NEW YORK – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – Marquette guard Tyler Kolek is the lone repeat selection on the 2023-24 All-BIG EAST First Team as the conference has announced the All-BIG EAST First and Second Teams, Honorable Mention and All-Freshman Team. The league’s head coaches select the all-conference squads and were not permitted to vote for their own players.
The other five All-BIG EAST First Team honorees are: Tristen Newton and Cam Spencer of Connecticut, Baylor Scheierman of Creighton, Devin Carter of Providence and Kadary Richmond of Seton Hall. Kolek, Newton, Scheierman and Carter were unanimous picks.
The BIG EAST Player of the Year will come from the All-BIG EAST First Team. The conference will announce Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, Freshman of the Year and Scholar-Athlete of the Year on Wednesday, March 13, at Madison Square Garden at 1:30 p.m. ET. Other league individual awards, including BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year, Most Improved Player, Sixth Man Award and Sportsmanship Award will be announced Monday, March 11, at 11 a.m. ET.
Kolek, a 6-3 senior, is averaging 15.0 points and leads the nation in assists with a 7.6 mark. He is averaging 1.6 steals and 2.74 assist/turnover ratio ranks third in the BIG EAST.
The UConn guard pair of Newton and Spencer helped UConn win the BIG EAST regular season title and lift the Huskies to the No. 1 position in the national poll for six weeks. Newton is averaging 15.0 points, 7.1 rebounds and ranks second in the league in assists at 5.8. Spencer’s numbers are 14.9 points, a 50.0 percent shooting percentage, a league-leading 45.1 percent 3-point shooting percentage and 3.3 assists.
Creighton’s Scheierman and Providence’s Carter are the only two players in the conference to rank among the top five in scoring and rebounds. Scheierman, a 6-7 senior, is third in scoring with an 18.5 average while ranking second in rebounding at 8.8. Carter, a 6-3 junior, is second in the BIG EAST in scoring with a 19.4 mark and is third in rebounding with an 8.6 average. Scheierman is second in the league with 97 made 3-point baskets. Carter is fourth in 3-point shooting, making 38.5 percent.
Seton Hall’s Richmond was the floor general behind the Pirates’ 20-11 overall record and 13-7 BIG EAST mark. The 6-6 senior leads the team in scoring at 16.2, is second in rebounding at 6.6, and is first in assists at 4.8 assists and steals at 2.1. His steal mark ranks second in the league.
The All-BIG EAST Second Team includes two Creighton players, Trey Alexander, a 6-4 junior guard, and Ryan Kalkbrenner, a 7-1 senior center. The Bluejays are the only club with three players on the first two all-conference teams. The other Second Team picks are senior forward Oso Ighodaro of Marquette, grad student guard Daniss Jenkins of St. John’s and senior forward Eric Dixon of Villanova.
All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention has three players: UConn sophomore center Donovan Clingan, Providence grad student forward Josh Oduro and grad student guard Quincy Olivari of Xavier.
The BIG EAST Freshman of the Year will come from the All-Freshman Team. UConn guard Stephon Castle was the only unanimous selection. He garnered BIG EAST Freshman of the Week a record 11 times. The other All-Freshman Team picks are: Finley Bizjack of Butler, Rich Barron of Providence, Isaiah Coleman of Seton Hall, and guard Trey Green and guard-forward Dailyn Swain of Xavier.
ALL-BIG EAST FIRST TEAM
*Tristen Newton, Connecticut, G, Gr., 6-5, 195, El Paso, Tex.
Cam Spencer, Connecticut, G, Gr., 6-4, 205, Davidsonville, Md.
*Baylor Scheierman, Creighton, G, Sr., 6-7, 205, Aurora, Neb.
*Tyler Kolek, Marquette, G, Sr., 6-3, 195, Cumberland, R.I.
*Devin Carter, Providence, G, Jr., 6-3, 195, Miami, Fla.
Kadary Richmond, Seton Hall, G, Sr., 6-6, 210, Brooklyn, N.Y.
ALL-BIG EAST SECOND TEAM
Trey Alexander, Creighton, G, Jr., 6-4, 190, Oklahoma City, Okla.
Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton, C, Sr., 7-1, 270, Florissant, Mo.
Oso Ighodaro, Marquette, F, Sr., 6-11, 235, Chandler, Ariz.
Daniss Jenkins, St. John’s, G, Gr., 6-4, 180, Dallas, Texas
Eric Dixon, Villanova, F, R-Jr., 6-8, 255, Willow Grove, Pa.
ALL-BIG EAST HONORABLE MENTION
Donovan Clingan, Connecticut, C, So., 7-2, 280, Bristol, Conn.
Josh Oduro, Providence, F, Gr., 6-9, 290, Gainesville, Va.
Quincy Olivari, Xavier, G, Gr., 6-3, 200, Atlanta, Ga.
BIG EAST ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Finley Bizjack, Butler, G, 6-4, 195, Trophy Club, Texas
*Stephon Castle, Connecticut, G, 6-6, 215, Covington, Ga.
Rich Barron, Providence, F/G, 6-5, 220, Chicago, Ill.
Isaiah Coleman, Seton Hall, G, 6-5, 180, Fredericksburg, Va.
Trey Green, Xavier, G, 6-0, 160, Charlotte, N.C.
Dailyn Swain, Xavier, G/F, 6-7, 200, Columbus, Ohio
*Denotes unanimous selection