Looking back at the end of last year’s MAAC Tournament, there was so much disappointment for the men’s basketball team. The team made it to the MAAC Championship game and was the favorite to win it all. Iona, however, lost to No. 4-seeded Saint Peter’s who made a miracle run knocking off No.1-seeded Fairfield and then No.2-seeded Iona in the championship. The 62-57 win sent Iona home and brought Saint Peter’s to the NCAA tournament.

Even though the Gaels lost that game, the hype for Iona was still there before the new season started. Iona had garnered national attention and was expected to be a top mid-major team in the country.

Iona was the instant favorite to win the MAAC title also. The Gaels were returning NBA recruits in the likes of senior forward Mike Glover, who averaged a double-double (18.4 ppg, 10.1 rpg) last season, and senior Scott Machado, who was a top point guard in the nation last season.

Besides returning these stars, the Gaels added junior transfer Momo Jones from Arizona. Jones brought with him NCAA tournament experience and the ability to take over a game with his prolific scoring capabilities.

Earlier in the basketball season ESPN’s Michael Katz was one of many analysts excited about Glover before the season started.

“Michael Glover is a mismatch nightmare,” said Katz. “He’s too fast and quick for bigs and too strong and tough for guards. He has that air of confidence you can’t teach. He has an excellent understanding of how to feed off of teammates.”

This quote has been proven night in and night out all season. So far Glover is averaging 18.5 ppg and 9.3 rpg anchoring the Gael attack. Along with this, Machado’s stock has risen and he leads the nation in assists averaging 10.1 per game. Machado also averages 13.3 ppg. Momo Jones has helped out the pair to make a Big Three. Jones is the second leading scorer on the team averaging 16.2 ppg.

Due to their work, Iona touts the best offense in the country averaging 83.1 ppg. The Gaels have ended up losing six games this year, many certainly expected less, but their recent game against Nevada has given the team a boost of confidence. The Big Three performed well on a national stage, but a couple other players showed up as well.

Sophomore Sean Armand and senior Randy Dezouvre in particular helped the team out when they were needed most.

Armand had another double-digit scoring game with 13 points in the match and his scrappy play helped the Gaels in a tough match-up that went back and forth.

Dezouvre had an incredible game hitting shot after shot in crucial moments in which the game could have gone the other way. Dezouvre ended up having a career game with 17 points.

If the Gaels can get this support and help the Big Three out, the Gaels will not be stopped in the MAAC tournament. If at least a couple players have games like the pair did, every game will be a blowout in the MAAC Championships.

One glaring problem for this team is that the defense is very weak in comparison to the offense. Iona will be in a tight match if the offense does not continue to score points at a high level. If players do not show up and the Big Three has an off night, it leaves the door open for teams to run with Iona.

The Gaels, however, are first in the conference for a reason. They have NBA talent on their roster and they have the best offense in the country. They stand No. 1 in the MAAC right now, and this time around it will not change as Iona will be crowned MAAC Champions when it is all said and done.