Conference's Preseason All-Star Selections Revealed

Back in mid August your blogger made very early selections for preseason conference all-star teams, and didn't do badly.

All five selections matched those picked by MAAC coaches in their annual preseason selections, and we got four right (of six picked) on the women's side.

The coaches' selections were released earlier today, and the entire list of all the all-stars selected (first, second and third teams) are available on the conference's site (www.maacsports.com).

All players picked as first-team all-stars are eligible to be named the conference's preseason Player of the Year. Those top awards will be revealed via televised MAAC Preseason Awards Show. The women's show will be Friday, Nov. 9 at 6:15 p.m. and the men that same night at 8:15 on ESPN3

Here are the first-team picks:

For men: Derek Needham, Fairfield senior guard; Lamont "Momo" Jones, Iona senior guard; Erik Etherly, Loyola senior forward; George Beamon, Manhattan senior guard; and O.D. Anosike, Siena senior forward.

For women: Katie Sheahin, Loyola senior guard; Lily Grinci, Siena senior forward; Damika Martinez, Iona sophomore guard; Kayla Stroman, Niagara junior guard; Leanne Ockenden, Marist junior guard; Jamie Ruttle Canisius junior center.

And, just in case anyone thought the Marist women's team might not be dominant again this coming season ... of the 17 players picked for women's preseason all-star teams five are from Marist.

In addition to Ockenden, Liz Beynnon got picked as a second-team choice while Casey Dulin, Kristina Danella and Tori Jarosz were all picked to the third team.

No other conference team had more than two players named to the preseason squads.