Tony Gaffney was named the Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year, and was named to the second team all-conference and all defensive teams.

Ricky Harris was named to the all-conference third team and Chris Lowe was an honorable mention.

Luke Bonner was named to the all-academic team.

Most surprising was that Gaffney wasn't the league's most improved player, which I thought was the most obvious award. That award went to Aaron Jackson, who was a good player last year that became a great player this year, as opposed to Gaffney, who went from non factor to one of the best players in the conference.

I think Jim Baron is a worthy pick for coach of the year, but Ron Everhart was worthier. URI was picked ninth in the preseason poll. Baron has been there a while. URI shouldn't be ninth. So the voters basically thought he'd done a lousy job having his program ready for this year. Instead he did a good job with a team that was clearly better than people thought.

Nobody has ever expected good things at Duquesne. The Dukes lost two players to early departure and we expected to fall back. Instead they got better. This is the best Duquesne has been in at least 15 years. Everhart got them there.

2008-09 ATLANTIC 10
MEN’S BASKETBALL ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS First-Team School Cl. Pos. Ht. Hometown PPG RPG Asts Stls Blks

First-Team

Jimmy Baron Rhode Island Sr. G. 6-3 East Grennwich, R.I. 16.8 2.7 60 22 2
Dionte Christmas Temple Sr. G 6-5 Philadelphia, Pa. 19.2 6.1 88 41 5
Aaron Jackson Duquesne Sr. G 6-4 Hartford, Conn. 18.3 5.7 168 50 3
Ahmad Nivins Saint Joseph’s Sr. F 6-9 Jersey City, N.J.     19.2 11.7 32 19 55
B.J. Raymond Xavier Sr. G/F 6-6 Toledo, Ohio 13.8 4.2 46 17 12 

Second-Team

Kevin Anderson Richmond So. G 5-11 Duluth, Ga. 16.2 2.9 82 44 2
Derrick Brown Xavier Jr. F 6-8 Dayton, Ohio 13.8 6.1 61 21 28
Tony Gaffney Massachusetts Sr. F 6-8 Berkley, Mass. 11.5 10.2 49 59 113
Rodney Green La Salle Jr. G 6-5 Philadelphia, Pa. 17.6 4.9 105 56 5
Chris Wright Dayton So. F 6-8 Trotwood, Ohio 13.1 6.5 29 28 37  

Third-Team
Lavoy Allen Temple So. F 6-9 Morrisville, Pa. 11.1 8.6 62 13 48
Ricky Harris Massachusetts Jr. G 6-2 Baltimore, Md. 18.2 2.9 44 37 5
Kevin Lisch Saint Louis Sr. G 6-2 Belleville, Ill. 14.2 3.4 75 37 1
Lamont Mack Charlotte Sr. F 6-7 Chicago, Ill. 15.1 5.6 27 24 10
Kahiem Seawright Rhode Island Sr. F 6-8 Uniondale, N.Y. 13.8 7.4 68 25 31 
Honorable
Mention
C.J. Anderson Xavier Sr. G/F 6-6 Cincinnati, Ohio 10.2 5.6 68 19 17
David Gonzalvez Richmond Jr. G 6-4 Marietta, Ga. 15.6 4.6 59 39 14
Marcus Johnson Dayton Jr. G 6-3 Cleveland, Ohio 12.1 3.2 50 26 15
Chris
Lowe Massachusetts Sr. G 6-0 Mount Vernon, N.Y. 12.1 3.0 190 22 2
Damian
Saunders Duquesne So. F 6-7 Waterbury, Conn. 13.3 7.9 66 66 66  

Rookie Team

Melquan Bolding Duquesne Fr. G/F 6-4 Mount
Vernon, N.Y. 9.0 4.1 34 28 6
Jio Fontan Fordham Fr. G 5-11 Patterson,
N.J. 15.3 2.7 132 33 3
Chris Johnson Dayton Fr. G/F 6-5 Columbus,
Ohio 6.5 5.4 18 17 5
Kwamain Mitchell Saint Louis Fr. G 5-10 Milwaukee,
Wis. 10.0 3.2 106 35 1
Andrew Nicholson St. Bonaventure Fr. F 6-9 Mississauga,
Ontario 12.5 6.0 7 79 16 

Defensive Team
Lavoy Allen Temple So. F 6-9 Morrisville, Pa. 11.1 8.6 62 13 48
Tony Gaffney Massachusetts Sr. F 6-8 Berkley,
Mass. 11.5 10.2 49 59 113
Ahmad Nivins Saint Joseph’s Sr. F 6-9 Jersey City, N.J.     19.2 11.7 32 19 55
London Warren Dayton Jr. G 6-0 Jacksonville,
Fla. 4.2 2.7 126 48 4
Garrett Williamson Saint Joseph’s Jr. G 6-5 Lower
Merion, Pa. 5.9 3.7 135 43 36
Academic
Team School Cl. Pos. Ht. Hometown Major
Jimmy Baron Rhode Island Sr. G 6-3 East Greenwich,
R.I. Communication Studies
Luke Bonner Massachusetts Gr. C 7-1 Concord,
N.H. Sports Management
Jason Duty Duquesne Jr. G 6-1 Cranberry
Township, Pa. Accounting
Kevin Lisch Saint
Louis Sr. G 6-2 Belleville, Ill. Business Administration
Yves Mekongo Mbala La Salle Jr. F 6-7 Elizabeth,
N.J. Integrated Science &        Business Technology

Player of the Year: Ahmad Nivins,
Saint Joseph’s

Rookie of the Year: Andrew Nicholson,
St. Bonaventure

Defensive Player of the Year:
Tony Gaffney, Massachusetts

Chris Daniels Most Improved Player
of the Year: Aaron Jackson, Duquesne

Sixth Man of the Year:
Delroy James, Rhode Island

Student-Athlete of the Year: Kevin
Lisch, Saint Louis
Coach of the
Year: Jim Baron, Rhode Island 

...two days til UMass-Duquesne...