Each team will include its record from last season as well as their final KenPom efficiency ratings. Hyperlinks for each team’s respective offseason overview.
Led by Posh Alexander, one of the most feared defenders in the nation, the Red Storm return four starters, including linebacker-sized Swiss Army knife Dylan Addae-Wusu, who brings shooting, passing and physical switchability on defense. Replacing an elite scorer like Julian Champagnie is a difficult task, but DePaul transfer David Jones (14.5p, 7.4r, 2.4a, 1.7s, 1.0b, 29.7 3p%) is a plug-and-play starting forward.
Illinois transfer Andre Curbelo provides intriguing upside, but it’s hard to see Anderson feature rotations with Alexander and Curbelo sharing the floor together, due to their poor outside shooting. Shooting woes have plagued the Johnnies during Anderson’s tenure, but incoming four-star transfer AJ Storr, out of IMG Academy, is one of the best shooters in the class and is poised to be a valuable bench piece in his freshman season.
Playing with the fastest tempo in the nation, Anderson’s coaching, leadership and recruiting has helped bring stability to Queens and it’s possible this upcoming season will be the Red Storm’s best in Anderson’s four-year tenure.
Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino starts his third season in New Rochelle, leading perhaps the most balanced roster in the MAAC. The bedrock of the starting lineup is All-MAAC First Team big Nelly Junior Joseph, the 6’9 240 junior who combines strength down low with surprising agility, able to keep up with the Gaels’ top-40 ranked offensive tempo.
Two other starters return: Quinn Slazinski, a 6’8 stretch forward originally from Louisville that averaged 8.4 ppg and shot 34% from three; and Berrick JeanLouis, a 6’5 returning fifth-year wing whose athleticism helps him excel on defense and is also dangerous in the open court.
Former All-MAAC First Team guard Tyson Jolly and Elijah Joiner have graduated, but sophomore William Clayton Jr. is poised to lead the Gaels’ revamped backcourt that features Oregon State decommit Cruz Davis, Missouri transfer Anton Brookshire and transfer Dannis Jenkins, who averaged 12.2 points per game at Pacific before improving his shooting last season at Odessa College.
With talent and depth, Iona will be atop of nearly all preseason MAAC rankings as they have March Madness aspirations. A strong non-conference schedule will battle-test the Gaels, including tilts against Saint Louis, Vermont, Santa Clara, St. Bonaventure, New Mexico and three games at the Diamond Head Classic.
Syracuse, 16-17, #69
No one can deny the career accomplishments of Jim Boeheim: winning the NCAA championship in 2003, 998 career wins and simply being a part of Syracuse as a player and coach since 1963.
However, since joining the ACC in 2014, the program has not had nearly the same success as their years in the Big East. Last season’s 16-17 record was Boeheim’s first losing record of his career and with the Boeheim bros (a combined 33 points per game) and Cole Swider graduating (13.9 ppg), the Orange return just 37% of their scoring.
While Jesse Edwards is a solid two-way big, Joe Girard III is an impressive shooter, four-star returnee Benny Williams oozes potential and their six-man ‘22 class boasts talent and depth, it’s hard seeing the Orange having a better season than last year.
Facing historic roster attrition, the vaunted 2018 class of Osun Osunniyi, Jaren Holmes (both at Iowa State) and Kyle Lofton (Florida) have all taken their extra year of eligibility elsewhere, representing a major part of the whopping 99.8% of the team’s scoring gone.
However, Mark Schmidt and his staff almost annually outperform their preseason expectations and this feat is a major reason why I’m bullish on the Bonnies in 22-23. Needing immediate help, but also wanting to lay the groundwork for the future, the Bonnies’ six-man transfer haul shrewdly mixed veteran talent (senior guards Daryl Banks from Saint Peter’s and Moses Flowers from Hartford) with multi-year eligible pieces (sophomore guard Kyrell Luc from Holy Cross and sophomore forward Anquan Hill from Fairleigh Dickinson, among others).
The three-man 2022 recruiting class is led by three-star forward Yann Farrell, the Brewster Academy product who picked the Bonnies over ten high-major offers. It will take time for the roster to jell, but its talent, depth and coaching will keep the Bonnies in the middle of the pack in the A-10.
Thanks to the incredible work by Kyle Neptune and his staff, Fordham enters the new season with a level of hype unseen in a long time. With last year’s Associate Head Coach Keith Urgo stepping in for Neptune, there’s a sense of continuity that is rare for coaching transitions.
The return of fifth-year senior Darius Quisenberry (16.2 ppg) and senior glue guy Antrell Charlton (7.3p, 5.4r, 3.5a, 1.8s) lead the returning talent while the addition of Georgia Tech transfer Khalid Moore adds an instant starter. Most impressive is how Urgo and his staff has helped bring in new talent to the Bronx, with their five-man recruiting class of 2022 highlighted by guard Will Richardson, wing Angel Montas and combo guard Noah Best, three of the seven highest rated recruits in program history, according to 247.
