Balanc Crowned MAAC Player of the Year, Pecora Named Coach of the Year
3/11/2024 1:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
ATLANTIC CITY, NJ – Quinnipiac Men's Basketball earned a pair of major MAAC awards following the completion of the 2023-24 regular season, as guard Matt Balanc has been crowned the league's Player of the Year and first-year Head Coach Tom Pecora has been tabbed Coach of the Year.
The Bobcats had three players chosen for All-MAAC teams, as revealed by the league office on Monday, March 11. Balanc was named to the All-MAAC First Team in addition to being chosen for the conference's Player of the Year award, while both Savion Lewis and Amarri Tice earned All-MAAC Second Team status.
MATT BALANC (MAAC PLAYER OF THE YEAR/All-MAAC FIRST TEAM)
Balanc led the MAAC regular season champions in scoring during the 2023-24 campaign, averaging 18.5 PPG on 44.2% shooting. The graduate student scored 20+ points 13 different times during the regular season.
Balanc is just the third player in Quinnipiac program history to be named conference player of the year. Justin Rutty was named NEC Player of the Year in 2009-10, and Cameron Young earned MAAC Player of the Year status in 2018-19.
He scored 10+ points in all but one game for QU to help lead the program to its most-ever MAAC wins. Balanc averaged 19.9 points per contest in home games, helping Quinnipiac go 13-3 at M&T Bank Arena.
Balanc ranks in the MAAC in scoring (18.5 PPG), second in made free throws (116), and fourth in 3-pointers per game (2.68).
He poured in season-high 29 points against Rider on Jan. 5 after sinking five 3-pointers in a QU win. Balanc scored 20+ in seven separate league contests.
TOM PECORA (MAAC COACH OF THE YEAR)
Pecora led the Bobcats to a 23-8 record during his first season at the helm of the program, guiding QU to its first-ever regular season title.
Quinnipiac won 15 of 20 MAAC games under the guidance of Pecora, went 13-3 in home games, and captured the No. 1 seed in the upcoming MAAC Tournament in Atlantic City.
QU's 23 total victories mark the most for the program since the 2009-10 season. QU's 15 MAAC wins are the most-ever for the team.
The Bobcats' 19-4 start over their first 23 games marked the program's best start to a year since the 1965-66 campaign.
Quinnipiac won 10 consecutive games under Pecora's tutelage from Jan. 5 – Feb. 8, the third-longest active streak in all of Division I basketball. The Bobcats finished the month of January with a 7-0 record, the first perfect month in the university's Division I history.
Pecora, a veteran with 14+ years of experience as a head coach at the Division I level, is currently in his seventh full season at Quinnipiac University. He assumed the role of Quinnipiac Men's Basketball Head Coach on Thursday, April 13, 2023. Prior to his time at QU, Pecora served as a Division I head coach at Hofstra for nine years (2001-2010) and at Fordham for five seasons (2010-15).
Pecora adds to his coach of the year honors over the course of his career. In 2006 and 2009, he was named Coach of the Year by the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association (MBWA) and he also received regional Coach of the Year honors from the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and the Basketball Coaches Association of New York (BCANY).
SAVION LEWIS (ALL-MAAC SECOND TEAM)
The graduate student stuffed the stat sheet with 8.0 PPG, 7.2 APG, and 3.2 RPG during the 2023-24 season. Lewis finished the regular season with the most total assists (224) of any player in the country.
Lewis dished out 5+ assists in 25 of 31 regular season matchups. He also tallied 11 separate games with 10+ points.
The point guard recorded a double-double by scoring 12 points to go along with 17 assists on Jan. 5 vs. Rider. Lewis is one of just six players in the country to record 17+ helpers in a game this season.
Lewis was named MAAC Player of the Week on Nov. 20 following a strong week vs. UMass, Army and UAlbany.
He set a Quinnipiac program record for assists in a single season (217), breaking the previous record of 211 set by Mike Buscetto ('93).
AMARRI TICE: ALL-MAAC SECOND TEAM
Tice finished his first regular season with the Bobcats recording 13.3 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 1.9 SPG, and 1.0 BPG. Tice has five double-doubles this year.
He is the only player in the MAAC that currently ranks inside the top 5 in both steals (58) and blocks (31).
Tice won the MAAC Player of the Week award on 1/15 after a 20-point, 15-rebound performance at Marist.
He is just three steals away from setting a new Division I record. He's 16 steals away from a new QU program record. Tice recorded five steals in a game twice – as both came in regular season matchups against Manhattan.
NEXT UP
The Bobcats will head to Atlantic City for the MAAC Men's Basketball Tournament as the No. 1 overall seed. QU will play on Wednesday, March 13 in the league quarterfinals from Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall.
