The 2023 MAAC tournament looks to have a winner before the tournament starts. There is a clear cut favorite that is way above the level that this conference is offering. However, there is some value here with one of these teams potentially to take for this tournament.
The Betting Odds
Iona -200
Siena +100
Quinnipiac +400
Rider +800
Niagara +4000
Fairfield +4000
Canisius +5000
St. Peter’s +10000
Mt. St. Mary’s +10000
Marist +10000
Manahattan +10000
The Bracket
Will Iona Dominate?
The Gaels have four scorers that average double digits and three of them average 15+ points per game as well. Their leading scorer is sophomore guard Walter Clayton Jr who averages 16.5 points per game for the Gaels. Iona then has junior forward Nelly Junior Joseph who averages 15.4 points per game to go along with 9.5 rebounds per game (22nd in the nation) as well. Then the Gaels add junior guard Daniss Jenkins who also averages 15.4 points per game to go along with 4.5 rebounds per game and 5.1 assists per game as well. This trio is the best in the MAAC, and the Gaels as a team average 76.6 points per game which is first in the conference. With this high-powered offense at its highest, there really is no team in the MAAC that can stop Rick Pitino’s Iona squad.
Who Could Beat Iona?
There really aren’t a lot of teams that would put up a fight against Iona. One team I like is the Quinnipiac Bobcats. The Bobcats are led by the duo of Dezi Jones and Matt Balanc. Quinnipiac’s junior guard Dezi Jones averages 12.4 points per game to go along with 3.8 rebounds per game as well as 3.8 assists per game. Senior guard Matt Balanc averages 12.2 points per game for the Bobcats on a 42/38/82 shooting split. The Bobcats played Iona twice this season and split the season series. However, in their win Quinnipiac won by 23 points. Quinnipiac can play with Iona and they are realistically the only team in the conference that has a shot at beating them in the MAAC tournament.
The Don’s Winner
This is Iona’s conference tournament to lose. The odds are too high to bet, so I think the Gaels will win the conference tournament, but I am taking Quinnipiac +300 as my value bet. Quinnipiac makes a run to the final and you never know anything can happen in March.
The Don’s Game By Game Winner
First Round
9 Canisius over 8 Mt. St. Mary’s
7 Fairfield over 10 St. Peter’s
11 Marist over 6 Manhattan
Quarterfinals
1 Iona over 9 Canisius
4 Siena over 5 Niagara
7 Fairfield over 2 Rider
3 Quinnipiac over 11 Marist
Semifinals
1 Iona over 4 Siena
3 Quinnipiac over 7 Fairfield
Finals
1 Iona over 3 Quinnipiac
