2024 marks PressBox’s eighth annual Best Of edition celebrating the top people, performances and moments of the year.
Best Rookie Class
Head coach Jim Stagnitta knew how fortunate the Maryland Whipsnakes were to have former Penn State star TJ Malone fall to them in the third round of the PLL College Draft in May.
Still, in a class that included the likes of Brennan O’Neill, Connor Shellenberger and Pat Kavanagh, it’s hard to think that anyone knew Malone would go from third-round pick to the league’s Rookie of the Year with a 37-point season.
It wasn’t just Malone. First-round pick Ajax Zappitello (Maryland), fourth-round pick Adam Poitras (Loyola) and Levi Anderson (acquired for a 2025 fourth-rounder) were all significant contributors to a team that returned to the championship game for the first time since 2021, with Malone and Anderson scoring the game-winners in the club’s playoff victories.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of the PLL
For more Best Of, visit PressBoxOnline.com/BestOf.
Plus: Check out PressBox’s 2024 Mo Gaba Sportsperson of the Year, Lamar Jackson.
