April 10, 2007 - Rider’s Thompson 1st Team All-MET
April 10, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Men’s College Basketball
Rider’s Thompson 1st Team All-MET
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. --- Rider University junior Jason Thompson was named to the All-Met First Team by the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association at the 74th Haggerty Awards dinner Tuesday night. “Jason has been such a great player for us the past few years and it is always nice to see people recognize that,” said Rider head coach Tommy Dempsey.
The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year, Thompson (Mt. Laurel/Lenape) was previously honored as a first team All-MAAC selection and a second team All-District 3 pick by the National Association of Basketball Coaches. “When you have a year like Jason had the awards keep coming,” Dempsey said.
Thompson was one of just three Division I players to average over 20 points and 10 rebounds for the season, the other two being Kevin Durant of Texas and Nick Fazekas of Nevada.
Nationally, Thompson ranked 10th in rebounding (10.1), 24th in scoring (20.1), 34th in blocks (2.2) and 76th in field goal percentage (52.0). In the MAAC Thompson was first in rebounding and blocked shots, third in scoring, eighth in field goal percentage and 15th in free throw percentage.
Thompson was named to the CollegeInsider.com 2007 Defensive All-American team and was named to the CollegeInsider.com 2007 Mid-Major All-American team.
Thompson is the third Bronc in six years to earn First Team All-Met, the others being Mario Porter in 2002, and Jerry Johnson in 2005.
Thompson compiled 17 ‘double-doubles’ this past season and now has 30 ‘double-doubles’ in three seasons. Thompson grabbed 20 rebounds in a victory over Manhattan in 2006-07, tying the Rider record for caroms in a game.
Thompson enters his senior year with 1,346 career points, 11th highest ever at Rider, and 759 rebounds, sixth highest ever at Rider.
“The individual accomplishments are great, but Jason is very focused right now on winning in his senior year,” Dempsey said. “He is working extremely hard everyday.”
-RU-
2006-07 All-Met Teams:
FIRST TEAM: Jared Jordan, Marist, 6-2, sr, G; Loren Stokes, Hofstra, 6-3, sr, G; Antoine Agudio, Hofstra, 6-3, jr, G; Lamont Hamilton, St. John’s, 6-10, sr, F; Eugene Harvey, Seton Hall, 6-0, fr, G; Jason Thompson, Rider, 6-10, jr, F.
SECOND TEAM: Brian Laing, Seton Hall, 6-5, jr, F; Bryant Dunston, Fordham, 6-8, jr, F; Marcus Stout, Fordham, 6-4, jr, G; Will Whittington, Marist, 6-3, jr, G/F; Andre Harris, FDU, 6-8, sr, F; Anthony Mason Jr., St. John’s, 6-7, so, F; John Baumann, Columbia, 6-7, jr, F.
THIRD TEAM: Jarell Brown, Army, 6-2, jr, G; J.R. Inman, Rutgers, 6-9, so, F; Arturo Dubois, Manhattan, 6-8, jr, F; Devon Austin, 6-6, so, F; Mike Van Schaick, Fairfield, 6-2, sr, G Robert Hines, St. Francis, 6-5, jr, F
