Iona (24-6, 15-3): Loaded with high-major talent the Gaels are the favorite to take home the tournament title to go with their regular-season championship. They still have a chance to reach the NCAA tournament should they falter this weekend, but their best bet is sill to claim the auto bid. Scott Machado, arguably the best point guard in the nation, is the engine that makes this offensive juggernaut (83.4 ppg leads the country) run. Mike Glover (18.1 ppg) and Lamont Jones (16.2 ppg) are also top tier talents.

Loyola (21-8, 13-5): The Greyhounds have their first 20-win season as a Division I program and with First Team All-League selection Erik Etherly (13.1 ppg, 7.1 rpg) leading the way are a dangerous team. Jimmy Patsos does a great job of getting his team to play hard for 40 minutes but the coach is also no stranger to the ill-advised technical foul.
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Loyola coach Jimmy Patsos didn’t even need to be prompted during this week’s conference call to promote Iona for an NCAA tournament at-large berth should the Gaels stumble this weekend in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament.

“I’ve been in this game for a while,” Patsos began, citing his time as an assistant at Maryland under Gary Williams, “and I’ve seen a lot of college basketball. With the schedule they’ve played and the players they have, they should be in the NCAA tournament regardless.”

Patsos, always outspoken, of course, is not on the NCAA tournament selection committee.

And while Iona does have a legitimate at-large claim – a 5-3 record against the RPI top-100 with 14 road/neutral site wins – its best bet is still to claim the automatic berth awarded to the conference tournament champion.
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-- Welcome to the final regular-season edition of MAAC Monday. One weekend left and the standings couldn't be tighter. Four teams are separated by two games and positions 5-7 have just one game between them. Tiebreaker scenarios can get completed and we'll run through them after the jump. One game tonight as Fairfield visits Marist in the contest that was postponed after the off-campus fire that killed Marist students last month. The Stags can pull within one game of first-place Iona with a victory. Those two still face each other Friday. Now, let us get on with it:
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LAWRENCEVILLE – The faster the pace, the better Iona is.

For a half Wednesday night against Rider, Tim Cluess didn’t like the way his team played.

He called it a lack of energy.

The Gaels trailed the shorthanded Broncs, who were missing two starters, by five at intermission before hitting the gas with a 26-6 run to start the second half and eventually cruising to a 75-62 victory.

“We got the tempo going a little faster,” Cluess said. “The end of the first half and the beginning of the second half was almost a crawl. It was all too passive. But then they came out with some more, ‘oomph.’”

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LAWRENCEVILLE — Down a pair of starters, there wouldn’t be many expecting the Rider men’s basketball team to compete with Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference leaders Iona.

Yet even after a 75-62 loss Wednesday night at Alumni Gymnasium, the Broncs couldn’t help but feel like they missed an opportunity to beat one of the league’s heavyweights with the conference tournament looming the first weekend in March.

For one half, the shorthanded Broncs, who played without Novar Gadson (violation of team rules) and Jeff Jones (norovirus), battled with grit and guts. Even leading by five at halftime.

But there are teams you can go almost 10 minutes without a field goal against and get away with it. And then there are those you can’t.

Iona is not one of those teams you can have a drought against.

The Gales outscored the Broncs, 26-6, to start the final 20 minutes to open up a 15-point lead and never looked back. Rider didn’t help its cause by shooting 1 of 13 to open the half and going 9 minutes, 53 seconds between field goals.

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LAWRENCEVILLE — All things considered — long bus ride, early morning arrivals, shorthanded team — a split from the Western New York trip would have been nice for the Rider men’s basketball team.

But a controversial defeat Saturday against Niagara leaves the Broncs with a bad taste in their mouth.

Rider should have been awarded a victory when Jon Thompson hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer, but the officials, who ruled the shot good on the floor, overturned that decision upon video review when they failed to recognize the clock started prematurely on the final play.