This combination of returning talent and new blood allows Urgo to utilize his depth and maximize competition, a luxury that feels new for Fordham. The A-10 is a deep conference, but Fordham has more than enough talent to stay competitive throughout the season and possibly even finish with a .500 or better conference record for the first time since the 2006-2007 season.
Hofstra, 21-11, #120
Hiring alums with little to no head coaching experience (Chris Mullin, for example) yield mixed results, at best, but Speedy Claxton has bucked that trend. After spending nine seasons at Hofstra as an assistant coach, the Claxton-led Pride went 21-11 last season, headlined with a win over Arkansas in December.
Last year’s team ran a lot, let it rain from deep and were excellent at preventing turnovers. Having Aaron Estrada, the reigning CAA Player of the Year, return for his senior year is key (18.5p, 5.7r, 5.0a, 1.5s). To help continue that style of play, Claxton had to find replacements for all-time great Jalen Ray (13.4 ppg, all-time program leader in games played) and Zach Cooks (12.2 ppg) and adding Sacred Heart transfer Tyler Thomas (16.4 ppg) will be a key replacement for this duo. Former Iowa State wing Darlingston Dubar (11.7p, 4.6r, 68.4 2p%, 33.9 3p%) is another returning starter while the incoming grad transfer duo of Warren Williams (Manhattan) and Nelson Boachie-Yiadom (Davidson) will tag team at the 5.
The CAA will continue to be one of the more competitive mid-major leagues and Hofstra is primed to return as one of the best teams in the conference.
Colgate, 23-12, #117
For the last five seasons, Matt Langel has helped transform Colgate into a juggernaut in the Patriot League, winning the Patriot League tournament in three of the last four years.
Part of Langel’s sustained success is in the program’s careful retooling season after season: one key player leaves and another steps up. After the 2019-2020 season, Will Rayman graduated and Jack Ferguson stepped up the next season. After that, Jordan Burns graduated and Ryan Moffatt stepped up.
Entering this season, Jack Ferguson graduated and Nelly Cummings transferred to Pittsburgh, but Tucker Richardson and Oliver Lynch-Daniels return for their extra year of eligibility, helping the Raiders return three starters. Similar to last season, expect Colgate to limit mistakes and shoot well from three while their 1-3-1 defense will force teams to shoot.
Buffalo, 19-11, #130
Entering his fourth season replacing Nate Oats, Jim Whitesell will enter this season with his biggest challenge so far: replacing 93% of the Bulls’ scoring from last year, led by the excellent trio of Jeenathan Williams, Ronaldo Segu and Josh Mballa.
Similar to his predecessor, Whitesell likes his offense to play fast and crash the boards. Amongst their returnees, a major jump in the progression of Kuluel Mading will be a big factor in Whitesell continuing their high-octane offense. The fourth highest ranked recruit in Buffalo history, the 6’9 Mading is a bouncy, rim-runner who showed a stretch ability in high school and will have every opportunity to secure a starting position.
Among its five-man transfer haul, Illinois State grad transfer Sy Chatman will be an instant starter, averaging 13.5 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.1 blocks and 54.9 fg% last season. A triple-double threat at Indiana (PA), Armoni Foster should also start from day one.
Siena, 15-14, #239
It’s not easy to be a consistent winner in the MAAC and that’s all fourth-year head coach Carmen Maciariello has been at Siena: a 47-29 overall record, a 39-17 record in the MAAC and this season should keep Siena close to the top op the conference standings thanks to its wealth of returning talent.
The best of the four seniors returning for their extra year of eligibility is crafty big Jackson Stormo, who averaged 11.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.3 blocks last season while it will be exciting to see what former North Carolina guard Andrew Platek can do next season after a full tear of his Achilles back in December.
Another reason for excitement is the potential of the 2021 class: last year, guards Jared Billips and Javian McCollum started a combined nineteen games and both are penciled into starting roles in the backcourt while Taihland Owens did not play last season, but picked Siena over Georgia Tech, Xavier, VCU and Iona.
Wagner, 21-6, #149
With Bashir Mason moving onto Saint Peter’s, Seton Hall assistant Donald Copeland joins the Seahawks for his first head coaching gig. Their top-four scorers graduated, but the returning backcourt of junior point guard Delonnie Hunt and sophomore guard Zaire Williams are a solid foundation for Mason to build around and incorporate his three-man transfer haul, led by Saint Joseph’s guard Rahmir Moore.
Special shout out to: Columbia, 4-22, #351
The last two seasons at Columbia have been dreadful: a 10-46 overall record and a 2-26 finish in the Ivy. However, despite their struggles on the court, Jim Engles and his staff have been building a promising future thanks to their highly touted 2022 class that features three three-star recruits. Picking Columbia over eight high-major offers, Avery Brown is the class headliner.
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