled opponents all season with their aggressive 2-3 zone defense. The Warriors are fourth in the country in TO% and top-50 in 3PT%, steal % and effective FG%.
Sophomore guard Adam Clark earned All-MAAC First Team averaging 20 points per game as a 5-foot-10 guard. He heads the front of the zone and is first in the MAAC in steals. Clark controls the pace on offense and boasts an impressive midrange game while getting to the rim too.
Clark is fifth in the country in assist rate and facilitates the offense, getting the ball to his shooters or pick-and-roll lobs to his junior center Bryan Etumnu. At 6-foot-7, Etumnu is a springy forward who leads the conference in blocks and was named Defensive Player of the Year.
Merrimack has a thin rotation but the zone saves their energy to play heavy minutes at a high level. The Warriors stay in any game with the way they control the turnover battle and are a legitimate contender in Atlantic City.
- Marist Red Foxes
20-9 overall, 13-7 MAAC
Marist had a season to remember in its program history, winning 20 games for just the fifth time. They rank highly on the defensive end, defending the paint well, preventing teams from attempting 3-pointers and gang-rebounding to prevent second chances. They force a slow-tempo game on their opponents, making the game played in the half-court with no transition opportunities.
Pascarelli led the offense with 16 points per game shooting 40% from behind the arc and was a unanimous All-MAAC First Team selection. The rest of the offense targets the paint, whether Lewis, an All-MAAC Third Teamer, gets to his midrange or Marist bigs post up off of ball screens as they are 25th in the country in point distribution coming from 2-point shots.
The Red Foxes lost four in a row to finish the regular season, some of which occurred due to Price’s eight-game absence. He returned for the last two games and is key to spacing the offense with his ability to shoot at the five. Marist’s turnover and lack of free throw issues put pressure on their shotmaking to be really good, leading to a sub-300 efficiency on offense.
Marist returned four starters from last year’s team and has their back against the wall heading to the tournament.
- Iona Gaels
15-16 overall, 12-8 MAAC
Iona had an up-and-down season but once they found their stride with the best rotation, Tobin Anderson’s team had three different three-game win streaks in conference play to finish as the No. 4 seed. Senior guard Dejour Reaves and freshman guard Adam Njie Jr head the offense with crafty dribble penetration and shotmaking. Reaves earned a spot on the All-MAAC First Team and Njie Jr the MAAC All-Rookie Team.
The Gaels are fourth in the country in offensive rebounding, earning second chances while forcing turnovers on the other end. This combination makes up for a lack of efficiency and has worked in conference play. Junior forward Yaphet Moundi is a top-20 rebounder in the nation and is the microcosm of this high-energy team.
Junior forward Luke Jungers, freshman guard Justin Menard and junior guard Kernan Bundy can all shoot, offering some perimeter threats when the defense collapses. The Gaels use their full-court press to squeeze their opponents and create easy chances to score. That frenetic style of play can overwhelm teams in Atlantic City and fuel an Iona run.
- Manhattan
17-12 overall, 12-8 MAAC
The Jaspers run the most efficient offense in the conference with five players averaging double figures. Freshman forward Will Sydnor is the MAAC Rookie of the Year, averaging 14 points and seven rebounds per game on great shooting. Six of their seven-man rotation have a 100 offensive rating or better and are tied for first in the conference in points per game at 76.4
Redshirt sophomore guard Devin Dinkins is a microwave scorer off the bench, providing the gas to this Jaspers offense shooting 44% from behind the arc to be named to the All-MAAC Third Team and Sixth Player of the Year. Manhattan is first in free throw percentage and is top four in the MAAC in all four-factors metric via KenPom.
Defensively, Manhattan is a bit vulnerable and is an area of concern heading into the tournament. The Jaspers force turnovers, rebound defensively and record blocks or steals at below-average rates. The Jaspers have mostly outscored opponents and will look to continue that trend this week.
- Mount St. Mary’s
19-12 overall, 12-8 MAAC
In Donny Lind’s first season as head coach, the Mount won the most games in eight years. Their calling card is physicality, with a defense that does not foul and rebounds well. The Mountaineers have three forwards averaging seven rebounds per game: redshirt junior Dola Adebayo, senior Jedy Cordilia and senior Terrell Ard Jr. Ard Jr. is an extremely effective player off the bench averaging 10 points. Unfortunately, he is out for the tournament after suffering a lower-body injury.
Sophomore guard Dallas Hobbs scores 12 a game with smooth ball handling and shotmaking. He operates a higher-paced offense along with graduate guard Xavier Lipscomb, moving the ball and taking a decent number of 3-pointers.
Sophomore guard Carmelo Pacheco may be the best shooter in the conference and is 11th in the nation in 3-point percentage at a scorching 46%. The Mount have won six of their last eight and have numerous players to look to for scoring. Adebayo was named to the All-MAAC second team.
