As first reported by SNY.tv, Georgetown forward Otto Porter, Jr. was named unanimously to the All-Big East First Team and thus will be named the league’s Player of the Year on Tuesday.The conference will also name Big East Coach of the Year, Rookie of the Year and Scholar-Athlete of the Year on Tuesday.
In addition to Porter, Louisville placed two players on the first team, guard Russ Smith and center Gorgui Dieng. The other first team selections were Connecticut guard Shabazz Napier, Notre Dame forward Jack Cooley and Providence guard Bryce Cotton.
Porter, a 6-8 sophomore, led the Hoyas to the Big East regular-season crown and was the only unanimous selection. In league games, he was second in the Big East in scoring with an 18.1 average, fifth in rebounding with a 7.3 mark and tied for third in steals with a 1.8 average. He made 44.1 percent from 3-point range, which ranked second in the league.
Smith, a 6-0 junior, was second in the Big East in overall scoring, averaging 17.9 points. He was third in steals with a 2.0 mark. Dieng, a 6-11 junior, averaged 10.3 points and 10.1 rebounds in all games. In Big East play, he was the league rebounding champion with a 10.8 average and was second in blocked shots with an average of 2.8.
Napier led Connecticut with a 17.1 points per game scoring average and was tied for fourth in the BIG EAST in steals at 2.0 and seventh in assists at 4.6. The 6-1 junior was third in the league with 68 3-point baskets made.
Cooley averaged a double-double for Notre Dame. The 6-9 senior averaged 13.6 points and a league-leading 10.6 rebounds in all games. He was second in the Big East in field goal percentage, making 58.2 percent.
Cotton, a 6-1 junior, was the Big East scoring champion in league games, averaging 18.3 points. The Providence guard edged Porter for the scoring title by four points. In all games, Cotton also was first in scoring with a 19.6 mark. His 88 baskets from beyond the arc also led the league.
For the Big East All-Rookie Team, the coaches included two players from St. John’s, forward JaKarr Sampson and center Chris Obekpa. Sampson was the league’s top freshman scorer, averaging 14.9 points per game in all games. Obekpa led the league in blocks with a 4.1 average. The others named to the team are: Omar Calhoun of Connecticut, D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera of Georgetown, Steven Adams of Pittsburgh and Ryan Arcidiacono of Villanova. Sampson and Arcidiacono were unanimous picks. The Big East Rookie of the Year will come from the All-Rookie Team.
ALL-BIG EAST FIRST TEAM
Shabazz Napier, Connecticut, G, Jr., 6-1, 171, Roxbury, Mass.
* Otto Porter, Jr., Georgetown, F, So., 6-8, 205, Sikeston, Mo.
Gorgui Dieng, Louisville, C, Jr., 6-11, 245, Kebemer, Senegal
Russ Smith, Louisville, G, Jr., 6-0, 165, Briarwood, N.Y.
Jack Cooley, Notre Dame, F, Sr., 6-9, 246, Glenview, Ill.
Bryce Cotton, Providence, G, Jr., 6-1, 165, Tucson, Ariz.
ALL-BIG EAST SECOND TEAM
Sean Kilpatrick, Cincinnati, G, Jr., 6-4, 221, White Plains, N.Y.
Vander Blue, Marquette, G, Sr., 6-4, 200, Madison, Wisc.
Jerian Grant, Notre Dame, G, Jr., 6-5, 202, Bowie, Md.
Michael Carter-Williams, Syracuse, G, So., 6-6, 185, Hamilton, Mass.
C.J. Fair, Syracuse, F, Jr., 6-8, 215, Baltimore, Md.
ALL-BIG EAST THIRD TEAM
Markel Starks, Georgetown, G, Jr., 6-2, 175, Accokeek, Md.
Peyton Siva, Louisville, G, Sr., 6-0, 185, Seattle, Wash.
Tray Woodall, Pittsburgh, G, Sr., 6-0, 190, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Brandon Triche, Syracuse, G, Sr., 6-4,210, Jamesville, N.Y.
JayVaughn Pinkston, Villanova, F, So., 6-6, 240, Brooklyn, N.Y.
BIG EAST HONORABLE MENTION
Davonte Gardner, Marquette, F, Jr., 6-8, 290, Suffolk, Va.
Kadeem Batts, Providence, F, Jr., 6-9, 245, Powder Springs, Ga.
JaKarr Sampson, St. John’s, F, Fr., 6-8, 204, Barberton, Ohio
Fuquan Edwin, Seton Hall, F, Jr., G-F, 6-6, 205, Paterson, N.J.
BIG EAST ALL-ROOKIE TEAM ^
Omar Calhoun, Connecticut, G, Fr., 6-5, 195, Brooklyn, N.Y.
D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera, Georgetown, G, Fr., 6-3, 227, Indianapolis, Ind.
Steven Adams, Pittsburgh, C, Fr., 7-0, 250, Roturua, New Zealand
Chris Obekpa, St. John’s, C, Fr., 6-9, 223, Makurdi, Nigeria
* JaKarr Sampson, St. John’s, F, Fr., 6-8, 204, Barberton, Ohio
* Ryan Arcidiacono, Villanova, G, Fr., 6-3, 195, Langhorne, Pa.
*Denotes unanimous selection.
^Due to a tie in the voting, an additional position was named.
Release/Photo Courtesy Big East
