By Joe Budzelek
(@stf_ncaa)
This summer, I will be profiling various East Coast "destination" mid-majors, programs that have been a consistent source of excellency throughout the ebbs and flows of the college basketball landscape.
In his third and final season with Iona, Rick Pitino guided the Gaels to a first-round NCAA Tournament matchup against the eventual champion UConn Huskies—a matchup that continued the program’s tradition as the gold (and maroon) standard in the MAAC, earning eight tournament selections over the previous dozen years.
In the two seasons since Pitino abruptly jumped ship to greener pa$tures at St. John’s, Iona has been mired in a purgatory of mediocrity, hovering just below a .500 record. Former head coach Tobin Anderson’s tenure ended following a 63–49 loss in the MAAC Tournament Championship game last March in Atlantic City—a decision that left many Iona fans questioning both the fairness of the move and the administration’s judgment.
While it’s clear that Anderson was unable to sustain the championship caliber that had become the norm in New Rochelle, roster continuity was virtually nonexistent, with only one scholarship player—Osborn Shema—returning to the program over the past two offseasons combined.
Despite Tobin Anderson’s strong reputation as an X’s and O’s coach and a developer of talent, many justify his dismissal by pointing to his inability to adapt to the hyperactive shifts in recruiting and “program-building”, a term that now feels like an oxymoron, as even reputable mid-major programs like Iona can only plan on a year-to-year basis.
Acting quickly to adapt to the ever-shifting paradigms of college basketball, Iona hired former NBA assistant coach Dan Geriot, a 36-year-old who began his coaching career immediately after finishing his playing days at Richmond. Geriot spent two-season stints at Princeton and Campbell before joining the Cleveland Cavaliers' staff in 2018—a tenure that lasted until 2024 and included his only head coaching experience, leading the Cavaliers’ G-League affiliate, the Cleveland Charge, to an 18–14 record and a semifinals loss to the Long Island Nets.
Working in tandem with Geriot is Craig Moore, the program’s first-ever general manager who arrived just in time to prior to the start of the offseason where the position is becoming more essential, especially to many big budget programs, making his role paramount in setting the program apart from many of the MAAC’s competitors.
Moore’s role will be instrumental in shaping and sustaining a competitive program through roster management, recruiting, transfer portal strategy, and NIL initiatives, while also focusing on player retention and long-term team stability. Additionally, Moore will support coaching decisions with advanced analytics, strengthen relationships with recruits and alumni, manage professional development programs, and contribute to fundraising efforts.
Overall, this new regime feels different than many other programs that I’ve covered in the mid-major level as Geriot’s deep roots in the NBA gives this program a bit of a pro feel. As I walked into Hynes on Monday morning, the first thing I noticed was Parker Weiss – a former walk-on and who has now been promoted to video coordinator after two seasons on staff as a graduate assistant – perched atop the camera platform with his laptop displaying a color-coded spreadsheet rich with various statistics, coaching points and reflections from previous practices as a bevy of assistant coaches were meeting with Geriot. During practice, there’s communication across the board between Geriot, his assistants, the players and even the referees hired to point out different nuances as this new group gets acclimated to their new digs and new conference. Watching Monday’’s practice, Geriot’s role reminded me of a film’s executive producer — there was a clear plan in place, but he was constantly moving and talking, leading by example as the environment naturally nurtured a growth mindset. The dialogue between coaches and players was open, honest, and supportive, yet still affable.
Jumping into summer practices with a brand-new roster is no small task—especially at arguably the most demanding coaching position in the MAAC—but Geriot and his staff have a clear plan for this next chapter of Iona basketball. Their approach emphasizes a positionless, skill- and team-oriented offense built on passing and cutting from all five spots within motion sets that create ample spacing around the basket—a sharp contrast to Tobin Anderson’s half-court motion system, which relied on guards Dae Dae Reaves and Adam Njie to finish possessions by navigating difficult shots and passes inside the arc.
“This offense should put a lot of stress on defenses,” Geriot says. “The idea is: it’s a forty-minute game, and for thirty of those, we’re going to play pretty positionless and be a real force offensively. We’ve got a lot of good dribblers and passers. We also have good shooters, so if our dribbling and passing hit the right spots cleanly, we can put players in position to become great shooters.”
