When Louisville’s Chane Behanan and Notre Dame’s Pat Connaughton were named co-Big East Rookies of the Week this week, they became the eighth and ninth different players to win those honors this year.
What that shows is that the league is loaded — loaded — with talented frosh.
We’re still about a month away from the official naming of the All-Rookie team but here is the ZAGSBLOG Big East All-Rookie Team for 2011-12.
**Big East Rookie of the Year, Moe Harkless, St. John’s, G/F
Harkless is the ninth-leading scorer in the Big East at 16.2 points per game and trails only his teammate, D’Angelo Harrison, among rookies in scoring. The 6-foot-8 Harkless is also fifth in the Big East in rebounding (8.7) and trails only Providence’s LaDontae Henton in that category among frosh. When he went for 30 points and 13 rebounds at Duke, he became the first player to score 30 on Duke this season.
**D’Angelo Harrison, St. John’s, G
Harrison is averaging 16.7 points per game, good for eighth-best in the Big East and tops among rookies, and ranks fourth in the Big East in 3-point makes per game (2.35). He’s averaging 24 points across his last five games, including 29 in a win at DePaul and 28 in a OT loss to Villanova.
**Andre Drummond, UConn, C
The Preseason Big East Rookie of the Year, Drummond is averaging 10.2 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game. His rebound average is good for ninth-best in the league and fourth-best among rookies. Among his best games this year were outings of 20 and 11 in a win over West Virginia, 15 and 11 in a loss to Notre Dame and 18 and 7 in a loss to Georgetown.
**LaDontae Henton, Providence, F
The 6-6 Henton is averaging 13.8 points and 8.8 rebounds, fourth-best in the Big East and tops among rookies. Henton went for 33 and 7 in an 81-78 loss at South Florida, and has accumulated 65 points and 22 rebounds in his last three games.
**Jerian Grant, Notre Dame, G
Though technically a sophomore, Grant is considered a Rookie because he red-shirted last season. Now he’s averaging 12.7 points, 4.9 assists and a 3.05 assist/turnover ratio. His assist total is eighth-best in the Big East and second-best among rookies.
**Eli Carter, Rutgers, G
Part of Mike Rice’s highly regarded recruiting class, Carter is averaging 13.8 points, 20th best in the Big East and fourth-best among rookies, behind only Harrison, Harkless and Henton. In a win over then-No. 10 Florida, Carter scored 31 points. He added 19 in a win over then-No. 8 UConn and tallied 24 in Saturday’s loss at Louisville.
Honorable Mention
Chane Behanan, Louisville; Ryan Boatright, UConn; Pat Connaughton, Notre Dame; Jabarie Hinds, West Virginia; Myles Mack, Rutgers; JayVaughn Pinkston, Villanova; Otto Porter, Georgetown.
