Haggerty Award and All-Metropolitan honors: Jerry Carino's ballot

Any discussion of the 2023 Haggerty Award, which has been given to the best college basketball player in the New York metropolitan area since 1936, must begin with an important acknowledgement.

The best player in the metro area during the 2022-23 season is ineligible for the honor. That would be Princeton senior Tosan Evbuomwan, who led the Tigers to the Ivy League’s regular-season and tournament titles and then a spot in the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16. The point forward was so good in the Big Dance, he was named to the All-South Regional team even though Princeton lost the semifinal.

The Haggerty, and the All-Metropolitan honors administered each April by the Met Basketball Writers Association, expressly considers postseason performance. So Evbuomwan would be my choice and the probable winner, but alas Princeton is not among the so-called “participating schools,” and it’s not a geographical thing because neighboring Rider is included.

What is the deal here? The story goes that Princeton withdrew from participation in the early 1990s because of a beef with the association, although no one can seem to remember the exact details. The Tigers have wanted back in for a couple of years now. Finally, this is in the process of being corrected for the 2023-24 season, though too late to impact this year’s All-Met awards.

That does not diminish the outstanding season by Hofstra senior guard Aaron Estrada, a Woodbury native, who gets my Haggerty vote after averaging 20.2 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists and leading the Pride to the Colonial Athletic Association title.

Tobin Anderson, who guided FDU to an NCAA Tournament berth and a historic upset of top-seeded Purdue a year after the Knights finished 4-22, is my Coach of the Year. Army Forward Ethan Roberts (12.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg), who was Patriot League Rookie of the Year, gets my vote as the All-Met Rookie of the Year.

My full All-Met ballot is below.

HAGGERTY AWARD

1. Aaron Estrada, Hofstra (Sr., G)

2. Joel Soriano, St. John’s (Sr., C)

3. Walter Clayton Jr., Iona (So., G)

FIRST TEAM ALL-MET

Aaron Estrada, Hofstra, G

Joel Soriano, St. John’s, C

Walter Clayton Jr., Iona, G

Demetre Roberts, FDU, G

Cliff Omoruyi, Rutgers, C

Darius Quisenberry, Fordham, G

SECOND TEAM ALL-MET

Tyler Thomas, Hofstra, G

Caleb McConnell, Rutgers, G

Kadary Richmond, Seton Hall, G

Dwight Murray Jr., Rider, G

Nelly Junior Joseph, Iona, F

THIRD TEAM ALL-MET

Anthony Nelson, Manhattan, G

Grant Singleton, FDU, G

Nico Gallete, Sacred Heart, F

Khalid Moore, Fordham, F

Tyrese Samuel, Seton Hall, F/C

COACH OF THE YEAR

1-Tobin Anderson, FDU

2. Speedy Claxton, Hofstra

3. Keith Urgo, Fordham

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

1-Ethan Roberts, Army (Fr., F)

2. AJ Storr, St. John’s (Fr., G)

3. Derek Simpson, Rutgers (Fr., G)

Jerry Carino has covered the New Jersey sports scene since 1996 and the college basketball beat since 2003. He is an Associated Press Top 25 voter. Contact him at jcarino@gannettnj.com.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Haggerty Award and All-Metropolitan honors: Jerry Carino's ballot