Like most mid-major conferences, the MAAC will look completely different this season after only two of the fifteen All-MAAC selections remain with their original schools. This league-wide parity makes for a wide range of volatility within the conference, so much so that one factor could make or break a team’s season.
In this piece, I’ll take a look at each team in the MAAC and highlight one factor that will most affect their season.
Canisius - Can the New Frontcourt Deliver?
Under head coach Reggie Witherspoon, Canisius has been known for its offense that moves the ball well, pushes the tempo, shoots smoothly and limits turnovers. Throughout the last four seasons, Jacco Fritz, who was arguably the best passing big in the MAAC, was the perfect center to compliment this style.
This year, Fritz has decided to take his final year of eligibility at Hofstra, while backup big George Maslennikov no longer has eligibility, leaving Witherspoon to weave in a brand new frontcourt amongst a well jelled group of guards and forwards.
My breakout pick for Canisius is Buffalo native and graduate of Buffalo’s Orangeville Prep, Joe Jones III. After injuries derailed his 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons, the 6’10 230 Jones III is poised to finally breakout and become the defensive stalwart he started to show in his freshman season at Georgia State where he finished the season with the team’s top defensive metrics, according to Evanmiya.com.
If he can stay healthy, Jones III will provide Canisius with a steady low-post presence that is much needed after the team allowed a way too high 51% on two-point attempts during conference play.
The biggest threat to Jones III’s starting role is Jacco Fritz’s younger brother, Youri, a 6’9 190 sophomore who played in ten games before a knee injury ended his freshman campaign. Thankfully, Fritz’s knee healed in time to play for The Netherlands during the FIBA U20 Division B European Championship, where he averaged 5.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game. With his slight frame, Fritz will have a challenge guarding down low against some of the larger centers in the conference, but he is expected to continue to develop and contribute this season.
Toronto native and redshirt sophomore Frank Mitchell sat out last year due to NCAA transfer rules, but was a star at Humber College in Toronto where the 6’8 240 big averaged 14.5 points and 18.0 rebounds per game in his freshman season. Naturally, the jump from Canadian collegiate basketball to the MAAC is a challenge, but Mitchell’s physicality, frame and rebounding prowess will, at the very least, help him compete for a backup role alongside Fritz and Jones III.
Fairfield - Can the New Frontcourt Deliver?
This offseason, the exodus of Supreme Cook (Georgetown), Chris Maidoh (Stony Brook) and Makai Willis (Louisiana-Monroe) forced Coach Young and his staff to completely rebuild the frontcourt in short order, a task that did not get solidified until later in the summer, but the results could be well worth the wait.
Committing in mid-July, New Mexico transfer Birima Seck, an athletic and toolsy power forward, was the first frontcourt pickup.
Originally from Senegal, the 6’11 200 forward was offered by the likes of Kansas, Texas Tech and Arizona State during his time at Dream City Christian School before landing at Albuquerque. A former soccer player, Seck has the speed to run the floor and the agility to create problems for defenders, especially with his ability to comfortably shoot from the elbow. An active defender, Seck’s length, focus and motor allows him to block shots and rebound with ease.
A month after Seck committed, Fairfield made its of the biggest splash of the offseason by adding former South Florida and Seton Hall power forward Alexis Yetna, a 6’8 230 Parisian who honed his craft prior to his collegiate career at the powerhouse Putnam Science Academy.
Still rehabbing from a knee injury that caused him to miss all of last season, the staff has yet to set a timetable for Yetna’s return, but there is hope he will be ready by November.
Prior to his injury, Yetna was a consistently physical force on the offense, most notably under the offensive glass, averaging 10.2 points and 8.4 rebounds per game, including nearly three offensive boards per game, throughout his career.
Proficient at putting back second chance opportunities, Yetna is also a capable shooter from the elbow and beyond, converting 63 three-pointers throughout his career at a 30% rate. If Yetna can stay on the floor, he has the toolbox to finish the season as the Stags’ most valuable weapon.
Assuming full health, it would appear that Yetna and Seck could either make up a dynamic tandem at the 5, or considering their diverse offensive skill sets, can even share time on the floor together.
Should injuries affect Yetna or Seck, freshman big Peyton Smith would have to be forced into a rotational role while stretch forward Michael Rogan will likely play more minutes at the 4.
Iona - How Will the New Pieces Jell?
Following his Cinderella rookie season at FDU, Iona’s hiring of Tobin Anderson was unanimously deemed a slam dunk after Rick Pitino moved on to take on the head coaching position at St. John’s.
In the wake of that transition, Anderson and his staff did the meracious: 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, but the bedrock of Iona first and foremost starts with fifth-year forward Osborn Shema. 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.
Detailed fully in the Iona season preview, the roster is made up of mostly fifth-year veterans and underclassmen.
