MAAC Basketball: 2022 conference tournament preview and predictions
By Jon Surratt
Key Players in the MAAC Tournament
Tyson Jolly – Iona
2021-22 Stats: 14.5 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 1.8 APG
Iona lost a lot of guys after its team MAAC championship run last season. Key guys like Isaiah Ross and Asante Gist left, but Jolly has come in and cleaned up the scoring for the Gaels to keep the team as the best in the conference. Coming over from SMU and as a junior was named All-AAC third team, you knew right away Jolly would put up points.
He is definitely a candidate for player of the year after not being named to any preseason team or award watch, but Jolly can just go on stretches that have been deadly for some teams this season.
Jose Perez – Manhattan
2021-22 Stats: 18.8 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 4.5 APG
Perez has come out of nowhere this season to lead the conference in both points and assists per game. Another guy who was not on any preseason award or watch list has a real shot at Player of the Year candidacy. Now, being the eighth-best team should hurt his case against Jolly and Hammond, but he has helped Manhattan to an overall above .500 record and is still in the mix every night for the Jaspers.
Nelly Junior Joseph – Iona
2021-22 Stats: 12.9 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 1.6 APG
Last year’s MAAC Rookie of the Year, Junior Joseph has looked even more dominant than last season in the paint for Pitino and co. Averaging better numbers in all three categories from last season, Nelly looks to be that paint force both posting up and on the boards that is not so easy to find in the MAAC.
George Papas – Monmouth
2021-22 Stats: 15.4 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 3 APG
We all remember Papas for that late steal and dunk against Kansas when Monmouth was down by a billion at Phog Allen. Papas has come very far since. Third in the conference in scoring, two-time MAAC player of the week, Papas has been really good for Monmouth all season.
He’s been there done that for the Hawks and it has shown throughout his time there after being named preseason first team, that hype was well deserved, and could get on the regular season first team if everything works out. Papas can’t really go on huge scoring stretches, but is a lethal shooter (36.1% 3PFG) and sets up the whole team’s offense.
Marcus Hammond – Niagara
2021-22 Stats: 18.1 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 2.8 APG
One of the conference’s best players throughout his time at Niagara arguably had his best season this year. Second in the conference in scoring, Hammond scored five more points per game last year on 10% better shooting from the field, Hammond can really do a ton of damage for the Purple Eagles. If Niagara is to go on a run, the team knows Hammond will be in the scoring column, it’ll just be up to the rest of the team, as there is an almost eight-point difference between him and second on the team in scoring (Noah Thomasson – 10.8 PPG).
K.C. Ndefo – Saint Peter’s
2021-22 Stats: 10.2 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 2.5 BPG
There’s a reason Ndefo’s blocks are listed instead of his assists like all the other guys. In fact, his blocks per game are down 1.1 from last year’s absurd 3.6 blocks per game. Ndefo came in as the reigning defensive player of the year and pre-season player of the year. He has not lived up to that hype and has been a little bit of a down year for him, but Ndefo is still a force to be reckoned with when players want to come into the paint.
Kevin Marfo – Quinnipiac
2021-22 Stats: 9.9 PPG, 10.3 RBG, 4.1 APG
If Quinnipiac were to go on a run, the team needs Marfo to play better than he has as of late. Marfo is one of three players throughout the year to win MAAC Player of the Week twice while leading the conference in rebounding.
After transferring to Texas A&M after leading the country in rebounding, to coming back to Quinnipiac this year he has added a more versatile ability to his game – playmaking. However, these past few weeks he has been turning it over way too often. If Quinnipiac wants to make a run after falling off down the stretch, it’s on Marfo to play better this tourney run.