Three MAAC Standouts Named To USBWA All-District Teams
MAAC Sports
EDISON, N.J. – Three Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference men’s basketball standouts were named All-District performers by the United States Basketball Writers, it was announced today.
The trio, Sean Armand of Iona, Ike Azotam of Quinnipiac and Billy Baron of Canisius were all first team All-MAAC selections, and each played a major role in leading their respective team to 20-win seasons and the 2014 MAAC Championship semifinals.
Armand and Baron, both senior guards, were named to the All-District II team, while Azotam, a senior forward, was an All-District I selection. District II includes New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania and West Virginia. District I includes Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut. The USBWA is comprised of more than 900 members representing media outlets the country.
The 6-5, 200-pound Armand, from Brooklyn, N.Y., is fourth in the MAAC in scoring with 17.8 points per game and fifth overall in assists with 4.0 per game. Armand is also second in the league in three-pointers made per game with 2.9 and three-point field goal percentage, converting .448 percent. Armand was a two-time MAAC Player of the Week selection and was named to the MAAC’s All-Championship tournament event. .
Azotam is second in the MAAC in rebounding, with 10.2 boards per game, and registered a league leading 17 double-doubles, number two nationally, during the regular season. The 6-7, 239-pound forward from Boston, Mass., leads the MAAC in offensive rebounding with 4.2 per game, and is second on the defensive glass with 6.0 per game. He is averaging 16.4 points per game, eighth best in the MAAC. He was big reason why Quinnipiac led the MAAC, and the country, in rebounding margin and offensive rebounds.
Baron, a 6-2, 195 pound guard from East Greenwich, R.I., was a unanimous first-team All-MAAC choice, and was the Pepsi MAAC Player of the Year. Baron is second in the MAAC and third nationally in scoring, averaging 24.2 points per game. Baron is also second in the MAAC with 5.2 assists per game, and third with 1.5 steals. Baron is the MAAC leader in free throw percentage, hitting .882 from the line, three-point field goals made per game with 3.1, and minutes played per game, with 38.9. He was a four-time Player of the Week in 2013-14, and is a candidate for the Bob Cousy Award as the nation’s top point guard.