ralphieralph@netscape.net
Aprl 6th, 2006
Metro Area Review & Postseason Awards
Keydren Clark is NYC region Player of the Year
This season was to be the year when teams from smaller
conferences would take over as the rulers of the New York metropolitan area.
Teams like Iona, Manhattan, and Hofstra spent the majority of the season at
or near the top of the area poll posted on this site throughout the season.
Marist was a pleasant surprise, finishing third in the competitive MAAC, but
the biggest surprise was Seton Hall. The Pirates, preseason pick to finish
fifteenth in the Big East, finished seventh and received an at-large bid to
the NCAA Tournament. There were also some disappointments, most notably
Wagner. The Seahawks were picked to finish third in the Northeast
Conference, yet couldn’t even qualify for the conference tournament this
season. Below are some of the superlatives from this past season, as well as
the final poll.
Player of the Year: Keydren Clark (Senior G – St.
Peter’s)
Clark was unable to defend his national scoring title,
but it wasn’t due to a lack of effort. Kee Kee scored 26.3 points per game,
tops in the Metro Atlantic. What makes this figure even more impressive is
the fact that opponents on a nightly basis knew that he was the focal point
of the offense, and yet he still put up excellent numbers. The Peacocks hit
a rough stretch early in January, losing four straight conference games due
primarily to the fact that Clark’s young teammates struggled with their
offense from time to time. But Clark’s leadership rounded teammates such as
Raul Orta and Todd Sowell into form as the year progressed, enabling St.
Peter’s to make it to the MAAC Tournament final. There, playing their fourth
game in as many days caught up to them, resulting in an 80-61 loss to Iona.
Clark leaves the Jersey City campus in sixth place on the NCAA’s all-time
career scoring list with 3,058 points. An amazing career indeed.
Runners-up: Steve Burtt Jr. (Senior G– Iona), Loren
Stokes (Junior G– Hofstra), Bryant Dunston (Sophomore F- Fordham).
Coach of the Year: Tom Pecora (Hofstra)
Pecora led the Pride to a record of twenty-six wins and
seven losses, including 14-4 in the tough Colonial Athletic Association,
good for second place. Hofstra beat the likes of St. John’s, and two wins
each over Old Dominion and George Mason. Unfortunately for Pecora, ODU got a
measure of revenge in ending their season in the quarterfinals of the NIT.
Due to Hofstra’s success, as well as interest from Seton Hall regarding
their head coach opening, the former Jay Wright assistant was recently
rewarded with a five-year contract extension. It’s only a matter of time
before the rest of America learns what many in the metropolitan area already
know: Tom Pecora can coach.
Runners-up: Jeff Ruland (Iona), Bobby Gonzalez
(Manhattan), Louis Orr (Seton Hall).
Biggest Surprise: Seton Hall (finished seventh in
Big East despite preseason prognostications of fifteenth, as well as
uncertainty of the program)
Biggest Disappointment: Wagner (finished tenth in
the NEC; preseason pick to finish tied for second with Monmouth)
All-Metro Area First Team:
G Steve Burtt Jr. (Senior- Iona):
25.2 ppg, 3.3 rpg
G Keydren Clark (Senior- St. Peter’s):
26.3 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 4.4 apg
G Loren Stokes (Junior- Hofstra): 17.4 ppg,
5.1 rpg
F Bryant Dunston (Sophomore- Fordham):
16.1 ppg, 7.6 rpg
F Kelly Whitney (Senior- Seton Hall): 15.2
ppg, 7.9 rpg
All-Metro Area Second Team:
G Jared Jordan (Junior- Marist): 16.1 ppg,
8.5 apg, 4.8 rpg
G Donald Copeland (Senior- Seton Hall):
16.1 ppg, 4.5 apg, 3.0 rpg
G Ricky Soliver (Senior- Iona): 16.1 ppg,
5.3 rpg, 4.4 apg
F Gordon Klaiber (Senior- Fairleigh
Dickinson): 14.9 ppg, 5.9 rpg
F/C Lamont Hamilton (Junior- St. John’s):
12.6 ppg, 7.6 rpg
Honorable Mention:
G Chad Timberlake (Senior- Fairleigh
Dickinson): 15.2 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 4.2 apg
G Antoine Agudio (Sophomore- Hofstra):
17.2 ppg, 2.9 rpg
G Will Whittington (Junior- Marist): 15.4
ppg, 2.7 rpg
F Kiril Wachsmann (Senior- Iona): 11.5 ppg,
8.6 rpg
F C.J. Anderson (Sophomore- Manhattan):
18.8 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 3.9 apg
Final Metro Area Team Rankings (previous ranking in
parentheses):
1. Hofstra (1):
With all three backcourt stars returning next
season, why would Tom Pecora leave?
2. Iona (3):
A rebuilding project awaits Jeff Ruland next
season…whether it’s here or if he gets the Seton Hall job (he’s a long shot
at best, however)
3. Manhattan (2):
Jeff Xavier and most likely C.J. Anderson will
return to a team that could be the preseason favorite in the MAAC
4. Seton Hall (5):
No recruits coming in as of yet; currently
interviewing candidates for their head coaching position
5. St. Peter’s (8):
Life after Kee Kee will take some getting used
to, but some experience will return next year
6. Marist (4):
With guards Jordan and Whittington due back, the Red
Foxes should be at or near the top of the MAAC
7. Fairleigh
Dickinson (6): Knights must replace seniors
Timberlake and Klaiber, but center Andrea Crosariol will be back
8. Fordham (7):
Fordham should be even better next season;
will have to prove that their third place finish in the Atlantic 10 was not
a fluke
9. St. John’s (9): Losing
Daryll Hill to a knee injury hindered the Red Storm down the stretch, but
Norm Roberts has this program on the right track
10. LIU-Brooklyn
(10): Expect improvement next year from a
Blackbirds squad that loses only one senior (G Aubin Scott)
11. Wagner
(11): Seahawks return all key players from
this year’s team with the exception of guard DeEarnest McLemore; should be
much better in 2006-07
12. Columbia
(12): Columbia loses three seniors, and the
experience returning could get the Lions into the top half of the Ivy League
13. St.
Francis- NY (13): Must find replacements for
departing seniors Sean Dantzler and Christian Brown, but should improve in
the NEC next year
14. Stony
Brook (14): A young team that had a tough
season, the experience should help make the Seawolves a tougher foe in
America East
