HOUSTON – Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced today that the team has signed guard Scott Machado. The rookie free agent was a member of the Rockets 2012 NBA Summer League team, where he averaged 8.0 points, a team-high 5.6 assists and 2.20 steals.
Machado (6-1, 205, Iona) actually finished tied for fourth in the league in assists per game during 2012 NBA Summer League. He dished out a game-high 10 helpers in a 113-91 win over Sacramento (7/16/12). Machado also closed out Summer League play by leading the Rockets in scoring with a 20-point, six-assist outing in a 96-88 victory against Chicago (7/18/12).
As a collegian, Machado averaged 12.2 points, 6.7 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 132 games over four seasons at Iona. Machado earned All-MAAC First Team honors as a junior and senior, and was named All-MAAC Second Team as a sophomore. He even earned MAAC Rookie of the Year honors his freshman season. Machado finished as the Gaels and MAAC all-time leader in assists with 880 in his career (17th all-time in NCAA history). He became the second player in school history (Marvin McCullough) to record 100 or more assists in each of his four seasons at Iona. The NCAA Division I leader in assists (9.9 apg) in 2011-12, Machado set the school single-season record with 281 assists as a junior only to break it with 327 as a senior. He also set the rookie record with 150 assists in 2008-09.
In addition to leading the nation in assists as a senior, Machado was first on Iona in steals (1.6 spg), second in rebounds (4.9 rpg) and third in scoring (13.6 ppg). He earned the 2012 MAAC Player of the Year and was the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association Haggerty Award Winner as the New York Metropolitan Area Player of the Year. Machado, who was also a Bob Cousy Award Finalist and a 2012 MAAC All-Tournament Team selection, picked up four Player of the Week accolades (Nov. 21, Nov. 28, Jan. 23 and Feb. 20) in the MAAC in 2011-12.
In a non-related move, the Rockets announced that the team has waived forward Diamon Simpson.