It's probably safe to assume Iona will be the only MAAC team with a point guard who started an Elite Eight game on its roster.
MoMo Jones, Arizona's starting point guard this past season, reportedly has decided to join Iona after announcing last month he intended to� transfer to a school closer to his New York home. NCAA rules kept Jones from considering St. John's because one of his former AAU coaches is now the director of basketball operations there, but the junior-to-be drew interest from Seton Hall and Hofstra among others.
Jones will likely apply for a hardship waive in hopes of the NCAA granting him permission not to sit out all of next season. The official reason Jones gave for leaving from Arizona was wanting to be closer to his ailing grandmother, though many suspected some of the motivation behind his transfer was that the arrival of highly touted incoming freshman Josiah Turner threatened his starting job.
The addition of Jones to next season's Iona roster could transform the Gaels from slim to overwhelming MAAC favorites if he becomes eligible. They already return their top four scorers including seniors Michael Glover and Scott Machado from a team that finished second in the MAAC a year ago but fell to St. Peter's in the conference tournament title game.
Jones averaged just under 10 points per game in his first year as a starter for Arizona. His score-first mentality sometimes clashed with what the Wildcats needed from their point guard, but his clutch scoring and fiery brand of leadership helped propel Arizona to a Pac-10 title and a memorable March run.
It seems likely that Jones would play off ball next season if he were to be eligible. Machado had a tremendous season at point guard for Iona a year ago, posting averages of better than 13 points and seven assists as the team's primary facilitator.
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