WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. - The Monmouth University men's basketball team, led by fourth-year head coach King Rice, was selected sixth in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) preseason coaches' poll, as announced on the MAAC's Preseason Awards Show on ESPN3 on Wednesday evening.

Deon Jones
Deon Jones (Monmouth Athletics)
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In addition, junior guard Deon Jones (Wilmington, Del./Sanford School) was named to the Preseason All-MAAC Third Team.

Iona College has been selected as the preseason favorite to win the 2015 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Championship, according to a vote of the leagues 11 head coaches. The Gaels, who have appeared in the last two MAAC Championship title games against rival Manhattan College, received six of 11 first place votes and 112 points.

icked to finish second was Siena, coming off a 20-18 season (11-9 MAAC), with 107 points, while defending MAAC champion Manhattan (97 points), was selected third after making its first NCAA tournament appearance since 2004 and posting a 15-5 MAAC record and league best 25-8 overall record. Saint Peter’s (89 points) and Quinnipiac (84 points) round out the top-five.

Siena, the second place finisher in the poll received four first place votes, while Saint Peter’s earned the final first place vote.

Led by the backcourt tandem of Jones (15.1 ppg) and senior Andrew Nicholas (Wrightsville, Pa./Eastern York) (14.3 ppg), Monmouth garnered 57 points in the poll to claim sixth position, up five spots from last year's preseason prognostication. The Hawks, who finished 11-21 overall and 5-15 in their first season in the MAAC, return nine letterwinners this season and 89.0% of the scoring and 82.0% of the minutes played from a season ago. In that group of returners, Monmouth welcomes back four now-sophomores who played a vital role for the Hawks in 2013-14, including guards Josh James (Greenburgh, N.Y./Archbishop Stepinac) and Justin Robinson (Lake Katrine, N.Y./Kingston) and frontcourt players Zac Tillman (Yeadon, Pa./Shipley School) and Chris Brady (Greenlawn, N.Y./Harborfields).

Rounding out the field in the preseason poll were Rider (56) in seventh, Marist (50) in eighth, Fairfield (33) in ninth, Canisius (28) in 10th position and Niagara (13) in 11th place.

Monmouth opens its 2014-15 campaign at West Virginia University on Friday, November  14 at 7:00 p.m. at WVU Coliseum. The 2015 MAAC Basketball Championships will take place from March 5-9 at the Times Union Center in Albany, N.Y. Hear every game on News Talk Radio WOBM 1160 adn 1310 AM and online at ShoreSportsNetwork.com

2014-15 Coaches Preseason Poll

1. Iona 112
2. Siena 107
3. Manhattan 97
4. Saint Peter’s 89
5. Quinnipiac 84
6. Monmouth 57
7. Rider 56
8. Marist 50
9. Fairfield 33
10. Canisius 28
11. Niagara 13

Chris Tobin is Monmouth Athletics' Associate Athletic Director

 

 

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