College Basketball

Locals eye bid to Big Dance as conference tournaments tip off

Welcome back to the most exciting/maddeningly frustrating time of the year. Everything a college basketball team has worked for over the past four months can finally come to fruition or a season’s worth of inconsistency can become irrelevant in a manner of days.

With conference tournaments beginning this week for most teams, the NCAA Tournament is only a few wins away.

Here is a look at the area’s teams (sans Big East schools) hoping to reach the Big Dance:

Iona (20-9, 17-3 MAAC)

RPI: 68

Season recap: The Gaels lost the third-highest scoring player in the nation — “Momo” Jones — yet remained the fourth-highest scoring team in the country. Five players averaged double-figures in the most balanced version of coach Tim Cluess’ high-flying attack yet, giving Iona its second regular-season championship in three seasons.

Best win: 85-73 vs. Manhattan (Jan. 31).

Player to watch: Guard A.J. English erupted in his sophomore season, increasing his scoring by more than 10 points (17.7), while also leading the team in assists (4.3).

X-Factor: Iona is small up front, as it is nearly every year, and power forward David Laury’s presence in the paint could make or break the season. The only Gael averaging more than five rebounds (7.7), the versatile junior needs to display more toughness than touch.

Last NCAA Tournament appearance: 2013

Tournament odds: 7/2

Iona can win it if: Experience is the difference. The Gaels have made two straight NCAA Tournaments and won last year’s MAAC Tournament, but this year the MAAC’s top-heavy affair will only be tougher.

Up next: Top-seeded Iona plays the winner of No. 8 Rider/No. 9 Monmouth in the MAAC quarterfinals on Saturday (noon) in Springfield, Mass.


Manhattan (22-7, 15-5 MAAC)

RPI: 77

Season recap: The preseason favorites were 11-2 and had won eight straight when star senior George Beamon missed four games with an injury. The MAAC’s best defensive team finished the season as strong as it started, winning eight of its last nine and compiling the nation’s third-most wins away from home (13).

Best win: 80-77 (OT) vs. Iona (Feb. 28).

Player to watch: Beamon, granted an extra year of eligibility after last year’s ankle injury, finished third in the conference in scoring (19.7) and led the team in rebounds (6.7), while hitting 84.9 percent from the free-throw line.

X-Factor: Senior Rhamel Brown was a force, finishing second in the nation with 3.8 blocks despite playing less than 25 minutes per game. The big man from Brooklyn will be vital in a likely semifinal matchup with Quinnipiac, which beat Manhattan twice and is the nation’s best rebounding team.

Last NCAA Tournament appearance: 2004

Tournament odds: 7/2

Manhattan can win it if: The postseason looks like the regular season. The Jaspers possess the most well-rounded team in the conference and are hitting their peak at the right time.

Up next: Second-seeded Manhattan plays the winner of No. 7 St. Peter’s/No. 10 Fairfield in the MAAC quarterfinals on Saturday (6:30 p.m.) in Springfield, Mass.


Wagner (18-11, 12-4 NEC)

RPI: 198

Season recap: After a 5-7 start and a season-ending suspension to starting guard Jay Harris, the Seahawks finally showed why they were preseason favorites, finishing with eight straight wins, including the regular-season finale over first-place Robert Morris.

Best win: 68-61 vs. Vermont (Nov. 21).

Player to watch: Senior guard Kenneth Ortiz made his name as the three-time defensive player of the year in the NEC, but the point guard does a little bit of everything, averaging 13.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, and a team-high 4.3 assists and 1.9 steals.

X-Factor: Dwaun Anderson’s most memorable contributions have been on highlight reel dunks, but the sophomore’s energy can change the momentum of any game, swaying or silencing a crowd with his athleticism.

Last NCAA Tournament appearance: 2003

Tournament odds: 4/1

Wagner can win it if: Home court matters. The Seahawks are the No. 2 seed for the third consecutive year, but have fallen at home in the semifinals two straight times. Wagner will once again get two games in Staten Island before a potential championship game.

Up next: Second-seeded Wagner hosts seventh-seeded Central Connecticut State in the NEC quarterfinals on Wednesday (7 p.m.).


Stony Brook (21-9, 13-3 America East)

RPI: 159

Season recap: After back-to-back regular-season conference championships, a young Seawolves squad survived the loss of conference player of the year Tommy Brenton and amassed their fourth 20-win season in five years. Coach Steve Pikiell has won 105 games in the past five seasons after winning 20 in his first three seasons.

Best win: 67-64 vs. Vermont (Jan. 24).

Player to watch: Sophomore center Jameel Warney led the nation with 62.9 percent shooting from the field (minimum 290 attempts), led the team with 14.9 points a game and ranked third in the conference with 7.9 rebounds.

