MAAC Honor Roll Inductees - Rider
MAAC Sports
EDISON, N.J. - On November 1, the MAAC will recognize 23 significant men's and women's basketball players at the fourth annual Honor Roll Dinner at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Two former student-athletes from each institution will be enshrined in The MAAC Experience, the league's exhibit at the Hall of Fame. Bios for each honoree will be featured on MAACSports.com as we count down to the private event.
Kevin Bannon – Rider University
Coach Bannon led Rider to five conference championship games, with one East Coast Conference appearance and four in the Northeast Conference. He also guided the Broncs to two conference championships and back-to-back NEC titles which garnered two NCAA appearances. Bannon reached the 100-win plateau faster than any other Rider basketball coach, compiling a 131-103 record during his eight seasons at Rider (1989-90 to 1996-97). Twice voted the NEC Coach of the Year, Bannon was also a Metropolitan Basketball Writers Coach of the Year and a New Jersey Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year. His teams were 40-6 in Alumni Gym against NEC teams, helping to create the “Broncs’ Zoo.” Bannon inherited a Rider team that was 5-23 and improved every year until going 21-9 in 1994. His Broncs won 18 or more games in a season five times.
Jessica Beck – Rider University
The Rider athlete of the year for the 1995-96 school year, Beck was the first basketball player ever at Rider to reach the 1,000 plateau in both points and rebounds. To date the only other basketball player to do that was Jason Thompson of the Sacramento Kings. Beck ranked 11th in the nation in rebounding as a senior to earn first team All-Metropolitan (New York, New Jersey) honors. She led the entire Northeast Conference in rebounding for three consecutive years, while setting Rider records for rebounds in a game, rebounds in a season and rebounds in a career. A two-time team MVP, Beck earned All-Conference honors three times after being a member of the conference All-Newcomer team as a rookie. Her four teams won 63 games and lost 48.