The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Crawford to make 1st visit to Storrs
When Iona visits Gampel Pavilion for Wednesday night’s bout with UConn, one familiar face will be with the team, but another likely won’t.
E.J. Crawford, the Hartford product who starred for a couple of seasons at Simsbury High before finishing his prep career at St. Thomas More Academy, will lead the Gaels into action. Crawford, a 6foot6 senior forward, is second on Iona in scoring at 15.3 points per game after leading the Gaels and finishing second overall in the MAAC last season at 17.7 ppg.
However, it appears Iona may again be without its head coach, Tim Cluess, who has missed all four of the team’s games this season due to an undisclosed health matter. Cluess is in his 10th season at the helm at Iona and has led the team to MAAC tournament championships (and the ensuing NCAA tournament bid) four straight years and five overall.
Speaking to reporters via conference call prior to the start of the season, Cluess was asked how UConn popped up on Iona’s schedule for the first time since 2009.
“Our staff reached out to them, and we were fortunate enough to get a game because they were still looking,” Cluess said. “We had played them when (Dan Hurley) was coaching at Rhode Island, and he was nice enough to give us the opportunity to play UConn this year.”
Crawford, a firstteam allMAAC selection last season who is one of just three players in league history to win three MAAC championships, will get a chance to face his hometown school for the first time. He’ll also get to go against his good friend and former St. Thomas More teammate, Christian Vital.
“That’s my brother,” Vital said after Sunday’s win over Maine. “There’s a lot of love between us. We won a lot of games together at St. Thomas More. Just a great person, a great basketball player ... scored a lot of important baskets at Iona. He’s done well for himself, and I just want him to keep going, take it to another level.”
Just not on Wednesday night at Gampel Pavilion.
TOP 25 CRAZINESS
This was one of the craziest weeks to fill out our AP Top 25 ballot, but also one of the most fun. It’s always more fun when highly ranked teams lose and general chaos ensues, allowing a chance to give some undertheradar teams from outside the Power 5 leagues a little love.
Seven of the eight teams we ranked highest last week lost at least once. Texas Tech lost twice. Duke lost to Stephen F. Austin. At home. Meanwhile, Michigan, who we had unranked a week ago, beat No. 6 North Carolina and crushed No. 8 Gonzaga to win the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas to shoot all the way up to No. 2 on our ballot this week.
Here’s how we rank ’em (assuming Arizona and Saint Mary’s win their late,
West Coast games on Sunday):
1. Louisville: As the only voter to have them No. 1 three weeks ago, we feel a little prophetic.
2. Michigan: Juwan Howard can coach, and Phil Martelli’s a nice assistant
3. Maryland: Only team so far to keep Markus Howard in check.
4. Kansas: Jayhawks stave off tough challenge from Dayton in OT to win Maui.
5. Ohio State: One sport in which Michigan is still better.
6. Florida State: Ageless Leonard Hamilton gets it done every year, it seems.
7. Virginia: Held Maine to 26 points on Thursday. Sheesh.
8. North Carolina: Juwan Howard avenges 1993 in Bahamas! (Sorta).
9. Gonzaga: OT win over Oregon followed by blowout loss to Michigan.
10. Memphis: Pride of the AAC keeps winning, sans James Wiseman.
11. Kentucky: BBN must be so proud of those gritty Wildcats!
12. Duke: What does the “F” stand for in Stephen F. Austin?
13. Michigan State: That win at Seton Hall only thing that’s keeping them ranked high.
14. Florida: Had a feeling Gators would be better than what we saw in Storrs.
15. Arizona: Unbeaten Cats still haven’t really played anyone yet.
16. Tennessee: Vols follow up loss to Florida State with win over VCU.
17. Oregon: The Pac12 always seems to come up small.
18. Baylor: Bears hold still after a bye week.
19. Seton Hall: No one blows a big lead quite like the Pirates.
20. Xavier: Imagine if UConn had pulled out that doubleOT classic last week?
21. Saint Mary’s :Awin over No. 15 Utah State has Gaels back on our ballot ...
22. Utah State: ... and nearly knocks Aggies off.
23. Dayton: Impressive wins over Georgia, Virginia Tech before OT loss to Kansas.
24. San Diego State: Unbeaten Aztecs crush Iowa to win Las Vegas Invitational.
25. DePaul: Not a misprint. We like true road kills, and Blue Demons have three (Iowa, Minnesota, BC).