The Iona College men’s basketball team took on Army in a charitable exhibition game on Tuesday night. Even though the exhibition was cut short due to poor conditions on the court, there was still enough to take away from a game that was fast paced yet featured a good amount of slippery moments and delays.

Takeaways 

– Graduate transfer Zach Lewis gave Iona fans a glimpse of what he could bring to a Iona team that thrives a running the floor and shooting from deep.  The former Canisius and UMass guard scored 27 points and knocked down six three-pointers. Lewis was in line to score more than 30 points if the game continued.

Lewis started the game shooting at a very high percentage especially from the three-point line, where he made his first four attempts. Besides showing off his range, Lewis was able to drive to the basket and generate contact. The Gaels haven’t had a player to get to the rim like that since A.J. English, according to head coach Tim Cluess.

– Sophomore guard Rickey McGill was named to the All-Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference  Preseason Second Team prior to the game. He proved why he received that honor as he tallied 15 points, five assists and three steals. McGill, who is a career 32 percent three-point shooter, managed drill a pair of three-pointers.

One thing that really stood out from McGill’s outing was his aggressiveness, especially in the first half. If McGill is able to generate performances like this throughout the season, he may see himself on the All-MAAC first team at the end of the season.

– Iona will have a smaller team this season compared to the previous two. It definitely showed in the Gaels starting lineup that featured McGill, Lewis, sophomore E.J. Crawford, junior Schadrac Casimir and junior transfer Roland Griffin. The Gaels using a smaller lineup may play to their benefit as they will be able to get up and down the floor at a even quicker pace.

Rebounding could be the biggest issue Iona will have to deal with, since the team won’t have a player such as Jordan Washington or Taylor Bessick down low. Cluess believes graduate forward  TK Edogi could feel that void. He didn’t receive a lot of playing time because he’s been dealing with an illness throughout the week, according to Cluess.

– Iona started the game with lots of momentum as the team took a 23-9 at the beginning of the first half. It was a different story when the Gaels started subbing in players and Army found a way back in the game. The Gaels saw major changes to the roster during the offseason as they added eight new players. With that being said, chemistry will be something to watch out for at the start of the season.

Follow @IonianSports on Twitter and Instagram