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I've watched Iona live this year more than UConn (3x vs 1x), so it was nice writing today's preview more from my eyes than the statsheet. Enjoy!
Best win:
Worst Loss:
In the last two seasons of Pitino’s three years at Iona, he has embraced more of a point guard by-committee offense rather than having “the guy” at point guard (which was Asante Gist in his first season at the helm).
Last season, AAC grad transfers Tyson Jolly and Elijah Joiner fit that mold while this year returning sophomore Walter Clayton Jr. and Pacific transfer Daniss Jenkins (combined 32.5 ppg, 8.1 apg) have been the stalwarts in the backcourt.
Their defense is all about their full-court press with 7’0 220 senior Osborn Shema guarding the inbounder with his seemingly limitless length and quick enough footwork to stay with guards in one-on-one situations. I’ve gotten to see him play live four times now, all just feet away from the baseline, and it’s a real joy to watch him do his thing on defense.
As seen below, their full court press starts with Shema (#55) and then at least two guards inside the foul line maximizing traps and using the corners as “extra defenders”.
Personally, I think the best method of attacking their press is having a taller, smart and mistake-limiting forward like Karaban (team’s third lowest TO rate) help beat the press with Hawkins (team’s lowest TO rate) and another guard (Newton, Alleyne, Calcaterra) and then have Jackson (team’s second highest TO rate) as the athletic and lengthy recipient to receive the passes to get as out of the backcourt and lead the transition to our halfcourt offense. Diarra leads the team in TO rate (a whopping 29.6), so I wouldn’t expect minutes for him unless there’s foul trouble
Iona’s success starts with their All-MAAC trio of Clayton Jr., Junior Joseph (first team) and Daniss Jenkins (second team, but should be first team IMO). Assuming Pitino leaves this season, all three are high-major caliber players in my book.
As mentioned earlier Clayton Jr. and Jenkins share the PG duties with Clayton the more capable guard of creating his own offense. At Pacific, Jenkins was a poor 3P shooter (24% in two seasons), but improved his shot after a year of JUCO, with the 3P shot now a strength in his arsenal. Both are legit three-level scorers and are relatively efficient considering both have 25%+ possession usage. Of course, some of that is derived from playing in the MAAC, though.
Their backcourt mate is fifth-year firework wing JeanLouis. He reminds me a lot of Andre Jackson: the team’s glue guy who plays with unending energy, can defend four positions, usually has one or two highlight dunks per game, but is not a strong shooter. Unlike Jackson, JeanLouis is not counted on as a facilitator, so naturally, his TO rates are lower and actually the lowest on Iona’s roster.
That being said, I’d put our worst defensive guard on JeanLouis and then I love the idea of Jackson shadowing Dannis Jenkins with Newton on Clayton: if these two are stymied then Iona will be neutralized in the halfcourt as Iona loves playing in transition of turnovers caused by their press.
Toying with a three-point shot as a sophomore, Nelly Junior Joseph has smartly removed that shot from his game, but is very capable shooting and facilitating offense from the elbow. Out of all the players from Iona, I see NJJ as the guy Pitino will bring with him to his next job: he’s a true two-way forward/big who plays with a great motor in spite of his 240 frame. Honestly, a lack of a three-point shot is his only weakness: he has good footwork, physicality, decent passer, high BBIQ. He’s special.
As mentioned earlier, Osborn Shema is the team’s key on defense. Insane length, high-major athleticism and he’s bulked up from 190 to 220 allowing him to handle the physicality of the MAAC. He’s a true rim-running stretch forward with pretty form. Like many out of Africa, Shema was a soccer player and didn’t start playing basketball until he was 16, so his coachability and work ethic has really taken him far.
I don’t believe Iona has played a single game this season with all of their players healthy, so with starting PF Quinn Slazinski out for the year and key rotation Cruz Davis possibly also out, Pitino has had less success in the full court press with a smaller than expected rotation of nine players with a handful of minutes of Silas Sunday at the 5 to give a quick blow to Iona’s bigs.
