715 NORTH AVENUE • NEW ROCHELLE, NY 10801 914-637-2726 • FAX: 914-633-2072 2017-18 GAME NOTES MBB Contacts: Brian Beyrer ([email protected]), Pat McWalters ([email protected]) December 17, 2017 WATCH LIVE - Fox Sports 1 / Fox Sports Go - Brian Custer and Sarah Kustok 2017-18 SCHEDULE/RESULTS Overall: 5-4 H: 2-0 A: 2-2 N: 1-2 MAAC: 0-0 GAELS AND RED STORM BATTLE AT MSG HOLIDay FESTIVAL Date Opponent Time/Result The Iona College men’s basketball team (5-4) faces one of its toughest tests of the season when 11/10/17 at Albany (ESPN3) L, 67-69 it faces Metro area rival St. John's (8-2) in the MSG Holiday Festival at Madison Square Garden. 11/14/17 at Syracuse (ESPN3) L, 62-71 The Gaels return to the World's Most Famous Arena for the first time in three seasons and face the Island of the Bahamas Showcase Red Storm for the first time in 22 seasons this afternoon in midtown Manhattan. 11/17/17 vs. Weber State (FloHoops) W, 80-72 11/18/17 vs. Northern Kentucky (FloHoops) L, 72-85 IONA VS. ST. JOHN'S - SERIES HISTORY Iona vs. St. John's 11/19/17 vs. Coastal Carolina (FloHoops) L, 84-89 The two teams, whose campuses are separated by less than Overall: 3-6 (.333) 20 miles, meet for just the 10th time in history and the first Home: 1-1 11/28/17 at Ohio (ESPN3) W, 93-88 time in 22 years. St. John's leads the series 6-3, but the Gaels 12/2/17 FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON (ESPN3) W, 82-75 Away: 0-4 have won three of the last five since 1976-77. The series 12/9/17 at NJIT (ESPN3) W, 74-70 Neutral: 2-1 began in 1946-47. It is just the second time the two teams 12/12/17 YALE (ESPN3) W, 83-67 SERIES HISTORY meet at Madison Square Garden. Iona won the first meeting 12/17/17 vs. St. John’s (FoxSports1; at MSG) 4:30 p.m. Date W-L Score Site 12/19/17 at Holy Cross 7 p.m. 70-57 on Dec. 27, 1995, the last time the two teams met. 1946-47 L 49-71 A 12/21/17 at Rhode Island 7 p.m. SCOUTING ST. JOHN'S 1947-48 L 46-66 A 12/29/17 at Niagara* 7 p.m. • St. John's stands at 8-2 after 10 games, having falling only to 1947-48 L 55-57 H 12/31/17 at Canisius* (ESPN3) 1 p.m. the No. 3 and 4 teams on the RPI list, Arizona State and Missouri. 2/22/75 L 47-74 A 1/5/18 SAINT PETER’S* (ESPNU/3) 7 p.m. • Sophomore guard Shamorie Ponds is a Top 50 NCAA scorer, averaging 1/10/77 W 68-66 H 1/7/18 FAIRFIELD* (ESPN3) 1 p.m. 20.1 ppg. Ponds also leads with 5.1 apg and is No. 2 with 6.4 rpg. 3/2/78 L 80-83 Nassau 1/11/18 SIENA* (ESPN3) 7 p.m. • Sophmore guard Marcus LoVett is No. 2 in scoring (14.9 ppg). 3/3/79 W 63-57 Nassau 1/14/18 RIDER* (ESPN3) 1 p.m. • Senior wing Bashir Ahmed (10.8 ppg), junior forward 12/2/92 L 74-90 A 1/19/18 at Monmouth* (ESPNU/3) 7/9 p.m. Marvin Clark (10.3 ppg) and sophomore guard Justin Simon 12/27/95 W 70-57 MSG 1/21/18 CANISIUS* (ESPN3) 1 p.m. (10.1 ppg) also average 10 or more points per game. 9 games 1/27/18 vs. Manhattan* (at Nassau Colesium) 7 p.m. Clark's 18 3FG and Simon's 8.0 rpg lead the team. Iona 552 pts 61.3 ppg 1/29/18 at Fairfield* (ESPN3) 7 p.m. • The Red Storm were picked to finish sixth in the 10 team Big East. St. John's 621 pts 69.0 ppg 2/2/18 QUINNIPIAC* (ESPNU/3) 7 p.m. 2/4/18 at Marist* Noon IONA VERSUS THE BIG EAST Iona vs. Big East 2/8/18 MONMOUTH* (ESPN3) 7 p.m. The Gaels are 19-58 all-time against current Big East Team W-L Last Meet 2/10/18 at Saint Peter’s* Noon opponents. It is the first time in the Tim Cluess era Iona Butler 0-0 2/12/18 at Siena* 7 p.m. faces the Big East. Iona has won two straight after a win Creighton 2-1 11/28/09 2/16/18 NIAGARA* (ESPN3) 7 p.m. at Providence on Dec. 12, 2009 and two weeks prior over DePaul 0-3 2/16/88 2/23/18 MANHATTAN* (ESPNU/3) 7/9 p.m. Creighton at the Old Spice Classic when the Blue Jays Georgetown 0-5 3/9/80 2/25/18 at Rider* 2 p.m. were a member of the Missouri Valley