Proving the critics wrong...one game at a time

That's what it will take for Marist basketball this upcoming season.
The MAAC's dedicated Steve Amedio predicted Marist to finish last next season, not exactly a shock. While people I know are hesitant about predicting anything better next season than what happened in 2008-09, I'm pretty surprised people aren't giving Marist and Chuck Martin more credit.
While The Sporting News will no doubt give you an in-depth look about the ins-and-outs of Marist basketball, it's not as simple as looking at a list of recruits and predicting a finish. A lot will go into next season. I can't speak for the other nine teams in the MAAC, but I can speak for this one.
For the better part of the summer, I have gone to the gym everyday, and I cannot recall one day at least one Marist basketball player was not there as well. While Matt Brady's Red Foxes were not dedicated to the gym, Chuck Martin's surely are.
While speaking to him earlier this summer prior to his camp, he said he was pleased at the work his players were putting into the offseason. It also helps most of his players were assisting Martin and the camp's main director, Will Lanier.
After Rider bullied Marist around last season in the McCann Center, an irate Martin vowed that his team needed to and would get stronger and tougher. Enter Casiem Drummond and Daye Kaba. If nothing else, these two major-conference recruits give Marist a much needed size advantage. As I mentioned in an earlier post, my source told me that the MAAC has never seen a body like Casiem Drummond's. Although injuries and potential foul-trouble are major concerns, he brings much needed physicality to the table. Ryan Rossiter (listed at a generous 6-foot-9, 227 pounds) physically does not match up to Drummond (6-foot-10, 275).
The same goes for Daye Kaba. While the idea has been floated out there that there's a reason why players transfer, Kaba brings size, if nothing else. Amedio points out that Clarence Jackson, the MAAC's sixth man, will step up for Hasbrouck. If Hasbrouck truly was the MAAC player of the year (which he wasn't, Ryan Thompson should've been, he did more with less), shouldn't losing him cause the team to take some sort of hit? Anyway, compare Marist's No. 2 with Siena's. Jackson and Kaba will likely guard each other when the team's meet next season. Kaba stands at 6-foot-3, 215 pounds. Jackson measures 6-foot-3, 183.
While I am in no way suggesting Marist is poised to steal the conference crown from Siena, I am intimating that Marist will not be pushed around by any team in the MAAC. Most of Marist's recruits share two things in common: freakish athleticism and size. Sam Prescott, described to me by people in the know as the most athletic player at his respective position that Marist has ever brought in, will see considerable minutes. And as my source said,"If Joe Mihalich was recruiting him, then he's good enough for me." Assuming Menelik Watson attends Marist, he too will see time. Rob Johnson could start next season, assuming Kaba plays the No. 2 spot. According to my source, the coaches hope that Johnson can play a similar role that Ryan Schneider did. They want him to play inside, rebound, but also sport the ability to stretch the defense from the perimeter. Devin Price, while not likely to start, is an upgrade over R.J. Hall in size. He has three inches and 15 pounds on Hall. Don't expect Price to start, however. Not only is he a freshman, Hall gained valuable experience last season in the dribble-drive and is familiar with what Martin is trying to accomplish. He also led Marist to a win on the road at Delaware and came close to upsetting Binghamton (an NCAA Tournament entry) on the road in a 73-71 loss.
The point of this post is to provide something that Steve Amedio can't: an inside view. It's certainly not his fault he doesn't see the team up-close-and-personal. Fact is, I don't know the details about any of the other MAAC teams like I do Marist. None of this conference's beat-writers do. I do think Amedio's projections are somewhat inauspicious, however. That said, I have followed his blog for some time and appreciate the quality work he puts into it.
Siena is not a slam-dunk to win the MAAC. Niagara and Siena will duke it out, but don't sell Niagara short. How does Siena lose one of the program's best players and not take a drop-off? Jackson is a superior athletic talent, but is he consistent? I wasn't the biggest Hasbrouck fan in terms of pure statistics, but he did have all the intangibles.
I also take umbrage with Iona being ranked sixth. This was not a good team and in their favor, they return five players who started or played a significant role... Marist does lose Devezin, which is a huge blow, but Hall is capable of starting as he proved last year. Plus, there are a number of players who will demand the ball. Hall will not be the focal point of the offense. There's only so many shots to go around.
The loss of Schneider is the biggest, but Marist has a wealth of options to go to now. I don't see Rusin and Alexis playing as big a role as Price, Johnson, Watson, and Prescott do. Price will play out of necessity because he's the only other true No. 1 on the roster. Prescott's athleticism makes him a go-to option off the bench. Watson's size (assuming he is signed) is too hard to pass up for considerable minutes. His hands can't be any worse than Marist's other big men last year, could they? Finally, Johnson was mentioned as a possible starter to me. The lineup will probably be very conservative starting out. Martin went with Gregory last year before he became seasoned in the dribble-drive due to his veteran presence. There will be a feeling out period. In the first game, think:

G R.J. Hall
G Daye Kaba
F Dorvell Carter
F Rob Johnson
F Korey Bauer

First off bench:
Dejuan Goodwin

Martin is not going to throw an inexperienced lineup to the wolves. He will let them feel their away around NCAA basketball. It might not take long to get other freshmen in there if they wow the coaches early though. While Carter is a freshman in the NCAA's eyes, he's been around the team long enough to fit a role, especially early.

As far as the rest of the predictions, Iona and Manhattan are given way too much credit. One of my colleagues on press row was never a fan of Rohrssen's coaching, and he's been around Marist for longer than most. Loyola and Canisius could be argued as better than Marist, but that's not a given. Saying so-and-so's coaching will keep a team competitive is not saying much. I do agree with Amedio about Saint Peter's though. They play terrific defense and have a nice, young core that impressed last season, especially at home. The top four are pretty accurate. Marist can finish anywhere between 5 and 10...If nothing else, Chuck Martin's coaching will keep the team in it...Seriously though, Martin will have people forgetting about Brady (lawsuit or not) in a hurry. He's a true players coach and when I talked to Schneider and Gregory, they both spoke of how great a person he was in addition to his basketball knowledge. According to them, he brought the best out of them on and off the floor. Here's hoping six freshmen learn the same lesson.