Anton Brookshire (a transfer from Missouri) and Michael Jefferson (a three-year recruit from the 2021 class who played one year of JUCO) are their best bench pieces. Brookshire will be a future MAAC star, but for now, he’s a low-mistake combo-guard who does most of his work on the perimeter. Jefferson reminds me a bit of Karaban: a smart, offensive-savvy forward who will probably be a very good starter in the future, but for now, he keeps his game simple and helps facilitate the offense with his high BBIQ, court vision and passing. Both are two of Iona’s weaker defensive players.
Earning a scholarship after three-seasons as a walk-on, senior Parker Weiss is the team’s Chris Arcidiacono: a hard-working, team-first guard who doesn’t need the ball in his hands but usually does the smart thing: a secondary pass to set up a big play, only shoots when it’s the best available shot.
The one player in the rotation who I’m not that familiar with is freshman forward Sadiku Ibine Ayo (he played just 8 minutes in just one of the games I’ve watched live). Starting the year on the injured list, Ayo stepped up when PT was available after injuries to Slazinski and Jefferson. Profiled as a strong and physical two-way wing, his defense development is well ahead of his offense.
KenPom’s prediction: UConn wins 77-68.
If you'd like more original reading material, below is pieces from my blog:
Iona 22-23 Season Preview
Predicting the 22-23 MAAC Champs
Faced With Injuries, Pitino is Reimagining Iona's Identity
LET'S GO UCONN!!!
Iona: 27-7
KenPom Rating: 74
NET ranking: 58th
No Quad 1 or 2 wins
Currently on a 14 game winning streak (3rd longest in the nation)
KenPom Rating: 74
NET ranking: 58th
No Quad 1 or 2 wins
Currently on a 14 game winning streak (3rd longest in the nation)
Best win:
- 12/6/22 84-62 over Saint Louis
Worst Loss:
- 1/8/23 81-58 to Quinnipiac
OFFENSE: 79th in KenPom efficiency:
- 28th in tempo (16 seconds/possession)
- 28th in turnover rate (15.3%)
- 70th in offensive rebounding rate
- 78th best 3P% (36.0%)
- But just 32.1% of their shots are from three (313rd lowest rate)
- 106th in A/FGM (53.3%)
- 156th in 2p% (50.8%)
- 131st in FT% (73.1%)
- 261th in FTA/FGA (29.0%)
DEFENSE: 67th in KenPom efficiency
- 4th in the nation in longest average possession length (18.8 seconds)
- 4th in block rate (14.7%)
- 8th in opp. 3p% (29.2%)
- Also 89th in lowest 34.6 3PA/FGA (34.6%)
- 44th in turnover rate (21.0%)
- 51st in opp. 2p% (47.0%)
- 96th in opp. FT% (70.2%)
- 172nd in A/FGM (50.6%)
- 183rd FTA/FGA (31.3%)
- 272nd in defensive rebounding rate
In the last two seasons of Pitino’s three years at Iona, he has embraced more of a point guard by-committee offense rather than having “the guy” at point guard (which was Asante Gist in his first season at the helm).
Last season, AAC grad transfers Tyson Jolly and Elijah Joiner fit that mold while this year returning sophomore Walter Clayton Jr. and Pacific transfer Daniss Jenkins (combined 32.5 ppg, 8.1 apg) have been the stalwarts in the backcourt.
Their defense is all about their full-court press with 7’0 220 senior Osborn Shema guarding the inbounder with his seemingly limitless length and quick enough footwork to stay with guards in one-on-one situations. I’ve gotten to see him play live four times now, all just feet away from the baseline, and it’s a real joy to watch him do his thing on defense.
As seen below, their full court press starts with Shema (#55) and then at least two guards inside the foul line maximizing traps and using the corners as “extra defenders”.
Personally, I think the best method of attacking their press is having a taller, smart and mistake-limiting forward like Karaban (team’s third lowest TO rate) help beat the press with Hawkins (team’s lowest TO rate) and another guard (Newton, Alleyne, Calcaterra) and then have Jackson (team’s second highest TO rate) as the athletic and lengthy recipient to receive the passes to get as out of the backcourt and lead the transition to our halfcourt offense. Diarra leads the team in TO rate (a whopping 29.6), so I wouldn’t expect minutes for him unless there’s foul trouble
Iona’s success starts with their All-MAAC trio of Clayton Jr., Junior Joseph (first team) and Daniss Jenkins (second team, but should be first team IMO). Assuming Pitino leaves this season, all three are high-major caliber players in my book.
