By Joe Budzelek
(@stf_ncaa)
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Quinnipiac sophomore guard Jaden Zimmerman skies a three-point attempt in the team's convincing conference opener win over Iona (Photo Credit: QU Athletic Communications)
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Quinnipiac’s 89–68 MAAC conference-opening win at Iona was an exemplar of why the Bobcats were voted as MAAC Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches’ Poll favorites.
Was it because All-MAAC Preseason Player of the Year Amarri Monroe had another lights-out, dominating performance? The senior, who spurned portal offers from the likes of UConn and Kansas, posted a strong 11-point, 7-rebound, 5-assist night. Naturally, a star forward as versatile as Monroe provides an immense floor for this team, but its ceiling lies in its underclassmen — who showed up Friday night.
“We got all these young bucks,” said Quinnipiac head coach Tom Pecora during the postgame press conference. “I remember when I was coaching at Hofstra, the football coach, Joe Gardi — the legend — used to tell his assistants about all the freshmen: just get them old, you know. And that's an expression I use all the time. We just want to get these young guys old and get them the experience of playing in tough situations, and we try to put them in situations constantly in practice that hopefully carry over in the game.”
Sophomore guard Jaden Zimmerman fueled the Bobcats with 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists, while sophomore forward Grant Randall recorded his first career double-double.
Reflecting on how he wanted to diversify his game from being a score-first freshman to an all-around impact sophomore, Zimmerman said of last season, “My teammates had a little joke after an 18-point, 1-rebound and 1-assist game — they would say I played like [Nets guard] Cam Thomas. I wanted to change that narrative, get some rebounds, get some assists, and get my teammates involved so we can win the game.”
Pecora added about Zimmerman, “It’s the first thing Jaden said as we were coming out with you guys: I had six rebounds. So he’s obviously concentrating on it, and he’s a complete player. So why not? I tell him all the time: fill up the box score in everything but turnovers.”
Off the bench, UMass sophomore transfer Nate Guerengomba scored a career-high 11 points, while freshman Keith McKnight reached double figures for the sixth time this season. Both underclassmen — along with starting center Spencer Wewe and backup center Sam Nosakhare, both freshmen — bring physicality and athleticism that allow all four to contribute to wins even when their box scores are modest. Considering that the Gaels — a MAAC contender in their own right — posted season lows by shooting just 45% on two-pointers and 23% on threes against Quinnipiac’s zone defense, the Bobcats’ length, energy, and motor smothered Iona on its home floor.
The youth in Quinnipiac’s backcourt also came through Friday night. With starting point guard Asim Jones in foul trouble most of the evening, freshman point guard Tai Turnage steadied the offense, committing just one turnover; he has had five turnover-free games so far this season. Redshirt freshman Samson Reilly hit two three-pointers, continuing a remarkable year in which the team captain has made 70% of his attempts from deep.
While Turnage had two assists Friday, his biggest assist may have come on the recruiting trail, as his commitment to Quinnipiac helped persuade Zimmerman to return to Hamden rather than enter the portal. “I knew Ty since I was like 10 years old, playing with the New York Gauchos. So him coming to Quinnipiac was like a plus for me to come back, because I love Ty, and I love his game, and he’s my roommate,” said Zimmerman. “Ty is the definition of heart over height. He’s tiny, but he’s gonna give it his all. I walked into his room one day before the season started and he had a board up on the wall full of notes — one of which said ‘not to redshirt.’ That was one of his goals, and he’s showing everybody he can play.” Zimmerman was also Turnage’s host player during his official visit before committing.
Few mid-majors have a star like Amarri Monroe, but even fewer as good as Quinnipiac have a core in which nearly three-quarters of the scoring comes from underclassmen. With that breadth and quality of young talent, Quinnipiac looks poised to make a serious run at the program’s first NCAA Tournament berth.
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