MAAC Announces 2008-2009 All-MAAC Men's Basketball Teams
MAAC Sports
EDISON, N.J. The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference announces the 2008-2009 All-MAAC Men's Basketball Teams, selected by the MAAC’s head coaches.
The first team is made up of Bilal Benn and Tyrone Lewis of Niagara University, Ryan Thompson of Rider University and Kenny Hasbrouck and Edwin Ubiles of Siena College. Hasbrouck and Ubiles are repeat selections from last season's First Team. These five players are now eligible to be named the 2008-2009 Pepsi Max MAAC Player of the Year, also selected by the head coaches of the league. The award winner will be announced on Thursday, March 5 at a 5:00 p.m. awards reception at the Times Union Center, the site of the 2009 Citizens Bank MAAC Basketball Championships.
Benn, a 6-foot-5, 205-pound junior guard/forward from Philadelphia, Pa., has made the most of this first season in the MAAC. He leads the league in rebounds, pulling down 9.1 caroms a night, while netting 14.1 points per game for the Purple Eagles, good for 11th place on the MAAC scoring list. Benn is also 13th in the league in field goal percentage, connecting on 44.8 percent of his attempts from the floor, ninth in assists with 2.8 an outing, and second in steals with 2.5 takeaways per game. He has netted double-digit points in 26 games and recorded a league-best 11 double-doubles this season.
Lewis, a 5-foot-11, 180-pound junior guard from Levittown, Pa., makes his first appearance on the All-MAAC First Team. He is currently third in the MAAC in scoring with 16.3 points an outing for the Purple Eagles. Lewis leads the league in steals, recording 2.7 a night, while shooting 81.5 percent from the charity stripe, ranking him fifth in the league. He posted double digits in 28 games and one double-double during the regular season.
Thompson, a 6-foot-6, 210-pound junior guard from Mt. Laurel N.J., is also a first-time All-MAAC First Team selection. He is second in the MAAC in scoring, registering 17.7 points per game for the Broncs. He is also fifth in steals (1.7), seventh in assists (3.3), 12th in rebounding (6.3), eighth in field goal percentage (.518), and eighth in free throw percentage (.771). Thompson has netted double-digit points in 27 games and recorded three double-doubles this season.
Hasbrouck, a 6-foot-3, 194-pound senior guard from Capital Heights, Md., is a two-time member of the All-MAAC First Team. He is averaging a team-best 14.8 points per game, ranking him eighth on the MAAC scoring chart. Hasbrouck is also ranked in several other MAAC categories, contributing 2.8 assists an outing (10th) and 1.9 steals a night (fourth), while shooting 36.6 percent from three-point range (eighth). He has netted double-digit points in 24 of 30 contests in his final campaign for the Green and Gold.
Ubiles, a 6-foot-6, 199-pound junior guard/forward from Poughkeepsie, N.Y., joins Hasbrouck on the All-MAAC First Team for the second consecutive season. During the regular season, he ranked ninth in the MAAC in scoring, averaging 14.7 points per outing. Ubiles is currently ninth in the MAAC in field goal percentage (.493), 13th in steals (1.3) and 20th in rebounding (5.1). He had 23 double-digit scoring efforts and one double-double during the regular season.
The 2008-2009 All-MAAC Second Team is also a strong unit. The second team is made up of Loyola College sophomore guard Jamal Barney, Marist College senior forward Ryan Schneider, Niagara senior center Benson Egemonye, and Siena junior forward Alex Franklin and junior guard Ronald Moore.
This season’s third unit is a formidable group as well. The third team consists of Canisius College junior guard Frank Turner, Fairfield University junior forward Greg Nero, Iona College forward/center Gary Springer, Manhattan College junior guard Darryl Crawford and Saint Peter's College sophomore guard Wesley Jenkins.
First Team All-MAAC
|
Player
|
Year
|
Pos.
|
Ht.
|
Hometown
|
PPG
|
Other
|
|
Bilal Benn, Niagara
|
Jr.
|
G/F
|
6-5
|
Philadelphia, Pa.
|
14.1
|
9.1 rpg, 2.7 spg
|
|
Tyrone Lewis, Niagara
|
Jr.
|
G
|
5-11
|
Levittown, Pa.
|
16.3
|
81.5 FT%, 2.7 spg
|
|
Ryan Thompson
|
Jr.
|
G
|
6-6
|
Mt. Laurel, N.J.
|
18.0
|
52.6 FG%, 6.4 rpg
|
|
Kenny Hasbrouck, Siena#
|
Sr.
|
G
|
6-3
|
Capital Heights, Md.
|
14.8
|
36.6 FG%, 1.9 spg
|
|
Edwin Ubiles, Siena#
|
Jr.
|
G/F
|
6-6
|
Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
|
14.7
|
5.1 rpg, 49.3 FG%
|
Second Team All-MAAC
|
Player
|
Year
|
Pos.
|
Ht.
|
Hometown
|
PPG
|
Other
|
|
Jamal Barney, Loyola
|
So.
|
G
|
6-3
|
Baltimore, Md.
|
18.6
|
5.5 rpg, 1.5 spg
|
|
Ryan Schneider, Marist
|
Sr.
|
F
|
6-7
|
Yorktown Heights, N.Y.
|
16.1
|
8.2 rpg, 1.4 spg
|
|
Benson Egemonye, Niagara
|
Sr.
|
C
|
6-10
|
Benin City, Nigeria
|
12.5
|
56.1 FG%, 6.7 rpg
|
|
Alex Franklin, Siena
|
Jr.
|
F
|
6-5
|
Reading, Pa.
|
13.8
|
56.6 FG%, 7.4 rpg
|
|
Ronald Moore, Siena
|
Jr.
|
G
|
6-0
|
Conshohocken, Pa.
|
8.9
|
6.1 apg, 3.3 rpg
|
Third Team All-MAAC
|
Player
|
Year
|
Pos.
|
Ht.
|
Hometown
|
PPG
|
Other
|
|
Frank Turner, Canisius
|
Jr.
|
G
|
5-10
|
Atlantic City, N.J.
|
15.5
|
4.3 rpg, 4.0 apg
|
|
Greg Nero, Fairfield
|
Jr.
|
F
|
6-7
|
Red Hook, N.Y.
|
12.9
|
54.3 FG%, 6.6 rpg
|
|
Gary Springer, Iona
|
Sr.
|
F/C
|
6-9
|
College Park, Ga.
|
12.0
|
58.3 FG%, 7.0 rpg
|
|
Darryl Crawford, Manhattan
|
Jr.
|
G
|
6-4
|
Harlem, N.Y.
|
14.4
|
40.0 3FG%, 1.5 spg
|
|
Wesley Jenkins, Saint Peter’s
|
So.
|
G
|
6-2
|
Newark, N.J.
|
15.8
|
4.3 rpg, 2.1 spg
|
# Repeat First Team All-MAAC choice