POUGHKEEPSIE, New York – Graduate guard
Rhyjon Blackwell of the Marist University men's basketball team was named Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Sixth Player of the Year on Wednesday afternoon.
Blackwell is the MAAC's leader in free throw percentage. His current mark of .931 is the third-best single-season mark in program history, and it is the best since 1994.
In his 24 games coming off the bench this season, Blackwell averaged 12.6 points per game. He displayed his explosive scoring ability on a number of occasions, which included three games of at least 20 points as a reserve:
- Nov. 3: season-high 24 points in Marist's season opener at Big East foe Xavier.
- Jan. 30: 20 points in an overtime win at Canisius, which included an 8-for-8 performance from the free throw line.
- Feb. 5: 23 points in a home victory over Rider, which included a 5-for-6 performance from three-point range.
Blackwell is the second Red Fox in program history to earn this honor, following Ryan Funk in 2019.
Earlier on Wednesday,
Justin Menard and
Elijah Lewis were both named Third Team All-MAAC, while
Jaden Daughtry was named to the All-Defensive Team.
Fifth-seeded Marist (18-12 overall, 12-8 MAAC) opens play in the Air Force Reserve MAAC Championship on Saturday against fourth-seeded Quinnipiac at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m.
