#1 Rutgers
Under Steve Pikiell, defense has been the Rutgers’ calling card as the Scarlet Knights are amidst their best era of basketball since the Tom Young-led teams of the 1970s. The influx of the super freshman duo of Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper – both consensus five-star recruits and are clearly the most touted recruits in program history – inject the roster with offensive firepower unforeseen in Piscataway.
Senior guard Jeremiah Williams is Rutgers’ most productive returnee and will look to stay healthy after averaging twelve points-per-game in just twelve games played last season. Returning to the backcourt is sophomore guard Jamichael Davis, an unselfish, defensive-minded guard who does the little things that winning teams need.
Jersey natives Zach Martini, a grad transfer forward from Princeton, will allow Rutgers to play five-out sets while Jordan Derkack, a junior transfer from Merrimack, fits the Rutgers defensive mold and will be able to contribute up and down the lineup. The addition of Eastern Michigan’s Tyson Acuff will add to the offensive firepower as the 6’4 grad transfer guard is a pure bucket-getter. San Diego grad transfer PJ Hayes is a 6’6 floor-spacer who converted on 40% of his three point attempts.
If there’s one weakness for Rutgers, it’s their lack of a proven true center, but there’s a lot of potential and electricity up and down the lineup. It could be a special season for Rutgers.
#2 St. John's
Last season, even though St. John’s was a 20-win team, they did not earn an at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament, forcing Pitino and his staff to forego an NIT bid in favor of getting a head start in preparing for the next season.
Five of St. John’s top six scorers have graduated, leaving the team to be led by a trio of transfers. The headliner is former Seton Hall playmaking guard Kadary Richmond, an interior, physical 6’6 point guard who is a threat to lead the team in scoring, rebounding and assists. The backcourt will also be led by 6’0 Utah transfer Deivon Smith, who, like Richmond, does most of his playmaking inside the arc after averaging 13.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game. 6’7 North Texas transfer Aaron Scott is a versatile forward who can create space and make plays on offense, but his calling card is his tenacious defense. 7’1 USC transfer Vincent Iwuchukwu will pair nicely with returning big Zuby Ejiofor, providing St. John’s with an athletic, defensive-minded center duo.
Amongst St. John’s best returnees are athletic slasher RJ Luis, promising combo guard Simeon Wilcher and heady wing Brady Dunlap. Pitino’s best teams tend to be deep, talented and hard-willed, making this year’s roster a stronger personification of the Hall of Fame head coach.
#3 Princeton
It has been quite a run for Mitch Henderson at Princeton, leading the Tigers to 22+ win seasons in five of the last eight seasons. Ousted by Brown as the top seed in the first round of Ivy Madness, Princeton is, yet again, favored to be the best team in the Ivy League on the heels of returning the two best players in the conference: juniors Xaivian Lee (17.1 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 3.7 apg) and Caden Pierce (16.6 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 3.3 apg).
Lee’s ability to create off the bounce has brought throngs of NBA scouts to Jadwin Gymnasium while Pierce is an all-around forward whom Henderson tabbed as the best rebounder he’s ever coached.
Princeton’s sustained success has been in the ability for players to step up each season and following the departures of grad transfers Zach Martini (Rutgers) and Matt Allocco (Northwestern), multiple Tigers will need to step up to ensure that the Tigers can reach their ceiling: Can senior guard Blake Peters shoot well enough to become Princeton’s third option? Can sophomore wing Deven Austin remain healthy after missing all of last season with a knee injury? Can sophomore guard Dalen Davis develop his game to become the team’s second best backcourt facilitator?
No matter if or how these questions are answered, few teams’ floors are stronger than Princeton, thanks to the versatility and production of Pierce and Lee.
#4 Seton Hall
Shaheen Holloway impressed in just his second season leading his alma mater after the Pirates finished last season with the team’s first 25 win season and first NIT Championship in fifty years.
With just two regulars returning, this upcoming Pirates team will look very different, but expect this group to, yet again, embody the hard-nosed, physical and defensive-minded leadership of fifth-year returnee Dylan Addae-Wusu. Returning sophomore Isaiah Coleman brings an excitingly athletic offensive package and could be one of the conference’s breakout performers.
A majority of Seton Hall’s rotation will be made up of their eight-man transfer haul. Junior point guard Zion Harmon (Bethune-Cookman) and senior shooting guard Chaunce Jenkins (Old Dominion) were both prolific three-level scorers at the mid-major level. Seton Hall also reeled in a pair of former top-50 commits in sharpshooter wing Scotty Middleton (Ohio State) and the defensively-minded big guard Garwey Dual (Providence). High-major frontcourt additions Prince Aligbe (BC), Gus Yalden (Wisconsin) and Emmanuel Okorafor (Louisville) lack experience and production, but own impressive pedigree while Evansville grad transfer Yacine Toumi can stretch the floor and step in at both frontcourt positions.
