NCAA College Basketball: Handing out the MAAC Awards for 2010-11

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The MAAC season is officially over. St. Peter's will play in the NCAA Tournament, and Fairfield is the only other lock for the postseason, playing in the NIT as the regular season MAAC champions. 

With that, here are my personal MAAC awards (not the official awards given out by the MAAC). Performance in MAAC play is weighted more, but non-conference stats were also a contributing factor in my decisions.

MAAC Coach of the Year—Ed Cooley, Fairfield

It is tough to choose anyone but Ed Cooley as the MAAC Coach of the Year. Cooley led Fairfield to a first place finish in the MAAC, where the stags won 24 games and went 15-3 in the MAAC.

Unfortunately for Fairfield, the Stags were eliminated by St. Peter's in the MAAC semifinals. Chances for an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament are less than slim, but the Stags will get to play in the NIT due to their regular season MAAC championship.

Cooley took over as the head coach of Fairfield in 2006, and in five years with the Stags, he is 90-66 with a 58-32 MAAC record. 

MAAC Defensive Player of the Year—Anthony Nelson, Niagara

Nobody else quite compares to Anthony Nelson for MAAC Defensive Player of the Year. Nelson not only led the MAAC with 3.4 steals per game, but that statistic also ranked him at No. 1 in the nation.

Nelson had 13 games this season with four or more steals. His season-high was a remarkable eight steals in a win over Siena on Jan. 9. 

MAAC Most Improved Player—George Beamon, Manhattan

2009-10 Stats: 3.6 PPG, 1.9 RPG

2010-11 Stats: 16.3 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 1.5 SPG

 

George Beamon is definitely the most improved player in the MAAC. Beamon did not add much to Manhattan last season, averaging only 3.6 PPG. This year, he became the key part for the struggling Jaspers, leading the team in scoring.

Beamon finished the year No. 2 in the MAAC in scoring.

In addition, Beamon improved his rebounding numbers tremendously. Despite being only 6'4", the little guy can get up on the glass.

If the sophomore from Long Island, NY can keep improving at this rate, he could be a MAAC POY by the end of his collegiate career. 

All-MAAC Freshman Team

G—Marvin Jordan, Niagara

Overall: 11.9 PPG, 2.3 APG, 1.2 SPG

MAAC: 12.8 PPG, 2.3 APG, 1.3 SPG

 

G—Michael Alvarado, Manhattan

Overall: 11.2 PPG, 3.2 APG, 77.9 FT%

MAAC: 11.1 PPG, 3.4 APG

 

G—Maurice Barrow, Fairfield

Overall: 6.7 PPG, 6.0 RPG

MAAC: 8.1 PPG, 6.8 RPG

 

F—Danny Stewart, Rider

Overall: 7.7 PPG, 7.3 PPG, 58.1 FG%

MAAC: 9.1 PPG, 8.6 RPG

 

F—Rhamel Brown, Manhattan

Overall: 6.5 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 2.1 BPG

MAAC: 7.2 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 2.5 BPG

MAAC Rookie of the Year—Marvin Jordan, Niagara

Overall: 11.9 PPG, 2.3 APG, 1.2 SPG

MAAC: 12.8 PPG, 2.3 APG, 1.3 SPG

 

Marvin Jordan was not anticipated to be such an impact player in his first year with Niagara, but he became a big part of the Purple Eagles' squad early in the year.

Jordan was a consistent scorer this season, and at times, he was a deadly three-point shooter. He finished the season shooting 34.4 percent from beyond the arc. His best shooting performance of the year came against Marist, when he scored 27 points on seven-of-10 shooting from three-point range.

At times, Jordan also showed a strong ability to be a distributor. He had six games with four or more assists.

If he improves over the offseason, Jordan should be ready to take over for Anthony Nelson as the Niagara point guard. 

All-MAAC First Team

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G—Scott Machado, Iona

Overall: 13.7 PPG, 7.4 APG, 4.0 RPG

MAAC: 13.7 PPG, 7.6 APG, 3.2 RPG

 

G—Anthony Nelson, Niagara

Overall: 15.0 PPG, 5.2 APG, 5.0 RPG, 3.4 SPG

MAAC: 14.7 PPG, 5.6 APG, 5.7 RPG, 3.7 SPG

 

G—Justin Robinson, Rider

 Overall: 15.3 PPG, 3.9 APG, 43.8 3P%, 90.2 FT%

MAAC: 14.2 PPG, 3.7 APG

 

F—Michael Glover, Iona

Overall: 17.9 PPG, 10.2 RPG, 59.4 FG%

MAAC: 17.6 PPG, 10.2 RPG 

 

F—Ryan Rossiter, Siena

Overall: 19.1 PPG, 13.4 RPG

MAAC: 19.3 PPG, 13.3 RPG  

MAAC Player of the Year—Ryan Rossiter, Siena

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Overall: 19.1 PPG, 13.4 RPG

MAAC: 19.3 PPG, 13.3 RPG 

Michael Glover gave Ryan Rossiter a run for his money for MAAC Player of the Year, but Rossiter simply beats him out.

Rossiter was the preseason MAAC Player of the Year and he lived up to the hype. Although his Saints struggled throughout the year, Rossiter was consistently recording double-doubles.

This season, he scored 25 double-doubles and a double-double in each of the final nine games of the regular season.

Rossiter finished the year as one of two players in the MAAC averaging a double-double (Glover, Iona), and he was one of 22 players in all of college basketball to have that accomplishment.

Rossiter's best scoring performance of the season came on Siena's senior night. He scored 34 points against Marist on nine-of-15 shooting from the field. He also shot a very strong 16-for-18 from the foul line in that game.

With his performance this season, Rossiter has a chance to be a second-round draft pick.  

All-MAAC Tournament Team

G—Anthony Nelson, Niagara

One game: 28 points, four rebounds, nine-for-10 on free throws

 

G—Scott Machado, Iona

Three games: 12.3 PPG, 8.7 APG

 

G—Clarence Jackson, Siena

Two games: 20 PPG, 4.5 RPG, six-of-14 from three-point range against Manhattan

 

F—Michael Glover, Iona

Three games: 22 PPG, 10 RPG, 68.4 FG%

 

F—Ryan Bacon, St. Peter's

Three games: 11 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 2.4 BPG

 

MAAC Tournament MVP—Mike Glover, Iona