Update on New York Hoops, 2/13/22
As the greatest month of all creeps closer once again, it’s time that we do an update on all of the teams I’ve been covering recently. Here’s a look inside the landscape of New York hoops.
Iona
It’s a very interesting time for Iona, as they failed to survive the dreaded Buffalo trip, falling to Niagara for their first conference loss, but then falling once again to Siena in Albany on Friday night. Nelly Junior Joseph had his worst game of the season, scoring zero points and picking up three turnovers in 33 minutes. The Gaels, who started MAAC play a remarkable 11–0 and were playing for a potential at-large, will now have their season come down to what happens in Atlantic City during the second week of March. Today, the Gaels will host Monmouth, who has two All-MAAC caliber players themselves in George Papas and Walker Miller. Monmouth looks for the upset on the road after coming very close to shocking the Gaels at home in January. Whether Nelly Junior Joseph is the dominant version of himself that Iona fans have come to expect will be a huge key for the Gaels tournament hopes. Tyson Jolly and Elijah Joiner both dealt with foul trouble as the Gaels blew a 10 point lead against Siena, but the target on Iona’s back remains as they march towards March.
Manhattan
Jose Perez has been putting up 24.2 points per game in conference play, but the Jaspers sit at just 4–9 in the league, and 11–11 overall going into Sunday’s matchup with Quinnipiac. Manhattan got swept in Buffalo and then lost to Rider on the road, and Monmouth at home, dropping them to second to last in the MAAC standings. The oldest team in the country by years of experience, this Jasper team isn’t quite where they need to be in order to make a big run in the MAAC Tournament in Atlantic City.
Hofstra
Aaron Estrada has made his case for CAA Player of the Year, putting up 24.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game on efficient shooting splits in league play while leading the Pride to a 9–4 start. Hofstra avenged one of their conference losses by knocking off first place UNC Wilmington in a classic last Monday, but there is still work to be done. The Pride sit in third place in the league, but they got swept by current 2nd place Towson, who Hofstra will undoubtedly have to go through if they want to win the CAA Tournament in March. Overall though, it’s been a successful first season for Speedy Claxton at the helm.
Fordham
Kyle Neptune has changed the culture in the Bronx, and the Rams are en route to their best season since 2016–17 despite losing then-leading scorer Antonio Daye Jr., who left the school for personal reasons, after just two conference games. Fordham fought very hard in games against Richmond, Davidson, and Dayton, all top 100 teams in the country by KenPom, and the Rams sit 4–7 in the conference, good for 10th place, which means that they wouldn’t have to play on Day 1 of the A-10 Tournament for the first time since 2017. Darius Quisenberry missed yesterday’s win over Duquesne, while Chuba Ohams missed games against Davidson and Dayton, so the Rams have had to use their bench more in conference play than they expected. Fordham hopes to have Quisenberry, their new leading scorer, back for their game at Rose Hill against VCU on Tuesday.
Wagner
On Saturday, the nation’s longest winning streak was snapped in Staten Island when the Seahawks allowed 22 points in the 5 minute overtime period against Merrimack en route to an 80–65 loss. Wagner is still in first in the NEC, but without starter Boogie Ford the rest of the way, they’re much more beatable. Sitting at 17–3 and with a road win over VCU already in their bag, Wagner’s next marquee game comes on February 26th against Bryant, who is in 2nd in the NEC and is led by Peter Kiss and Charles Pride, two very good scorers. In between now and then, Bashir Mason’s Seahawks face-off with Sacred Heart, Central Connecticut, and Farleigh Dickinson. Likely NEC Player of the Year Alex Morales is a 6 foot 6, 195-pound guard who scores, rebounds, passes, and defends, and has even drummed up interest from some NBA scouts. He is the key to everything for Wagner going forward.
Other Teams
St. John’s: Sitting at 5–7 in the Big East, the Johnnies have just one win against a team that is currently above them in the Big East standings
St. Francis (NY): After an 0–8 start, the Terriers have played about .500 since then, sitting now at 8–17 and 5–9 in the league, good for 7th.
LIU: Playing a tough schedule to a 1–7 start, Derek Kellogg’s fast-paced Sharks are 8–6 in the NEC, picking up an impressive win over Bryant on Saturday.
Columbia: The Lions’ season peaked with their overtime comeback against Binghamton in November, and then peaked again when they upset Penn at the Palestra, but since then, it’s been all losses. 4–18 overall, 1–9 in the Ivy League for the young Lions.
