Iona, winner of the last 3 MAAC tourneys, is the top seed again this year

Perennial conference power Iona once again finished atop the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, looking for a fourth consecutive championship in the MAAC Tournament at the Times Union Center in Albany, NY.

It was a messy year in the MAAC, with Iona winning the conference despite six losses and an overall losing record (14-15). Four teams finished tied for second with an 11-7 regular season in conference play. Canisius (14-16) is the No. 2 seed, meaning the top two MAAC seeds own losing record. Only three MAAC teams finished with winning overall records, and none earning more than 16 wins.

Iona has won the last three MAAC Tournaments, and has either won the conference tournament or lost in the championship game in each of the last six seasons.

The stakes

With none of the teams in the MAAC ranked in the top 200 in NET Rating, this will be a one-bid league, with only the conference tournament winner punching their ticket to the NCAA Tournament.

Format

The odd number of teams in the Metro Atlantic means the top five seeds get a bye into the second round. The bottom six seeds play in the first round to determine the three teams that will join them in the second round. The tournament starts Thursday, with quarterfinals Friday and Saturday, followed by semifinals on Sunday and the championship game on Monday.

Teams

1. Iona Gaels (12-6)
2. Canisius Golden Griffins (11-7)
3. Quinnipiac Bobcats (11-7)
4. Rider Broncs (11-7)
5. Siena Saints (11-7)
6. Monmouth Hawks (10-8)
7. Manhattan Jaspers (8-10)
8. Marist Red Foxes (7-11)
9. Saint Peter’s Peacocks (6-12)
10. Fairfield Stags (6-12)
11. Niagara Purple Eagles (6-12)

Bracket & schedule

The first round and quarterfinals of the MAAC Tournament will be broadcast online through ESPN3 / Watch ESPN. The late semifinal Sunday will be televised by ESPNU, followed by the championship game Monday on ESPN2.

Here is the full schedule for the MAAC, with all times ET.

Thursday, March 7

Game 1: No. 8 Marist 68, No. 9 Saint Peter’s 71
Game 2: No. 7 Manhattan 57, No. 10 Fairfield 53
Game 3: No. 6 Monmouth 76, No. 11 Niagara 72

Friday, March 8

Game 4: No. 1 Iona 73, No. 9 Saint Peter’s 71
Game 5: No. 2 Canisius 69, No. 7 Manhattan 65

Saturday, March 9

Game 6: No. 6 Monmouth 98, No. 3 Quinnipiac 92
Game 7: No. 5 Siena 87, No. 4 Rider 81

Sunday, March 10

Game 8: No. 1 Iona 73, No. 5 Siena 57
Game 9: No. 2 Canisius 59, No. 6 Monmouth 73

Monday, March 11

Championship Game: No. 1 Iona 81, No. 6 Monmouth 60