The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference acknowledged officiating and timing mistakes at the end of the game in a statement Monday, suspending the three game officials from their next MAAC assignment and publicly reprimanding the game clock and video replay operators at Niagara.
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-- Three league games to go -- four if you're Fairfield or Marist, who have a makeup game next Monday -- and the MAAC is in the balance. Four teams have a shot at the regular-season championship and the top seed in next month's league tournament in Springfield, Mass. Now that Fairfield has finally found its stride (two important wins over Manhattan and Loyola this week) the final two weeks of the regular season are nicely poised. Time to break it all down:
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-- Hope everybody enjoyed the Super Bowl. But now that the big game is over and done with, it's time to focus on the college basketball stretch drive. The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference still looks like a three-team race -- Iona, Loyola and Manhattan are all within a game of each other -- for the regular-season title, although, Fairfield still lurks just behind in fourth. Time to go around the league:
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-- Happy Monday! The top three all held serve to remain tied at the league summit but that will change this week. Iona travels to Manhattan on Saturday trying to avenge a loss from a game in which it held a 17-point second half lead. Look out for BracketBusters, which are announced tonight at 6:30 on ESPNU. Expect both Iona and Loyola to find themselves in high-profile games. Now without further ado, around the MAAC we go:
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-- Happy Monday to all. We'll take a look at news and notes from around the MAAC in a moment but first condolences to Marist College and the families of those that lost their lives in the off-campus fire Saturday. The school postponed Sunday's men's game against Fairfield and Monday's women's game against St. Peter's.

First some Rider news to pass along: The school officially announced the transfer of Nurideen Lindsey from St. John's today. Lindsey is enrolled in the school for the second semester, which began today. He can also begin practicing with the team today.

The school will apply for a waiver that would allow Lindsey, a sophomore, to play immediately as a junior next season. If that waiver is denied, Lindsey would have 1 1/2 years of eligibility remaining and would be able to begin play with the Broncs in December.

Lindsey appeared in nine games -- all starts -- for the Red Storm, averaging 11.8 points per game before announcing his decision to transfer in December.
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Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Preseason Player of the Year Mike Glover scored 21 points to lead five Iona players in double figures as the Gaels shot 54.8 percent and helped themselves to an easy win over the Rider men's basketball team, 91-71, Friday night at the Hynes Athletic Center.

The Broncs lost their third straight after winning three straight and five out of six. They finished this stretch of eight out of nine on the road 5-4.

Scott Machado, a Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 finalist, had 11 points and 15 assists. Machado came into the game averaging a nation-best 10.4 asssits per game. The Gaels had 27 assists on 34 made baskets.

Iona (15-4, 7-1) averages a league-best 7.8 3-pointers per game and hit 13 Friday night. Sean Armand, who hit 10 in one game against Siena, hit five first halft 3s to account for all 15 of his points.

The Broncs (6-14, 3-5) didn't shoot the ball badly themsleves, connecting on 47.5 percent of their shots. But they only hit 6 of 19 3-point attempts.

Jeff Jones came off the bench to lead Rider with 17 points and Anthony Myles finished with 14.

The Gaels began pulling away late in the first half with an 11-2 run that spotted them a 38-25 lead with 2:11 left until halftime.

Kyle Smyth's jumper with 14:10 left in the game gave Iona its biggest lead, 67-40.

LAWRENCEVILLE — The birthday gift Rider men’s basketball forward Danny Stewart wants most is an upset win over Iona.

Stewart turns 20 Friday, the same night the Broncs travel to New Rochelle, N.Y., to face the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference favorite Gaels in a nationally televised game.

Coming in, all the talk is about Iona.

“From the beginning of the year, everybody has been counted out and all the talk is about Iona,” Stewart said. “It’s kind of a challenge for us. We have to come out and handle our business.”
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-- Happy Monday! Time to go around the MAAC again from the week that was and what to expect this upcoming week.

