AJ English (Iona/DI), Egzon Gjonbalaj (Brooklyn/DII-III) Take Players of the Week
MBWA Players of the Week (11-30 to 12-6) 2015-16 / Week 1
FFI: Chuck Stogel, MBWA - 914-428-6111, chstogel@aol.com
Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association
www.MetBasketballWriters.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
English, Gjonbalaj Named MBB Players of the Week
NEW YORK (Dec. 8, 2015) --- A.J. English of Iona and Egzon Gjonbalaj of Brooklyn have been named Men’s Division I and Divisions II-III Players of the Week, respectively, by the Met Basketball Writers Assn.
The designations, for games played Nov. 30-Dec. 6, are unique in that they encompass players from 74 Met area schools across Divisions I, II and III.
A 6-4 senior guard from Wilmington, DE, who also was named the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference player of the week --- and the CBSsports.com national player of the week --- English tore up several record books in leading the Gaels (3-2) to a pair of MAAC victories. Overall for the week, he averaged 31.0 ppg, 8.5 assists, 4.5 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.5 blocks while posting a 60.6% field goal percentage, including 65.2% from beyond the arc. He is now ninth in the nation in scoring with a 23.8 ppg average.
English began the week with a 46-point, eight assists effort in a 101-77 victory over visiting Fairfield, tying the MAAC single-game scoring record and recording the second-highest point total in Iona history. The 30-year-old MAAC record was set in 1985 by Holy Cross’ Jim McCaffrey. Only Warren Isaac's 50-point effort in 1965 is higher in Iona annals.
English hit 13-of-19 3-point shots in the contest, shattering the MAAC and school record of 10 treys previously set by former teammate Sean Armand in 2012. The 3-point total was the most in the NCAA since the line was moved to 20 feet, 9 inches in 2008 and only four other performers in history have made more than the Iona senior. In the second half, English hit his first nine 3-point attempts, falling two shy of the NCAA single-game record. It was the highest point scoring total in the NCAA this season. It was the first 45+ point, 5+ assist effort since BYU’s Jimmer Fredette in 2011 and just the 18th in the NCAA in the last 20 seasons of play.
English followed up the first performance with a well-balanced and efficient effort to lead Iona to a second straight 100+ point effort, a 101-66 road victory over Marist. He recorded 16 points, nine assists, six rebounds, three steals and three blocks, and hit five of eight field goal attempts and all four free throws in the win.
A 6-5 senior guard/forward from Brooklyn, NY, who also was named the CUNYAC player of the week, Gjonbalaj helped the Bulldogs (9-0) remain undefeated with three wins last week by averaging 26.3 ppg, 8.6 rpg, and 7.0 apg.
In a 107-92 home win against Stevens Tech, Gjonbalaj posted a triple-double with 34 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists. In a 91-64 victory at Old Westbury, he produced a 27-point, seven rebounds and seven assists boxscore. And then, in another 91-64 triumph --- this time against conference foe John Jay --- he closed the week by registering 18 points, six rebounds and four assists with no turnovers.
Players receiving MBWA Men’s Division I Honorable Mention for the week: Brian Bernardi, Hofstra; Ryan Rhoomes, Fordham; Jameel Warney, Stony Brook.
Players receiving MBWA Men’s Divisions II-III Honorable Mention for the week: Claude Blue, Bloomfield; Parker Hagmaier, Sarah Lawrence; Jalen Harris, NJCU; Kevin Herring II, Drew; Evan Kupferberg, NYU; Andy Laurent, St. Joseph’s-LI; Anthony Maestre, Manhattanville; Christopher Moseley, Ramapo; Justin Reyes, St. Thomas Aquinas.