The Gaels are led a by a super backcourt and a big bad center plus the kind of superior role players everyone great team needs to win.  Senior Richie Guerin and sophomore Steve Burtt are a tremendous pair of Warriors for the Gaels.  Guerin is as steady as they come on both ends and at six four is one hell of a hard matchup at either wing.  He truly has the complete package.  A good scorer with a nice outside touch, Guerin is tough and loves to get to the hoop on the offensive end.  A solid defender who can shut down opponents the only real weakness in this Bronx kid’s game is his athleticism against some of the high flying wings of the MAAC.  Funny thing is that Guerin was playing point guard a few years ago but Valvano brought in two great guards to handle the back court and moved his biggest stud to the three.  He has handled the transition well and gives the Gaels a huge advantage on the perimeter.  His quickness on offense is legendary especially his infamous one step drives from the free throw line or a slashing cut after a mid-court steal.  Richie has one of the quickest first steps EVER and loves blowing by opponents for easy layups high off the glass.  He can also bomb away from the perimeter but is much better getting to the hoop.  Guerin is also a great team guy.  He will do whatever it takes to win and usually his effort is more impressive than his skills but it not bas having a six four guy running your team who loves to mix it up down low.  As a matter of fact when he first came to Iona, while still serving in the Marines, Guerin was the Gaels center.  He has superior low post moves and is not afraid to post up smaller point guards and use his physicality (and height) as an asset.  They love their hometown boy in the Big Apple and not just because he was one of a few players in the country who averaged at least 15 points and 5 assists and rebounds in a game (he got those numbers right on like Lucky Richie always does).  They love Richie because he plays basketball the New York Way which means playing smart, being hard-nosed and playing every possession like it was the last one you will ever get. 

Burtt is a great scorer from both inside and out.  He loves going to the hoop but can also stop and pop.  This 6’1 185 Big Apple product is not quite as disciplined or mature as Guerin but has some great quicks and gives the team two great scorers in the back court.  Burtt is also born and bred in the Big Apple and has a street mentality about his game that makes him a great offensive weapon.  An odd perimeter shooter, Burtt has range but can be off on nights.  Still, this duo is one of the best and most underrated pair of wings in the country.  They play together well and truly understand the game.

The aforementioned Junior behemoth Mr. Ruland (or Cooney as he is known to his teammates) became one of the best centers in the country this last year.  Roland is huge and packs around a lot of beef but this suits his game perfectly.  He uses his size and strength as well as anyone and loves to muscle inside for easy baskets.  At six eleven and about 240 on a salad day Ruland was heavily recruited from just up the road in Bayshore by Valvano who made him the centerpiece of his team.  Good choice.  He has got great touch around the hoop and will draw contact hence the nickname McFilthy.  Ruland also has range up to about 20 feet with an old school jump shot which means he barely gets off the ground but he does not really need to.  A gifted rebounder who does not have to work too hard to screen out other big men out with his rather large backside Ruland is also adept at outlet passing hitting Guerin or Burtt or Bass streaking down the court for an easy layup. Ruland is more than just a big body who likes to wreak carnage and leave bruises on opponents.  He studies and understands the game and his impact on the success of this team can not be understated.  He is without question the best big man in the conference.   There are many rumors flying around that the franchise player might be moving up to the next level as he might have some conversations with some agents about his future (those guys love coming after big guys).  There is also a rumor Ruland got a little pissed off at the administration for the way the treated him or the Valvano thing or something.  That would be a shame around this campus as there is no question at Iona who is the BMOC!  Of course when the money and lights of the pros come calling it is hard to turn down and this kid can be a star at next level.  He is that good.  Now if he can just stay healthy as all that girth has put a pounding on those feet.

Senior Warren Isaac is a good compliment to Ruland inside.  An athletic big man who does not need to score often but can when called upon, Isaac loves to hit the boards and bang people on the defensive end.  He is the unsung guy on this roster full of studs but his consistency and unselfishness are huge to the team’s success. The total opposite of Ruland in that Isaac is rail thin at six foot six and about 200 pounds.  Isaac relies on effort and technique and great leaping ability to grab his boards.  Isaac also knows the game well and does not mind being the role player on a team full of stars as long as he gets to crash the boards.  