Amongst the vets, Cal grad transfer Joel Brown and Harvard grad transfer will likely make up the starting backcourt while Stetson grad transfer Wheza Panzo and Southern grad transfer Terrell Williams are a high-efficiency forward duo. Competing for a starting role in the frontcourt is JUCO addition Greg Gordon, a physical wing who projects as the ultimate glue guy.
Amongst their freshmen, Sultan Adewale, Alex Bates and Rodrigo Farias were the most widely recruited. The athletic Adewale is poised to be one of the first bigs off the bench while Alex Bates, a Fordham decommit, is a high IQ shooter with decent size. One of Anderson’s newest additions, Rodrigo Farias, is a reclassified commit originally from the Dominican Republic and was offered by Georgetown, Toledo, Akron and others earlier in his recruitment.
Overall, Anderson’s forty minutes of press will require him to lean on a deep rotation, especially early on, but expect roles to crystalize as the calendar flips closer to March.
Manhattan - Which Underclassmen Will Step Up?
On the season preview, the focus was on how new head coach John Gallagher will spearhead a shift in offensive philosophy for the Jaspers from Coach Masiello’s focus on attacking the rim to Gallagher’s penchant for the three-point shot.
Former Hartford senior shooting guard Briggs McClain, who led the team in scoring and three-points made, is expected to lead the Jaspers offense, and a late September addition of DaJuan Clayton, who transferred after receiving a waiver for his eighth year of college basketball, should solidify two of the three backcourt starting spots.
Fifth-year returnee Logan Padgett is expected to start one of the forward positions, but Manhattan’s roster features ten underclassmen, making it a distinct possibility that two from this group will start alongside McClain, Clayton and Padgett.
For more on this group, check the preview, but sophomore guards Raziel Hayun and Shaquil Bender, along with sophomore big Daniel Rouzan are all candidates to start.
With such a young roster, a few breakouts will help expedite the rebuilding process in Riverdale and instill hope to Manhattan’s fanbase for the team’s future under Gallagher.
Marist - Can the Returning Backcourt Take the Next Step?
When grad transfer Patrick Gardner arrived at Poughkeepsie last season after a standout career at St. Michael’s College, few expected him to average 19 points-per-game and become arguably the best three-level offensive big in the MAAC.
At times, Gardner was simply the only answer for the struggling Marist offense. With Gardner now in the pros, John Dunne and his staff did a nice job adding transfers Max Allen and Jackson Price to share the load at center next year (Allen is my breakout pick for Marist).
However, the MAAC is and has always been a guard-driven league. Marist returns a fair share of guards, led by All-Rookie Team selection Isaiah Brickner, a 6’4 190 point guard who seems to be chiseled from a marble slab that John Dunne sculpted. Brickner is a physical, two-way guard who can defend a variety of positions – but can he lead the offense?
Alongside Brickner, junior guard Noah Harris has vision, but struggles with his shot and defense. Senior Kam Farris was an elite three-point shooter at Robert Morris, but shot under 32% last season. Senior Javon Cooley is a strong perimeter shooter and rebounds well for his size while sophomore Trace Salton has glue guy potential at the 3-guard.
Amongst the incoming freshman, Rutgers prep grad Jadin Collins earned nearly a dozen D1 offers after averaging 20.5 points, nearly 7 boards, 4.7 assists and nearly 4 steals per game in his senior season while Queens native Josh Pascarelli is touted for his shooting. After playing four seasons as a walk-on at Tennessee, Isaiah Sulack is looking to follow in the footsteps of former Monmouth center Walker Miller to become the next high-major walk on to make an impact in the MAAC.
When assessing the landscape, Coach Dunne has a wide array of backcourt options, many of which are foundational pieces of the program’s future. If this group can take a major step forward, improved guard play on offense paired with Dunne’s defensive approach will make Marist a tough program to face in the MAAC.
Mount St. Mary’s - How Will the Offense Adjust Without Jalen Benjamin?
Transferring to Santa Clara over the offseason, Jalen Benjamin was Mount St. Mary’s do-everything point guard after finishing the season with the fourth highest usage rate in the MAAC and a top-40 rate nationally, as well as finishing with twenty or more points in seven of the team’s last twelve games.
The Mountaineers return seven rotation pieces, led by senior shooter Dakota Leffew, but senior point guard Xavier Lipscomb will face the daunting task of stepping in for Benjamin, who followed in the footsteps of another small, ball-dominant guard Damian Chong Qui.
However, Lipscomb is a very different guard. At 6’2 195, Lipscomb is much larger than the 5’10 160 Benjamin and 5’8 155 Chong Qui. With that size, Lipscomb brings more defensive versatility than his predecessors, but lacks elusiveness on offense.