Canisius (3-12, 0-5): Last week -- lost to St. Peter's 65-61; lost to Loyola 77-62. This week -- Jan. 13 vs. Marist; Jan. 15 vs. St. Peter's. OUTLOOK: Another winless week for the Griffs has them dead last in the conference. Gabby Belardo being slowed by a back injury hasn't helped although he played 35 minutes in the loss to Loyola. Harold Washington is having a great year scoring the ball with his 18.2 points per game ranking third in the league. If Tom Parrotta's squad is going to string some wins together this week seems like its best chance with Marist and SPC coming to Buffalo.
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-- Happy New Year! Time to take a look at the week that was in the MAAC and look ahead to the upcoming week (including games tonight):

Tonight's games:

Rider (3-11, 0-2) at Manhattan (9-5, 2-0): What a great opportunity for the Jaspers to start 3-0 in league play. They already own a win over Rider and host Tommy Dempsey's struggling club at 7 p.m. Steve Masiello's done an outstanding job, already winning nine games with a team that was victorious just six times a year ago. George Beamon (16.6 ppg) is having a terrific season.

Saint Peter's (2-11, 1-1) at Marist (6-7, 1-1): Chuck Martin's Red Foxes are another having more success this season than they did all of last. Their six wins match the total they had all of last year. On the other side, John Dunne's Peacocks were always going to struggle after losing four starters from the team that stormed to the MAAC tournament championship. SPC averages 58.4 points per game, a number that ranks it 328th in the country.

Niagara (5-9, 0-2) at Loyola (9-3, 2-0): Great bounce-back win by the Greyhounds at Bucknell after falling at Kentucky. Jimmy Pastos' next step: get his team to challenge Iona and Fairfield for the top spot in the MAAC. Loyola has great balance offensively -- four players scored in double figures against the Bison, led by 18 from the freakishly-athletic Erik Etherly. For the Purple Eagles, Juan'ya Green has all but locked up the league's Rookie of the Year. He scored 32 points (26 in the second half) as NU nearly rallied to knock off St. Bonaventure in its last game and leads the conference in scoring at 20.1 ppg.

-- Looking back at the week that was:

Canisius (3-10, 0-3): Last week -- def. Binghamton, 75-66; lost to Fairfield, 72-54. This week -- Jan. 5 at Saint Peter's; Jan. 7 at Loyola. OUTLOOK: More woe from the Griffs who shot 29.5 percent in the 18-point loss to Fairfield. Canisius' challenge this year will be to battle Rider, Saint Peter's, Niagara, Marist and Siena to finish outside the bottom four and grab a first round bye in the MAAC tournament.

Fairfield (8-6, 3-0): Last week -- lost to Drexel, 77-69; def. Canisius, 72-54. This week -- Jan. 6 at Siena; Jan. 8 at Manhattan. OUTLOOK: Sydney Johnson's Stags may have been disappointing in the non-conference but a 3-0 start to league play will still have them thinking they can repeat as regular-season champs. Boston College transfer Rakim Sanders is living up to the hype, averaging 16.1 ppg.

Iona (10-3, 2-0): Last week -- lost to Hofstra, 83-75. This week -- Jan. 3 vs. Siena; Jan. 6 vs. Niagara; Jan. 8 at Marist. OUTLOOK: The Gaels continue to be the class of the league despite their loss to Hofstra. They start the conference long haul Tuesday against Siena. Iona is fifth in the nation in scoring at 85.1 points per game and the 75 against Hofstra was only the second time this season they haven't his the 80-point mark.

Loyola (9-3, 2-0): Last week -- def. Bucknell, 72-67; This week -- Tonight vs. Niagara; Jan. 5 vs. Manhattan; Jan. 7 vs. Canisius. OUTLOOK: Three in a row at home at row could get the Greyhounds to 5-0 in league play.

Manhattan (9-5, 2-0): Last week -- def. Binghamton, 94-51. This week -- Tonight vs. Rider; Jan. 5 at Loyola; Jan. 8 vs. Fairfield. OUTLOOK: See above.

Marist (6-7, 1-1): Last week -- def. Columbia, 79-59. This week -- Tonight vs. Saint Peter's; Jan. 6 at Rider; Jan. 8 vs. Iona. OUTLOOK: See above.

Niagara (5-9, 0-2): Last week -- def. UMBC, 92-75; lost to St. Bonaventure, 72-70. This week -- Tonight at Loyola; Jan. 6 at Iona; Ja. 8 at Siena. OUTLOOK: Just give Juan'ya Green Freshman of the Year already.