Junior Glenn Vickers might be the most important player on the roster.  Not only is he the point guard and the engine that makes the team go but he was also Valvano’s first recruit when he got here.  The 6’1 stud decided to stay home on the island as long as he could bring along his sidekick in crime to play with him.  Valvano gladly obliged and got a two for one with two guard Kevin Hamilton coming aboard.  Hamilton is a solid part of the Gael rotation but Vickers is the real deal.  A great penetrator who can score and pass both, Vickers will be the key to this team taking the next step to glory this season.  Valvano loves his point guards, he was one, and has a couple more waiting in the wings that he has recruited but this is Vicker’s team and the Gaels will go as far as this whirlwind will taken them.  And the sky, no matter how dark in New Roc, is the limit with this starting five.  Coach Valvano rotated a trio of point guards in to compliment his great starting five.  Glenn Vickers, Rory Grimes and Scott Machado got their chance as Kennedy wanted somebody to get the ball to his offensive machine. Vickers and Grimes battled early but by the end of the year Machado had taken over the position.  Machado is a heck of a passer and once he got some heavy minutes this team took off.  Not that Vickers and Grimes were not solid, they were but Machado brings the kind of ball handling and passing that truly compliments the other four guys on the team better.  The competition for next year is not a done deal however as Vickers and Grimes will fight for their right to play. 

The Gaels have a productive bench though they do not get many minutes with the studs in front of them.  Sixth man Gary Springer was the swing man up front who backed up Ruland and Isaac and can even play some three.  He is a good scorer and rebounder and can guard people.  Springer has the same issue as Ruland as he is playing on some bum legs (with Springer it is his knees) that took away some of this incredible athleticism.  He was one of the best freshman in the country last year after being heavily recruited by Valvano out of Harlem.  In high school he was on one of if not the best team in not only NYC but arguably the entire country.  Valvano loves having him come off the bench though he could really push Isaac for minutes this year.  Springer averaged over 20 minutes a game and really came through down the stretch.  He is a terrific player.  Then there is that Hamilton kid.  This junior to be has some size at 6’4 and can shoot the ball. He is solid in other parts of the game and will almost assuredly take over for Guerin next year.  This year he will probably get 15 minutes a game and provide some spark and solid overall play.  Juniors David Brown and Ray Hyland are battling for minutes up front.  They used to get solid time but Springer has upended that so they are battling for leftovers.  Both can bang and board with a little offense but neither is near Springer in overall talent.  Their experience will help if there are injuries but for now they might not be splitting more than ten minutes a game.  It’s even worse for seniors Bob Santini and Tom Burke.  They used to be studs here but have been relegated to the deep bench.  Santini actually started 32 games here and Burke is the best passing big on the team.  Juniors Harry Hart and Bernie Socha both bring some size but neither played much and are in that project category.  Hart goes 6’11 and will block a shot but was stuck on the JV splitting time with the 6’10 Socha.  One of them needs to break free and give this team a shot blocker behind Ruland.  Tony Hargraves and Richie Simonds are both sophomores who got some seasoning on JV their first year in New Rochelle.  They have a chance as Hargraves is a terrific wing who can do everything well and Simonds can flat shoot but it might not be this year. At least they can play on the JV one more year and gain some more experience.  Senior Bob MacMahon is not so lucky and this once high scorer is stuck behind Burtt and Hamilton (and Guerin for that matter).  He might get some mop up minutes but it won’t be much. 

The Iona Gaels look forward to a terrific season led by a perfectly symmetrical and cohesive starting five.  Coach Jim Valvano has taken over this team and let it play.  They have the experience and leadership to get the job done.  The Gaels want to finally win the Metro Atlantic conference and a trip to the Big Dance.  They have a chance but that kind of all depends on not just how well they play but in reality if LaSalle is still around as the Explorers will be hard to beat.  If they move on, which has been rumored, to the A-10, the Gaels might have the best group in the MAAC.  Then again Jim Valvano might bail for a bigger program as he is one of the most wanted young coaches in the country.  Either way this Gaels team will be darn good this year.