Rather than expecting Lipscomb to grow into a lead guard, expect head coach Dan Engelstad to adjust with his roster. With Lipscomb as the de facto point guard, Mount St. Mary’s will likely lean on a bigger backcourt that will share the ball more than Engelstad’s previous backcourts.
Shooting will be a strength since Lipscomb, Leffew and senior returnee Josh Reaves all shoot north of 35% from three while Richmond big guard transfer Malcolm Dread is renowned for his perimeter game.
Benjamin’s exit might lessen Mount St. Mary’s star power, but could also increase their unpredictability in defensive assignments with a more group-oriented offensive attack.
Niagara - How Will the New Pieces Jell?
Save for new Iona head coach Tobin Anderson, no one in the MAAC hit the portal harder than Niagara’s head coach Greg Paulus.
With their former alpha-guard Noah Thomasson transferring to Georgia, starting power forward Aaron Gray to Bradley and three fifth-year rotation pieces graduating, Paulus had to work quickly to find talent to pair alongside part-time starters David Mitchell and Lance Erving, both fifth-year returnees, and senior two-way guard Braxton Bayless.
Niagara’s seven-man transfer haul might not feature one guy who could single-handedly replace Thomasson or last year’s starting center Sam Ioiro, but the group’s breadth could help Niagara become a deeper, more balanced squad.
In the backcourt, Green Bay transfer Randy Tucker is a perimeter weapon with decent size while Ball State Luke Bumbalough struggled last year, but averaged double-digits the previous season. William Penn transfer Malik Edwards was a volume scorer at the NAIA level, but will need to prove doubters to show he can play at this level.
Grad transfer wing Kwane Marble, from LMU, has flashed three-and-D potential while Louisiana Tech senior transfer Quandre Bullock has some secondary scoring ability and rebounds well.
Frontcourt addition Yaw Obeng-Mensah is an undersized small ball five with a ton of energy and a nice compliment to Harlan Obioha, a 7’0 280 sophomore who is my breakout pick from the roster and flashed potential as he earned an increase of playing time throughout the season. JUCO addition Aime Rutayisare is a 6’8 230 Aussie with three years of eligibility remaining, and was an efficient interior weapon for Barton Community College.
Despite the change in personnel, expect Paulus to continue his trademark slow tempo and strong interior defense as he strives to continue the steady build of the program under his leadership.
Quinnipiac - Can the New Backcourt Deliver?
Earlier in the spring, I wrote about how new head coach Tom Pecora’s admirable job retaining a large portion of Quinnipiac’s roster, headlined by fifth-year returning guards Matt Balanc (12.0 ppg), Savion Lewis (8.4p, 3.4a before previous injuries) and senior forward Paul Otieno (7.2p, 6.8r, 1.0b).
The trio makes up the team’s veteran core, but Quinnipiac needed quick help to replace the trio of backcourt outbound transfers: fifth-year eligible guards Tymu Chenery (Binghamton), Dezi Jones (Austin Peay, a All-MAAC Third Team selection) and senior Luis Korthright (Rhode Island), who combined represented about 40% of the team’s total scoring.
Ranked by JUCOrecruiting.com as the 31st best junior college recruit of 2023, Midland College guard Doug Brown has plenty of scoring acumen. The 6’0 senior guard finished last season averaging 20.6 points, 3.1 assists, 4.7 free throw attempts and a 80.3 free throw percentage, which could allow him to immediately fit in as a rim-attacking scoring guard to potentially start alongside Lewis and Balanc.
Arion Lewis, a 6’3 175 senior transfer from Delaware State will look to challenge Savion Lewis for the starting point guard role. Last season, Lewis did not play for Delaware State, but he averaged 14.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 7.0 assists at Laramie Community College, while also shooting 43% from three.
The Lewises and Young certainly have potential, but considering that Balanc is the only sure factor in next season’s backcourt, there’s a lot to be proven for this group.
Rider - Can Tariq Ingraham Take the Next Step?
In my season preview for Rider, the theme is centered around their talent, experience and how Coach Baggett has the chops and the roster to become conference champs.
Power forward Mervin James might be the best player in the conference. Allen Powell Jr. is an experienced veteran guard who can lead the offense. Senior guard Corey McKeithan is one of the best backcourt defenders in the league. UMass transfer TJ Weeks could be a dangerous weapon and is a very strong bet to finish the season as a double-digit scorer. His brother, Tyriek, was a stat-stuffer at Miami Wade JC and can help in a variety of ways.
Some combination of these five will make up four spots in the starting lineup. The missing piece? A starting center.
The table is set for former three-star recruit and Wake Forest transfer Tariq Ingraham to seize the starting center role for the first time in his career. A variety of medical issues forced Ingraham to play just three games across his first two seasons at Wake, but Ingraham finally stayed healthy last year.
