MAAC Monday: Midseason honors, stat leaders, power rankings

With the end of January marking the de facto halfway point in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference season, today's opening segment of MAAC Monday will be a list of midseason honorees for each of the award categories presented at the end of the regular season, plus three not officially awarded by the conference that will we include nonetheless. Following our recognitions will, per usual, be a refreshed set of stat leaders and power rankings. For this week's edition of MAAC Monday, all statistics reflected within were gleaned from the individual stat pages of each school's website for the midseason honors, and from the MAAC statistics page for stat leaders.

Player of the Year: Isaiah Reese, Canisius (16.4 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 5.0 APG, 2.3 SPG, 48% FG, 90% FT, 38% 3-pt FG)
The Golden Griffins' talented sophomore wing has done more this season than just elevate his game in the absence of Kiefer Douse, Kassius Robertson, and Phil Valenti. The Miami native has become half of arguably the MAAC's most explosive superstar duo alongside senior forward Jermaine Crumpton, and is a large reason why Reggie Witherspoon has brought the Griffs to the top of the MAAC standings. Reese's long road to Buffalo, profiled here in this excellent feature by Vincent Simone of NYC Buckets, which included Witherspoon initially recruiting him while still an assistant at Chattanooga, is not as circuitous two years later, but has shown to contain a valuable payoff in the form of becoming perhaps the MAAC's next household name.

Rookie of the Year: Takal Molson, Canisius (12.8 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 2.9 APG, 45% FG, 37% 3-pt FG)
The nod for top freshman in the MAAC is going to be a two-horse race between Molson and Rider's Jordan Allen, but the homegrown talent has given the Griffs a much-needed shot in the arm alongside Crumpton and Reese. A starter in all of Canisius' 22 games thus far this season, Molson has wasted little time making an impact for a team picked ninth in the MAAC preseason poll amid the roster turnover on Main Street, becoming a third double-figure scorer in one of the league's most gifted offenses while developing his defensive prowess further every time he steps on the floor. If he can avoid hitting the proverbial freshman wall, a piece of hardware could be his to call his own in just over a month.

Sixth Man of the Year: Chaise Daniels, Quinnipiac (11.8 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 52% FG, 1.2 BPG)
Daniels has proven his loyalty to the Bobcat program this year after rumors surfaced following former head coach Tom Moore's dismissal that the Connecticut native would join Mikey Dixon and Peter Kiss in transferring out of Hamden. Since then, the emotional senior leader has provided a valuable impact off the bench in Baker Dunleavy's four-guard attack, becoming Quinnipiac's most productive big man and an integral piece of the puzzle in the Bobcats' surprising 6-4 start to MAAC play. The race for sixth man honors is still wide open, but if Dunleavy sticks to his current rotation and keeps Jacob Rigoni in the starting lineup, Daniels will still be eligible to earn an honor he has demonstrated he deserves.

Defensive Player of the Year: Pauly Paulicap, Manhattan (6.1 RPG, 2.5 BPG)
Isaiah Reese is a strong candidate to win this honor as well as the Player of the Year title, but Paulicap has given Manhattan in just three short months their most active rim protector since Rhamel Brown, who took this award home three years in a row. Seldom is there a game where Paulicap's presence is not felt on the floor when the Jaspers are in their element on defense, and the sophomore's value is high enough to where Steve Masiello named him a team captain before even making his program debut, something that had never previously occurred in his first six years at the helm in Riverdale.

Most Improved Player: Cameron Young, Quinnipiac (17.5 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.3 SPG)
The MAAC does not officially present a Most Improved Player award, but if it did, Young would be the recipient in perhaps the easiest of choices this season considering he has come from seemingly out of nowhere to lead Quinnipiac in scoring and rank among the top ten in the conference after playing just eight minutes all of last season. Young's rise has coincided with a Bobcat team playing fundamentally sound basketball a year ahead of schedule to make a name for itself among the top half of the standings in a season where few expected them to win games in the heart of the league schedule.

Coach of the Year: Tim Cluess, Iona
Baker Dunleavy will undoubtedly be touted for this distinction, as will Reggie Witherspoon and Kevin Baggett. With no disrespect to either of those three, no coach has been able to get as much out of his team as Cluess has with Iona, no small feat considering the Gaels came into this season seeking a third consecutive MAAC title. What sets this year's incarnation of the maroon and gold apart, though, is the lack of a bona fide superstar player for the first time in Cluess' eight-year tenure. As a result, the proven winner has had to rely on a greater team dynamic than in any of his first seven campaigns, and the change in tactics has yielded an Iona outfit whose whole adds up to a greater sum than its parts in the wake of having to replace all-MAAC forward Jordan Washington. Rickey McGill has gotten little to no credit outside of New Rochelle for being a steady hand anchoring the backcourt, getting help from seniors the likes of Zach Lewis and Deyshonee Much, and the pairing of TK Edogi and Roland Griffin has filled Washington's interior role admirably. Of all the buttons Cluess has had to push over the years, this one may be his best work.

