Tuesday, October 25, 2011

MAAC Men's Pre-Season Stars Picked

Here's how coaches voted for the preseason men's all-star teams:

FIRST TEAM

- Derek Needham, guard, Fairfield
- Ryan Olander, center, Fairfield
- Mike Glover, forward, Iona
- Scott Machado, guard, Iona
- Novar Gadson, forward, Rider

SECOND TEAM

- Gaby Belardo, guard, Canisius

- Rakim Sanders, forward, Fairfield

- Erik Etherly, forward, Loyola

- Shane Walker, center, Loyola

- George Beamon, forward, Manhattan

THIRD TEAM

- Kyle Smyth, guard, Iona

- Jeff Jones, guard, Rider

- Danny Stewart, forward, Rider

- Darius Conley, forward, Saint Peter's

- O.D. Anosike, forward, Siena

PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Mike Glover, forward, Iona

ANALYSIS: No debating here about the Player of the Year choice in Glover, who could be the conference's first player since former Rider standout Jason Thompson, to eventually have a meaningful NBA career.

All star picks? I get the impression that Manhattan's George Beamon, this blogger's pick for the MAAC's leading scorer this season, is going to make conference coaches sorry they left him off the first team.


The all-star teams could easily have a decidedly different look after the season. Fairfield's Sanders (a 1,000-point career scorer in three seasons at Boston College) has the talent to move up to first team.


And, there are several other quality transfers, more than, it seems, any time in conference history, that will probably inhabit post-season all-star squads: Saint Peter's guard Chris Prescott (from St. Joseph's), Fairfield's point guard Desmond Wade (Houston) and maybe even Loyola's forward Jordan Latham (Xavier) all appear poised to make significant contributions.

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