X-Factor: Senior guard Dave Coley has played in many of the school’s biggest games, but it’s never clear which version of the streaky player will appear. This season, the Brooklyn native has nine games with five or less points and 10 games with at least 14 points.

Last NCAA Tournament appearance: Never.

Tournament odds: 4/1

Stony Brook can win it if: Expectations were the issue. After failing to win the tournament in three recent tries as the top seed, the Seawolves now enter without the burden of being the favorite.

Up next: Second-seeded Stony Brook will play seventh-seeded Maine in the America East quarterfinals on Saturday (6 p.m.) in Albany.


St. Francis Brooklyn (18-13, 9-7 NEC)

RPI: 184

Season recap: The season opened with remarkable promise — an upset at ACC-champion Miami and a near-upset at Syracuse — but sexual assault allegations resulted in multiple players’ arrests and suspensions. Nevertheless, the Terriers finished with their most wins in 12 seasons and made their fourth straight NEC Tournament.

Best win: 66-62 (OT) at Miami (Nov. 8).

Player to watch: Junior forward Jalen Cannon posted nine double-doubles this season, leading the team in scoring (15.1) and the conference in rebounding (8.3).

X-Factor: Ben Mockford can shoot St. Francis in or out of any game. The senior southpaw from England hit nearly 41 percent of 3-pointers this season and was the only player other than Cannon to average double-digit points.

Last NCAA Tournament appearance: Never.

Tournament odds: 7/1

St. Francis can win it if: The offense isn’t abysmal. The Terriers proved they can beat any team in any building this season, but the scoring remains nowhere near as consistent as the defense coach Glenn Braica has built.

Up next: The fifth-seeded Terriers will travel to fourth-seeded Mount St. Mary’s in the NEC quarterfinals on Wednesday (7 p.m.).


Army (14-15, 10-8 Patriot League)

RPI: 252

Season recap: Coach Zach Spiker led the Black Knights to only their second winning record in the Patriot League, but the young team could not repeat the feat of an overall winning record, after posting its first winning record in 28 years last season.

Best win: 74-67 at Bucknell (Jan. 19).

Player to watch: Sophomore swingman Kyle Wilson is the conference’s leading scorer, averaging 18.2 points, while shooting 43.8 percent on 3-pointers.

X-Factor: 6-foot-10 sophomore center Kevin Ferguson led the Patriot League with 2.5 blocks and averaged a team-high 5.7 rebounds, but has emerged on offense recently, averaging 16.2 points over the past four games.

Last NCAA Tournament appearance: Never.

Tournament odds: 50/1

Army can win it if: The tide is turning. Army opened the season 1-6, and then won nine of 11 before losing five of its final seven games. The Black Knights’ play has appeared to improve, with a win over Lafayette, a one-point loss to first-place Boston University and a four-point loss at second-place American.

Up next: Fifth-seeded Army travels to fourth-seeded Bucknell in the Patriot League quarterfinals on Wednesday (7 p.m.).


Fairleigh Dickinson (10-20, 6-10 NEC)

RPI: 274

Season recap: Coach Greg Herenda inherited a team with six players, no staff and only 15 wins over the past three seasons, but the New Jersey native managed to lead the school to its first NEC Tournament since 2010, while claiming back-to-back wins at Seton Hall and Rutgers in the same season for the first time in school history.

Best win: 58-54 at Seton Hall (Dec. 1).

Player to watch: Senior Sidney Sanders Jr. won the conference’s most improved player award, increasing his scoring from 4.6 points to 19.2 (the seventh-biggest jump in the NCAA in 17 years), while ranking 17th in the nation with 5.9 assists.

X-Factor: Freshman Matt MacDonald has started all season for the shorthanded Knights, an outside shooting threat whose game-winning 3-pointer at Rutgers served as the team’s most memorable moment.

Last NCAA Tournament appearance: 2005

Tournament odds: 100/1

Fairleigh Dickinson can win it if: Something happens that hasn’t happened. The Knights have yet to win three straight games all season.

Up next: Eighth-seeded Fairleigh Dickinson plays at top-seeded Robert Morris in the NEC quarterfinals on Wednesday (7 p.m.).


St. Peter’s (13-16, 9-11 MAAC)

RPI: 232

Season recap: After producing seven wins in conference over the past two seasons, the Peacocks surpassed expectations, bouncing back from a 2-6 start to close with six wins in their final eight games, including four straight to finish.

Best win: 83-80 (OT) at Seton Hall (Dec. 14).

Player to watch: Fordham transfer Marvin Dominique keyed St. Peter’s improvement, averaging 16.9 points after scoring less than three points a game as a sophomore with the Rams, while ranking third in the league with 8.8 rebounds.

X-Factor: Junior guard Desi Washington averaged 17 points in the team’s wins and 10.9 points in the team’s losses.

Last NCAA Tournament appearance: 2011

Tournament odds: 100/1

St. Peter’s can win it if: (Insert annual St. Peter performing a miracle joke here).

