EDISON, NJ – Iona College men’s basketball senior David Laury, junior A.J. English and freshman Schadrac Casimir were 2014-15 All-MAAC selections as voted on by the league’s 11 head coaches. Laury and English were the lone unanimous picks to the First Team while Casimir was named to both the Second and All-Rookie Teams.
Laury helped lead Iona to the MAAC regular season crown, finishing the regular season with a 20.1 points per game and a 9.5 rebounds per game average, both good for second in the league. Laury’s 16 double-doubles are also second in the MAAC and is top 10 nationally. The 2014-2015 MAAC Preseason Player of the Year earned MAAC Player of the Week honors a league best three times this season.
English, the lone returning First Team selection from a year ago ranks third in the MAAC in scoring averaging 19.5 points and is the MAAC leader with 5.2 assists per game. English also leads the conference with 3.0 made three-point field goals per contest and was named MAAC Player of the Week on Nov. 24.
Casimir made an Iona rookie record 89 three pointers, a total which is most among all NCAA Division I freshman and tied for first place in the MAAC. He ranks eighth among NCAA freshmen and led all MAAC rookies in scoring during the regular season with 15.2 points per game while shooting a league best 43.8 percent from behind the arc. He also earned a Iona record eight MAAC Rookie of the Week honors in 2014-15 en route to a unanimous choice for the All-Rookie Team. He was the only MAAC freshman among the 16 players selected to the First, Second or Third Teams.
Iona has received at least one First Team selection in the five seasons under head coach Tim Cluess and for the fourth time had two on the list. The Gaels have also had three All-MAAC selections in each of the last four seasons. English and Laury are two of six players eligible to be named the 2014-15 MAAC Player of the Year, also selected by the head coaches of the league. Casimir is a candidate for the MAAC Rookie of the Year. The winners will be announced Friday, March 6 at 5:00 pm at the MAAC Postseason Awards Show at the Swyer Theater at the Egg in Albany, NY. The show will be broadcast live on ESPN3.
English and Laury are joined on the All-MAAC First Team by Manhattan senior Emmy Andujar, Monmouth sophomore Justin Robinson, Quinnipiac senior Zaid Hearst and Rider senior Matt Lopez.
Casimir is on the All-MAAC Second Team with Marist senior Chavaughn Lewis, Quinnipiac senior Ousmane Drame, Rider junior Teddy Okereafor and Saint Peter’s senior Marvin Dominque.
The All-MAAC Third Team is Canisius sophomore Zach Lewis, Fairfield junior Marcus Gilbert, Manhattan senior Ashton Pankey, Monmouth junior Deon Jones and Siena senior Rob Poole.
The All-Rookie Team is Casimir, Canisius’ Kassius Robertson, Fairfield’s Tyler Nelson, Niagara’s Dominique Reid, and Quinnipiac’s Ayron Hutton.
The top-seeded Gaels take on the winner of No. 8 Siena and No. 9 Niagara on Saturday (Mar. 7) at 12:00 pm in the first quarterfinal at the Times Union Center.
