Iona Gaels men's basketball
| Iona Gaels | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
 | |||
| University | Iona College | ||
| Head coach | Rick Pitino (2nd season) | ||
| Conference | MAAC | ||
| Location | New Rochelle, New York | ||
| Arena | Hynes Athletic Center (Capacity: 2,611) | ||
| Nickname | Gaels | ||
| Colors | Maroon and gold[1] | ||
| Uniforms | |||
| |||
| NCAA Tournament Round of 32 | |||
| 1980 | |||
| NCAA Tournament Appearances | |||
| 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2006, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021 | |||
| NIT Second Round | |||
| 1983 | |||
| NIT Tournament Appearances | |||
| 1982, 1983, 1996, 1997, 2014, 2015 | |||
| Conference tournament champions | |||
| 1982, 1984, 1985, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2006, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, | |||
| Conference regular season champions | |||
| 1983, 1984, 1985, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2019 | |||
The Iona Gaels men's basketball team represents Iona College in New Rochelle, New York in NCAA Division I competition. The school's team competes in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) and plays home games in Hynes Athletic Center. On March 14, 2020, the Gaels hired Rick Pitino as their head coach.
History[]
Iona College has been competing in Division I basketball since the school's inception in 1940. Iona is also one of the founding members of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, which began play in men's basketball with the 1981–82 season. The Gaels have compiled the most victories of any MAAC team since the founding of the conference and have won a league record thirteen MAAC titles (1982, 1984, 1985, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2006, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2021). They appeared in the NCAA tournament in 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2006, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2021, with the first two of those appearances coming as a member of the Metropolitan Conference and in 2012 as an at-large selection out of the MAAC. The Gaels have also been to 6 NITs, in 1982, 1983, 1996, 1997, 2014 and 2015. In 2011, the Gaels made it to the final game of the CIT post-season tournament, losing at home to Santa Clara.
Postseason[]
NCAA Tournament results[]
The Gaels have appeared in 15 NCAA Tournaments. Their combined record is 1–15. Iona's only NCAA Tournament victory to date, which took place in 1980, was vacated by the NCAA due to their star Center, Jeff Ruland, having signed a contract with an agent for professional representation a few months prior. Thus, NCAA record books attribute to them an 0-15 record in NCAA tournament games. The Gaels first five losses in NCAA tournament play were by a combined 11 points, including a heartbreaking buzzer-beater by Syracuse U. in 1998.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | First Round | Penn | L 69–73 |
| 1980* | First Round Second Round |
Holy Cross Georgetown |
W 84–78 L 71–74 |
| 1984 | First Round | Virginia | L 57–58 |
| 1985 | First Round | Loyola Chicago | L 58–59 |
| 1998 | First Round | Syracuse | L 61–63 |
| 2000 | First Round | Maryland | L 59–74 |
| 2001 | First Round | Mississippi | L 70–72 |
| 2006 | First Round | LSU | L 64–80 |
| 2012 | First Four | BYU | L 72–78 |
| 2013 | First Round | Ohio State | L 70–95 |
| 2016 | First Round | Iowa State | L 81–94 |
| 2017 | First Round | Oregon | L 77–93 |
| 2018 | First Round | Duke | L 67–89 |
| 2019 | First Round | North Carolina | L 73–88 |
| 2021 | First Round | Alabama | L 55–68 |
NIT results[]
The Gaels have appeared in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) six times. Their combined record is 1–6.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | First Round | Rutgers | L 51–55 |
| 1983 | First Round Second Round |
St. Bonaventure Nebraska |
W 90–76 L 73–85 |
| 1996 | First Round | St. Joseph's | L 78–82 |
| 1997 | First Round | Connecticut | L 66–71 |
| 2014 | First Round | Louisiana Tech | L 88–89 |
| 2015 | First Round | Rhode Island | L 75–88 |
CIT results[]
The Gaels have appeared in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT) one time. Their record is 3–1
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals Championship Game |
Valpariso Buffalo East Tennessee State Santa Clara |
W 85–77 W 78–63 W 83–80 L 69–76 |
Victories over ranked opponents[]
- Nov. 30, 1979: Iona 78, #14 Texas A&M 52 (Bucker Field House)
- Feb. 21, 1980: Iona 77, #2 Louisville 60 (Madison Square Garden)
- Dec. 27, 2002: Iona 65, #22 North Carolina 56 (Madison Square Garden)
- Nov. 26, 2005: Iona 89, #23 Iowa State 72 (Ames, Iowa)
- Nov. 25, 2021: Iona 72, #10 Alabama 68 (HP Fieldhouse, Orlando, FL)
Gaels in the NBA[]
- Richie Guerin (Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, 2013)
- Jeff Ruland (1984 All-Star Selection)
- Steve Burtt, Sr.
- Sean Green
- Scott Machado
References[]
1. About the MAAC https://maacsports.com/sports/2017/6/20/GEN_0620175706.aspx
2. https://icgaels.com/facilities/hynes-athletics-center/14
4. Logo Library https://icgaels.com/sports/2017/6/26/logo-library.aspx
5. What is a Gael? https://icgaels.com/sports/2007/2/23/what-is-a-gael.aspx
External links[]
- ^ "Logo Library - ICGaels.com". June 26, 2017. Retrieved November 30, 2017.
- Iona Gaels men's basketball