St. John’s headlines 2024-25 MBWA ballot

As the NCAA Tournament gets closer to the Final Four, college basketball on the local scene has concluded after St. John’s was eliminated last week, its trip to the Sweet 16 thwarted by Arkansas.

With that being said, the area now shifts its sights to honoring the best of the region, which will happen on April 24 at the Metropolitan Basketball Writers’ Association awards dinner.

This year’s festivities should feature a heavily red and white-colored presence amid the distinctions, as St. John’s was head and shoulders above the competition in what was an uncharacteristically down year for local college basketball. The Red Storm was the sole NCAA Tournament representative among the city and its suburbs, while New Jersey was shut out on Selection Sunday for the first time since 2015. In fact, only Manhattan and Army represented the rest of the field in a postseason tournament, with both the Jaspers and Black Knights competing in the College Basketball Invitational.

For the 13th consecutive year, I have the privilege of casting a ballot for the players and coaches who will be recognized at the Sleepy Hollow Hotel and Conference Center in Tarrytown. And as I always do every year, for the sake of transparency and engagement, I will reveal it here.

Without any further ado:

Lt. Frank J. Haggerty Award: RJ Luis, St. John’s (photo by St. John’s Athletics)

18.2 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 2.0 APG, 1.4 SPG, 44% FG, 75% FT, 34% 3-pt FG

Luis, St. John’s first Big East Player of the Year since Walter Berry nearly four decades ago, took over many a second half as the Red Storm enjoyed its best season since the 1985 Final Four run that made the Queens school a household name on the national level. Luis was nearly perfect in crunch time as the Red Storm lost only two conference games and used an old-school, bully-ball defensive style to authoritatively dominate its opposition. The Johnnies’ resurgence opened the door for Luis to stake his claim as the area’s best, and once he did, the junior from Miami did not look back. If Luis does capture the Haggerty Award, he will be the first recipient for St. John’s since Shamorie Ponds won it in 2018.

Also considered: Dylan Harper, Rutgers; Xaivian Lee, Princeton

Rest of All-Met first team, in alphabetical order:

Ace Bailey, Rutgers

Zuby Ejiofor, St. John’s

Dylan Harper, Rutgers

Xaivian Lee, Princeton

Kadary Richmond, St. John’s

All-Met second team, in alphabetical order:

Abdi Bashir, Monmouth

Terrence Brown, FDU

Isaiah Coleman, Seton Hall

Josh Pascarelli, Marist

Dejour Reaves, Iona

All-Met third team, in alphabetical order:

Jean Aranguren, Hofstra

Malachi Davis, LIU

Jalen Rucker, Army

Will Sydnor, Manhattan

Tanner Thomas, Sacred Heart

Rookie of the Year: Dylan Harper, Rutgers (photo by Rutgers Athletics)

19.4 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 4.0 APG, 1.4 SPG, 48% FG, 75% FT, 33% 3-pt FG

An almost certain top five pick in June’s NBA Draft, Harper dazzled in what will be his lone season on the banks, teaming up with fellow freshman Ace Bailey to provide several highlights in a promising season that was unfortunately derailed for Rutgers. Harper missed three games with a high ankle sprain in the middle of Big Ten play, but impacted the Scarlet Knights like no other player this year when he was on the floor, making the best of what he had around him.

Also considered: Ace Bailey, Rutgers; Will Sydnor, Manhattan

Lou Carnesecca Coach of the Year: Rick Pitino, St. John’s (photo by St. John’s Athletics)

This award, recently renamed in honor of Carnesecca after the iconic and colorful former St. John’s coach died on November 30, will be fittingly presented to the current caretaker of the program he put on the map. While most programs in the area scuttled to the finish line, Pitino made sure his Red Storm unit gathered steam through January and February, culminating with the Johnnies’ first NCAA Tournament win since 2000. The Hall of Fame architect validated the statistical data that showed marked improvements in his second season at each of the schools he has coached, going from 20-13 last year (the first time he had ever won 20 games in his first season at any college) to 31-5 this season.

Also considered: John Dunne, Marist; Tobin Anderson, Iona