The Bobcats had three players chosen for All-MAAC teams, as revealed by the league office on Monday, March 11. Balanc was named to the All-MAAC First Team in addition to being chosen for the conference's Player of the Year award, while both Savion Lewis and Amarri Tice earned All-MAAC Second Team status.
MATT BALANC (MAAC PLAYER OF THE YEAR/All-MAAC FIRST TEAM)
Balanc led the MAAC regular season champions in scoring during the 2023-24 campaign, averaging 18.5 PPG on 44.2% shooting. The graduate student scored 20+ points 13 different times during the regular season.
Balanc is just the third player in Quinnipiac program history to be named conference player of the year. Justin Rutty was named NEC Player of the Year in 2009-10, and Cameron Young earned MAAC Player of the Year status in 2018-19.
He scored 10+ points in all but one game for QU to help lead the program to its most-ever MAAC wins. Balanc averaged 19.9 points per contest in home games, helping Quinnipiac go 13-3 at M&T Bank Arena.
Balanc ranks in the MAAC in scoring (18.5 PPG), second in made free throws (116), and fourth in 3-pointers per game (2.68).
He poured in season-high 29 points against Rider on Jan. 5 after sinking five 3-pointers in a QU win. Balanc scored 20+ in seven separate league contests.
TOM PECORA (MAAC COACH OF THE YEAR)
Pecora led the Bobcats to a 23-8 record during his first season at the helm of the program, guiding QU to its first-ever regular season title.
Quinnipiac won 15 of 20 MAAC games under the guidance of Pecora, went 13-3 in home games, and captured the No. 1 seed in the upcoming MAAC Tournament in Atlantic City.
QU's 23 total victories mark the most for the program since the 2009-10 season. QU's 15 MAAC wins are the most-ever for the team.
The Bobcats' 19-4 start over their first 23 games marked the program's best start to a year since the 1965-66 campaign.
Quinnipiac won 10 consecutive games under Pecora's tutelage from Jan. 5 – Feb. 8, the third-longest active streak in all of Division I basketball. The Bobcats finished the month of January with a 7-0 record, the first perfect month in the university's Division I history.
Pecora, a veteran with 14+ years of experience as a head coach at the Division I level, is currently in his seventh full season at Quinnipiac University. He assumed the role of Quinnipiac Men's Basketball Head Coach on Thursday, April 13, 2023. Prior to his time at QU, Pecora served as a Division I head coach at Hofstra for nine years (2001-2010) and at Fordham for five seasons (2010-15).
Pecora adds to his coach of the year honors over the course of his career. In 2006 and 2009, he was named Coach of the Year by the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association (MBWA) and he also received regional Coach of the Year honors from the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and the Basketball Coaches Association of New York (BCANY).
SAVION LEWIS (ALL-MAAC SECOND TEAM)
The graduate student stuffed the stat sheet with 8.0 PPG, 7.2 APG, and 3.2 RPG during the 2023-24 season. Lewis finished the regular season with the most total assists (224) of any player in the country.
Lewis dished out 5+ assists in 25 of 31 regular season matchups. He also tallied 11 separate games with 10+ points.
The point guard recorded a double-double by scoring 12 points to go along with 17 assists on Jan. 5 vs. Rider. Lewis is one of just six players in the country to record 17+ helpers in a game this season.
Lewis was named MAAC Player of the Week on Nov. 20 following a strong week vs. UMass, Army and UAlbany.
He set a Quinnipiac program record for assists in a single season (217), breaking the previous record of 211 set by Mike Buscetto ('93).
AMARRI TICE: ALL-MAAC SECOND TEAM
Tice finished his first regular season with the Bobcats recording 13.3 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 1.9 SPG, and 1.0 BPG. Tice has five double-doubles this year.
He is the only player in the MAAC that currently ranks inside the top 5 in both steals (58) and blocks (31).
Tice won the MAAC Player of the Week award on 1/15 after a 20-point, 15-rebound performance at Marist.
He is just three steals away from setting a new Division I record. He's 16 steals away from a new QU program record. Tice recorded five steals in a game twice – as both came in regular season matchups against Manhattan.
NEXT UP
The Bobcats will head to Atlantic City for the MAAC Men's Basketball Tournament as the No. 1 overall seed. QU will play on Wednesday, March 13 in the league quarterfinals from Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall.
Players Mentioned
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's BasketballMen's Basketball Highlights vs. Canisius (2/5/26)
Friday, February 06
The Roar (pres. by Better Built Basements) - Episode 6: Jaden Zimmerman
Wednesday, January 21
Men's Basketball Highlights at Pitt (11/23/25)
Monday, November 24
2025 MAAC Basketball Tip-Off Event - ESPN+ Show
Tuesday, September 30