On both ends of the floor, Monday’s practice reps featured intentional setups designed to expand the range of every player, regardless of traditional position. For example, it wasn’t unusual to see “centers” cutting at the top of the key or a shell drill with two guards working on spacing just a few feet from the basket. In every drill and scrimmage, there was a noticeable crispness to go along with the pace—something to look forward to in the team’s half-court sets this upcoming season. The shared skill-set across the roster also allows for true variety in lineup construction: depending on the matchup, it wouldn’t surprise to see Iona play one game with three guys six-foot-eight or taller followed by a four guard lineup the next game.
Ronald Roman – who joins Iona’s staff following a four season stint at Fordham – is in charge of the team’s defense, which will primarily supplement traditional man philosophies with various wrinkles to keep opponents’ offenses on their toes, especially with the team’s emphasis on becoming particularly strong defending in transition.
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| New Iona head coach Dan Geriot lead the team during an early practice defensive shell drill. |
Early in the offseason roster-building process, Geriot and Moore prioritized skill and depth, diving deep into advanced analytics to assemble a transfer class that ranks as the deepest and most game-ready in the MAAC. When combined with Iona’s freshman class, it’s easy to see ten or eleven players capable of contributing immediately—forming a cohesive unit where, at many positions, the line between starter and bench player is blurred, especially in the frontcourt.
While positionless halfcourt offense will set the tone for Iona’s offense, it was imperative to add guards who, in late game situations, take over and put the team on their shoulders. With that being said, transfer additions Devner Anglin and Keshawn Williams were prioritized by the staff and are the surest bets to start the most games for the Gaels.
Originally committing to Georgetown as a consensus four-star, top-100 prospect out of Gill St. Bernard's, the six-foot-one Anglin was redshirted at SMU his sophomore season, eventually landing at Rice last season, averaging 8.5 points-per-game, but just 0.8 assists per game. Overall, Rice was one of the least efficient offenses in the American, but Anglin’s 41% rate from the three-point line and 12% turnover rate helped him earn one of the best offensive efficiency marks on the team. Thanks to his redshirt season, Anglin has two years of eligibility remaining.
“Denver sets the deck for us. He was such a critical get for us because of his personality. We trust him with the ball in his hands because he’s so calm and selfless, it's not an ego thing,” says Geriot, “At Rice, he was more of a shooter, but whenever he had the ball in his hands, he was making all of the right decisions, the instincts are there. We're going to work with him on pick and roll, you know, how to get downhill, set screens better. The key with him is his instincts.”
Likely starting alongside Anglin is sixth-year senior Keshawn Williams, a 6-foot-4 combo guard who played a backup guard role last season at Colorado State, a team that defeated a 5-seed Memphis in the first round of the NCAA Tournament prior to ultimately losing by one point to the 4-seed Maryland.
Prior to his only season at Colorado State, injuries forced Williams to play a combined fourteen games at Northern Illinois across the previous two seasons, but he starred in the 2021-22 season, earning an All-MAC Honorable Mention after finishing the season with 16.3 points-per-game, showcasing his efficient three-level scoring ability despite playing alongside some of the sloppiest overall offenses in the nation.
Williams’ season at Colorado State felt like a breath of fresh air as Niko Medved led the Rams to become one of the most successful and efficient offenses in the nation. Inspired by that level of play, a big part of Williams joining the Gaels is his excitement to join an exciting, cohesive offense that prioritizes a team-based approach to ball movement.
Similar to Denver Anglin, Wofford transfer Chase Cormier is another guard addition who comes in with great notoriety as an excellent spacer, but the staff is excited to expand his game to rekindle some of the combo guard facilitating he flashed during his freshman season at Northeastern.
Redshirted last season, the six-foot-three Cormier finished the 2023-24 season with the eighth highest offensive rating nationally, according to KenPom, hitting more than half of his three-point attempts and finishing the season with a top-200 national rank in turnover rate.
Cincinnati grad transfer CJ Anthony joins Iona with hopes that he can become MAAC Hoops' next Andrew Platek—a high-major transfer who once received multiple mid-major offers out of high school but chose instead to walk on at a higher level. Out of high school, Anthony was a three-star prospect and received D1 offers from seven schools, including Toledo, Towson, Gardner-Webb and Stony Brook.