Confernce. Seton Marquette 1-5 1/19/88 MAAC Championship - Albany, NY Hall is the Gaels’ most frequent opponent, accounting Providence 3-1 12/12/09 3/1/18 vs. Opening Round (MAAC.TV) for 37 of the 77 games that Iona has played. St. John’s Seton Hall 9-29 12/31/05 3/2-3/18 vs. Quarterfinal Round (ESPN3) is No. 2 on the list with a 6-3 advantage against Iona. St. John’s* 3-6 12/27/95 3/4/18 vs. Semifinal Round (ESPNU/3) Providence (3-1) and Creighton (2-1) is the schools that Villanova 0-4 3/3/54 3/5/18 vs. Final (ESPN/2) 7 p.m. the Maroon & Gold has a series advantage. Xavier 1-4 2/16/61 Home events in CAPS & BOLD; TOTALS 19-58 MAAC Games noted by an asterisk *- 2017-18 opponent 2017-18 Iona Gaels at a Glance No. Name Cl. Pos. Ht. Wt. PPG RPG Of Note Probable Starters (based on last game’s starters) 0 Rickey McGill Jr. G 6-1 175 13.9 4.1 Team's leading scorer... Has posted at least eight points in each game this season 2 E.J. Crawford So. G/F 6-6 210 12.6 2.8 MAAC All-Rookie in 2017... Had career-best 24p vs. Yale Tuesday 4 Schadrac Casimir Jr. G 5-10 165 5.8 1.3 Broke out with season-best 21p (16 in 2H) in win over FDU 13 TK Edogi Gr. F 6-8 220 11.4 7.7 MAAC's leading rebounder, despite averaging just 3.0 rpg in last two games 15 Deyshonee Much Sr. G 6-5 180 10.9 4.0 Recorded seaosn-best 19p in win over Yale Tuesday night Off the Bench 1 Zach Lewis Gr. G 6-3 185 11.9 2.8 Returned to lineup vs. Yale and grabbed season-high six rebounds 3 C.J. Seaforth Fr. G 6-1 155 2.8 0.5 Scored 11p in last two games after two scoreless efforts and five DNPs 10 Andrija Ristanovic Fr. F 6-10 200 -- -- Tall rookie front court performer with range on jump shot; has not played due to injury 11 Roland Griffin Jr. F 6-7 215 6.5 4.1 Averaging 8.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 2.0 apg in last two contests 12 Nils Taylor So. G 6-4 195 0.0 0.0 First-year walk-on, served as team manager in 2016-17; made first appearance vs. Yale 20 Jan Svandrlik Gr. G/F 6-7 210 5.4 1.4 Averages 14.4 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 3.6 3FG/g when playing more than 15 min in a game 21 Gavin Kensmil Fr. F 6-7 230 0.3 0.6 Strong inside presence, will come off the bench in frontcourt 44 Tyrell Williams Jr. F 6-9 230 0.4 1.6 Will compete for time in Iona’s frontcourt... Strong rebounder and post defender 2017-18 Iona College Men’s Basketball Game Notes MSG Holiday Festival - vs. St. John's - December 17, 2017 - Page 2 LAST TIME OUT MAAC PRESEASON COACHES POLL • Iona won its fourth straight to go over the .500 No. Team (FPV) Points mark for the first time this season in a 83-67 win vs. 1. IONA (9) 116 Yale Tuesday. 2. Manhattan (2) 104 • Sophomore E.J. Crawford led the Gaels in 3. Monmouth 101 scoring for the second straight and third in the 4. Fairfield 85 last four games with a career-best 24 points. 5. Niagara 76 2017-18 MAAC STANDINGS • Senior Deshonee Much recorded a season- 6. Siena 63 MAAC OVERALL high 19 points in the win. 7. Rider 50 SCHOOL W L PCT W L PCT • The Gaels used a 24-5 run to erase a seven- 8. Saint Peter’s 44 IONA 0 0 .000 5 4 .556 point deficit, taking the lead for good midway 9. Canisius 42 Rider 0 0 .000 6 5 .545 through the first half. 10. Marist 26 11. Quinnipiac 19 Niagara 0 0 .000 5 6 .455 KING OF THE HILL, TOP OF THE LIST Fairfield 0 0 .000 4 5 .444 • No team among the 14 NYC Metropolitan Area WHO’S BACK? Saint Peter's 0 0 .000 4 5 .444 Division I basketball programs within 30 miles of the • Iona returns four performers who started Manhattan 0 0 .000 4 6 .400 center of NY College basketball, Madison Square games down the stretch in the 2016-17 MAAC Canisius 0 0 .000 4 7 .364 Garden has won more games than Iona College Championship campaign including senior Quinnipiac 0 0 .000 3 7 .300 in the last 21 +seasons (420; Hofstra #2, 385).