Crawford, McGill, Agee garner all-MAAC honors

Rickey McGill (0), E.J. Crawford (2), and Tajuan Agee (12) received all-MAAC honors Monday afternoon, with McGill and Crawford named first team all-conference and Agee earning spot on second team. (Photos by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

Before Iona begins its latest Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference title defense, the three-time defending conference tournament champions will have a handful of other plaudits for which to be recognized.

Three Gaels received all-MAAC distinctions Monday afternoon, with senior point guard Rickey McGill and junior forward E.J. Crawford landing first team all-MAAC merit, while junior forward Tajuan Agee received second team billing.

McGill, a second team all-MAAC honoree as a junior last season, took his game to a higher level in his final campaign in New Rochelle, averaging 15.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game. The Spring Valley native also led the MAAC in steals, with his 67 thefts good enough for a nightly average of 2.3 per contest. In Iona's regular-season-ending seven-game win streak, McGill transcended his already brilliant play, averaging nearly 17 points per game and supplementing that total with an average of five assists per game and nearly five rebounds. His 30 points on February 24 in the Gaels' 87-80 victory over Canisius punctuated an indelible lasting impression on his senior day, and represents a season-high.

Crawford took the next step in his maturation this season, blossoming from a perimeter threat into a more complete player. The junior from Hartford led the Gaels with a team-best 17.8 points per game, second in the MAAC behind only Quinnipiac's Cameron Young, and augmented his offense by amassing five rebounds per game and shooting over 50 percent from the floor. A clutch performer from the onset of his collegiate career, as evidenced by his game-winning basket in the 2017 MAAC championship game against Siena, Crawford continued to thrive in big moments throughout the season, either starting or highlighting several game-changing Iona runs over the course of the year.

Agee became the latest success story for the Gaels on the transfer wire, and led the MAAC in rebounding, recording 8.1 boards per game. The Chicagoan also demonstrated his two-way prowess as both a back-to-the-basket big man and veritable perimeter threat, conjuring memories of both Jordan Washington and David Laury en route to serving as Iona's third-leading scorer, and an X-factor of sorts that alleviated pressure on both McGill and Crawford. In his first campaign in New Rochelle after a two-year career at Tyler Junior College, Agee averaged 13 points per game, knocked down 30 of the 87 three-point field goals he attempted, and was the Gaels' leading shot blocker, with 22 rejections.

Iona begins its quest for an unprecedented fourth consecutive MAAC championship on Friday, when the Gaels -- owners of a 17-4 record under head coach Tim Cluess at Times Union Center, site of the MAAC tournament -- will face either Marist or Saint Peter's in the quarterfinals at 7 p.m.