NCAA First Round Preview: Iona College
Information courtesy of Iona Sports Information/Brian Beyrer, Asst AD/Athletics Communications
General Information
Location: New Rochelle, NY 10801-1890
Founded: 1940
Enrollment: 2,980
Nickname: Gaels
Colors: Maroon & Gold
Conference: Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC)
Home Court (Capacity): Hynes Athletics Center (2,611)
2005-06 Record: 23-7
NCAA Appearances: Eight (1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2006)
NIT Appearances: Four (1982, 1983, 1996, 1997)
The Iona College men’s basketball team (23-7, 13-5 MAAC) makes its eighth NCAA Tournament appearance tonight when they take on fourth seeded and No. 17 ranked LSU (23-8, 14-2 SEC) at Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Coliseum. The MAAC Tournament Champion Gaels take on the SEC Regular Season Champ Tigers in a first round contest in the Atlanta Region.
IONA-LSU ALL TIME SERIES
The Gaels and Tigers square off for the first time in 33 years with LSU winning the only other meeting between the two squads, 105-87 on Dec. 22, 1973.
THE GAELS IN NCAA TOURNAMENT PLAY
Iona holds a 1-7 record all-time in NCAA tournament play. The Gaels lone victory came in 1980 when the then Jeff Ruland led Gaels toppled Holy Cross 84-78 in the East Regional at the Providence Civic Center in Rhode Island on March 6. Iona went on to lose to Georgetown in the next round that season. The Gaels have had their share of close calls losing just one of the their seven matchups by more than four points including two one-point defeats and two two-point defeats in the Big Dance.
Starters
Season Highlights
4 Gary Springer
So. F 6-9 230
5.6 ppg.
4.8 rpg.
Second-year player that is one of seven players to appear in all 30 games thus far… Has started all but eight contests for the Gaels in 2005-06… An extremely hard worker on the court that is capable of a breakout performance in any given game… Averaged 5.6 points and was third on the team with 4.8 rebounds per game… Also third with 19 blocks… Had four double-digit point efforts and eight games with eight or more rebounds… Father Gary Springer is Iona’s No. 3 All-time leading scorer.
13 Marvin McCullough
Sr. G 6-0 180
6.7 ppg.
2.4 rpg.
Fourth-year point guard completing one of his finest seasons in Maroon & Gold… Has appeared in all 119 games starting all but 11 during his Iona tenure… Became the first player in Iona history to record four straight 100+ assist seasons… Leads the team and was third in the MAAC with a career-best 137 assists this season. Ranks fourth all-time on Iona’s assist list and sixth in steals (181)… His 783 career points ranks 42nd all time and will likely move into the Top 40 in school history… Third on the team with nine double-digit point efforts this season… Three-time MAAC All-Academic Selection will graduate in May with a degree in Accounting… One of three players to start all 30 games in 2005-06, averaging 6.7 points, 2.4 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.3 steals (13th in MAAC) in 28.5 minutes… Second in the conference with a 1.93 assist-to-turnover ratio… Has recorded 18 straight assists without a turnover and averaging 7.4 apg and 1.4 turnovers in last five contests.
14 Ricky Soliver
Sr. G 6-3 175
16.2 ppg.
5.4 rpg.
Fourth year guard who has proven to be one of the top all-around players in the MAAC this season as well as one of the best in school history… Named to the All-MAAC Second Team and MAAC Defensive Player of the Year… Can dominate a game without having to light up the scoring column… Has appeared in 110 career games making 86 starts during his tenure in New Rochelle… One of three players (Burtt and McCullough) to start all 30 games… Has set career-highs in every statistic as a senior… Has improved his scoring total every season and averaged more than 10.0 ppg in all four years… Along with Steve Burtt is the nation’s top scoring guard tandem in Div. I this season… Also named one of the nations top backcourt duos by SI.com… Finished second on the team and eighth in the league in scoring (16.2 ppg), second on the team and 17th in the MAAC in rebounding (5.4/g)… Second on the team with 133 assists and fourth in the conference with 4.4/g… Leads the conference and ranks No. 14 in the nation with 2.7 steals per game… Total steals (80) is tied for single-season school record… Tops on the team and No. 6 in the MAAC with a 44.0% three-point field goal percentage (fourth on single-season school record list)… Ranks fourth in assist/turnover ratio (1.66) in MAAC… Had three double-doubles and scored double-digits in 28 of 30 games… Ranks 17th on Iona’s all-time scoring list with 1,399 points, fifth in assists (433), fifth in steals (206, seven behind No. 4), and second in three point field goals (153).
15 Steve Burtt
Sr. G 6-1 190
25.2 ppg.
3.4 rpg.
Fourth year guard has enjoyed the finest scoring seasons in school history with an Iona record 757 points and 25.2 per game average… Dynamic scorer can beat you from long distance or slashing to the hoop… Named USBWA and NABC All-District II First Team making him a candidate for All-American honors… Picked to the All-MAAC First Team and was the MAAC Tournament MVP… Named ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Second Team for his performance on the court and in the classroom… The top three-point shooter in school history, holds the career (261), single-season (94) and tied the single-game (6) school records… Ranks No. 2 all-time at Iona with 2,011 points became the second player to record 2,000 points… Along with his father, Steve, is the NCAA Div. I All-Time Father-Son scoring combination leader… Along with his backcourt mate Ricky Soliver, is the top scoring guard tandem in Div. I this season… Named as one of the Top 10 backcourts in the country by SI.com… Has scored 10 or more points in 37 straight contests and 64 of the last 65 games… Recorded 24 games with 20 or more points and nine with 30 or more, second most in school history… Averaging 25.2 points per game, highest single-season effort in school history breaking a 48-year old school record… Ranks third in the MAAC and sixth in the nation in scoring… Fifth in the MAAC with an 82.5% free throw percentage, ninth in 3-pt FG% (41.2%) and fourth in three pointers made (94)… On school career record book: fourth in FGs (663), second in attempts (1,523), first in 3FG (261), first in 3FGA (663), seventh in 3FG% (38.9%), fourth in FT (424), and second in FT% (83.1%)… On single-season record book: first in scoring (757 points), first in scoring average (25.2/g), sixth in field goals (249), second in FGA (559), first in 3FG (94), first in 3FGA (228), seventh in FT% (82.5%).
33 Kiril Wachsmann
Sr. F 6-8 240
11.8 ppg.
8.6 rpg.
Fourth year forward enjoying his finest season in New Rochelle… One of the top frontcourt players in the MAAC… Has appeared in all 119 games during his Iona career… Has set career-highs in virtually every statistic as a senior… Third on the team (25th in the MAAC) in scoring with 11.8 points per game… Leads the team and is second in the conference in rebounding at 8.7 per game… Has the rebounding total (260) since at Iona since 1999-00 (Tariq Kirksay, 279)… Ranks seventh in the MAAC with a .544 field goal percentage… Ninth in the conference in blocked shots (26)… Ranks second in the conference with 11 double-doubles… Has 21 double-digit point efforts (third on team) and 12 double-digit rebounding efforts this season… Has scored 800 career points, 40th on Iona’s all-time scoring list.
Bench
No.
Name
00
John Kelly
30
Anthony Bruin
32
Justin Marshall
34
Kenny Jackson
35
Jason McPherson
44
Kenny Dagostino