NEW YORK (AP) — Sandro Mamukelashvili of Seton Hall has won the Haggerty Award, presented annually since 1936 to the New York metropolitan area’s Division I men’s college player of the year.
The award was chosen by the Met Basketball Writers Association and announced Tuesday.
The group also selected Steve Pikiell of Rutgers as the coach of the year for the second consecutive season and for the fourth time overall. Posh Alexander of St. John’s is the group's rookie of the year.
Mamukelashvili is the third straight Seton Hall player to win the award following two-time winner Myles Powell. The power forward from the Republic of Georgia averaged team-highs of 17.5 points and 7.6 rebounds. He was one of two players in the Big East to rank in the conference’s top five in scoring and rebounding.
Alexander averaged 10.9 points, 3.4 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.6 steals for the Red Storm (16-11). He was the conference's defensive player of the year.
Pikiell’s Scarlet Knights had a 16-12 record and made the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1991. They beat Clemson in the first round and were edged in the second round by Final Four qualifier Houston.
Pikiell won the award last year when Rutgers went 20-11 in a season ended by the pandemic. He also won in 2010 and '13 at Stony Brook.
The Metropolitan Area Writers encompasses 72 men’s and women’s teams across Divisions I, II and III.
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