Riverdale, N.Y. (February 27, 2006)- The Manhattan College men's basketball team placed three players,
Jason Wingate,
Arturo Dubois, and
Jeff Xavier, on the All-MAAC Second Team and one player,
Devon Austin, on the MAAC All-Rookie Team, it was announced today by the conference office. The Jaspers are fresh off winning the MAAC Regular Season Championship yesterday, defeating Iona, 78-74, in dramatic fashion.
This is the first All-MAAC honor for Wingate, the Jaspers' senior point guard and co-captain. The 6-0 guard is averaging a career-high 13.3 points per game, and leads the team with 75 assists. He went over the 900 point mark in the regular season finale against Iona, and currently ranks sixth on the Jaspers' all-time career assist list, having handed out 317 helpers over the course of his tenure in Riverdale. This season he has posted two 30+ scoring nights, and has posted career-highs in points, assists, made field goals, made three pointers, made free throws, and minutes played.
Dubois, a Preseason Third Team All-MAAC selection, moves up to the Second Team for the postseason awards. The 6-8 sophomore is averaging 15.0 points, a team-leading 8.7 rebounds, and has blocked a team and MAAC leading 66 shots on the season. The 66 blocks is one shy of the Manhattan single season record. The Rice High School product has tallied nine double-doubles this season, and already ranks third on the Manhattan career blocks list.
Xavier has more than doubled his scoring output since last season, as he is averaging 15.9 points per game this year. He has connected on 66 three point shots, which ties him for third on the Manhattan single season list. Xavier has also stepped up in the rebounding department down the stretch, posting four double-doubles over the Jaspers' final five MAAC games, including a 21 point, 13 rebound performance in Manhattan's overtime win at Niagara.
Austin is averaging 7.4 points and 2.9 rebounds per game, but, since entering the starting lineup 11 games ago, the 6-6 wing has upped his production across the board, averaging 12.4 points, 5.1 points, 1.4 blocks, and 1.4 steals per game, while shooting 50.6% from the floor, 42.9% from beyond the arc, and 84.6% from the line. A four time MAAC Rookie of the Week, he has tallied in double figures seven times this year, with six of those coming in a starting roll. By being selected to the All-Rookie team, Austin is now eligible for the MAAC Rookie of the Year award.
Manhattan is currently 18-9, 14-4 in MAAC play and, by virtue of its regular season championship, advances directly to the semifinals of the MAAC Tournament. The Jaspers will next play at 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 5 at the Pepsi Arena in Albany, N.Y.
