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Lloyd Wins USBWA Coaching Award

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INDIANAPOLIS – (Staff Report from Official USBWA News release) – Arizona first-year head coach Tommy Lloyd led the Wildcats to the Pac-12 Conference championship and a top seed in the NCAA Tournament. For his smashing debut guiding Arizona to 33 wins and into the Sweet 16, Lloyd has been named the winner of the 2021-22 Henry Iba Award, given annually by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association to its national coach of the year.

Lloyd, who will formally receive the award at the upcoming USBWA College Basketball Awards Banquet in St. Louis on April 11 hosted by the Missouri Athletic Club, is the first Arizona coach to earn the honor and the first from the Pac-12 since Tony Bennett at Washington State in 2007. He’s only the fifth Pac-12 coach to earn the Henry Iba Award, joining UCLA legend John Wooden (a six-time winner in 1964, ’67, ’70, ’71, ’72, ’73), Pete Newell (California, 1960) and Ralph Miller (Oregon State, 1981).

Arizona (33-4) ascended to several success marks during Lloyd’s first season in Tucson. The Wildcats finished the season 17-0 at home, the 13th time they have finished a season undefeated in the 49-year history of the McKale Center. Arizona’s 19-game home win streak is the longest active streak in the Pac-12 and the third-longest in Division I heading into next season. The ‘Cats won nine road games for the first time since 2016-17 and were 7-0 in neutral site games.

Lloyd is the ninth first-time head coach in NCAA history to win 30 games in year one and joined UCLA’s Gary Cunningham (1977-78) as the only first-time head coaches in the Pac-12 to win 25 of their first 27 games. Lloyd is alone as the only Pac-12 coach to start 15-1 or better in conference play. Arizona’s 18-2 Pac-12 record that won the conference by a three-game margin over runner-up UCLA is also the best-ever for a first-year coach in conference.

Lloyd, 46, joins Bill Guthridge (North Carolina in 1998) and Bill Hodges (Indiana State in 1979) as the only head coaches to earn a No. 1 seed in their first season as head coach. The 33 wins – Arizona fell to Houston in last weekend’s Sweet 16 – are tied for third-most in program history and left Lloyd one shy of tying Guthridge for the most by a first-time head coach in NCAA history.

The style of play Lloyd brought to Arizona also produced record marks in various statistical categories. UA led the nation in total assists (714), assists per game (19.8) and total rebounds (1,496). The ‘Cats scored 80 or more points 28 times and were undefeated in those games. School records for assists (714) and blocked shots (207) fell. In its final win against TCU in the NCAA’s second round, Arizona scored 52 points in the paint, the 25th game this year for it to score 40-plus paint points – the most by any Pac-12 team in the last 15 seasons.

Arizona produced a second-team USBWA All-America selection in sophomore guard Bennedict Mathurin, also the Pac-12 Player of the Year. The conference’s John R. Wooden Coach of the Year, Lloyd also coached the Pac-12’s Defensive Player of the Year (center Christian Koloko), Most Improved Player of the Year (Koloko) and Sixth Man of the Year (Pelle Larsson). Koloko, Mathurin and forward Azuolas Tubelis earned First-Team All-Pac-12 honors and Kokolo and guard Dalen Terry were on the All-Defensive Team.

Also of note is in his first semester as head coach last fall, Arizona’s men’s team posted a team GPA of 3.04, the best team GPA for a semester in the history of the program with 11 players having a 3.0 or better.

Lloyd was an assistant coach at Gonzaga for 20 seasons before coming to Arizona. At Gonzaga he helped to develop 19 All-Americans and 15 conference players of the year and contributed to five straight 30-win seasons and two appearances in the national championship game.

The Henry Iba Award is named in honor of the legendary coaching great at Oklahoma A&M (now Oklahoma State) who won two NCAA championships and two gold medals and one silver as coach of the U S. Olympic teams. Iba held the dual position of basketball coach and athletic director until he retired in 1970. He was elected to the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame, the Oklahoma Hall of Fame, the Missouri Hall of Fame, the Helms Foundation All-Time Hall of Fame for basketball, and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame at Springfield, Mass. Henry Iba passed away in 1993 in Stillwater, Okla.

