Seton Hall places four among All-Met teams, most of any local school

Seton Hall's leading scorer this past season, Desi Rodriguez was among four Pirates honored by MBWA Monday. (Photo by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

Seton Hall's senior class closed its collective book in South Orange by bringing home the school's first NCAA Tournament victory since 2004.

The individual careers of three of that quartet, plus a rising star two years their junior, added yet another honor to their resumes before the trio graduates in May.

Khadeen Carrington, Angel Delgado, and Desi Rodriguez -- all part of Kevin Willard's program-changing group of recruits who arrived at Seton Hall in the summer of 2014 -- capped their tenure with distinctions among the metropolitan area's best Monday morning. The three, together with sophomore Myles Powell, give the Pirates four MBWA honorees, more than any other local school this season.

Delgado, last year's Haggerty Award winner who has a realistic chance of repeating and becoming the first two-time recipient since Hofstra's Charles Jenkins was recognized three years in a row between 2009 and 2011, was named to the MBWA first team along with Rodriguez, Seton Hall's leading scorer in a 22-win season that culminated with a valiant showing against eventual Final Four participant Kansas in the NCAA Tournament's round of 32. Carrington and Powell followed suit by procuring second team honors.

Not to be outdone, St. John's placed a pair of its own guards on the MBWA teams, as sophomore Shamorie Ponds picked up a second straight first team placement one year after capturing the All-Met Rookie of the Year award, while Justin Simon landed on the second team. Rutgers added to the high-major dominance with a second team nod for junior guard Corey Sanders, who announced earlier this offseason his intent to forgo his final season in Piscataway in favor of a professional career, and freshman Geo Baker earned Rookie of the Year billing, the first Scarlet Knight to do so since Mike Rosario in 2009.

Iona, the area's most consistent winner over the last several years, only saw one of its players -- point guard Rickey McGill -- recognized with a spot on the All-Met second team, but head coach Tim Cluess received his first Peter A. Carlesimo Coach of the Year honor, a well-deserved testimonial for arguably his best coaching job over eight years in New Rochelle, one that saw the Gaels become just the third program to win three consecutive Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championships. The Gaels will also be honored off the floor on Wednesday at the Westchester Marriott in Tarrytown, as longtime director of athletic communications and men's basketball media contact Brian Beyrer will become the latest recipient of the Mike Cohen Good Guy Award, bestowed annually upon an individual whose contributions to the college basketball community go above and beyond the routine call of duty.

The Haggerty Award, presented to the best player in the metropolitan area, will be announced Wednesday morning. The remainder of All-Met honors and teams can be found below:

MBWA All-Met First Team (in alphabetical order)

Angel Delgado, Seton Hall

Joel Hernandez, LIU Brooklyn

Tyler Nelson, Fairfield

Shamorie Ponds, St. John's

Desi Rodriguez, Seton Hall

Justin Wright-Foreman, Hofstra

MBWA All-Met Second Team (in alphabetical order)

Khadeen Carrington, Seton Hall

JoJo Cooper, Wagner

Rickey McGill, Iona

Myles Powell, Seton Hall

Corey Sanders, Rutgers

Justin Simon, St. John's

Dimencio Vaughn, Rider

MBWA All-Met Third Team (in alphabetical order)

Joseph Chartouny, Fordham

Blake Francis, Wagner

Rokas Gustys, Hofstra

Mike Smith, Columbia

Anthony Tarke, NJIT

Rich Williams, Manhattan

MBWA Rookie of the Year

Geo Baker, Rutgers

Peter A. Carlesimo Coach of the Year

Tim Cluess, Iona