Atlantic 10 Player of the Year Candidates

Christmas, Nivins, Jackson Among Leaders in A-10

Jan 20, 2009

With the midpoint of the college basketball season at hand, it is time to recognize candidates for player of the year in the Atlantic 10 conference.

The following Atlantic 10 college basketball players have made an indelible impact on the floor during the non-conference and early Atlantic 10 basketball schedule:

A-10 Player of the Year Candidates

Dionte Christmas- Temple (21 Points/Game, 6 Rebounds/Game, 2 Assists/Game). Here is a guy who has scored over 20 points in 9 of his team's 15 games. He single-handedly beat Tennessee earlier this season with a 35-point performance and has established Temple as a force in the A-10. Without him, Temple would have trouble staying out of the bottom half of the A-10.

Aaron Jackson- Duquesne (18, 6, 6). Consider the improvements Jackson has made from past seasons and it is clear why the Dukies are in first place in early A-10 action. His statistics are balanced and he has reached his peak in his senior year. Combining with Damian Saunders, Duquesne has a formidable front and backcourt. Plus, he provides the "clutch factor" with his outstanding free throw percentage. Without Jackson, the Dukies would still be improving but at a drastically slower pace. They have good pieces in place with Jackson leading the way.

Ahmad Nivins- Saint Joseph's (19, 11, 1). A true big-man, Nivins knows how to score and capitalize on missed shots with his rebounding ability. He is a major presence in the paint and without him, the Hawks would be missing the core of their offense. It would be like Pitt without Dejaun Blair. There are adequate backups but nothing close to the master. He had his two highest scoring games in the closest matchups of the season, victories against Cornell (28 pts.) and Rhode Island (26 pts.), respectively.

Jio Fontan- Fordham (14, 3, 5). If there is any hope for Fordham, it is Fontan. While his stats are not eye-popping, he keeps the Rams in most games due to his presence. The fact that he is a freshman takes his case to the next level. His free throw shooting shooting and turnover rate are concerns but figure that he scored in double digits in 12 of his team's 15 games. Fontan has a bright future. Imagine if he could improve upon this season each year and it would be easy to see him garnering player of the year votes for A-10 player of the year in two years. Without him, it would be tough for Fordham to win more than a couple games which they have done already.

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