In his press conference following a non-conference victory over Howard last December, Cincinnati head coach Wes Miller explained his decision to redshirt CJ Anthony early in his senior season with the Bearcats: “He’s one of our team captains. We’re redshirting him so he can finish his career at Cincinnati and then go play somewhere else, because he’s good enough to start at many schools. Someone is going to be very happy to get him next year. We’re going to be his biggest cheerleaders.”
At practice, it is clear to see Anthony’s leadership abilities. The six-foot, 195-pound floor general is constantly communicating with his coaches and teammates. His strong build makes him look more like a strong safety than a point guard while his relentless motor and physical style on both ends of the floor will remind Gael Nation of Jalen Barr, a fan-favorite of last year’s team. Anthony looks locked into the team’s backup point guard position, but it would also not surprise to see him share the floor alongside Anglin.
Similar to Williams, Kosy Akametu arrives from one of the best mid-majors in the nation – Santa Clara - but he struggled to find consistent playing time behind the Broncos’ impressive mix of bigger guards, headlined by current Golden State Warrior Brandin Podziemski. With only 108 career points scored and 31 three-point attempts across Akametu’s first three seasons at Santa Clara, the coaching staff is very excited for Akametu as one of the team’s breakout performers.
Blessed with a chiseled 6-foot-5, 215-pound frame, Akametu has the quickness, athleticism, and developing perimeter skills to potentially become one of the better three-and-D options in the conference. He has the agility to lock down quicker guards and the strength to battle with bigs. Akametu will be one of the guards competing for the third spot in the starting backcourt, while he can also see minutes at the 4.
One of Iona’s more developmental projects is New Hampshire transfer Khalil Badru, a 6-foot-5 big guard who possesses gobs of two-way versatility and potential. Finishing his freshman season as an America East All-Rookie selection, Badru averaged nine points and five rebounds per game.
“I fuckin’ love Khalil,” says Action Network writer and America East superfan Tanner McGrath.
“New Hampshire became a vastly different team once Badru found a spot in the rotation — partly on merit, partly because of injuries. Still, the 6-foot-5 wiry freshman carved out a place as a small-ball four who created paint points (off the bounce driving to his left and via cuts), obliterated the offensive boards, and was a half-decent one-through-four defender with quick hands — four steals per game over the final five. He really found his stride toward the end of the year when he began sinking triples, forcing defenders to respect him on the perimeter, then taking advantage in isolation and — surprisingly — as a ball-screen operator. He was arguably New Hampshire’s best offensive player by season’s end, actually finishing with the team’s highest EvanMiya OBPR rating.”
“Despite his improvements on the ball,” McGrath adds, “he’s probably still best suited as an athletic off-ball wing slasher and board smasher — especially if he can keep improving his 3-point stroke. I worry a bit about his ball-screen coverage defense, but he has the tools to grow as a perimeter wing defender. He’s got a high motor and is typically good at leveraging his length in closeouts.” Overall, Badru’s skillset and versatility could earn him minutes as a bigger 2-guard to a small ball 4.
Luke Jungers – Iona’s only returning scholarship player – and Brandeis transfer Toby Harris will be two of the tallest floor-spacers in the conference. Starting the final sixteen games last season, the six-foot-nine, 220-pound Jungers boasts a career 36.8% three-point percentage while also finishing last season with the tenth highest block rate in MAAC during conference play. Under Tobin Anderson, 86% of Jungers’ shot attempts were from three, which was a huge jump from the 60% rate Jungers finished his freshman season at Omaha. Similar to Anglin and Cormier, Geriot and his staff prefers players to be offensive threats in a variety of ways, so it would not surprise if Jungers expands his offensive game this season.
Hitting nearly 41% of his three-pointers at Brandeis, the 6-foot-8, 225-pound Toby Harris was a three-level scoring, versatile offensive threat, finishing last season averaging 18.8 pounds, 5.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. “Toby is an elite shooter with deep range,” says Brandeis head coach Jean Bain. “Toby has the ability to get his own shot and can really finish in transition, showing the ability to finish through contact. Long and way more athletic than most expect, Toby will be a huge addition for the Gaels next season.” After finishing last season as a D3Hoops.com Fourth Team All-American, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Harris earn minutes alongside two other forwards, giving the Gaels one of the bigger rotations in the conference.
