Iona Gaels Hope Second Time Is Charm in NCAA Tournament

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Last weekend New York seemed be painted green due to the festivities surrounding St. Patrick ’s Day. In New Rochelle, however, maroon and gold were the colors of choice on Sunday evening. That’s when the Iona College men’s basketball coaching staff, student-athletes and their families joined school administrators, alumni, fans and friends inside the school’s Mulcahy Center as they waited to hear their team’s name announced on Selection Sunday.

For the second year in a row the Gaels are heading to the NCAA Tournament. Finishing with a regular-season record of 20-13, they earned the tournament bid by winning the MAAC (Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) post-season tournament.

Second-year head coach Tim Cluess, who is quickly earning a reputation as one of the best coaches in the country, told CNY that he is very proud of his team and how they have navigated a difficult season.

“We’ve been in a situation that you have to win to keep playing, and it’s been great that we’ve had those kinds of games—they’ve been all close games—and I think it keeps you sharp,” Cluess said.

The coach is aware of the intensity and excitement of playing in the tournament and having key players back from last year’s team will benefit Iona.

“Our guys know the importance of every possession and how in this setting taking care of the basketball is even more important than the regular season. We have good players, and once the game starts, it’s a game. They have to believe in themselves, play like a team and we will have a good chance to win,” Cluess said.

The Gaels, who are seeded 15th in their 16-team bracket, will be matched against perennial powerhouse Ohio State in the first round on Friday, March 22. Don’t be fooled into thinking that the Gaels will not have sufficient talent to play against the Buckeyes, though.

The Gaels showcase one of the best guards in the country in senior Lamont “Momo” Jones. The Harlem native led the MAAC in scoring, averaging 23 points per game. Jones and backcourt mate Sean Armand rank as the premier backcourt tandem in the nation statistically, totaling just over 40 points a game.

“It’s great to be back in the tournament...It’s the same game we’ve been playing most of our lives. It’s about execution and playing smart...We have to be poised and in tune with the little things to win games,” Jones said.

Sean Armand, a junior from Brooklyn, is one of the best shooters in the nation. He said he is honored to get a second chance to play on the biggest of college basketball stages.

“Last year not everyone knew who we were. We made it, and things didn’t go the way we planned, but it showed we could compete at that level. It served as motivation,” Armand said.

Coach Cluess, a native of Queens, is a graduate of Hofstra University on Long Island. He has amassed a 170-53 record on the college level. He knows reaching the NCAA Tournament is not an easy feat, and doing it for the second time in two years is special.

“As a native New Yorker, growing up following all the local teams, it’s nice to be part of a winner in your hometown. You do have a sense of pride. It’s a challenge that we want to have a better record than anyone around us. It motivates us,” Cluess said.