He also knows his Gaels can be ... shall we say adventurous?

Now, they're the MAAC champions after beating Saint Peter's in the final Monday night in Albany.

"If they really want to win this tournament, they'll win it," Ruland said earlier in the tourney. "It's no disrespect to anyone else. If they're all on the same page, it could be scary."

After surrendering the double-bye with a loss to Manhattan in the regular-season finale, the Gaels beat Niagara and Marist to reach the finals and then ran their record to 23-7 with an 80-61 win over the upstart Peacocks in the championship game.

The win gave Iona its record seventh MAAC title, but its first since 2001. That, of course, makes it the first for this very special senior class, led by Steve Burtt.

Burtt's 17th point of a 21-point first half allowed him to hit the 2,000-point plateau, a mark also reached by his dad, Steve Sr., the all-time leading scorer at the New Rochelle, N.Y., school.

Now, the Gaels sit back and wait for Selection Sunday, and where they will go to represent this league. And, considering the schedule this team has played, don't be shocked to see Iona at least get by the first round of the NCAA Tournament -- especially considering their talented guards.