Rider (3-11, 0-2): Last week -- lost to Stony Brook, 79-62; This week -- Tonight at Manhattan; Jan. 6 vs. Marist; Jan. 8 at Saint Peter's. OUTLOOK: Tommy Dempsey's team is desperate to avoid a season sweep against Manhattan. Dempsey still believes there is a gap between the top three (Iona, Fairfield, Loyola) and the rest of the league leaving spots 4 through 10 up for grabs. Rider will want to avoid finishing in the bottom four.

Siena (5-7, 1-1): Last week -- def. Florida Atlantic, 67-60; This week: -- Jan 3. vs. Iona; Jan. 6 vs. Fairfield; Jan 8 vs. Niagara. OUTLOOK: The Saints have rebounded nicely from a stretch in which they lost seven of eight to win two straight. They'll find out a lot about themselves when they face Iona tomorrow and then Fairfield in their first two MAAC games of 2012.

Saint Peter's (2-11, 0-2): Last week -- lost to Lehigh, 76-67. This week -- Tonight at Marist; Jan. 5 vs. Canisius; Jan. 8 vs. Rider: OUTLOOK: See above.

GAME BALLS

Juan'ya Green (Niagara) scored 32 points, 26 in the second half, to nearly lead the Purple Eagles to a comeback victory against St. Bonaventure. Green was 10 of 17 from the field, 2 of 5 from behind the arc and 10 of 15 from the foul line. He leads the MAAC in scoring at 20.1 points per game and surely is a look for Freshman of the Year.

Erik Etherly (Loyola) scored 18 points to help the Greyhounds bounce back from their loss at No. 1 Kentucky with an impressive win at Bucknell.

AIR BALLS 

It's hard to say anything negative about the play of Scott Machado (Iona) but the First Team All-MAAC point guard had just five points in the loss to Hofstra. He did dish out 10 assists but had a very un-Machado like six turnovers.

Tom Parrotta (Canisius) has to get more out of his Griffs. 3-10 isn't good enough for a coach that really needed a good season.

Rider's first half at Stony Brook. The Broncs had won two in a row coming in but made it impossible for themselves to make it three by scoring 19 first half points and falling behind by as many as 20 in those opening 20 minutes. By the time Rider rallied to get within eight, it didn't have anything left to get any closer.

-- Every Monday I'll take a look around the MAAC from the week that was and look ahead to what's on tap. Without further ado, on to the inaugural addition of MAAC Monday:

Canisius (2-9, 0-2): Last week -- def. South Dakota, 90-80 in overtime; lost to Loyola-Illinois, 59-45. This week -- Dec. 28 vs. Binghamton (0-10), Jan. 1 at Fairfield (7-5). OUTLOOK: Rumblings that Tom Perrotta could be on the hot seat in Buffalo started after his team's exit in the MAAC quarterfinals a year ago and the Griffs' rough start this season can't be helping matters. Facing winless Binghamton in their final non-conference game could at least give them a lift heading into the league grind.

AP Photo: Rakim Sanders Fairfield

Fairfield (7-5, 2-0): Last week -- lost to No. 9 Connecticut, 79-71. This week -- Dec. 28 at Drexel (6-4), Jan. 1 vs. Canisius (2-9). OUTLOOK: There was hope the MAAC could grab two NCAA bids this year with both the Stags and Iona putting out talented teams. After the first 12 games, it looks like the only way the league gets two bids is if someone other than Iona wins the conference tournament. The Stags had chances for quality wins but are 0-5 in those games with the only solid victory coming against 6-6 Old Dominion. That said, Sydney Johnson will like the way his kids battled back against UConn after falling behind by double digits in the first half. A win over a good Drexel team that was picked to win the CAA would be nice boost heading into league play.

