MAAC Men's Basketball Tips-Off this Weekend
MAAC Sports
EDISON, N.J. – The men’s basketball 2014-15 season opens up this weekend for Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference teams. All 11 of the leagues teams take the court over the course of the weekend in non-conference action in a season in which the league has a strong case to be a two-bid league for the first time since 2012.
Nine teams start its 2014 campaigns on Friday, November 14 beginning with MAAC Connecticut schools Fairfield University and Quinnipiac University in the Connecticut 6 Classic in Hamden, Connecticut. The Stags will face Central Connecticut State at 3:00 pm and the Bobcats will host Yale at 5:30 pm.
At 7:00 pm, preseason runner-up selection, Siena College visits UMass, Rider University heads eight miles down the road to face Princeton, Monmouth University travels to West Virginia, Marist College will be at Bucknell, Niagara University is at Pittsburgh on ESPN3, and preseason favorite Iona College will host Cleveland State. Saint Peter’s University heads north to Providence, Rhode Island and will take on Brown at 8:00 pm.
On Saturday, November 15, Defending MAAC champion Manhattan College begins its title defense on Saturday in Florida State at 1:00 pm in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Tip Off Tournament with the contest airing on ESPN3. At 2:00 pm, Canisius College season slate begins at home against Vermont and Fairfield University travels to North Carolina to face No. 4 Duke at 8:00 pm on ESPN3 in Coaches vs. Cancer.
Sunday, November 16 lone game features Saint Peter’s at Hartford in Hartford, Connecticut at 2:00 pm.
The 2014-15 MAAC preseason poll and All-MAAC teams were recently released with Iona being named the preseason favorite after winning the MAAC regular season crown in 2013-14 after posting a 17-3 league record and 22-11 overall mark. Iona’s senior forward David Laury was named the preseason Player of the Year and was a unanimous selection to the preseason All-MAAC first team.
MAAC teams enjoyed postseason success in 2014 with Canisius, Iona, Manhattan, Quinnipiac, and Siena qualifying for postseason tournaments. Canisius and Quinnipiac participated in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT). MAAC regular season champion, Iona played in the National Invitational Tournament (NIT). MAAC tournament champion, Manhattan earned the leagues automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. Siena capped its 2014 season off by winning the College Basketball Invitational (CBI).
The 2015 season culminates at the 2015 MAAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships at the Times Union Center in Albany, New York March 5-9. Tickets for the championships are available online at ticketmaster.com.
For the full men’s basketball schedule, visits maacsports.com and remember to follow the conversation on twitter using #MAACHoops and #MAACHoops15.