MAAC Basketball: A.J. English takes play to another level in win over Canisius

A.J. English put on a show to help Iona advance to the MAAC Basketball Conference Tournament semifinals.

The real tests for Tim Cluess and the Iona Gaels will come in the form of Monmouth, Siena or Manhattan, but first, the number two seed in the MAAC Conference Tournament had to handle the seven seed, Canisius.

And the Gaels did just that on Friday night in Albany, dominating the Golden Griffins, 73-55, in a game that was never in doubt and could have easily resulted in a larger margin of victory for Iona.

Jim Baron’s team played poorly on the defensive end of the floor – often losing track of the basketball – and even though they had three players in double figures, their lack of offensive balance and true talent was an issue.

Talent will never be an issue for the Gaels though, as they will now move on to play the winner of the Manhattan versus Siena match-up. Cluess and company haven’t made the Big Dance since 2013 and have lost to the Jaspers two years in a row in the MAAC final, so a heated, revenge rivalry game would be a treat in the semis.

The A.J. English show

English, a 6’4″ senior guard, put together a massive performance for the Gaels. He scored 20 points, dished out 10 assists and grabbed seven rebounds, all while turning it over just once and shooting 7-of-17 from the field.

The Wilmington, DE native was all over the floor on Friday and there was nothing that Canisius could do to stop him. English has superb vision (often seeing the play before it happens), legit range, a quick release and a sense of calm play and smoothness that makes all his teammates better.

English made things look effortless as he knocked down five threes and let the game come to him for most the evening. He only got to the free throw strike twice, which makes his numbers even more impressive.

Maybe it’s the itch to play in his first NCAA Tournament. Or maybe it’s the urgency that comes with being a senior.

Offense plus defense equals championship

We all know by now that Iona is one of the most exciting teams to watch in the country because of their up-tempo style of play and love for the three point shot.

When the Gaels are rolling, they are almost unstoppable. Iona shot 47 percent from the field overall and knocked down 43 percent of their threes (13 overall). They were raining shots from all over the floor and it’s especially tough for opponents to limit those wide open looks when there are three or four three point threats on the court at the same time.

This is what makes the Gaels so dangerous. They have the depth, the talent and the “scorers like mentality” to change the dynamic of a game in a heartbeat. Cluess’ unit is truly never out of it because of their tendency to put points up in a hurry.

But where Iona has really put themselves over the top this season is on the defensive end. The last two seasons the Gaels lost in the MAAC final due to the Jaspers having more heart on that end of the floor.

Iona still sits at 243rd in the nation in scoring defense but during the second half of MAAC play, they started to really turn up the heat (especially in a win on the road at Monmouth. Jordan Washington gives them physical play off the bench and Aaron Rountree has a long wingspan to alter shots in the interior.

The Gaels held Canisius to 42 percent shooting from all areas of the floor and 29 percent from downtown.

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If Iona continues to play at this level for the next few days, there is no question they are capable of winning the at-large bid – even with the presence of Monmouth, Siena and Manhattan.