Iona (10-2, 2-0): Last week -- def. Vermont, 73-72; def. William & Mary, 83-65. This week -- Dec. 29 at Hofstra (5-7), Jan. 3 vs. Siena. OUTLOOK: The Gaels have lived up to the hype that came with their talented roster. They can finish an eight-game road trip 7-1 by beating Hofstra Thursday. Mike Glover's been a beast, averaging 18.7 points and 8.4 rebounds per game and Scott Machado has been every bit of a top-five point guard, averaging 10.4 assists per game. Barring a 2012 collapse in MAAC play, Iona has set itself up nicely for an at-large bid should it falter in the conference tournament.

Loyola (8-3, 2-0): Last week -- lost to No. 3 Kentucky, 87-63. This week -- Dec. 28 at Bucknell (8-5), Jan. 2 vs. Niagara (4-8). OUTLOOK: Jimmy Pastos won't be disappointed with his team's effort at Rupp Arena. The Greyhounds trailed by six at the half before the Wildcats pulled away in the second half. Erik Etherly (12.5 ppg, 7.9 rpg) is having an All-MAAC type of season.

Manhattan (8-5, 2-0): Last week -- def. Towson, 81-62; lost to George Mason, 81-61. This week -- Dec. 30 at Binghamton (0-10), Jan. 2 vs. Rider (3-10). OUTLOOK: Steve Masiello's team won five in a row before falling at George Mason and after a 2-0 start to conference play the Jaspers should feel confident. George Beamon is averaging 16.4 points per game for a team that has overachieved this year after winning six games a year ago.

Marist (5-7, 1-1): Last week -- def. Hartford, 89-86 in double overtime; lost to Penn, 84-71. This week -- Dec. 28 vs. Columbia (7-4), Jan. 2 vs. St. Peter's (2-10). OUTLOOK: The five wins for Chuck Martin's squad is a success after six wins all of last season. The Red Foxes will surely surpass that total but it's still hard to see them finishing in the top six.

Niagara (4-8, 0-2): Last week -- lost to Quinnipiac, 85-81. This week -- Dec. 2 vs. UMBC (1-10), Dec. 30 vs. St. Bonaventure (6-5), Jan. 2 at Loyola (8-3). OUTLOOK: The Purple Eagles have lost five of their last six after a 3-3 start but it's not the fault of freshman Juan'ya Green. The guard's averaging 19.1 points per game to lead the league.

St. Peter's (2-10, 1-1): Last week -- lost to Kent St., 67-58; lost to Utah St.; 72-47, lost to Texas-Arlington, 73-68. This week -- Dec. 28 vs. Lehigh (9-4), Jan. 2 at Marist (5-7). OUTLOOK: John Dunne knew this was going to be a difficult season. He lost four starters from last season's MAAC tournament championship team and his team's youth has been exploited. They've lost six straight, failing to score 50 points in three of those games.

Siena (4-7, 0-2): Last week -- def. Princeton, 63-59. This week -- Dec. 28 at Florida Atlantic (4-8), Jan. 3 vs. Iona (10-2). OUTLOOK: How to figure the Saints? They lost seven of eight after starting 2-0, then picked up a nice win over Princeton at home. Freshman guard Evan Hymes has been outstanding this season, scoring a career-high 22 points against Princeton. Siena might just be dangerous in the MAAC this season.

Rider (3-10, 0-2): Last week -- def. UMBC, 73-66 in overtime; def. Monmouth 74-62. This week: Dec. 30 at Stony Brook (3-6), Jan. 2 at Manhattan (8-5): OUTLOOK: No question the Broncs have been the biggest disappointment in the league, but they showed signs of life last week. The defense is starting to pick up, holding three straight opponents under 80 points.

GAME BALLS

- Brandon Penn (Rider) matched a career-high 26 points in the team's win over Monmouth. He also set career bests in field goals made (eight) and rebound (15). The Broncs have won two in a row for the first time all season.

- Evan Hymes (Siena) scored a career-high 22 points to help the Saints get a much-needed win over a decent Princeton team. Hymes leads the Saints with 15 point per game.

AIR BALLS

- St. Peter's has lost six straight and while the defending tournament champs were going to struggled after losing four starters, the Peacocks look like they could finish rock bottom in the MAAC.