Iona 2023-24 Season Preview

In his third year leading Iona, Rick Pitino guided the Gaels to its second tournament appearance in his tenure, continuing the program’s tradition as the gold (and maroon) standard in the MAAC for the last dozen years, earning eight tournament selections in that time. 

However, immediately following their first round tournament loss to UConn in the familiar confines of MVP Arena, the whispers and rumors became reality with Rick Pitino replacing Mike Anderson as St. John’s next head coach. 

The allure of returning back to the Big East was too enticing for the seventy-year-old Pitino, a decision that ripped at the heartstrings of Gael Nation, but hope for the program’s fanbase was quickly found just across the George Washington Bridge when Pitino’s successor, FDU’s Tobin Anderson, a unknown coach to the national masse who became one of last year’s March Madness heroes following their first-round upset over Purdue.

It might have been Anderson’s first season coaching Division 1 basketball, but Anderson has been a winner at both the D3 and D2 levels, most recently turning St. Thomas Aquinas into an East Coast Conference juggernaut, including five regular season and six tournament titles during his time. 

Based on that resume alone, even without the Cinderella story, Anderson has been on the radar as one of the rising young coaches in the nation.

In terms of philosophy, there is a natural transition from Pitino to Anderson: both coaches love to press, push the tempo and prioritize guard play. In fact, last year, FDU fielded the shortest team in D1, but judging by Anderson’s first offseason in New Rochelle, he will be working with size unforeseen in his coaching tenure. 

And that size first and foremost starts with fifth-year forward Osborn Shema, the only returning Gael from last year’s squad. Watching the 7’0 220 Rwandan live on Pitino’s full-court match-up press was a revelation as Shema is blessed with seemingly limitless length while his quick-twitch footwork nods to his soccer playing days back in his home country.

With his two-way ability and threat to shoot from deep (35.9 3P% in nearly two attempts per game), Shema is the clear leader in next season’s squad, easily projected to start every game with increased usage, especially with All-MAAC First Team forward Nelly Junior Joseph transferring to New Mexico, a team that is building a renaissance under the leadership of Richard Pitino. 

With Shema as the bedrock, Anderson and his staff did the meracious in just seven weeks: build a twelve-man recruiting class without bringing over any of the starters or rotation pieces from FDU, which in turn helped the transition of his previous school under the new leadership of Anderson’s former assistant head coach, and first time head coach, Jack Castleberry.

A makeover of this scale makes it impossible to predict starting lineups or position rotations, but Iona’s six transfer additions are the most likely candidates to earn immediate playing time alongside Shema.

At first glance of Iona’s transfer haul, three-point shooting is a clear strength as four transfers averaged 36% or better from beyond the arc. 

Anderson’s first transfer signee was Harvard graduate and Brooklyn native Idan Tretout, a 6’4 200 guard whose 36.7 3P% ranked for second best on last year’s Crimson squad. After a slow start to last year, Tretout finished the year strongly by averaging 13.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.3 three pointers made (40%) and 3.9 free-throw attempts per game (76%), showcasing his versatile offensive profile that easily pencils him into a starting role next season.

Later in the month of April, former SWAC conference Rookie of the Year Terrell Williams Jr. signed on with Iona after three seasons as a starter at Southern University. With the Jaguars, Williams’ best attribute was his efficiency, as the 6’6 215 wing was ranked fourteenth or better in Offensive Rating during SWAC conference play, according to Ken Pomeroy. 

Case in point, Williams’ career shooting splits echo his three-level efficiency: 53.5 2P%, 36.0 3P%, 71.6 FT% and just 1.2 turnovers per game. If he can fight off competition from the other additions, Williams is my bet to start next season as the 3-guard. 

Iona's tallest transfer addition happens to also be their best perimeter scoring threat. Wheza Panzo, a 6’7 210 forward from Stetson has the length and stretch ability will likely earn him consistent playing time as a spacing combo forward. At Stetson, Panzo was the team's starting power forward and finished the season with the eleventh highest efficiency rating, per KenPom.com, anchored by a ultra low turnover rate and an exceptional 46.0 3P%.

Even though he is listed as a 6’5 210 wing, Greg Gordon brings toughness and intangibles that makes him another threat to earn an immediate starting role. In both seasons at Dyersburg State Community College, Gordon was a NJCAA Division I All-American where he averaged a career 23.1 points, 11.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.0 blocks per game. 

Watching Gordon’s highlight reel draws immediate parallels to FDU’s Sean Moore, a do-everything, two-way glue guy who played both forward positions and led the team in offensive rebounding rate despite his modestly listed measurements of 6’4 and 175 pounds. 

Like Moore, Gordon has the size, makeup and motor to fight for a starting role at both forward positions, and at the very least, develop into an energy piece off the bench. 