Midseason All-MAAC First Team (in alphabetical order)
Kahlil Dukes, Niagara (21.1 PPG, 3.4 APG, 48% FG, 91% FT, 45% 3-pt FG)
Stevie Jordan, Rider (13.0 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 6.2 APG, 1.8 SPG, 44% FG)
Tyler Nelson, Fairfield (20.8 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 3.3 APG, 1.4 SPG, 90% FT, 32% 3-pt FG)
Isaiah Reese, Canisius (16.4 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 5.0 APG, 2.3 SPG, 48% FG, 90% FT, 38% 3-pt FG)
Matt Scott, Niagara (20.7 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 2.7 APG, 1.3 SPG, 43% FG, 70% FT, 33% 3-pt FG)

Midseason All-MAAC Second Team (in alphabetical order)
Jermaine Crumpton, Canisius (16.6 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 1.5 APG, 47% FG, 83% FT, 32% 3-pt FG)
Rickey McGill, Iona (14.0 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 5.2 APG, 1.5 SPG, 45% FG, 70% FT, 36% 3-pt FG)
Austin Tilghman, Monmouth (11.5 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 5.1 APG, 1.4 SPG, 48% FG, 78% FT)
Dimencio Vaughn, Rider (14.3 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 1.4 SPG, 51% FG, 79% FT, 40% 3-pt FG)
Cameron Young, Quinnipiac (17.5 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.3 SPG)

Midseason All-MAAC Third Team (in alphabetical order)
Nick Griffin, Saint Peter's (13.9 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 1.4 APG, 41% FG, 75% FT, 37% 3-pt FG)
Takal Molson, Canisius (12.8 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 2.9 APG, 45% FG, 37% 3-pt FG)
Brian Parker, Marist (18.3 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 2.8 APG, 48% FG, 71% FT, 35% 3-pt FG)
Frederick Scott, Rider (13.6 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 51% FG)
Rich Williams, Manhattan (13.5 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 3.0 APG, 44% FG, 80% FT, 41% 3-pt FG)

Midseason All-MAAC Honorable Mentions (in alphabetical order)
Jordan Allen, Rider (13.2 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 88% FT, 39% 3-pt FG)
Chaise Daniels, Quinnipiac (11.8 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 52% FG, 1.2 BPG)
Deyshonee Much, Iona (12.2 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 2.9 APG, 1.4 SPG, 42% FG, 84% FT, 40% 3-pt FG)
Tyere Marshall, Rider (10.7 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 1.0 APG, 51% FG)
Zane Waterman, Manhattan (10.5 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 1.3 APG, 46% FG, 30% 3-pt FG)

Midseason MAAC All-Defensive Team (in alphabetical order)
Chaise Daniels, Quinnipiac (11.8 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 52% FG, 1.2 BPG)
Stevie Jordan, Rider (13.0 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 6.2 APG, 1.8 SPG, 44% FG)
Pauly Paulicap, Manhattan (9.5 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 59% FG, 2.5 BPG)
Marvin Prochet, Niagara (9.4 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 1.0 BPG)
Isaiah Reese, Canisius (16.4 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 5.0 APG, 2.3 SPG)

Midseason MAAC All-Rookie Team (in alphabetical order)
Jordan Allen, Rider (13.2 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 88% FT, 39% 3-pt FG)
Deion Hammond, Monmouth (11.7 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 44% FG, 40% 3-pt FG)
Rich Kelly, Quinnipiac (10.3 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 5.3 APG, 77% FT)
Takal Molson, Canisius (12.8 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 2.9 APG, 45% FG, 37% 3-pt FG)
Roman Penn, Siena (9.3 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 3.1 APG, 1.3 SPG, 41% FG, 85% FT, 34% 3-pt FG)

Scoring Leaders
1) Kahlil Dukes, Niagara (21.1 PPG)
2) Tyler Nelson, Fairfield (20.8)
3) Matt Scott, Niagara (20.7)
4) Brian Parker, Marist (18.3)
5) Cameron Young, Quinnipiac (17.5)
6) Jermaine Crumpton, Canisius (16.6)
7) Isaiah Reese, Canisius (16.4)
8) Dimencio Vaughn, Rider (14.3)
9) Rickey McGill, Iona (14.0)
10) Nick Griffin, Saint Peter's (14.0)

Rebounding Leaders
1) Marvin Prochet, Niagara (7.9 RPG)
2) Matt Scott, Niagara (7.7)
3) TK Edogi, Iona (7.4)
4) Frederick Scott, Rider (7.3)
5) Zane Waterman, Manhattan (6.5)
6) Tyere Marshall, Rider (6.5)
7) Cameron Young, Quinnipiac (6.3)
8) Dimencio Vaughn, Rider (6.2)
9) Pauly Paulicap, Manhattan (6.1)
10) Quinn Taylor, Saint Peter's (6.1)