Mount St. Mary’s is dead last in the MAAC in TO% on both ends of the floor, a key area in a tournament setting that can make or break a season. Their ability to control the ball and let their efficient offense operate (52% from two, 36% from 3, 74% FT) is the number one priority for this Mount team.
- Sacred Heart
14-17 overall, 10-10 MAAC
The Pioneers were picked last in the MAAC preseason poll in their first season in the conference. Sacred Heart head coach Anthony Latina’s team responded with a decent regular season to be a threat in March. After Manhattan, Sacred Heart offers the most potent offense in the league, ranking 19th in assists per made field goals and 61st in 3-point attempts per field goal attempt in the country.
They like every shot they see and are super aggressive. Three Pios shoot 3-pointers 38% or better: redshirt junior forwards Tanner Thomas and Anquan Hill and freshman guard Nyle Ralph-Beyer. Freshman guard Mekhi Connor finds those shooters, averaging 6.5 assists per game.
Sacred Heart is 50th in the country in adjusted tempo and loves to attack in transition to catch defenses out of position. With Hill’s recent injury, graduate student forward Bryce Johnson got some more run and took advantage, averaging 19 points over three games before Hill’s return.
Those two complement each other perfectly; Hill can step out and shoot at 6-foot-9 while Johnson works as a small-ball five at 6-foot-6, putting the ball on the floor in a spaced offense to make shots in the paint and attack matchups.
Thomas leads Sacred Heart in scoring at 15 a night and is on the All-MAAC Second Team, but Hill and senior guard Amiri Stewart both average 12 with four more players averaging between 8.5 and 10 points per game. That’s a balanced offense that can attack in numerous ways, creating a dangerous lower-seeded matchup if they’re able to get hot.
- Siena Saints
14-17 overall, 9-11 MAAC
The Saints traded wins and losses throughout the season, struggling to develop a rhythm and finished slightly below .500. Siena head coach Gerry McNamara essentially rebuilt the roster in the offseason and put together an interesting team.
Junior guard Justice Shoats initiates the offense, averaging 16 points and 4.5 assists per game. He was named to the All-MAAC second team. He has an innate ability to create contact and get to the free-throw line while driving to the rim, leading the conference in free-throw attempts.
Alongside him, junior guard Major Freeman makes perimeter shots but not at the best efficiency. Junior forward Brendan Coyle became an elite shooter in the MAAC, finishing second in 3-pointers made on 39% and averaging 12 points a night.
Freshman guard Gavin Doty did not start until December but transformed into a key player with his hard hat work ethic on both ends. He is fearless, driving to the rim at will and hustling for rebounds and loose balls. He can be a scorer too, eclipsing 20 points seven times this year, earning a spot on the All-MAAC freshman team.
Siena is not a team higher seeds want to face with the way they scrap and force turnovers.
- Rider Broncs
13-18 overall, 9-11 MAAC
Rider is not a strong team on paper. They make the fewest 3-pointers per game in the MAAC along with a negative scoring margin and turnover margin. Despite that, the Broncs won their last three games, including an away win to Merrimack to qualify for Atlantic City.
Senior guard TJ Weeks, in his sixth season of college basketball, headlines this veteran group as a streaky scorer, earning All-MAAC Second Team honors. Behind him, three upperclassmen score 10 per game. Senior forward Tarqi Ingraham bangs in the paint, leading Rider as a top-15 team in the nation in point distribution coming from 2-pointers.
Rider is a physical, bruising team to face late in the season and has the knack for beating higher-seeded teams, evidenced by defeating Marist and Iona away earlier this year. The offense is averaging 79 points per game on this win streak.
The Broncs have all the momentum they need to win a first-round matchup and make life difficult for No. 1 seed Quinnipiac in the quarterfinals.
- Fairfield Stags
12-19 overall, 8-12 MAAC
After a strong season in 2024, Fairfield lost much of its roster due to the portal and did not fully recoup the talent that left. The Stags are sub-300 in both offensive and defensive efficiency according to KenPom.
One of the lone bright spots is junior guard Prophet Johnson, the only scorer averaging double figures with 13.5 while adding 7.7 rebounds per game. Johnson dropped 35 points in the season finale to defeat Quinnipiac, although the Bobcats rested three starters with the top seed clinched.
Nonetheless, Johnson’s four straight 20+ point games sent Fairfield to Atlantic City and on the All-MAAC Third Team. Junior Braden Sparks, graduate student Jamie Bergens and junior Deon Perry are all guards who have not found their stride and need their best games if Fairfield wants to extend their season.
The Stags have a deep bench, partly because they have tweaked the rotation so many times, but also because they have versatile lineups that can create advantages in different areas.
Sophomore forward Peyton Smith and freshman forward Isaac Munkadi are two young bigs who can have an impact in their first-round matchup against Sacred Heart.
The MAAC tournament is unpredictable and creates moments that last a lifetime. No team, no lead is safe and the entirety of this season comes down to a few short days in Atlantic City.
Edited by: Aidan Lavin
Graphic: Quinn DiFiore; Photo: Marist Athletics
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