By Jordan Siegler

On Dec. 14, 2012, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference announced that Quinnipiac University had accepted an invitation to join the league for the 2013-2014 academic year. With the MAAC widely considered a basketball-centric conference, much of the speculation surrounded the Quinnipiac basketball program.

In the team’s last year in the Northeast Conference, the Quinnipiac men’s basketball team finished with a record of 15-16, tying Mount St. Mary’s for fifth in the conference.

Prior to the start of their first season in the MAAC, the men’s basketball team was predicted to finish seventh in the MAAC Coaches Preseason Poll.

“You know, we understood it. We didn’t like it and it fired us up and it’s been a source of inspiration for us all year,” said head coach Tom Moore.

Guard Umar Shannon said it gave the team “a chip on their shoulder”.

“You know we didn’t need to prove anything to nobody so I think they had every right to pick us seventh. But, we had a chip on our shoulder from that point on. We knew we weren’t the seventh best team in this conference,” said Shannon.

In hindsight, senior Ike Azotam has a positive view on the prediction.

“People were down on us and that’s fine. Being the underdog role, it’s easier. We came strong and we surprised a lot of people and we’re having a good season so it’s all working out for the better,” said Azotam.

And a successful season it was as the team finished the season in third place, four spots off of where people expected them to finish at the start of the year. But where does this team rank in the program’s history? According to Coach Moore, pretty high.

“It could be the best team we’ve ever had,” said Moore.

There have been many factors that contribute to the team’s success this season. One reason is the play of the team’s two starting big men, senior Ike Azotam and junior Ousmane Drame.

“Ike Azotam is a senior who’s obviously established himself as one of the best inside players in the Northeast. Ousmane Drame is a junior who they complement each other very well,” said Coach Moore.

The presence of the two of them in the paint has also had an effect on guards like junior Zaid Hearst.

“I mean when you have Ike and Ous on your team, you’re going to have to give them the ball and it benefits us from a guards standpoint. When we throw the ball inside, so many teams have to double and when they kick it out, it gives us open shots,” said Hearst.

Another factor, according to Coach Moore, has been Lender Court. The Bobcats finished the season going 10-3 on their home court. Two of those three losses came in conference play, in January to Canisius and in their final home game against Siena. Coach Moore says this dominance at home comes from the team’s pride.

“When your top four guys are upperclassmen and Shaquille Shannon is an upperclassman and Evan Conti’s now an upperclassman, they tend to take more pride and understand that you’re sort of protecting home turf when you play at home,” said Moore.

The MAAC Tournament in Springfield, Mass., begins on Saturday night for the men’s basketball team. The winner of the tournament wins, not only the MAAC Championship, but also, an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. Several of the players believe that winning the conference this year would be even more special because it is the team’s first year in the conference.

In particular, Zaid Hearst believes the team is ready. He is also pretty confident about the outcome.

“Oh we’re taking it. We’re definitely taking it,” said Hearst

Will Hearst’s prediction come true? Stay tuned to Q30 Sports’ coverage of the MAAC Tournament through the weekend.

Follow Q30 Sports on Twitter!