Player of the Week
Nelly Junior Joseph, Iona
Jr., Benin City, Nigeria, NBA Academy Africa (Senegal)
 
Junior Nelly Junior Joseph was Iona's top performer in two double-digit wins over top Atlantic 10 programs in Saint Louis and St. Bonaventure. Junior Joseph averaged 20.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.0 blocks, 1.0 assists and 1.0 steals while shooing 70.4% from the field in the two victories. Against Saint Louis at home Tuesday night, the third-year big man posted 16 points and grabbed five rebounds while limited to 23 minutes due to early foul trouble. He had his top performance of the season, posting his third-double double with a 24-point, 10-rebound effort. It was a season-high point total and matched his season-high rebounding total. Junior Joseph was 11-for-14 (78.6%) from the field and posted two assists, two blocks and two steals. The 38-minute effort was a career-high and it marked the first time he did not commit a foul while playing 30+ minutes (32 career games). He anchored a tremendous defensive effort inside the paint in both games that saw Iona's opponents shoot 34.6% from the field and commit 16 more turnovers than assists (0.57 A/T ratio).
 
Rookie of the Week
Tahj Staveskie, Canisius
Fr., Sandusky, OH, Sandusky
 
Canisius redshirt-freshman Tahj Staveskie matched a season-high with 19 points to go with six rebounds and a steal in the Golden Griffins' 69-68 road loss to Toledo Saturday afternoon. Staveskie finished the day by going 8-for-17 from the floor, but from inside the arc, the Sandusky, Ohio native connected on 7-of-10 shots. He also went 2-for-2 from the free-throw line in 30:18 of action.
 
The 2022-23 campaign culminates with the 2023 Hercules Tires MAAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships from March 7-11 at Atlantic City's Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall for the fourth consecutive year. For all information regarding the 2023 Hercules Tires MAAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships, please visit MAACSports.com/basketball and by following @MAACHoops and #MAACHoops on Twitter. For tickets to the 2023 Hercules Tires MAAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships, please visit ticketmaster.com.
 
About the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
With 11 institutions strongly bound by the sound principles of quality and integrity in academics and excellence in athletics, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) is in its 42nd year of competition during the 2022-23 academic year. Current conference members include: Canisius College, Fairfield University, Iona University, Manhattan College, Marist College, Mount St. Mary’s University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena College.
 
Stay up to date with the MAAC on social media by following @MAACSports on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram or visit MAACSports.com for all the latest MAAC news.