MAAC News: NU's Obioha - Top Breakout Players for 2023-24

[le]

From Stretching the Floor Blogspot:

"Niagara: Harlan Obioha 7’0 280 sophomore"

"There is not a physical specimen in the MAAC, or frankly, almost anywhere else in Division 1, quite like Harlan Obioha.

Hailing from Hoxie, Kansas, Niagara was Obioha’s only D1 offer but saw his playing time increase throughout his redshirt freshman season, averaging 4.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 0.7 blocks in about 14 minutes per game, shooting 81% in the span across the last nine games of the season, highlighted by an 11 point, 11 rebound and 2 block performance against Quinnipiac.

Also an offensive lineman in high school, Obioha’s footwork on the line of scrimmage translates to the low-post, as he’s quicker in small spaces than expected and he is also able to keep his head up, kicking out when necessary. Part of what drives Obioha’s potential breakout is Niagara’s new look frontcourt: starting center Sam Iorio graduated, leaving Obioha to compete for a starting role alongside UMBC transfer Yaw Obeng-Mensah and JUCO addition Aime Rutayisare."

FULL STORY:

https://stretchingthefloor.blogspot.com ... rmers.html


2023 MAAC OFFSEASON ARTICLES

After a Quiet Start to the Offseason, Quinnipiac's Latest Additions Provide Clarity to the 2023-24 Rotation

A Look at Saint Peter's Backcourt Rebuilt in Short Order

Iona 2023-24 Season Preview

2023-24 Rider Season Preview: A Chance to Take the Crown from Iona?

https://stretchingthefloor.blogspot.com/p/maac.html

[Truthful]

Actually Obioha looked pretty good last season , most importantly he was showed steady improvement throughout the season . Hopefully he can be incorporated into the offense more so that we're not so reliant on the 3 pt shot .

[le]

From the FIELD OF 68. Geez, did the Gaels simply reload with Tobin Anderson?

"No Pitino? No Problem. Rick Pitino, as you know, left Iona for St. John’s. But the Gaels got themselves another winner to lead the program. Tobin Anderson was a head coach at nearly every level in college hoops before taking the Fairleigh Dickinson job last season. All he did there was lead the Knights to a historic win over No. 1 seed Purdue in the NCAA Tournament.

Tobin Anderson is MOVING UP! On replacing Rick Pitino at Iona, upsetting Purdue | FIELD OF 68"
"But you’re probably wondering, what type of player is Anderson looking for at Iona? He wants guys who play hard for 40 minutes, defenders who pressure ball-handlers and guards who can get to the hoop.

The two biggest examples of Anderson-style players are Dyersburg State (JUCO) transfer Greg Gordon and California transfer Joel Brown. Brown is a proven lead guard and defender, earning 93 starts in four seasons at Cal. He’s not a shooter, but he’s the head of the snake for Anderson’s pressure defense.

Gordon’s toughness, defense and ability to self-create should make him an instant plug-and-play starter for Iona. The 6-5 guard averaged 22 points and 10 rebounds per game last season.

Gordon’s scoring should help relieve pressure on returning 7-footer Osborn Shema. The super senior is the lone returning Gael, and he produced seven points and four boards in 26 minutes per game. He’s not a natural rim protector, but his length ensures he’ll be on the floor.

Where will the Gaels find their perimeter pop? Wheza Panzo, a 6-7 wing from Stetson pumped in 76-of-162 triples (46%) last season and figures to make a significant impact from the jump. Harvard transfer Idan Tretout improved his 3-point percentage from 23 to 36 last season. If he can maintain that, he’ll also see the floor.

Iona could struggle at the start as it transitions to a new coach who brought in nearly an entirely new roster. But expect it to once again be vying for the MAAC title. Most programs are dealing with the same issue. Fourteen of the 15 players who earned All-MAAC honors left the conference. Rider’s Mervin James is the only returning all-conference player and he appeared on the All-MAAC second-team.

Iona’s won at least 20 games in 11 of the last 15 seasons and made eight NCAA Tournaments in that span. Anderson’s track record should allow him to meet those standards again."

https://www.thefieldof68.com/

[purpleeagle5]

Quote : Fourteen of the 15 players who earned All-MAAC honors left the conference.

The Metro Atlantic has a new purpose in the era of the transfer portal and the bribery slush titled "NIL". The simple math is to achieve All-MAAC status and earn your ticket to a major program.

[phillyeagle]

The same adage about attaining an All Conference award is probably true for all but the Power 5 or 6 conferences. The Mids are screwed totally from building teams.

[le]

Yup with the advent of the portal without penalty, it's become virtually impossible for a mid-major programs to retain all-conference performers. Many mid's have reverted to signing players out of the portal from similar mid-major programs. Just food for thought, with the large number of top performing mid-major players signing with higher level programs, does this result in the mid's having a larger inventory of junior college players to recruit from? The math would seem to indicate such, no?

[le]

This kid could be a game changer in the MAAC.

PortalUpdates
@portal_updates
Seton Hall grad transfer Alexis Yetna has committed to Fairfield.

The 6’8” forward missed last season due to a knee injury, but in 21-22 Yetna averaged 8.1 points, and 7.6 rebounds.

Big pickup for the Stags, could be MAAC POTY if healthy