Along with Tretout, Joel Brown, a grad transfer from Cal, is a surefire immediate backcourt starter. While Tretout brings a versatile, three-level offensive palate, Joel Brown is a pass-first point guard who has ranked within the top-fifteen in Pac-12 assist rate in each of his four seasons with the Golden Bears. 

Simply put, in the four years Mark Fox was head coach, Cal was awful (overall .304 winning percentage) and with Fox’s tenure coinciding with Brown’s four undergraduate seasons, it is fair to assume there is even more untapped potential for the 6’3 192 point guard from Brampton, Ontario. 

Brown’s vision and passing abilities are undeniable and under a hopefully higher functioning offense at Iona, Brown is looking to return to his more efficient perimeter shooting abilities displayed as an undergrad (35.1%) compared to his paltry 23.9 3P% over the last two seasons.

There is also the challenge for Brown to improve his work on the charity stripe after finishing his career at Cal with a 49.2 FT%. However, should Brown continue to struggle at the line, there is risk he will be a bench candidate in close, late-game situations to prevent Hack-a-Brown strategies from opposing defenses. 

Despite his weaknesses, Brown will easily be one of the veteran minutes leaders next season thanks to his steady two-way point guard play, as he was ranked by EvanMiya.com as Cal’s most efficient defensive player in the 2021-22 season. 

While six players above are most likely to finish amongst the next season’s minutes played leaders, multiple commits from Iona’s six-man high school recruiting class will look to earn valuable rotation time right away. 

Brown and Tretout provide leadership to the backcourt, but Venezuela-born Jean Aranguern might be the freshman who will earn rotation minutes right away as a backup for both positions. 

One of the four former FDU targets now part of Iona’s new roster, the 6’3 190 Aranguren has been touted for his mature, heady and high-motor two-way ability that will help him transition to learn Anderson’s full court press. 

At the very least, Aranguern will be a valuable defensive weapon, but over time, or possibly sooner, he could parlay his strength and shooting to develop into a legit three-level scoring threat.

If Anderson is looking for consistency at the point guard position, Jeremiah Quigley, a 5’10 165 pass-first point guard out of Baltimore, has a chance to entering the season as Brown’s backup. Like Brown, Quigley is a strong on-ball defender and is at his best attacking the rim and distributing from inside the arc. 

At Harvard, Tretout was the starting 2-guard but soaked up backup point guard minutes whenever starting point guard Evan Nelson was on the bench. If Tretout continues with a similar role in New Rochelle, then incoming freshman Alex Bates IV could earn significant playing time at the 2- and 3-guard spots. 

Originally a Fordham commit who was offered by over a dozen D1 programs, one of which was FDU, the 6’5 190 Bates shares some semblance to new teammate Terrell Williams Jr: efficiency, skills, smarts and versatility. While he might be broken in slowly, his diverse profile makes it easy to project Bates as a future starter with All-MAAC potential.

Speaking of All-MAAC potential, Iona’s newest commit Sultan Adewale screams upside. Originally from England, Adewale is Iona’s most heavily recruited and highest ranked high school recruit of this offseason. 

Listed by 247 as a three-star prospect and the 63rd best power forward of the class, eight high-major programs including Rutgers, West Virginia, Oklahoma State and Arizona State once offered the 6’8 220 Adewale, a frontcourt weapon most touted for his physical gifts, athleticism, toughness and motor. It would be no surprise if Adewale immediately is the first forward off the bench or even asserts his way into a starting role alongside Shema. 

The fifth incoming freshman, and former FDU target, Dylan Saunders is a long-term project whose skill set and 6’7 225 frame is reminiscent of recently departed stretch forward Quinn Slazinski in both his ability to shoot, but also his underrated two-way versatility. 

The newest Gael commit, Rodrigo Farias, is a 6'2 shotmaker originally from the Dominican Republic who averaged 17 points-per-game in the U17 World Cup. Like Adewale, Farias received high-major interest out of The-Skill-Factor Prep who ultimately picked Iona following offers from Georgetown, Akron, Toledo and others.

One of the newest Gaels, Isaac Brice, is a 6'6 195 sophomore who committed in early August out of Southwest Mississippi State Community College after averaging 7.5 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game in 24 minutes-per-game. The defensive-first wing has the length and athleticism to start out as a high-impact athlete on the scout team, but Brice also has upside to develop as a multi-positional defender who can be a major asset on Anderson's press.

As Iona enters its first week of practices, three of the starting roles look set with Brown and Tretout in the backcourt and Shema as the starting center, however, the uncertainty and competition within the program is nothing but a testament to the breadth and quality of the incoming talent new to Gael Nation as Iona is poised to finish next season atop the MAAC standings, now this time under the new, and hopefully long-term, leadership of Tobin Anderson. 

See you all at Hynes in the late autumn.