Is Iona the real deal?

St. John’s has long been the premier men’s basketball program in the New York Metro-area. Going back to glory days with Lou Carnesecca, St. John’s has always been the toast of college basketball in the city.

For anyone who has missed the start of the college basketball season, Iona (3-1) is on the move and could end up challenging St. John’s for the throne.

Some thought Iona’s 91-90 loss to Purdue was an aberration. Some thought if the two played again, the Boilermakers would make short work of the Gaels. Tim Cluess’ crew followed that up with an 89-63 shellacking of Maryland two games later.

Sure, the Terrapins, with a new coach, are in bad shape, but when does a MAAC team ever smack around an ACC school like that? Even the ACC bottom-feeders like N.C. State don’t get pushed about by mid-major programs.

In case anyone isn’t convinced the Maryland game isn’t enough, Iona topped St. Joseph’s, 104-99, in double overtime on Wednesday night. St. Joseph’s isn’t exactly an ACC team, but the Hawks have a long-standing tradition in the Atlantic-10. Did we forget to mention that St. Joseph’s beat Georgia Tech the second game of he season?

The most impressive aspect of Iona’s fast start is its offense. Senior forward Michael Glover had 34 points and 15 rebounds and senior guard Scott Machado added 33 points and 10 assists against St. Joseph’s. Machado had 15 points and 15 assists against Maryland.

Iona is averaging 94.5 points per game, has five players averaging between 9.7 points and 16.3 points and is shooting 50.5 percent from the field.

Iona will get one more chance to show the city its mettle on Monday when it hosts another high-powered offense in LIU. The Blackbirds have won their last two games and boasts a balanced attack. After that things get a little tight for Iona, which embarks on an eight-game road trip that ends on December 29 at Hofstra.

Much was made about the resurgence of college basketball in New York. The resurgence isn't just happening in Queens.