St. Joseph’s University is celebrating a major Atlantic 10 milestone, writes Ryan Mack for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Head coach Steve Donahue was named the conference’s Coach of the Year in his first season leading the Bala Cywnyd team.
Donahue stepped into the head coaching role shortly before the season after Billy Lange departed to join the NBA’s New York Knicks coaching staff. The transition didn’t slow the Hawks.
After beginning Atlantic 10 play with an 0-2 record and losing leading scorer Deuce Jones II midseason, St. Joe’s surged to a 13-3 conference finish and a 21-10 overall record. The Hawks secured the No. 3 seed in the Atlantic 10 tournament — their highest conference tournament seed since the 2004-05 season.
Several players also earned recognition from the conference’s coaches. Center Justice Ajogbor was named co-Defensive Player of the Year and earned a spot on the Atlantic 10 All-Defensive Team. His 69 blocked shots rank among the nation’s best and helped anchor the Hawks’ defense.
Guard Derek Simpson was selected to the All-Conference First Team after averaging 13.7 points and ranking second in the conference with 5.2 assists per game.
Guard Jaiden Glover Toscano earned second-team honors, while freshman Austin Williford was named to the All-Freshman Team.
To learn more about Steve Donahue’s accolades, visit The Philadelphia Inquirer.
