Most Valuable Player: Ryan Schneider
Matt Brady apparently did not know what he had in Ryan Schneider last season. Although the one-time Vermont transfer drained 19 first-half points against Rider in the MAAC tournament in Albany, Schneider rarely found a consistent role on the team. In Chuck Martin's dribble-drive motion offense, Schneider has emerged as a dominant force. Marist's senior captain has played at an all-conference level and ranks highly in most statistical categories in the MAAC. Schneider currently ranks fourth in the conference in scoring with 16.1 ppg and trails leader Ryan Thompson by only 0.7 ppg. In a head-to-head match-up, Schneider drained a game-high 25 points and hauled in eight rebounds while Thompson tallied 11 points in 36 minutes. Schneider also logged a game-high 40 minutes and ranks second in the MAAC in minutes played with 37.2 per game. In addition, he has also elevated Marist's defensive effort this season. He ranks second in the MAAC in rebounding with 9.0 per game and leads the conference in defensive rebounds with 7.7 per game. Schneider also ranks highly in free-throw percentage, blocked shots, and three-pointers made. As of now, Schneider is playing at a first-team All-MAAC level. Biggest Surprise: R.J. Hall
If someone said that David Devezin would suffer a foot injury and miss considerable time and Marist would remain competitive and even win a game or two, many would have laughed. The notion is not so laughable now. Hall led Marist to a 26-point blowout of one-time Cinderella story Bucknell on Dec. 28 and played an integral role in the team's second MAAC win of the season against Saint Peter's. Hall has gained significant experience in Devezin's absence and the injury to last year's star guard may help in the grooming of Marist's future star guard. Hall has earned MAAC rookie of the week twice so far this season and poured in a career-high 20 points in a loss to Binghamton. Hall also ranks second on the team in scoring with 8.3 ppg and logs 23.3 minutes per game.
Best Story: Mike Taylor
Hard to imagine that a walk-on freshman would have the kind of impact that Mike Taylor has, but the freshman from Los Angeles is now one of the first men off the bench. Taylor routinely receives 20-plus minutes per game and is another player that has benefitted from injury. With Dejuan Goodwin shifting to the No. 1 guard position in Devezin's absence, Taylor has become a reliable substitute for Javon Parris. Taylor came to Marist without the intention of playing basketball, but Marist's thin bench allowed Taylor, Pat McDerby, and Nick Amicucci the opportunity to play Division I basketball. Although Taylor never expected to see the floor, he's making the most of his opportunity.
Most Improved Player: Alex Vouyoukas
It might seem strange to call a true freshman the most improved on a team only halfway through its season, but the freshman from Greece looks almost entirely different at this point in the season. When Marist kicked off its opener against Rutgers, Vouyoukas seemed to have trouble picking up the offense and his positioning and other facets of his game suffered. Vouyoukas is much more comfortable now, has the confidence to post-up and shoot the ball, and has earned a starting role in Chuck Martin's offense.
Biggest Win: Home vs. Iona, 51-50
The home win against Bucknell was the most impressive but beating Iona will have the biggest ramifications come the end of the season. The game ended in dramatic fashion when Dejuan Goodwin took an inbounds pass and drained a mid-range fadeaway with 1.4 seconds left to secure the win. Iona has since beaten Fairfield and took nationally-ranked Wisconsin into overtime before eventually falling. Coach Martin has put a large emphasis on protecting the home-floor and so far the Red Foxes are 2-0 in the McCann Center vs. MAAC opponents.
Current MAAC standings (MAAC, Overall):
Siena - 4-0, 10-5
Niagara - 3-0, 12-3
Rider - 3-0, 8-5
Fairfield - 2-2, 9-6
Manhattan - 2-2, 8-6
Marist - 2-2, 6-10
Iona - 1-3, 6-9
Loyola - 1-3, 5-10
Saint Peter's - 1-3, 4-10
Canisius - 0-4, 5-9
Midseason First-Team All-MAAC
G Tyrone Lewis, Niagara
G Jamal Barney, Loyola
G/F Edwin Ubiles, Siena
F Ryan Schneider, Marist
F Alex Franklin, Siena
Player of the Year: F Ryan Thompson, Rider
Projected Standings
1. Niagara
2. Siena
3. Rider
4. Fairfield
5. Marist
6. Iona
7. Manhattan
8. Loyola
9. Saint Peter's
10. Canisius
Final Thoughts
Although Siena has been a concensus lock to win the MAAC, Niagara has emerged as a dangerous threat to the Saints. With the loss of Charron Fisher, it was assumed that Niagara would take a step back. On the contrary, UConn transfer Rob Garrison has assumed a large role in the Niagara offense and Tyrone Lewis will finish the year as a candidate for MAAC MVP. Bilal Benn and Benson Egemonye have also been stalwarts for the Purple Eagles. The first match-up between Niagara and Siena will take place on Jan. 24 at the Times-Union Center. Despite Marist's last-place preseason pick, the Red Foxes have shown they can handle tough competition. Marist held a 56-55 lead over Siena at the Times-Union Center earlier in the season before going cold over the last 10 minutes and falling, 77-60. Wins over Iona and Saint Peter's will loom large come season's end and Canisius has shown that it is a last-place team. Canisius had a chance to earn its first MAAC win over Manhattan but yielded a 9-0 run to the Jaspers in the final two minutes of action. Manhattan and Saint Peter's should also finish below Marist in the standings. Marist's success is dependent on the health of both David Devezin and R.J. Hall. Devezin is battling plantar fasciitis and Hall missed the Saint Peter's game with a sore achilles.
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