On Tuesday, it will be March, and the Madness officially will begin.
But before we celebrate the irresistible chaos of brackets and Cinderellas and win-or-go-home games that define the greatest postseason in all of sports, let us acknowledge and appreciate what has been a special regular season for several schools in the New York City-area.
Here are this season’s Courting the Area award winners:
Team of the Year: Monmouth
The Hawks pulled off the unlikely feat of becoming a local and national sensation, earning acclaim for multiple upsets over power-conference teams, while the bench garnered even more attention for its entertaining celebrations. Monmouth set a school record for wins and is a candidate to become just the third MAAC team to get an NCAA Tournament at-large berth since 1995.
Honorable mention: Stony Brook, Seton Hall, Hofstra
Haggerty Award (Player of the Year): Jameel Warney (Stony Brook)
The senior big man was as consistent and dominant as ever, leading the Seawolves to an America East regular season championship, as they reeled off an 18-game winning streak. Warney, the school’s all-time leading scorer and rebounder, has averaged 18.9 points and 10.3 rebounds, shooting 63 percent from the field, while ranking fourth in the nation with 3.1 blocks.
Honorable mention: Justin Robinson (Monmouth), Isaiah Whitehead (Seton Hall), A.J. English (Iona)
Coach of the Year: King Rice (Monmouth)
Rice went 51-77 in his first four seasons, but predicted after last year’s MAAC Tournament semifinal loss that his team would be in the championship conversation this season. He was proven right and deserves as much credit for the team’s breakthrough as its handling of the avalanche of unexpected attention for a mid-major team.
Honorable mention: Bashir Mason (Wagner), Kevin Willard (Seton Hall), Steve Pikiell (Stony Brook)
Freshman of the Year: Joseph Chartouny (Fordham)
The Rams lost reigning Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year Eric Paschall to Villanova after coach Tom Pecora was fired, but again may have the league’s best freshman. Chartouny, a 6-foot-3 point guard from Quebec, leads the conference with 5.7 assists and ranks third with 2.1 steals, while also averaging 10.2 points and 5.7 rebounds.
Honorable mention: Antwon Portley (St. Peter’s), Corey Sanders (Rutgers), Kassoum Yakwe (St. John’s)
Most Improved Award: Rokas Gustys (Hofstra)
After a freshman season in which Gustys played fewer than 17 minutes per game, the 6-foot-9 “Rock” became an unstoppable presence in the paint. The Lithuanian more than doubled his scoring (13.7) and rebounding (12.7, fourth-best nationally), while shooting nearly 65 percent from the field.
Honorable mention: Justin Robinson (Monmouth), Ryan Rhoomes (Fordham), Rich Williams (Manhattan)
“The Americans” (Under the radar) Award: Juan’ya Green (Hofstra)
Green led a 10-win improvement last season — after transferring from Niagara with Ameen Tanksley — and the senior has become even better at making everyone around him better, ranking seventh in the nation with 7.1 assists per game. Green also leads the team with 17.7 points and 1.8 steals.
Honorable mention: Maodo Lo (Columbia), Damon Lynn (NJIT), Jerome Frink (LIU Brooklyn)
Best win: Monmouth over Notre Dame
The Hawks opened the season with an overtime win at UCLA, then proved it was no fluke by pulling an even bigger shocker against then-No. 17 Notre Dame, 70-68, on Nov. 26. Justin Robinson broke a tie with two free throws with 3.6 seconds left and the tone for the season was set. Afterwards, King Rice said, “I’m very excited that our kids believed in each other, that they felt like they belonged on the court. When you believe in each other, anything can happen.”
Honorable mention: Monmouth over USC, Hofstra over St. Bonaventure, Manhattan over Monmouth
Brooklyn Dodgers (Wait ’Til Next Year) Award: St. John’s
Chris Mullin knew he would have a rough first season as coach, but he never could have expected it to get as ugly as it did. After losing 96 percent of their scoring from the previous season, the Red Storm endured a stretch of more than two months without a win — dropping 16 straight games — in one of the worst seasons in school history, but Mullin kept the freshman-heavy squad positive, playing hard and pointing to the future. With an impressive group of recruits arriving next season — and four-star point guard Marcus LoVett Jr. eligible after sitting out this season — St. John’s could take its first steps towards becoming a Big East contender again.
Honorable mention: Manhattan, LIU Brooklyn, St. Peter’s
Washington Generals (Wait ’Til Next Generation) Award: Rutgers
Success isn’t a sure thing for Mullin, but optimism exists, unlike at Rutgers, where returning hero Eddie Jordan could be on his way out. The Scarlet Knights, who most recently made the NCAA Tournament in 1991, have gone 28-65 in Jordan’s three seasons and has followed last season’s two-win Big Ten debut with a winless campaign in conference so far this season. Jordan also suspended two players this month, including star freshman Corey Sanders.
Winona Ryder (Reality Bites) Award: Stony Brook
As unfair as it is, if another season ends without the school’s first NCAA Tournament berth, it will overshadow all of the Seawolves’ accomplishments. Stony Brook has reached four of the past five conference championship games and lost each game in the final minute, none more devastating than last season’s last-second, one-point loss at Albany. The pressure is greater than ever, but the senior core has home-court advantage through the title game and the Seawolves are undefeated on Long Island this season.
Honorable mention: Monmouth, Seton Hall, Columbia
Games of the Week
Hofstra vs. Charleston (Saturday, 4 p.m.)
Following an 18-point comeback win over UNC-Wilmington, the Pride have a shot to win their first-ever CAA regular season title. In all likelihood, Hofstra would secure the top seed in the conference tournament with a win.
Seton Hall vs. Xavier (Sunday, 12:30 p.m.)
The Pirates would have to have an even bigger meltdown than last year to miss the NCAA Tournament for the 10th straight year. Still, a win here would end any debate of their inclusion.
Monmouth vs. Niagara (Sunday, 5 p.m.)
In just their third season in the MAAC, the Hawks will have, at worst, a chance to claim a share of the conference’s regular-season crown. A loss here, though, could destroy their NCAA at-large hopes.
Local Power Poll
1. Seton Hall
Record: 20-7,10-5
Up next: Sunday (12:30 p.m.) vs. Xavier
2. Monmouth
Record: 24-6, 16-3
Up next: Sunday (5 p.m.) vs. Niagara
3. Stony Brook
Record: 23-5, 14-1
Up next: Saturday (7 p.m.) vs. Vermont
4. Hofstra
Record: 21-8, 13-4
Up next: Saturday (4 p.m.) vs. Charleston
5. Iona
Record: 18-10, 15-4
Up next: Sunday (4 p.m.) vs. Canisius
6. Columbia
Record: 19-9, 8-3
Up next: Saturday (7 p.m.) at Penn
7. Wagner
Record: 19-9, 12-5
Up next: Saturday (4 p.m.) vs. Robert Morris
8. Fordham
Record: 14-12, 5-10
Up next: Saturday (2 p.m.) vs. Davidson
9. NJIT
Record: 17-13, 8-6
Up next: Tuesday (7:30 p.m.) vs. Stetson
10. Fairfield
Record: 18-11, 12-7
Up next: Saturday (2 p.m.) at St. Peter’s