As mentioned earlier Clayton Jr. and Jenkins share the PG duties with Clayton the more capable guard of creating his own offense. At Pacific, Jenkins was a poor 3P shooter (24% in two seasons), but improved his shot after a year of JUCO, with the 3P shot now a strength in his arsenal. Both are legit three-level scorers and are relatively efficient considering both have 25%+ possession usage. Of course, some of that is derived from playing in the MAAC, though.
Their backcourt mate is fifth-year firework wing JeanLouis. He reminds me a lot of Andre Jackson: the team’s glue guy who plays with unending energy, can defend four positions, usually has one or two highlight dunks per game, but is not a strong shooter. Unlike Jackson, JeanLouis is not counted on as a facilitator, so naturally, his TO rates are lower and actually the lowest on Iona’s roster.
That being said, I’d put our worst defensive guard on JeanLouis and then I love the idea of Jackson shadowing Dannis Jenkins with Newton on Clayton: if these two are stymied then Iona will be neutralized in the halfcourt as Iona loves playing in transition of turnovers caused by their press.
Toying with a three-point shot as a sophomore, Nelly Junior Joseph has smartly removed that shot from his game, but is very capable shooting and facilitating offense from the elbow. Out of all the players from Iona, I see NJJ as the guy Pitino will bring with him to his next job: he’s a true two-way forward/big who plays with a great motor in spite of his 240 frame. Honestly, a lack of a three-point shot is his only weakness: he has good footwork, physicality, decent passer, high BBIQ. He’s special.
As mentioned earlier, Osborn Shema is the team’s key on defense. Insane length, high-major athleticism and he’s bulked up from 190 to 220 allowing him to handle the physicality of the MAAC. He’s a true rim-running stretch forward with pretty form. Like many out of Africa, Shema was a soccer player and didn’t start playing basketball until he was 16, so his coachability and work ethic has really taken him far.
I don’t believe Iona has played a single game this season with all of their players healthy, so with starting PF Quinn Slazinski out for the year and key rotation Cruz Davis possibly also out, Pitino has had less success in the full court press with a smaller than expected rotation of nine players with a handful of minutes of Silas Sunday at the 5 to give a quick blow to Iona’s bigs.
Anton Brookshire (a transfer from Missouri) and Michael Jefferson (a three-year recruit from the 2021 class who played one year of JUCO) are their best bench pieces. Brookshire will be a future MAAC star, but for now, he’s a low-mistake combo-guard who does most of his work on the perimeter. Jefferson reminds me a bit of Karaban: a smart, offensive-savvy forward who will probably be a very good starter in the future, but for now, he keeps his game simple and helps facilitate the offense with his high BBIQ, court vision and passing. Both are two of Iona’s weaker defensive players.
Earning a scholarship after three-seasons as a walk-on, senior Parker Weiss is the team’s Chris Arcidiacono: a hard-working, team-first guard who doesn’t need the ball in his hands but usually does the smart thing: a secondary pass to set up a big play, only shoots when it’s the best available shot.
The one player in the rotation who I’m not that familiar with is freshman forward Sadiku Ibine Ayo (he played just 8 minutes in just one of the games I’ve watched live). Starting the year on the injured list, Ayo stepped up when PT was available after injuries to Slazinski and Jefferson. Profiled as a strong and physical two-way wing, his defense development is well ahead of his offense.
KenPom’s prediction: UConn wins 77-68.
If you'd like more original reading material, below is pieces from my blog:
Iona 22-23 Season Preview
Predicting the 22-23 MAAC Champs
Faced With Injuries, Pitino is Reimagining Iona's Identity
LET'S GO UCONN!!!
You should send this to Kimani Young. He probably wouldn't read it, but give it a shot.