The U.S. Basketball Writers Association was formed in 1956 at the urging of then-NCAA Executive Director Walter Byers. With some 900 members worldwide, it is one of the most influential organizations in college basketball. It has selected an All-America team since the 1956-57 season. For more information on the USBWA and its award programs, contact executive director Malcolm Moran at 814-574-1485. For additional info about covering the awards banquet, contact Jim Wilson with the MAC (314-539-4488).

ALL-TIME USBWA NATIONAL COACHES OF THE YEAR
1958-59    Eddie Hickey, Marquette (Independent)
1959-60    Pete Newell, California (AAWU)
1960-61    Fred Taylor, Ohio State (Big Ten)
1961-62    Fred Taylor, Ohio State (Big Ten)
1962-63    Ed Jucker, Cincinnati (Missouri Valley)
1963-64    John Wooden, UCLA (AAWU)
1964-65    Butch Van Breda Kolff, Princeton (Ivy League)
1965-66    Adolph Rupp, Kentucky (SEC)
1966-67    John Wooden, UCLA (AAWU)
1967-68    Guy Lewis, Houston (Independent)
1968-69    Maury John, Drake (Missouri Valley)
1969-70    John Wooden, UCLA (Pac-8)
1970-71    John Wooden, UCLA (Pac-8)
1971-72    John Wooden, UCLA (Pac-8)
1972-73    John Wooden, UCLA (Pac-8)
1973-74    Norm Sloan, N.C. State (ACC)
1974-75    Bob Knight, Indiana (Big Ten)
1975-76    Johnny Orr, Michigan (Big Ten)
1976-77    Eddie Sutton, Arkansas (Southwest)
1977-78    Ray Meyer, DePaul (Independent)
1978-79    Dean Smith, North Carolina (ACC)
1979-80    Ray Meyer, DePaul (Independent)
1980-81    Ralph Miller, Oregon State (Pac-10)
1981-82    John Thompson, Georgetown (Big East)
1982-83    Lou Carnesecca, St. John’s (Big East)
1983-84    Gene Keady, Purdue (Big Ten)
1984-85    Lou Carnesecca, St. John’s (Big East)
1985-86    Dick Versace, Bradley (Missouri Valley)
1986-87    John Chaney, Temple (Atlantic 10)
1987-88    John Chaney, Temple (Atlantic 10)
1988-89    Bob Knight, Indiana (Big Ten)
1989-90    Roy Williams, Kansas (Big 8)
1990-91    Randy Ayers, Ohio State (Big Ten)
1991-92    Perry Clark, Tulane (Metro)
1992-93    Eddie Fogler, Vanderbilt (SEC)
1993-94    Charlie Spoonhour, Saint Louis (Great Midwest)
1994-95    Kelvin Sampson, Oklahoma (Big 8)
1995-96    Gene Keady, Purdue (Big Ten)
1996-97    Clem Haskins, Minnesota (Big Ten)
1997-98    Tom Izzo, Michigan State (Big Ten)
1998-99    Cliff Ellis, Auburn (SEC)
1999-00    Larry Eustacy, Iowa State (Big 12)
2000-01    Al Skinner, Boston College (Big East)
2001-02    Ben Howland, Pittsburgh (Big East)
2002-03    Tubby Smith, Kentucky (SEC)
2003-04    Phil Martelli, St. Joseph’s (Atlantic 10)
2004-05    Bruce Weber, Illinois (Big Ten)
2005-06    Roy Williams, North Carolina (ACC)
2006-07    Tony Bennett, Washington State (Pac-10)
2007-08    Keno Davis, Drake (Missouri Valley)
2008-09    Bill Self, Kansas (Big 12)
2009-10    Jim Boeheim, Syracuse (Big East)
2010-11    Mike Brey, Notre Dame (Big East)
2011-12    Frank Haith, Missouri (Big 12)
2012-13    Jim Larrañaga, Miami, Fla. (ACC)
2013-14    Gregg Marshall, Wichita State (Missouri Valley)
2014-15    Tony Bennett, Virginia (ACC)
2015-16    Chris Mack, Xavier (Big East)
2016-17    Mark Few, Gonzaga (West Coast)
2017-18    Tony Bennett, Virginia (ACC)
2018-19    Rick Barnes, Tennessee (SEC)
2019-20    Anthony Grant, Dayton (Atlantic 10)
2020-21    Juwan Howard, Michigan (Big Ten)
2021-22    Tommy Lloyd, Arizona (Pac-12)

