Around The MAAC, Some News And Notes

News and notes ... happenings from "Around The MAAC" (otherwise known as "ATM") never end, even in the off-season.

BELARDO, TWO OTHERS TO LEAVE CANISIUS

Canisius, a team loaded with talent for incoming coach Jim Baron, just lost some according a release issued by the school's sports information office.

Junior guard Gaby Belardo, sophomore guard David Santiago and freshman Franklin Millian will not be returning to the team for the upcoming season.

Belardo, a 6-2 guard, averaged 12 points and 3.2 rebounds per game this past season despite playing through severe back issues. He completed his undergraduate degree work at Canisius, according to the release, and has indicated that he will transfer into another school's graduate program for a course of study not offered by Canisius. That move will allow him to play next season as his new school, without having to sit out the normal transfer year.

Santiago, a 6-4 guard who transferred to Canisius after playing the 1909-10 season at American University in Puerto Rico, averaged 1.3 points and 0.8 rebounds per game for the Golden Griffins this past season.

Millian, also a 6-4 guard, averaged 2.6 points and 1.7 rebounds and started in seven games for the Griffs this past season.

The moves aren't totally unexpected. Until the announcement, the Canisius roster listed 16 players. Only 13 players are allowed to be on scholarship in any season.

IONA'S MACHADO WINS HAGGERTY AWARD


Iona's senior guard Scott Machado, who led the nation in assists this past season, was named the 79th Haggerty Award Winner as the most outstanding Division I player in the New York Metropolitan area.

Machado is the fifth Iona player to earn the award, presented by the NIT and the Met Basketball Writers Association. Steve Burtt was the last Haggerty winner for the Gaels for his play in the 1983-84 season. Other Iona winners were Jeff Ruland (1980), Gary Springer (1981) and Warren Isaac (1965).

Joining Machado on the all-Met first team was teammate senior forward Mike Glover. Junior guard Lamont Jones was a third-team selection.

KYLE SMYTH TRANSFERRING FROM IONA


Junior guard Kyle Smyth, whose playing time diminished significantly this past season due to the Gaels' abundance of backcourt players, recently requested and received permission to transfer out of the program.

Smyth averaged 10.1 points per game with 75 made three-pointers as a sophomore, but saw those numbers fall to 5.5 ppg. and 37 treys this past season.

The 6-4 guard, one of the MAAC's better long-range snipers in recent years, reportedly has received his undergraduate degree and can transfer to a program to take graduate-level courses and be eligible to play in the coming season.

Initially it was being reported that he would attend New Hampshire and re-unite with another former Gael, 6-10 center Chris Pelcher who will be eligible to play there in the coming season.

Recent internet reports, though, indicate that Smyth is also looking at Boston College, Seton Hall and Rutgers.