Assist Leaders
1) Stevie Jordan, Rider (6.2 APG)
2) Rich Kelly, Quinnipiac (5.3)
3) Rickey McGill, Iona (5.2)
4) Austin Tilghman, Monmouth (5.1)
5) Isaiah Reese, Canisius (5.0)
6) Malik Johnson, Canisius (4.7)
7) Zavier Turner, Manhattan (3.9)
8) Kahlil Dukes, Niagara (3.4)
9) Tyler Nelson, Fairfield (3.3)
10) Roman Penn, Siena (3.1)

Field Goal Percentage Leaders
1) Pauly Paulicap, Manhattan (.588)
2) TK Edogi, Iona (.571)
3) Chaise Daniels, Quinnipiac (.516)
4) Tyere Marshall, Rider (.513)
5) Frederick Scott, Rider (.507)
6) Dimencio Vaughn, Rider (.505)
7) Prince Oduro, Siena (.500)
8) Roland Griffin, Iona (.496)
9) Jesus Cruz, Fairfield (.484)
10) Brian Parker, Marist (.477)

Free Throw Percentage Leaders
1) Kahlil Dukes, Niagara (.905)
2) Isaiah Reese, Canisius (.900)
3) Tyler Nelson, Fairfield (.896)
4) Roman Penn, Siena (.845)
5) Sam Idowu, Saint Peter's (.837)
6) Schadrac Casimir, Iona (.833)
7) Jermaine Crumpton, Canisius (.829)
8) Zavier Turner, Manhattan (.798)
9) James Towns, Niagara (793)
10) Dimencio Vaughn, Rider (.787)

Three-Point Field Goal Percentage Leaders
1) Jacob Rigoni, Quinnipiac (.506)
2) Schadrac Casimir, Iona (.487)
3) Louie Pillari, Monmouth (.483)
4) Jan Svandrlik, Iona (.464)
5) Khalil Richard, Siena (.451)
6) Elijah Gonzales, Saint Peter's (.447)
7) Kahlil Dukes, Niagara (.447)
8) Zavier Turner, Manhattan (.442)
9) Rich Williams, Manhattan (.413)
10) Spencer Foley, Canisius (.406)

Steal Leaders
1) Isaiah Reese, Canisius (2.3 SPG)
2) Stevie Jordan, Rider (1.8)
3) Jesus Cruz, Fairfield (1.7)
4) Elijah Gonzales, Saint Peter's (1.7)
5) Rickey McGill, Iona (1.7)

Blocked Shot Leaders
1) Pauly Paulicap, Manhattan (2.5 BPG)
2) Dominic Robb, Niagara (1.4)
3) Chaise Daniels, Quinnipiac (1.2)
4) Jonathan Kasibabu, Fairfield (1.1)
5) Marvin Prochet, Niagara (1.0)

Power Rankings
1) Iona (13-8, 7-2 MAAC)
Last Week: 2
Last Game: Saturday 1/27 vs. Manhattan (W 78-65)
Next Game: Monday 1/29 at Fairfield, 7 p.m.

2) Rider (15-7, 8-2 MAAC)
Last Week: 3
Last Game: Friday 1/26 vs. Saint Peter's (W 63-60)
Next Game: Monday 1/29 vs. Monmouth, 7 p.m.

3) Canisius (13-9, 7-2 MAAC)
Last Week: 1
Last Game: Saturday 1/27 vs. Niagara (L 105-89)
Next Game: Friday 2/2 at Marist, 7 p.m.

4) Niagara (14-9, 7-3 MAAC)
Last Week: 5
Last Game: Saturday 1/27 at Canisius (W 105-89)
Next Game: Friday 2/2 at Saint Peter's, 7 p.m.

5) Quinnipiac (9-13, 6-4 MAAC)
Last Week: 6
Last Game: Saturday 1/27 vs. Fairfield (W 75-70)
Next Game: Friday 2/2 at Iona, 7 p.m.

6) Monmouth (7-13, 3-5 MAAC)
Last Week: 8
Last Game: Saturday 1/27 vs. Marist (W 91-78)
Next Game: Monday 1/29 at Rider, 7 p.m.

7) Manhattan (10-12, 5-5 MAAC)
Last Week: 4
Last Game: Saturday 1/27 vs. Iona (L 78-65)
Next Game: Tuesday 1/30 vs. Marist, 7 p.m.

8) Fairfield (7-13, 2-7 MAAC)
Last Week: 9
Last Game: Saturday 1/27 vs. Quinnipiac (L 75-70)
Next Game: Monday 1/29 vs. Iona, 7 p.m.

9) Saint Peter's (8-12, 2-7 MAAC)
Last Week: 7
Last Game: Friday 1/26 at Rider (L 63-60)
Next Game: Monday 1/29 at Siena, 7 p.m.

10) Siena (6-16, 2-7 MAAC)
Last Week: 10
Last Game: Thursday 1/25 at Monmouth (L 67-56)
Next Game: Monday 1/29 vs. Saint Peter's, 7 p.m.

11) Marist (4-17, 2-7 MAAC)
Last Week: 11
Last Game: Saturday 1/27 vs. Monmouth (L 91-78)
Next Game: Tuesday 1/30 at Manhattan, 7 p.m.