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MAAC basketball: 2018 Conference Tournament Preview

By Brad Cavallaro

NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 09: Head coach King Rice of the Monmouth Hawks reacts against the Kentucky Wildcats during the first half at Madison Square Garden on December 9, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 09: Head coach King Rice of the Monmouth Hawks reacts against the Kentucky Wildcats during the first half at Madison Square Garden on December 9, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK, NY – DECEMBER 09: Head coach King Rice of the Monmouth Hawks reacts against the Kentucky Wildcats during the first half at Madison Square Garden on December 9, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY – DECEMBER 09: Head coach King Rice of the Monmouth Hawks reacts against the Kentucky Wildcats during the first half at Madison Square Garden on December 9, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

The MAAC Conference Tournament has consistently produced compelling matchups and crazy results. Which team will punch their ticket to the Big Dance?

There has been a changing of the guard in the MAAC as new teams have risen to the top of the standings. Rider and Canisius are tied atop the league, but were more likely to be found in the middle of the pack prior to this season. Niagara has jumped from its usual spot in the basement to a surprising 12-6 finish.

All three of these teams are legitimate threats to win the conference tournament which shows how cyclical the MAAC can be. Monmouth was the face of the MAAC for the past few years, but has fallen to eighth place after losing multiple standout players to graduation.

Justin Robinson is their most notable departure and when you consider just how good he was, you can understand why Monmouth took a major step back this season. Robinson was not the only star to leave the league. Iona’s talented big man Jordan Washington has graduated and Quinnipiac’s dynamic freshman duo of Mikey Dixon and Peter Kiss have transferred.

The MAAC lacks the same star power that it did last season, but Niagara’s backcourt has a chance to make a name for themselves and turn some heads in March. Khalil Dukes is a former USC transfer who has averaged 21.1 ppg and 3.3 apg in his senior season. He shares the backcourt with another tremendous senior, Matt Scott. Scott averages 19.5 ppg and 7.4 rpg, but has missed the last three games. The Purple Eagles need both of their stars to play at an extremely high level (and be healthy) to win the MAAC.

Even with all of the shifting of power in the league, you cannot overlook the Iona Gaels. Iona is consistently at the top of the MAAC, but has slipped towards the middle this season. The Gaels are always a threat to win the conference tournament, no matter where they are seeded, because they can really score the ball and generally have more talent then their conference foes.

This article will outline the key players in the MAAC, identify the favorites and sleepers, analyze bracketology implications, and make predictions on the tournament.