BIG EAST: Villanova Reppin’ Again

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SAN ANTONIO – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – For the third time since 2016, Villanova will play in the Final Four. The Wildcats became the NCAA South Region champions after a 50-44 victory over Houston this past Saturday in Texas. Villanova forward Jermaine Samuels was named the South Region Most Outstanding Player. Coach Jay Wright’s second-seeded team defeated Michigan 63-55 in the regional semifinals.

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Villanova will meet Kansas in the national semifinals this Saturday. On their way to the NCAA crown in 2018, the Wildcats beat the Jayhawks 95-79 in the same round. Villanova got off to a 22-4 start en route to the victory. Back in 2016, Villanova beat Kansas 64-59 in the South Region final.

Overall, BIG EAST teams own a 12-6 record in national semifinal contests not including when a BIG EAST team faced another league squad in 1985 and 1987. Villanova is 3-1, winning in 1985, 2016 and 2018 while losing in 2009.

Villanova will be without All-Big East guard Justin Moore in their Final Four lineup. Moore fell to the floor with a non-contact leg injury late in Saturday’s Elite Eight win over Houston. On Sunday, he was diagnosed with a torn Achilles tendon. Villanova announced that he’s scheduled for surgery this week and will be sidelined indefinitely.

USBWA Names All-American Teams

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INDIANAPOLIS – Three repeat selections joined three first team selections from the Big Ten, including its top scorer, a pair of teammates from top-ranked Gonzaga and the country’s leading rebounder to make up the 2021-22 U.S. Basketball Writers Association Men’s All-America Team. The 15-man team includes two of the country’s top shooters, the third-leading scorer, seven players who were their conference players of the year and four players who were USBWA district players of the year.

The USBWA has named a men’s All-America Team since its inaugural season of 1956-57. Since the 2017-18 season, the USBWA has expanded the team to honor 15 players on three teams, regardless of position. For the first time, the USBWA has also recognized players with honorable mention. The All-America Team is selected by the USBWA board after voting from the entire membership and the honor is based on performance during the regular season and conference tournaments.

Illinois center Kofi Cockburn, a 7-0 junior center from Kingston, Jamaica, is on the first team following a second-team selection last year and is the only player in the nation averaging at least 20 points (21.1) and 10 rebounds (10.6) per game, and is the sole player in the national top 20 in those categories. He’s the first Big Ten player since 2004 to average at least 21 points and 10 rebounds and is third in the nation with 11 games of at least 20-10.

Oscar Tshiebwe is Kentucky’s first USBWA All-American since forward PJ Washington in 2019 and the Wildcats’ first on the first team since forward Willie Cauley-Stein in 2015. The 6-9 junior forward from Lubumbashi in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is the USBWA District IV Player of the Year and is the nation’s leading rebounder at 15.1 per game; he is also the team’s leading scorer with 17.0 points per game and could become the first Division I player to average at least 15 points and 15 rebounds per game since Drake’s Lewis Lloyd and Alcorn State’s Larry Smith (1979-80), and the first major-conference player to average 16 points and 15 rebounds in a season since Bill Walton at UCLA in 1972-73. No Kentucky player has averaged as much as 16 points and 15 rebounds since Bob Burrow (19.1 and 17.7) in 1954-55.

