Regarding achieving a final record like that, I have to agree with Greg and 05 - I doubt it would be enough or a bubble at best requiring a number of chips to fall in the right place.
Regarding achieving a final record like that, I have to agree with Greg and 05 - I doubt it would be enough or a bubble at best requiring a number of chips to fall in the right place.
Remember that that does not include MAAC tourney, so if we got to final and lost we'd have 26 wins.
Also, this is a great schedule for RPI purposes.
The greatest poster in the history of the MAAC as determined by THREE separate polls.
Cluess is not only an offensive genius but an expert in scheduling and reloading. He never puts himself in a position like Ruland in 2006 where he lost everyone. We have to put up with the weak defense because it is a part of having a great offense. I just don't think you can have a better coach at this level than cluess, he is less likely to leave than almost any coach we can have and really the only negative he has is the defense weakness but that is partially due to the superior offense. We are at a golden stage of iona basketball and lucky to have cluess at the helm.
Agreed Joebird. Pretty amazing what he has done with a decent amount of turnover every year. Everybody jumps on the Siena bandwagon with their entire team back this year, and ready to dominate next year with a bunch of JRS, but the facts are next year Iona will be even a bigger favorite to win the MAAC than this year with the players coming back. Add Bessick, McGill and still 2 open scholarships and TC and staff have the Gaels set up for success and lots of wins for years to come. great time to be an Iona fan.
Ok, folks, you can slide back off from the edge of your seats. It's time for my annual game-by-game picks!
As a reminder, I've usually been pretty close on these, and I am not one to be overly optimistic about a given season, but...
11/14 vs Cleveland State. Tough opener for sure. Should be interesting. W, 1-0. 11/18 at Wofford. 7 am on ESPN2! Against a foe that knows us from last year. Bad news. L, 1-1. 11/21 at Wake Forest. I know we destroyed them a couple years back. And I know they're not expected to be good this year. But... L, 1-2. 11/23 at North Texas. Tricky game, though I admit I know little about them. 195 RPI last year. W, 2-2. 11/26 vs Delaware State. Cupcake city. W, 3-2. 11/30 at Arkansas. Tough test. Winnable, but... L, 3-3. 12/7 at Monmouth. I think the Hawks are building something--but we will have had a week off. W, 4-3, 1-0. 12/10 vs Rider. Broncs are not good on defense. W, 5-3, 2-0. 12/13 vs Indiana State. We almost won there last year, and you know they have no interest in this game. W, 6-3, 2-0. 12/20 at George Mason. GMU isn't what it was and is still trying to get back. W, 7-3, 2-0. 12/23 vs Florida Gulf Coast. Hope they enjoy their visit to Rockefeller Center! W, 8-3, 2-0. 12/28 at Drexel. Sluggish return after holiday. L, 8-4, 2-0. 12/30 at UMass. Minutemen are a MAAC team this year, playing 4 of our league foes, all at home. I think they'll go 2-2 vs MAAC. We won't be one to fall. W, 9-4, 2-0. 1/4 at Siena. Lots of mixed views on the Saints, but no question they have this one circled on the calendar. L, 9-5, 2-1. 1/6 vs Quinnipiac. Back on track and refocused. W, 10-5, 3-1. 1/10 vs Canisius. No Billy Baron. Nuff said. W, 11-5, 4-1. 1/13 vs Fairfield. Stags trending downward. W, 12-5, 5-1. 1/16 at Niagara. My hunch is that the Purps will exceed expectations--but they're not ready to win a game like this. W, 13-5, 6-1. 1/18 at Canisius. With both Buffalo teams down, a rare sweep! W, 14-5, 7-1. 1/22 at Rider. Broncs always pretty good at home, so no cakewalk. But... W, 15-5, 8-1. 1/25 vs Niagara. Let's get those bench guys some run, Coach Cluess. W, 16-5, 9-1. 1/31 vs St. Peter's. First look at the rising Cocks. Wait, what? W, 17-5, 10-1. 2/2 at Fairfield. Stags will ugly it up and keep it interesting, but... W, 18-5, 11-1. 2/6 vs Siena. Send those whiny hayseeds home with an L. W, 19-5, 12-1. 2/8 vs Marist. Can't gauge the Foxes just yet, but they don't defend much. W, 20-5, 13-1. 2/13 at Manhattan. Friday the 13th in Riverdale? Can't be good. L, 20-6, 13-2. 2/15 at Quinnipiac. No easy game for sure, but... W, 21-6, 14-2. 2/20 at Marist. This game could be a shootout. Which we like. W, 22-6, 15-2. 2/22 vs Monmouth. Momentum builder for stretch run. W, 23-6, 16-2. 2/27 vs Manhattan. Jaspers won't sweep. W, 24-6, 17-2. 3/1 at St. Peter's. Cocks might be the most dangerous team in Albany. L, 24-7, 17-3.
I think Iona is the best team in this league, comfortably. I've been saying Siena will finish second all along, and I will stick with that. But they're no better than 14-6.
This should be Cluess' best team, or at least on par with the at-large team. There are two dangers in Albany--playing a "road game" in the final vs Siena, and playing a good team that we swept during the year. But when the chips are down, I think the only teams that could beat us up there are Siena (only because they're at home) and St. Peter's. And I do think these teams will finish 2-3 in the standings, so we likely would see one of them in the final.
I have never predicted such lofty results for Iona, but I don't see a reason for us to be WEAKER than last year, and if we prove to have the depth we think we've seen, we should be stronger. If Tim has to shorten the bench to 6-7 guys again, we will lose more than I have projected.