While there is a lot of uncertainty amongst this team, it’s never wise to count out a Shaheen Holloway-coached team as Seton Hall will, yet again, be one of the more physical teams in the Big East.
#5 Hofstra
Speedy Claxton has had a strong start to his three-year tenure at Hofstra, leading the Pride to consecutive 20-win seasons, but with CAA Player of the Year Tyler Thomas graduating, All-CAA Second Team selection Darlinstone Dubar transferring to Tennessee and CAA All-Defensive Team selection Jaquan Carlos transferring to Syracuse, Claxton is facing his first true rebuilding season.
With more minutes and a higher usage rate, returning ultra-efficient shooter German Plotnikov (68.4 2P%, 47.4 3P%) is a breakout candidate, as is Seton Hall transfer Jaquan Sanders, a big guard that averaged just ten minutes per-game across two seasons in South Orange, but shot 55% from two and 35% from three in his career.
A trio of former Iona Gaels are also expected to have major roles with the Pride. Returning junior Silas Sunday will battle for the starting center position with Brooklyn native and Loyola Marymount transfer James Graham. Guard Cruz Davis followed Rick Pitino to St. John’s, but played just four games last season due to a hand injury. Iona had inconsistent guard play during Tobin Anderson’s first season at the helm, but Jean Aranguren impressed in his freshman season due to his poise, efficiency and two-way ability. Canisius transfer TJ Gadsden is a versatile, two-way forward with three-and-D potential. St. Francis transfer Carlos Lopez was an NEC All-Rookie Team selection while sophomores KiJan Robinson and Khalil Farmer, along with highly recruited freshmen Josh DeCaddy and Amir Williams, will be part of the long-term foundation of the most unproven group Speedy Claxton has coached so far in his tenure.
#6 Columbia
Following last season’s 13-14 record, Columbia’s best under the eight year tenure of Jim Engles, the Lions bring back a young core that is starting to jell after winning just eleven games across the previous pair of seasons. Led by senior point guard Geronimo Rubio de la Rosa, the Lions will return three starters and five other players who averaged at least ten minutes-per-game.
One of the best shooters in the Ivy League, junior forward Blair Thompson made major strides in his defense and toughness as the Lions’ undersized 5 while junior guard Avery Brown is looking to develop into his four-star pedigree and improve on his shooting and turnover rates. Honestly, a lot of the team's ceiling is dependent on if Brown can break out to become the team’s second best guard. Columbia’s backcourt depth is also solidified by the return of the ultra-efficient junior combo guard Jaden Cooper.
With a roster similar to last year, the Lions will be at their best when they play effectively in transition (third fastest offensive tempo in the Ivy), share the ball freely, (eleventh best assist-to-field goal made ratio nationally), shoot the ball well (were tops in the Ivy w/ a 37.2 3P% in conference play) and defend the perimeter aggressively.
With proven talent returning and plenty of others ready to compete for playing time, Columbia has their best shot to earn their first Ivy Madness.
#7 Iona
Starting his Iona tenure inheriting just one player from Pitino’s last roster, Tobin Anderson and his staff had to, yet again, aggressively pursue the Gaels’ next wave of talent after every player on last year’s squad either graduated or transferred. But, unlike last offseason, Iona’s newest roster was set by the end of May and the staff put a priority on adding players with toughness, competitiveness, high basketball IQ and a love for the game.
This season, Iona’s toughness will be anchored by their frontcourt group that brings more size and versatility than last year. Most familiar to Gael Nation is Southern Illinois transfer Clarence Rupert, who started his career in the MAAC, finishing his freshman season as the starting center during Saint Peter’s Elite Eight run. Forward James “Biggie” Patterson now becomes the fourth STAC transfer to suit up for Tobin Anderson at the D1 level and the first to play at Iona after averaging 24 points, eight rebounds and nearly two steals per-game while shooting 36% from three and 76% from the charity stripe.
One of the biggest flaws of last year’s backcourt is that both grad transfers, Idan Tretout and Joel Brown, had holes in their games that were so glaring that freshmen Jeremiah Quigley, who transferred to George Mason, and Jean Aranguren, who transferred to Hofstra, were often the better options on the floor. In the MAAC, many top teams have “that guy”, an alpha-guard who can take over a game and score at will and Northern Colorado transfer Dejour Reaves is poised to become “that guy” for Iona. What transfers Christian Winborne (Saint Joseph’s) and Comeh Emuobor (Central Florida) lack in experience, both players arrive to New Rochelle with a ton of potential as former top-250, three-star prospects out of high school.
