CANISIUS COLLEGE ATHLETICS
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Canisius junior guard Isaiah Reese has been named the 2018-19 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Preseason Player of the Year as voted on by the conference’s 11 head coaches, it was announced Tuesday night on the MAAC’s annual Preseason Awards Show.
Reese joins with former Canisius guard Billy Baron as the only two players in program history to be named the MAAC Preseason Player of the Year. Baron was honored by the conference prior to the start of his senior year in 2013-14.
Reese, who also named to the 2018-19 Preseason All-MAAC First Team on Tuesday, is coming off a sophomore campaign which saw him lead the team in rebounding average, assists per game average and steals per game average while ranking second on the roster in scoring average. His 16.9 points per game ranked seventh best in the MAAC a season ago, and his 4.7 assists per contest ranked fifth-best in the league. His 73 steals in 2017-18 stand as the most for a Canisius player since 1995, and his 2.2 steals per game ranked 15th nationally among all Division I players.
For his efforts last season, Reese was named All-MAAC First Team, making him the first Canisius sophomore to earn a place on the league’s top postseason all-star unit since Micheal Meeks was recognized in 1994.
Sophomore Takal Molson, the reigning MAAC Rookie of the Year, was also honored on Tuesday night by the conference as he was named Preseason All-MAAC Second Team. Molson, who set the program record for points in a Canisius debut by a true freshman with 25 at Buffalo, ended his first campaign on Main Street ranked second in the MAAC among all newcomers with his 12.6 points per game scoring average. He was also good for 5.0 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game last season in 33 starts as the Griffs won 21 games and earned a share of the 2017-18 MAAC regular-season championship.
As a team, Canisius was chosen to finish second in the MAAC coaches’ preseason poll with 105 points, behind Rider, the league’s unanimous choice as preseason favorite. Canisius and Rider both recorded 15 league wins last season as the two schools shared the conference’s regular-season title. Three-time defending MAAC Tournament champion Iona and Quinnipiac share third place in the preseason poll with 94 points, while Monmouth was chosen to finish fifth with 66 points.
Marist (59 points), Fairfield (50), Manhattan (46) and Niagara (45) were tabbed sixth through ninth, while Saint Peter’s (28) and Siena (18) round out the 11-team poll.
Canisius will officially open the 115th season in program history on Tuesday, Nov. 13, when the Blue and Gold travels to play at defending Patriot League champion Bucknell. The Griffs’ 2018-19 home opener is set for Saturday, Nov. 17, against Albany, and the team will start MAAC play Jan. 3, 2019 at Marist.
Season tickets for the 2018-19 season are on sale now through the Canisius Ticket Office by calling (716) 888-TIXX, or online HERE.