I also think the MAAC is a shade weaker as well. The teams expected to be near the top have major flaws, but Iona does not, and on every night in league play Iona will have 3 of the top 4-5 players on the floor.
Let's get this going.
Bump. I've actually underestimated the team, as I had us losing at Wake following the loss to Wofford. This is a good sign, people.
The greatest poster in the history of the MAAC as determined by THREE separate polls.
Ok, folks, you can slide back off from the edge of your seats. It's time for my annual game-by-game picks!
As a reminder, I've usually been pretty close on these, and I am not one to be overly optimistic about a given season, but...
11/14 vs Cleveland State. Tough opener for sure. Should be interesting. W, 1-0. 11/18 at Wofford. 7 am on ESPN2! Against a foe that knows us from last year. Bad news. L, 1-1. 11/21 at Wake Forest. I know we destroyed them a couple years back. And I know they're not expected to be good this year. But... L, 1-2. 11/23 at North Texas. Tricky game, though I admit I know little about them. 195 RPI last year. W, 2-2. 11/26 vs Delaware State. Cupcake city. W, 3-2. 11/30 at Arkansas. Tough test. Winnable, but... L, 3-3. 12/7 at Monmouth. I think the Hawks are building something--but we will have had a week off. W, 4-3, 1-0. 12/10 vs Rider. Broncs are not good on defense. W, 5-3, 2-0. 12/13 vs Indiana State. We almost won there last year, and you know they have no interest in this game. W, 6-3, 2-0. 12/20 at George Mason. GMU isn't what it was and is still trying to get back. W, 7-3, 2-0. 12/23 vs Florida Gulf Coast. Hope they enjoy their visit to Rockefeller Center! W, 8-3, 2-0. 12/28 at Drexel. Sluggish return after holiday. L, 8-4, 2-0. 12/30 at UMass. Minutemen are a MAAC team this year, playing 4 of our league foes, all at home. I think they'll go 2-2 vs MAAC. We won't be one to fall. W, 9-4, 2-0. 1/4 at Siena. Lots of mixed views on the Saints, but no question they have this one circled on the calendar. L, 9-5, 2-1. 1/6 vs Quinnipiac. Back on track and refocused. W, 10-5, 3-1. 1/10 vs Canisius. No Billy Baron. Nuff said. W, 11-5, 4-1. 1/13 vs Fairfield. Stags trending downward. W, 12-5, 5-1. 1/16 at Niagara. My hunch is that the Purps will exceed expectations--but they're not ready to win a game like this. W, 13-5, 6-1. 1/18 at Canisius. With both Buffalo teams down, a rare sweep! W, 14-5, 7-1. 1/22 at Rider. Broncs always pretty good at home, so no cakewalk. But... W, 15-5, 8-1. 1/25 vs Niagara. Let's get those bench guys some run, Coach Cluess. W, 16-5, 9-1. 1/31 vs St. Peter's. First look at the rising Cocks. Wait, what? W, 17-5, 10-1. 2/2 at Fairfield. Stags will ugly it up and keep it interesting, but... W, 18-5, 11-1. 2/6 vs Siena. Send those whiny hayseeds home with an L. W, 19-5, 12-1. 2/8 vs Marist. Can't gauge the Foxes just yet, but they don't defend much. W, 20-5, 13-1. 2/13 at Manhattan. Friday the 13th in Riverdale? Can't be good. L, 20-6, 13-2. 2/15 at Quinnipiac. No easy game for sure, but... W, 21-6, 14-2. 2/20 at Marist. This game could be a shootout. Which we like. W, 22-6, 15-2. 2/22 vs Monmouth. Momentum builder for stretch run. W, 23-6, 16-2. 2/27 vs Manhattan. Jaspers won't sweep. W, 24-6, 17-2. 3/1 at St. Peter's. Cocks might be the most dangerous team in Albany. L, 24-7, 17-3.
I think Iona is the best team in this league, comfortably. I've been saying Siena will finish second all along, and I will stick with that. But they're no better than 14-6.
This should be Cluess' best team, or at least on par with the at-large team. There are two dangers in Albany--playing a "road game" in the final vs Siena, and playing a good team that we swept during the year. But when the chips are down, I think the only teams that could beat us up there are Siena (only because they're at home) and St. Peter's. And I do think these teams will finish 2-3 in the standings, so we likely would see one of them in the final.
I have never predicted such lofty results for Iona, but I don't see a reason for us to be WEAKER than last year, and if we prove to have the depth we think we've seen, we should be stronger. If Tim has to shorten the bench to 6-7 guys again, we will lose more than I have projected.
I also think the MAAC is a shade weaker as well. The teams expected to be near the top have major flaws, but Iona does not, and on every night in league play Iona will have 3 of the top 4-5 players on the floor.
Let's get this going.
Bump. I've actually underestimated the team, as I had us losing at Wake following the loss to Wofford. This is a good sign, people.
As of today, we are expected to be the favorite in all but 2 of our remaining games; @ Arkansas and @ UMass. This includes all MAAC games (home and away), as well as all OOC games against opponents other than Arkansas and UMass. If we could somehow figure out a way to sneak out of Fayetteville or Amherst with a win it looks like we'll be in realistic contention for an at-large unless we slip up big time in conference play.
Guy, Cluess' best team? My memory is fading, but didn't we have a team with a great PG (Scott), a great inside presence (Mike), and a good PF, even if he was playing out of position (Taj). And wasn't MoMo and Sean on the team along with Randy? I think that might have been the at-large team. This team is good but that was great. What this team does have is a coach that is more experienced.