Last season was a disappointment, but Tobin Anderson is a proven winner. Expect Iona to become one of the most dangerous teams in the MAAC, especially as the new players build synergy.
#8 Fordham
After the program’s first 25 win season in nearly fifty years, the Fordham Rams sputtered last season as inconsistencies on both ends of the floor, especially on defense and shooting, cut the Rams’ win total nearly in half.
The team’s biggest loss is Kyle Rose, who was one of the best perimeter defenders in the nation and also had a career season offensively averaging 10.8 ppg and shooting nearly 40% from three. To help replace his shooting, Fordham added UNLV senior transfer guard Jackie Johnson while Notre Dame grad transfer big Matt Zona also does most of his scoring from the perimeter. Zona wil back up fifth-year big Abdou Tsimbila, who will yet again be a consistent low-post rim protector and offensive rebounding magnet.
The most intriguing of the seven returning rotation players is junior guard Will Richardson, who is looking to take another step in his development after becoming Fordham’s highest-rated recruit in modern history. To do so, Richardson – along with fifth-year returning guard Japhet Medor and returning junior forward Josh Rivera – need to improve their shooting consistency.
In the frontcourt, junior forward Romad Dean brings an excellent motor, defensive versatility and decent shot on the perimeter while sophomore wing Jahmere Tripp is a physical specimen (6’6 230) who finished last season with the team’s best defensive metrics. Expect both players’ minutes to increase with Elijah Gray transferring to Temple.
Many peg Fordham as a bottom-feeder A-10 team, but their ceiling can be dependent on the ability for the younger players to showcase palpable improvement throughout the year.
#9 Marist
The MAAC was decimated with outward bound transfers, but Marist is one of the few teams in the conference that can count on their returning players making up the core of the team. Sophomore guards Jadin Collins-Roberts and John Pascarelli, along with junior forward Jaden Daughtry and senior big Jackson Price are all candidates to finish this upcoming season with double-digit scoring averages.
The signature of John Dunne-coached Marist teams is their slow pace and strong interior defense that forces teams to take tough shots in isolation. With low-post big Max Allen II out, there’s a good bet that Marist’s grind-you-down halfcourt offense can feature rotations with five capable perimeter shooters, especially if Collins-Roberts can continue to develop his three-point shot.
Amongst their additions, D2 transfer Elijah Lewis finished last season as a Northeast-10 Second Team All-Conference selection after averaging 16.7 points-per-game while shooting an efficient 51 FG%, 40 3P% and 85 FT%. JUCO additions Martin Kawa and Caleb Mackrey are good-sized combo guards while Jacksonville State transfer Travis Roberts is a spacer with good size. Three-star freshman Tariq Watson possesses a ton of potential and could immediately clock in as the team’s backup big.
Aside from Quinnipiac, there is a ton of uncertainty within the MAAC, so combining the defensive foundation and overall depth of Marist, the Red Foxes are a good bet to be one of the better teams in the conference.
#10 Monmouth
This season, Monmouth will miss the star power of the coach’s son Xander Rice, but there’s a newly-settled balance throughout the roster that can help the Hawks become one of the more consistent teams in the CAA.
Their best player is junior guard Jack Collins, a “five-tool” 6’5 guard who is already one of the team’s best rebounders and defenders, but can become one of the best players in the conference if he improves his shooting efficiency. Redshirt sophomore forward Jaret Valencia is an electric three-and-D athlete who is also a breakout candidate, as is Cornelius Robinson, a physical sophomore combo forward who honed his craft at the venerable Camden High.
Madison Durr is a 6’4 junior from The Citadel and is Monmouth’s most proven transfer addition. Durr isn’t a strong perimeter weapon, but is versatile in other areas of the game and is adept at creating off the dribble. 6’0 sophomore Aric Demings had a solid offensive freshman season at Utah Tech and should start in the backcourt along with Durr and Collins.
In addition to Valencia and Robinson, Monmouth’s frontcourt is deep, with sophomore Abdi Bashir and the now healthy junior Andrew Ball providing the team with tall floor spacers while North Texas transfer Christian Morgan has had his playing time limited due to injuries, but the physical big from Texas was rated a 3-star recruit by Rivals.com.
With a variety of pieces, expect King Rice to mix-and-match lineups and coach up this team as the Hawks should be a top-half CAA team.
Just missed the cut: Fairfield, Wagner, Rider
Comments
Post a Comment