Former Tulsa center Matt Reed began his collegiate career as a consensus top-200, three-star recruit out of Texas and has two years of eligibility remaining. He started a total of eleven games over his first two seasons with the Golden Hurricane. Listed at 6-foot-10 and 230 pounds, Reed has been a consistently strong offensive rebounder while flashing an inside-outside game, making 21 career three-pointers and converting 29.2% of his attempts. According to EvanMiya.com, he finished last season as Tulsa’s third-most efficient defender, showcasing excellent length and solid athleticism for someone his size. Reed is a strong candidate to open the season as the starting center.
Originally beginning his career at UTSA after finishing high school as a three-star recruit out of Bella Vista Prep, fifth-year senior Lamin Sabally has steadily grown into his 6-foot-8, 215-pound frame, giving the Gaels another two-way inside-outside option who can put the ball on the floor and facilitate in the halfcourt. The staff is excited to expand his game and develop the potential he flashed both at UTSA and last season at Incarnate Word, where he finished as the team’s second-most efficient defender—thanks to his length and athleticism that will allow him to legitimately guard positions one through five with the Gaels.
While Iona’s transfer additions shape the team’s offensive identity, the three-man freshman class packs a lot of long-term defensive potential thanks to the group’s size, length and high-marks in physicality, grit and motor.
Deondrea Lindsey is a dynamic frontcourt presence whose combination of size, athleticism, and physical tools—measuring 6-foot-8 and 212 pounds—made him a standout as a consensus top-150 prospect playing his final two seasons at Oak Hill Academy, the venerable basketball powerhouse. His defensive versatility allows him to match up across all five positions, excel with adjusting in pick-and-roll situations, and apply pressure in full-court schemes.
With relentless energy on the defensive end, Lindsey consistently disrupts plays with his shot-altering ability and rebounding instincts. On offense, right now, has the makings of an explosive lob target, a reliable rim runner, and a strong screener, while he is working to expand his game with emerging potential as a perimeter shooter. Earlier in his high school career, Lindsey was offered by a bevy of high-major programs, including Tennessee, Georgetown, SMU, Georgia Tech and Ole Miss. Out of all of the freshmen, Lindsey is the most likely to earn immediate playing time.
Seen as more of an enticing long-term project, Ore Odutayo spent two impactful years at Williston Northampton School in Massachusetts, competing in the prestigious NEPSAC league. During the 2025 season, he was a driving force behind Williston’s remarkable 25-1 overall record and flawless 18-0 performance in league play. His contributions were pivotal in the team’s championship run, which was capped by a statement victory over 2024 Class A champion Phillips Exeter.
Ore Odutayo is a 6-foot-8 forward whose long-term potential is highlighted by his blend of athleticism, high-motor energy, and defensive versatility. Equally effective protecting the rim and locking down on the perimeter, he’s a disruptive force—racking up blocks, forcing turnovers, and anchoring his team’s defense through constant communication, making him another versatile, highly switchable defender.
Offensively, Odutayo brings a powerful presence around the basket and continues to evolve as a perimeter threat, showing the ability to knock down jumpers off the bounce. Beyond his on-court skill set, he's widely respected for his love of the game and high-marks in leadership, strong character, and tireless work ethic, growing his game to build up consistently making a two-way impact. Odutayo’s strong play and steady development attracted Division I interest, earning scholarship offers from programs such as Albany, Bryant, Hampton, Holy Cross, and Howard.
Committing to Iona earlier this month is Swedish center Alliou Fall, a 6-foot-11 true big that boasts a 7-foot-2 wingspan and impressive quickness and agility for his size. Fall was not in attendance on Monday, but the staff is excited to have him join the team later this summer.
Early prognostications of this group can be hard to project when there is so much more certainty across the top-end of the MAAC: the reigning MAAC Player of the Year Amarri Monroe leads Quinnipiac as the Bobcats – as well as Siena, Sacred Heart and Manhattan – return two All-MAAC selections, so it is no surprise that many experts are picking these four teams amongst the upper echelon of next year’s MAAC batch.
There’s a palpable sense of widespread PTSD throughout Gael Nation – the 2-8 start to last season’s non-conference play did not help. That being said, it is impressive how crisp this new-look Iona Gaels group appears—especially considering the positional size up and down the lineup—even though it’s only mid-July. Overall, it would not surprise if this group hits the ground running by starting the season strongly and entering MAAC play as one of the conference favorites alongside the four teams listed above.
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