COLCHESTER, Vt. - Saint Michael's College men's basketball first-year guard Rico Byrd (East Moline, Ill./The Kiski School) was among five student-athletes named to the Northeast-10 Conference All-Rookie Team on Tuesday, as chosen by the league's head coaches.
 
Byrd averaged 9.9 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.4 assists while shooting 44.1% from the floor, including 34.2% from three-point range. He is tied for ninth in the NE10 in assist average while becoming the first Purple Knight first-year since Nate Birr '11 in 2007-08 to hand out 100 assists, ending up with 101.
 
Byrd scored in double figures 14 times, reaching the 20-point plateau on four occasions. He handed out at least four assists 16 times, notching a season-high seven twice. In his third career game, Byrd notched 21 points and five assists against Assumption University before reaching 20 points three times in a four-game stretch between Jan. 22 and Feb. 1. He shot 5-of-7 from three-point range against Southern New Hampshire University en route to totaling 22 points in the first contest in that run and topped out at 23 points versus American International College on Jan. 28.