2014 MAAC Honor Class to Include Niagara University's Juan Mendez & Joan Thornton
MAAC Sports
Edison, N.J. – The 2014 MAAC Honor Roll Class will add Niagara University’s basketball greats Juan Mendez and Joan Thornton. The two former Purple Eagles will be added to the Honor Roll section of the “MAAC Experience” exhibit at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and will be recognized during the MAAC Basketball Championships in Springfield, Mass.
Juan Mendez is one of the top players in Niagara and Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference history. Mendez averaged 18.0 points per game during his career, and tallied 2210 points, fourth best all-time in the MAAC. He also pulled down 1053 rebounds, the No. 6 all-time career total in the MAAC. The 6-8, 245-pound forward was a three-time first-team All-MAAC performer after beginning his career in the MAAC in 2001-02 as an All-Rookie selection. Mendez was the MAAC Tournament MVP after leading the Purple Eagles to the championship in 2005, after appearances in the finals in 2002 and 2004. In 2005, he became one of just two Purple Eagles to be named to the Associated Press All-America team, when he earned AP All-American Honorable Mention honors after averaging 23.5 points and 10.6 rebounds per game, joining all-time Niagara great Calvin Murphy on that prestigious list.
Joan Thornton was all about “firsts” when she was a standout for the Purple Eagles’ women’s basketball program. She was the first scholarship player in Niagara women’s basketball history, and was also the first to surpass the 1,000 career point mark. Joan scored 1,106 points, and averaged 11.3 points per game during her career. She still appears in the Niagara record book where she is “first” in all time field goal percentage, hitting 62.1 percent of her shots. During her career at Niagara, the Purple Eagles compiled a 84-19 record. She earned first-team Academic All-America honors in 1980, and at her 1980 commencement ceremony, she was the recipient of the Kevin Mulkern Award, which is presented annually o the senior student-athlete who has the highest ideals of sportsmanship, competition and fair play, in the spirit of Niagara University. She was elected to the Niagara University Athletics Hall of Fame in 1996.
The MAAC Honor Roll is part of the 600 square foot “MAAC Experience” display at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass. Each year one honoree selected by the MAAC Council of Presidents joins one male and one female honoree from each of the 11 MAAC institutions. The 23-member 2014 induction class will be enshrined to the MAAC Honor Roll on Saturday, March 8, 2014 at the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame Court of Dreams. The Honorees’ names will be added to the “MAAC Experience” exhibit. Additionally, each honoree will be profiled in the 2014 MAAC Basketball Championships game program and will also be featured in a video display at The MAAC Experience available for viewing by the general public. Lastly, the honorees will also be recognized at halftime of the 9:00p.m. MAAC Men’s Basketball Championship quarterfinal on Saturday, March 8.
The complete 2014 MAAC Honor Roll Class:
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MAAC Honoree:
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Brad Tracy
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School
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Male Honoree
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Female Honoree
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Canisius
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Frank Swiatek
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Dr. Ellen Conley
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Fairfield
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George Bisacca
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Dianne Nolan
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Iona
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Kevin Hamilton
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Celeste Grier-Johnathan
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Manhattan
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Luis Flores
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Marianne Reilly
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Marist
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Mike Hart
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Julianne Viani
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Monmouth
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Ron Kornegay
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Joan Martin
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Niagara
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Juan Mendez
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Joan Thornton
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Quinnipiac
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Keith Gaither
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Patricia Hayes
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Rider
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Jack Madden
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Kelly Eckardt Zawodny
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Saint Peter’s
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Don Kennedy
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Tonya Grant
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Siena
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Billy Harrell
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Lisa (Serafino) Ruggiero
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