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Home > Men's Basketball > Archive > 2006-2007 > February 28, 2007 - Jason Thompson First Team All-MAAC / Second Team All-District 3

February 28, 2007 - Jason Thompson First Team All-MAAC / Second Team All-District 3

February 28, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Men’s College Basketball
Rider’s Thompson First Team All-MAAC
Second Team All-District 3

LAWRENCEVILLE—Rider University junior Jason Thompson was named to the first team All-Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference basketball team on Monday, and is now in the running for the MAAC Player of the Year award. On Wednesday, Thompson was named Second Team All-District 3 by the National Association of Basketball Coaches and is now eligible for the NABC Division I All-American honors.

"I’m very proud of the way Jason has developed into one of the most dominating players in the league," said Rider head coach Tommy Dempsey.

A 6’10" forward, Thompson (Mt. Laurel/Lenape) currently ranks first in the MAAC in both rebounding (9.9) and blocks (2.2) and is second in the conference in scoring (19.9). "I’ll put those numbers up against anybody’s in the country," Dempsey said.

Other members of the Second Team All-District 3 team include: Mike Nardi of Villanova, Mark Zoller of Penn, Dionte Christmas of Temple and Geary Claxton of Penn State. "That’s pretty good company," Dempsey said.

Thompson was a second team All-MAAC selection last year and a preseason first team All-MAAC selection this year. The last time Rider had a first-team All-MAAC selection was in 2005, when Jerry Johnson earned that award. The only time Rider had a MAAC Player of the Year was 2002 when Mario Porter won the award.

The MAAC Player of the Year award winner will be named on Thursday evening. Other first team All-MAAC selections who are in the running include: Gerald Brown of Loyola, Jared Jordan of Marist, Charron Fisher of Niagara and Michael Haddix of Siena. "Jason really deserved to be a first team selection, and deserves to be a player of the year candidate," Dempsey said.

Rider (15-14, 9-9 MAAC) is the seventh seed and will play the tenth seed, Iona (2-27, 1-17 MAAC) Friday night at 10:00 pm in the first round. Rider and Iona split their regular season series this year. "Iona has had a great deal of success in this tournament," Dempsey said. Iona is the defending MAAC Champion and has won three of the last seven MAAC tournaments. "We know this is going to be a tough test."

Rider is 5-9 in nine years in the MAAC tournament. The Broncs reached the MAAC Title Game in 2005, losing to Niagara.

-RU-