Pierce, Lee & Allocco Receive MBWA Postseason Honors

MBWA Release

PRINCETON, N.J. – The Metropolitan Basketball Writer's Association (MBWA) announced its postseason awards Wednesday and sophomores Caden Pierce and Xaivian Lee were named All-Met First Team and senior Matt Allocco All-Met Third Team.

The MBWA, which includes 21 met area Division I schools and over 300 players, honors a trio that helped Princeton win a third-straight Ivy League title, a second outright Ivy title in the past three seasons, earn a No. 2 seed at the NIT and finish the season with a 24-5 record.

Pierce and Lee were two of five underclassmen in the nation to average at least 16 points-per-game, five rebounds and three assists while appearing in at least 25 games in in 2023-24, while Pierce, a two-time MBWA Player of the Week, became the only Ivy League player and one of eight underclassmen in the past 30 years to average at least 16 points, nine rebounds, three assists and one steal. In addition to All-Met First Team, Pierce was also named Ivy League Player of the Year, unanimous First Team All-Ivy League, National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) First Team All-District 13, a Lou Henson National Player of the Year Award Finalist, College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District and Ivy Player of the Week five times. Pierce ranked 16th in the nation in defensive rebound percentage (27.3%), 20th in defensive rebounds-per-game (7.24) and 26th in double-doubles (14). Additionally, he ranked second in the Ivy League in defensive rebounds-per-game, third in rebounds (268), third in points (482), fifth in points-per-game (16.6), fifth in assist/turnover ratio (1.8), fifth in free throw percentage (76.7%), seventh in field goal percentage (54.6%), eighth in assists (93), eighth in assists-per-game (3.2) and eighth in steals (35).

Lee was also a First Team All-Ivy and a First Team All-District honoree in 2023-24. A Lou Henson National Player of the Year Award Finalist, Lee was also named to the Lute Olson National Player of the Year Award Mid-Season Watch List. A two-time Ivy League Player of the Week, Lee's 495 points ranks No. 11 on the Tigers' all-time list for most points in a season while is 108 assists rank No. 18 and his 52 three-pointers No. 44. With two 30-point games in 2023-24, Lee became the first Tiger to accomplish the feat since Myles Stephens '19 in the 2017-18 season and the first Tiger to record a 30-point game since Jaelin Llewellyn '22 on Mar. 7, 2020. Lee led the Ivy League in assist/turnover ratio (2.6) and ranked second in points (495), third in assists (108), fourth in assists-per-game (3.7), fourth in points-per-game (17.1), fourth in free-throw percentage (79.8%), sixth in rebounds (166) and eighth in rebounds-per-game (5.7)

Allocco was also the recipient of Second Team All-Ivy honors along with two Ivy League Player of the Week awards and the Jersey Jam MVP. 2023-24 saw Allocco become the ninth player in history to shoot at least 50% from the field, 40% from three and 90% from the free throw line while averaging at least 12 points and playing at least 30 minutes-per-game. He was also the only player in the nation to shoot 50/40/90 while averaging 10 points and appearing in at least 25 games. Allocco ranked 31st in the nation in true shooting percentage (64.6%), 63rd in offensive rating (126.5) and 77th in effective field goal percentage (60.0%). Additionally, Allocco ranked second in the Ivy League in assist/turnover ratio (2.5), third in minutes-per-game (33.7), fourth in three-point percentage (42.7%), sixth in assists-per-game (3.3), and tenth in field goal percentage (50.8%).

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