Up next: Seventh-seeded St. Peter’s will play 10th-seeded Fairfield in the first round of the MAAC Tournament on Thursday (7 p.m.).


Hofstra (9-22, 5-11 CAA)

RPI: 279

Season recap: After a season which saw nearly as many arrests (six) as wins (seven), it would have been difficult to have a worse year. With just four players returning, new coach Joe Mihalich managed a respectable campaign considering the ruins left behind, and could make the Pride a legitimate conference contender next season.

Best win: 77-60 vs. William & Mary (Jan. 22).

Player to watch: Graduate transfer Zeke Upshaw’s lone season in Hempstead prevented bad from becoming atrocious. The Chicago native averaged nearly 20 points per game, scoring 509 points more than in his three seasons at Illinois State combined.

X-Factor: Monmouth transfer Dion Nesmith finished second in the conference with 4.3 assists and ranked third in 3-point percentage (40.3).

Last NCAA Tournament appearance: 2001

Tournament odds: 175/1

Hofstra can win it if: Niagara transfers Juan’ya Green and Ameen Tanksley are granted immediate eligibility.

Up next: Eighth-seeded Hofstra plays ninth-seeded UNC-Wilmington in the CAA Tournament first round on Friday (7 p.m.) in Baltimore.


Fairfield (7-24, 4-16 MAAC)

RPI: 281

Season recap: The Stags suffered their first losing season in six years, opening 1-8, while never winning consecutive games. Fairfield ranked 340th in the nation in field-goal percentage (39.7 percent), averaging 63.5 points.

Best win: 71-67 vs. Manhattan (Jan. 18).

Player to watch: Queens native Maurice Barrow has averaged more than 16 points a game since a scoreless effort against Marist on Jan. 2.

X-Factor: Freshman K.J. Rose leads the team with 3.8 assists and is coming off his best game of the season, an 11-point, 10-rebound, five-assist performance in a win over Marist.

Last NCAA Tournament appearance: 1997

Tournament odds: 500/1

Fairfield can win it if: Opposing teams becomes so enthralled at the nearby Basketball Hall of Fame they are late for tipoff.

Up next: 10th-seeded Fairfield will play seventh-seeded St. Peter’s in the MAAC Tournament first round on Thursday (7 p.m.), in Springfield, Mass.


Fordham (9-18, 2-12 Atlantic 10)

RPI: 214

Season recap: With a 7-4 start and the best recruit of Tom Pecora’s tenure — Jon Severe — Fordham finally had some momentum. Then, conference play began and the familiar scenes soon followed. Even though the Rams are once again in last place, they will appear in their first conference tournament since 2008, thanks to realignment.

Best win: 79-75 at Manhattan (Nov. 26).

Player to watch: Severe. Last year’s top high school player in New York brought some excitement and long-term optimism back to The Bronx, winning four rookie of the week awards in the Atlantic 10, while averaging 18.3 points. Severe and senior Branden Frazier (17.4) form the highest-scoring backcourt in the conference.

X-Factor: Sophomore Mandell Thomas opened the season with nine double-digit scoring games, but has only had seven since. The team’s third-leading scorer (12.5) has scored in single-digits in three of the past four games.

Last NCAA Tournament appearance: 1992

Tournament odds: 1,000/1

Fordham can win it if: The Rams are awarded points for effort rather than execution.

Up next: Wednesday (7 p.m.) at Rhode Island


Rutgers (11-18, 5-11 AAC)

RPI: 207

Season recap: Transition was the theme of the program and the season. The Scarlet Knights played their first and only season in the American Athletic Conference as coach Eddie Jordan took over a team decimated by transfers following the Mike Rice scandal. The biggest win was preventing further embarrassment before heading to the Big Ten.

Best win: 66-51 vs. Canisius (Nov. 18).

Player to watch: Junior guard and New Jersey native Myles Mack stayed loyal to the program and kept it afloat, averaging team-highs in points (15.3), assists (4.2) and steals (1.8).

X-Factor: Junior Kadeem Jack has saved his best play for the final stretch, averaging 17.5 points over his past 10 games.

Last NCAA Tournament appearance: 1991

Tournament odds: 1,000/1

Rutgers can win it if: Mike Rice can unseat Chris Christie.

Up next: Wednesday (7 p.m.) at UConn


Area conference tournament dates:

Northeast Conference: Wednesday-Tuesday (at higher seeds)

Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference: Thursday-Monday (at Springfield, Mass.)

America East: Saturday-March 15 (at Albany; championship game at higher seed)

Colonial Athletic Association: Friday-Monday (at Baltimore)

Patriot League: Wednesday-March 12 (at higher seeds)

American Athletic Conference: March 12-15 (at Memphis, Tenn.)

Atlantic 10: March 12-16 (at Barclays Center)