EDISON, N.J. (March 7, 2022) - After a strong year on the court in the 2021-22 season, the Saint Peter's men's basketball program had three student-athletes selected for All-Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference awards Monday as senior KC Ndefo earned Second Team All-MAAC honors, junior Daryl Banks III was selected to the Third Team All-MAAC and freshman Jaylen Murray was selected to the All-Rookie Team.
It is the third straight season the Peacocks have had multiple players selected to the All-MAAC teams as the trio helped lead SPU to a 14-6 record in conference play, tying the program record for league wins.
Ndefo, who is still eligible to defend his Defensive Player of the Year award that will be announced Wednesday, earns All-MAAC accolades for the third time in his career after being selected to the First Team in 2020-21 and Third Team in 2019-20. The two-time reigning Defensive Player of the Year finished the regular season averaging 10.3 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.3 steals and a league-best 2.67 blocks per contest. Ndefo is the anchor for the best defensive team in the MAAC that ranks 23rd in the country allowing just 62.4 points per game.
Banks III has been the leading scorer for the Peacocks all season averaging 11.2 points per game as he earns his third All-MAAC award after being named to the Third Team in 2020-21 and earning All-Rookie team honors his freshman campaign in 2019-20. Banks III has scored in double figures 17 times this season and ranks inside the top-15 in the MAAC in 3-point field goal percentage, free throw percentage, made 3-pointers per game and steals per game on the year.
Murray, finally, becomes the first SPU player to earn All-Rookie team honors since the trio of Banks III, Doug Edert and Aaron Estrada all were selected in 2019-20. Murray is averaging 6.0 points and 1.7 assists per game in his freshman campaign and has scored in double figures in three conference contests this season. A strong distributor as the backup point guard for the Peacocks, Murray has at least one assist in 20 of the Peacocks' 27 games on the year including an eight point, seven assist and six rebound effort in the win over Nyack.
Regular season league champion Iona led the league with four All-MAAC selections as Tyson Jolly and Nelly Junior Joseph landed on the first team, Elijah Joiner was selected to the second team and Walter Clayton Jr. earned All-Rookie Team honors. Monmouth and Siena, who finished third and fourth in the conference standings, respectively, joined SPU with three All-MAAC selections.
All-MAAC First Team
Tyson Jolly, Iona*
Nelly Junior Joseph, Iona
Jose Perez, Manhattan
George Papas, Monmouth
Marcus Hammond, Niagara
All-MAAC Second Team
Elijah Joiner, Iona
Jao Ituka, Marist
Walker Miller, Monmouth
KC Ndefo, Saint Peter's
Colby Rogers, Siena
All-MAAC Third Team
Ricardo Wright, Marist
Shavar Reynolds Jr., Monmouth
Matt Balanc, Quinnipiac
Kevin Marfo, Quinnipiac
Dimencio Vaughn, Rider
Daryl Banks III, Saint Peter's
Anthony Gaines, Siena
MAAC All-Rookie Team
TJ Long, Fairfield
Walter Clayton Jr., Iona*
Jao Ituka, Marist*
Jaylen Murray, Saint Peter's
Jared Billups, Siena
*-Unanimous selection
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 41st year of competition during the 2021-22 academic year. Current conference members include: Canisius College, Fairfield University, Iona College, Manhattan College, Marist College, Monmouth University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Saint Peter's University, and Siena College.
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