Overall, Ingraham’s minutes were initially inconsistent, but he started the last fourteen games of the season. Underlying analytics lauded Ingraham’s defensive abilities, as Ingraham finished last year as Rider’s most efficient defender on the roster, according to Eyanmiya.com.
If the 6’9 255 center can continue to stay healthy and sustain success with an increased role, Rider could challenge Iona as the most complete roster in the MAAC.
Saint Peter’s - Can the New Backcourt Deliver?
Back in May, Saint Peter’s head coach Bashir Mason was in the midst of a major retooling of the backcourt following the graduation of leading scorer Isaiah Dasher and the team’s most efficient three-point shooter Jaylen Saddler, but were gut-punched that same month when Jaylen Murray, a three-star recruit who was previously recruited by Texas Tech, Seton Hall and a variety of A-10 and MAAC schools, announced his entry into the transfer portal, eventually landing with Chris Beard at Ole Miss.
Physical 6’3 two-way point guard Latrell Reid, who led the team in steals, assists and was second only to Mouhamed Sow in rebounds, returns for his extra year of eligibility while aggressive defender Brent Bland will continue to play a key role off the bench in his sophomore season. Both guards bring grit and defense, making it natural that Mason focused much of his offseason on replenishing the offense.
Richmond transfer and Willingboro, NJ native Marcus Randolph is looking to parlay his length and smooth shooting ability into a breakout role with the Peacocks. At 6’5 195 and with a career 39.6 three-point percentage, Randolph will look to offset Saint Peter’s seventh worst three-point percentage in the nation, shooting an inauspicious 29.0% last season.
Jaheim Tanksley, a 5’10 160 incoming junior from Moberly Area Community College, can score in a variety of ways. Last season, Tanksley averaged 16.6 points and 5.5 free throw attempts per game while averaging a 32.0 3P% and dishing 2.8 assists per game. An undersized combo guard, Tanksley’s scoring ability could force him into the starting lineup alongside Reid and even spell Reid of point-guard duties when Reid is on the bench.
Roy Clarke, a 6’4 210 grad transfer who averaged 6.2 points, 2.3 assists and a 32.5 three-point percentage in 26.5 minutes per game for St. Francis College in Brooklyn was a former standout at West LA College, where he showcased his two-way ability averaging 1.7 steals and nearly a block per game. Clarke has the versatility and physicality to contribute at a variety of positions next season.
Later in the offseason, Mason’s backcourt additions added youth and breakout potential. Camden High grad and Austin Peay transfer Elijah Perkins was a three-star recruit out of high school and earned regular rotation minutes his freshman season while freshman Armoni Zeigler had multiple offers out of Our Savior Lutheran, including Nebraska and Bryant. Considering the lack of proven scoring options in the backcourt, it is not out of the question that either or both underclassmen could force their way into prominent roles in short order.
With its mix of veterans and younger options, Saint Peter’s has one of the more intriguing backcourts to follow their development.
Siena - Which Underclassmen Will Step Up?
Same question as Manhattan, but with a much different context – in four years, Carm Maciariello has guided Siena to return as one of the most consistent programs in the MAAC. However, graduations from last year’s veteran-laden team, plus the transfers of sophomores Javian McCollum (Oklahoma) and Jared Billups (George Mason) has left Maciariello with his greenest roster in his tenure.
Case in point, Austin Peay transfer Sean Durugordon, whose eligibility waiver is pending, is the only upperclassman on the roster, with MAAC Rookie of the Year Michael Eley, along with sophomores Zek Tekin and Killian Gribben, as the only returning rotation members from last year.
Eley has the skill and mindset to quickly become Siena’s alpha scoring guard, especially after averaging about thirteen points and two three-pointers per game, along with an efficient 50 2P% and nearly 40 3P%, throughout the final eight games of the season.
A 6’10 stretch forward from Ireland, Killian Gribben averaged just ten minutes-per-game last season, but was a double-double machine this summer during the FIBA U20 Division B European Championship, averaging 13.0 points, 10.7 rebounds and 4.1 blocks per game. In his freshman season at Siena, Gribben averaged about a three-point attempt per game, but needs to work on his accuracy to become a legitimate perimeter threat.
Zek Tekin, a 6’2 point guard from Turkey, has the makeup to step in this season as an aggressive, two-way guard whose length should be an asset on Coach Carm’s notoriously potent perimeter defense.
Outside of this trio, 6’10 270 Sam Houston State transfer Giovanni Emejuru provides an enticing frame and a low post presence while freshmen guards Brayln Smith, who was once offered by LSU, and Michael Evbagharu, a physical 6’4 212 specimen from Toronto who averaged a double-double in high school, are two new additions to look to make an immediate impact.
All in all, with their collective youth and Coach Carm’s ability to develop talent will make Siena one of the more exciting MAAC programs to follow this season.
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