Tshiebwe is also a force on defense as the only major conference player averaging at least 1.6 blocked shots and 1.6 steals per game.

Keegan Murray’s accolades go beyond his 23.6 points per game, which are fourth nationally and lead all players from the major conferences. Iowa’s 6-8 sophomore forward from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has a 55.5 percent shooting accuracy that is 32nd nationally and his 2.0 blocks per game are 45th. Murray is the only player nationally to be averaging 23 points, eight rebounds and two blocks heading into the postseason. He has 10 double-doubles. Murray gives Iowa a first-team All-American in three consecutive seasons following center Luka Garza in 2020 and ’21.

Johnny Davis, a 6-5 sophomore guard/forward from LaCrosse, Wis., is the District V Player of the Year as well as the same in the Big Ten. The Wisconsin sophomore is averaging 19.7 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game and has scored 30 or more points in three games, two of them against ranked opponents. He has five double-doubles.

Kansas’ Ochai Agbaji, a 6-5 guard from Kansas City, Mo., is the USBWA District VI and Big 12 Player of the Year. He is 25th nationally in scoring at 19.7 points per game. The four-year starter for KU was second in the Big 12 in three-point field goal percentage (40.5%, 31st nationally) and in three-point field goals made per game (2.8, 42nd nationally). He has made a three-pointer in 53 consecutive games, a KU record, heading into the postseason and is 18th on the KU career scoring list with 1,570 points.

This is the 30th time for teammates to be on the USBWA All-America team, and there are a pair of pairs this season with Chet Holmgren and Drew Timme from Gonzaga, the top seed in the West Regional, matching Walker Kessler and Jabari Smith from Auburn.

Drew Timme of Gonzaga, also a second-teamer last year, is the USBWA District IX and West Coast Conference Player of the Year after leading the WCC in scoring in conference games at 18.5 ppg, and second among all games at 17.5. His 58.8 percent accuracy is 14th nationally. Teammate Chet Holmgren, on the third team, is fourth in the nation in blocks (104) and leads the WCC with 9.6 rebounds per game. The 7-0 freshman has more blocks (104) than missed shots from the field (98) so far this season. Gonzaga has had a USBWA All-American in four of the last five seasons, including three a season ago when it reached the national championship game.

Auburn’s Jabari Smith, a second-teamer, was named the SEC’s Freshman of the Year and teammate Walker Kessler earned SEC Defensive Player of the Year. Kessler, on the third team, enters the NCAA Tournament as the No. 2 shot-blocker in the country averaging 4.5 blocks per game and the only NCAA Division I player with two triple-doubles. The Tigers pair are the first Auburn players to earn USBWA All-America nods since Chris Porter in 1999.

Finishing off the second team are Duke forward Paolo Banchero, the ACC Freshman of the Year and a first-team all-conference selection; Purdue guard Jaden Ivey, a first team All-Big Ten selection; and second-ranked Arizona guard Bennedict Mathurin, the Pac-12’s Player of the Year.

Villanova guard Collin Gillespie, a third repeat USBWA All-American who repeats on the third unit this season, was the District II and Big East Player of the Year. He headlines the third team, joining Holmgren and Kessler. Also on the third team are James Akinjo, an All-Big 12 guard on the East Regional’s top seed Baylor and Ohio State forward E.J. Liddell, a first team All-Big Ten selection and the Buckeyes’ first All-American since 2018.

Five other standout players received honorable mention from the USBWA: Armando Bacot, North Carolina; Johnny Juzang, UCLA; JD Notae, Arkansas; David Roddy, Colorado State; and Alondes Williams, Wake Forest.

