RYAN BACON

While it may still be true that the biggest surprises in the MAAC have been negative -- Niagara and Rider entering tonight's games tied for sixth, with neither team even in contention for the regular season title -- I've become more and more intrigued by the league's more pleasant surprises.

Entering tonight's games, Iona, Saint Peter's and Fairfield are tied for second in the league at 7-3. And while it's a virtual lock that Siena will win the regular season, title, I now think it's more interesting to have the current crop of teams in contention than the crop we all expected to have in October.

The reason? All three teams are composed almost exclusively of underclassmen, meaning all three will be loaded next year, and quite possibly be picked first through third in next year's preseason rankings.

Iona and Saint Peter's both return their top four starters, and while Fairfield will sorely miss Anthony Johnson, the Stags will get Warren Edney and possibly Greg Nero back from season-long injuries.

Which of the three teams will make the biggest run down the stretch -- and how they position themselves in the PMI and for tournament seeding -- should be one of the top storylines of February.

This week's rankings:

1. Siena: Records: 17-4 overall, 10-0 MAAC; RPI: 38; Position: Stayed the same

The race for the regular season title essentially over, it's time to move on to some other storylines. One of them is the ever-tantalizing at-large-bid story.

Without a marquee non-conference win and without much competition at the top of the MAAC, Siena would have a lot of work to do in order to get into the bubble discussion. But if the Saints run the table in the MAAC and win at Butler in their BracketBuster game, they'll be in the mix.

Of course, by Monday night in Albany, that's unlikely to matter anyway.

2. Iona: Records: 15-6, 7-3: RPI: 73; Position: Moved up one spot

Are the Gaels on fire or what? After an impressive win over Fairfield last Sunday, they've won six straight and 11 out of 13, making them the hottest team in the league this side of Siena, and quite possibly the best.

Based on the obstacles his team has had to overcome, I chose Ed Cooley as my MAAC Coach of the First Half. But if Iona finishes in the top three after being picked eighth, Kevin Willard would be a very, very strong candidate for Coach of the Year.

3. Saint Peter's: Records: 12-8, 7-3; RPI: 142: Position: Moved up one spot

I was surprised by the Peacocks' early-season ineptitude, but to their credit, they've managed to completely turn things around since a non-conference slate that included a loss to Wagner and a 46-point performance at Rutgers.

They're on such a roll heading into tonight's game against Saint Peter's that they've even generated some press. My pal Brendan Prunty of the Star-Ledger, a college hoops writer who focuses on Seton Hall, Rutgers, and occasionally Rider, stopped by to write this piece on the Peacocks.

4. Fairfield: Records: 14-6, 7-3; RPI: 115; Position: Moved down two spots

I dropped the Stags two spots more because of how well Iona and Saint Peter's have played than because of anything Fairfield did wrong. At 7-3, they're still in good shape and far exceeding expectations, but they've been less impressive over the last two weeks than the Gaels and Peacocks, and need a win tonight at Loyola to avoid falling into a mid-season funk.

5. Canisius: Records: 10-11, 5-5; RPI: 189; Position: Moved up one spot

The Golden Griffs continue to be the epitome of an up-and-down team. One day, they beat Rider's brains in in the second half, while the next they lay an egg at home against Saint Peter's. But hey, if you're a Canisius fan, you've got to be fired up for Friday's game against Niagara, which offers a chance for the Griffs to make a statement about their Buffalo supremacy.

6. Niagara: Records: 11-11, 4-6; RPI: 174; Position: Moved down one spot

Even without Tyrone Lewis, I thought the Eagles would have enough to hold off Rider Sunday at home. And while credit is due to Rider for overcoming a double-digit deficit, the Eagles clearly didn't have the ingredients Canisius and Saint Peter's had to put the Broncs away. Lewis, though, is a weapon whose importance can't be overstated. If he's healthy down the stretch, I fully expect Niagara to be dangerous.

7. Rider: Records: 11-11, 4-6; RPI: 154; Position: Stayed the same

I'm very interested to see how the Broncs play tonight against Manhattan. With a win, they'd be 5-6 in the league and potentially able to gain back some of the confidence that has gone missing over the past month. A loss, though, would make Sunday's win look more like a fluke than the start of a turnaround.

8. Manhattan: Records: 7-13, 2-8; RPI: 220; Position: Stayed the same

It's telling that in MAAC games, the Jaspers are seventh in scoring margin despite being in ninth place. Their two wins have been blowouts, and almost all of their losses have been close, with four coming by three points or fewer. That's why I wouldn't be surprised at all by a win tonight at Rider, or even by the Jaspers reeling off several wins down the stretch.

9. Loyola: Records: 10-10, 3-7; RPI: 257; Position: Stayed the same

The Hounds had been staying afloat with Jamal Barney in the lineup, but have looked lost since the star guard left the team after the Iona game Jan. 11. There are enough pieces there to make Loyola capable of beating middle-of-the-pack teams, but it's hard to imagine them not being in the 8-9 game Friday night in Albany.

10. Marist: Records: 1-19, 1-9; RPI: 339; Position: Stayed the same

Look at the good news, Fox fans: Your team has moved under 340 in the RPI and had three players on my MAAC first-half all-Rookie team.