Going into this season, Iona hoops had high expectations. They were ranked number one in the MAAC preseason and had gotten a new player in junior Momo Jones from Arizona.

The Gaels started off their year by losing to Purdue 91-90. The Gaels held a two-point lead with less than a minute remaining, but were subdued by a Robbie Hummel three-pointer.

Iona went on to get wins over Western Michigan and Maryland in Puerto Rico before beating St. Joseph’s in their home opener

The Gaels were able to get wins at Niagara and Canisius to start off the MAAC season, along with a tough overtime win at Denver.

Iona did continue a tough road stretch that included a tough loss at Marshall and a win at Richmond, but ended the year on a sour note with a loss to Hofstra.

To restart the year, the Gaels invaded Madison Square Garden to restart their MAAC schedule, and were able to register an impressive 95-59 win that saw sophomore Sean Armand hit ten three-pointers off the bench.

Iona continued to use their outstanding offense to keep on winning throughout the MAAC regular season. Jones was able to break the Hynes Athletic Center record for points in a game with 43. Senior Scott Machado gained national fame with his assist totals and senior Michael Glover was a monster low-post presence for Iona.

Yet it seemed that the Gaels just weren’t doing enough to garner respect. They were unable to defeat Manhattan and Siena, which ultimately were the losses that prevented the Gaels from getting a shot of being nationally ranked.

There was also the loss to Loyola that saw Iona get beaten back early by the Greyhounds. That loss saw the Gaels fall out of the conference lead for the first time during the season.

Yet Iona responded well from the loss by playing its best basketball of the year. In a nationally televised game over Nevada, Machado was able to record 15 assists in what has become Iona’s biggest win of the season. The Gaels were able to also beat Fairfield at home with a raucous crowd behind them to clinch the MAAC regular season title.

With the MAAC tournament starting, Iona was able to defeat Marist before facing Fairfield in the semifinals. Following a slow start to the second half, the Gaels were unable to overcome the Stags offense and lost 85-75.

Now all that can be done is wait. Iona is now a bubble team that has a dream of the NCAA tournament, but will need plenty of results to go their way in case they are to qualify for the tournament.

Iona does have a spot clinched in the NIT, a tournament Iona hasn’t played in since 1997.

Considering the five-year playoff drought that the Gaels suffered through from 2006-2011, this isn’t the worst thing for Iona hoops.