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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-- 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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-- 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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LAWRENCEVILLE — The last thing Rider men’s basketball coach Tommy Dempsey wrote on the board before his team took the court Sunday afternoon was its motto:

No sweeps.

Having already avoided a season sweep twice, the Broncs made it a third Sunday with an 83-72 victory over Siena at Alumni Gymnasium.

“Every time someone beats us we always talk about that.” Dempsey said. “Sweeps in the league really hurt you. You don’t want anyone to think they have a mental edge on you as you go into a tournament setting.”

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Who: Siena (10-10, 5-5) at Rider (8-14, 5-5)

When: Sunday, Alumni Gymnasium, 2 p.m., 107.7 FM The Bronc.

Last time out: Rider def. St. Peter’s, 90-55; Siena def. Marist, 66-55.

Background: Tommy Dempsey briefly sat his team down after Siena rallied to beat Iona last Monday and delivered a simple message.

“Keep pushing,” Dempsey told his team, “because you win this regular season championship and you win this conference championship on the floor.”
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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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The Rider men’s basketball team dug itself a 22-point hole that it couldn’t get out of despite a furious rally in the final 12 minutes, falling to Siena, 83-79 Thursday night at the Times Union Center.

Brandon Penn hit a 3-pointer with 1:56 remaining to pull the Broncs within 75-71 but they could never get the game down to a single possession.

Siena (8-8, 3-3) hit eight of its final 12 free throws to keep Rider (6-12, 3-3) from getting any closer.
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Who: Rider (6-11, 3-2) at Siena (7-8, 2-3)

When: Thursday, Times Union Center, 7 p.m., ESPN3.com, 107.7FM The Bronc.

Last time out: Rider def. St. Peter’s, 72-58. Siena def. Niagara, 72-60.

Background: The Broncs have won five of their last six, including three in a row in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play but the schedule gets a lot tougher starting Thursday night against Siena.
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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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