MAAC Announces 2017-18 Men’s Basketball Major Award Winners

MAAC Announces 2017-18 Men’s Basketball Major Award Winners

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ALBANY, NY – The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) announced the 2017-18 Men’s Basketball major award winners at the annual Postseason Awards Show today.
 
The Co-Player of the Year is Jermaine Crumpton from Canisius College. Crumpton is the fourth Griff in program history to earn the MAAC Player of the Year honor, and the first to do so since Billy Baron claimed the award in 2013-14. The senior was named to the All-MAAC First Team after he finished the regular season averaging 16.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game. The senior ranked sixth in the MAAC in points per game, ninth in field goal percentage (48.6%), and tied for fifth in free-throw percentage (81.3%). Crumpton was named MAAC Player of the Week on January 2.
 
Kahlil Dukes from Niagara University takes home the Co-Player of the Year honor. Dukes is the first player from Niagara to claim the MAAC Player of the Year award since Juan Mendez in 2004-05. The guard was a unanimous selection to the All-MAAC First Team after he averaged 21.1 points and 3.3 assists per game for the Purple Eagles this season. He was second in the MAAC in points per game, ninth in assists per game, first in free-throw percentage (90.4%), and second in three-point field goals made per game (3.0). He claimed MAAC Player of the Week honors twice this season.
 
It is the first time in MAAC Men’s Basketball history that there has been a Co-Player of the Year.
 
The Defensive Player of the Year is Pauly Paulicap from Manhattan College. Paulicap becomes the second player from Manhattan to claim the Defensive Player of the Year honor and the first since Rhamel Brown in 2013-14. The sophomore led the MAAC in blocks per game (2.6) and total blocked shots (77). He finished the regular season fourth in rebounds per game (6.7) and fourth in total rebounds (202). Paulicap recorded five or more blocks in a game five times this season, and swatted six shots in a game on two occasions. The 6-foot-8 forward anchored a Jaspers’ defense that ranked second overall in the MAAC.
 
The Rookie of the Year is Takal Molson from Canisius College. Molson is the fourth player from Canisius to claim the honor and the first since Frank Turner in 2006-07. The Buffalo, NY native tallied 12.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game. He scored a career-high 25 points in the season opener against Buffalo on November 11. Molson started in every game for the Griffs in his freshman campaign and ranked 15th in the league in scoring. He scored in double figures in 18 games this season and took home MAAC Rookie of the Week honors three times.
 
The 2017-18 Sixth Player of the Year is Frederick Scott from Rider University. Scott is the third player from Rider to be named the MAAC Sixth Player of the Year and the first since Terrence Mouton in 2004-05. He was named to the All-MAAC Third Team after he tallied 13.0 points and 6.6 rebounds per game in 30 games for the Broncs. Scott ranked 13th in the MAAC in scoring (13.0 ppg), and tied for fifth in rebounds per game (6.6). Scott scored a career-high 25 points on 8-of-11 shooting from the field on January 5. On December 22, the forward knocked down a buzzer-beating, game-winning three-pointer against Penn State.
 
The 2018 MAAC Basketball Championships take place March 1-5, at the Times Union Center in Albany, NY. 16 of the 20 contests are set to air exclusively on ESPN3. The first Men’s Basketball Championship Semifinal game on Sunday, March 4, airs live on ESPN3 at 7 p.m. and will re-air at 11:30 p.m. on ESPNU, tape delayed. The second Men’s Basketball Semifinal airs at 9:30 p.m., live, on ESPNU.
 
For all information on the 2018 MAAC Basketball Championships, visit maacsports.com/basketball. The Men’s Basketball Championship game is set to air on ESPN's main network, ESPN on Monday, March 5 at 7 p.m. Jason Benetti and Jay Bilas will be on the call for the Men’s Championship final. Be sure to follow the conversation on all social media platforms by using #MAACHoops18.
 
About the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
With 11 institutions strongly bound by the sound principles of quality and integrity in academics and excellence in athletics, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) is in its 37th year of competition during the 2017-18 academic year. Current Conference members include: Canisius College, Fairfield University, Iona College, Manhattan College, Marist College, Monmouth University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena College.