Following is the complete 2021-22 USBWA All-America Team:

2021-22 USBWA MEN’S ALL-AMERICA TEAM

First Team
G Ochai Agbaji, Kansas (6-5, 215, Sr., Kansas City, Mo.)
C Kofi Cockburn, Illinois (7-0, 285, Jr., Kingston, Jamaica)
G/F Johnny Davis, Wisconsin (6-5, 194, So., LaCrosse, Wis.)
F Keegan Murray, Iowa (6-8, 225, So., Cedar Rapids, Iowa)
F Oscar Tshiebwe, Kentucky (6-9, 255, Jr., Lubumbashi, Congo)

Second Team
F Paolo Banchero, Duke (6-10, 250, Fr., Seattle, Wash.)
G Jaden Ivey, Purdue (6-4, 195, So., South Bend, Ind.)
G Bennedict Mathurin, Arizona (6-6, 210, So., Montreal, Quebec)
F Jabari Smith, Auburn (6-10, 220, Fr., Fayetteville, Ga.)
F Drew Timme, Gonzaga (6-10, 235, Jr., Richardson, Texas)

Third Team
G James Akinjo, Baylor (6-1, 190, Sr., Oakland, Calif.)
G Collin Gillespie, Villanova (6-3, 195, Gr., Huntingdon Valley, Pa.)
F Chet Holmgren, Gonzaga (7-0, 195, Fr., Minneapolis, Minn.)
F/C Walker Kessler, Auburn (7-1, 245, So., Newnan, Ga.)
F E.J. Liddell, Ohio State (6-7, 240, Jr., Belleville, Ill.)

Honorable mention: Armando Bacot, North Carolina; Johnny Juzang, UCLA; JD Notae, Arkansas; David Roddy, Colorado State; Alondes Williams, Wake Forest.

The U.S. Basketball Writers Association was formed in 1956 at the urging of then-NCAA Executive Director Walter Byers. With some 900 members worldwide, it is one of the most influential organizations in college basketball. It has selected an All-America team since the 1956-57 season.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

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MARCH MADNESS: NCAA Tournament Tips-Off Today

It’s the MOST WONDERFUL TIME of the YEAR
With the kids basket-balling
And everyone calling
To tell you a’ Bracket-Buster to Fear.

It’s the hap-happiest hoops season of all
Our masks from the pandemic, hanging on the wall
The Refs come a’ calling, every perimeter foul and some walking
It’ll drive you to be another LaVar Ball,

There’ll be Final Four parties for hosting
Tall Boys for toasting
With kegs stored out in the snow
There’ll be Raftery’s stories
And, tales of Duke’s Glory of
Championships long, long ago

It’s the MOST WONDERFUL TIME of the YEAR

There’ll be Greg Gumbel glowing
And Jay Bilas spouting to prove
He’s the best commentator going,
For every game of the basketball year

There’ll be watch parties thriving
As school-work goes diving, your Dean’s Lists ripped-in-shreds
But fill-up the tank and head with your ranking
The SuperDome smells like a BEER.

It’s the MOST WONDERFUL TIME of the YEAR

There’ll be buzzer-beater tossin’
Kentucky be a ‘lossin’
Just like they do every year

It’s the most wonderful time
Yes, the most wonderful time
Oh, it’s MARCH MADNESS time
Of the YEAR.

 

BIG EAST Names All-Conference Teams

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NEW YORK – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – St. John’s guard-forward Julian Champagnie and Villanova guard Collin Gillespie are repeat members on the All-BIG EAST First Team.  The conference has released the All-BIG EAST First and Second Teams, Honorable Mention and All-Freshman Team.  The league’s head coaches choose the all-conference squads and are not permitted to vote for their own players.

The four other All-BIG EAST First Team honorees are: R.J. Cole and Adama Sanogo of Connecticut, Justin Lewis of Marquette and Jared Rhoden of Seton Hall.

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 9, at Madison Square Garden at 2:30 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 7, at 11 a.m.

Champagnie, a 6-8 junior, leads the Johnnies with an 18.9 scoring average and ranks second in the BIG EAST in scoring in league play with an 18.1 mark.  He is the league scoring champion for a second straight year. Champagnie is also averaging 6.6 rebounds.

Villanova’s Gillespie shared BIG EAST Player of the Year honors last year with former teammate Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Seton Hall’s Sandro Mamukelashvili. This season, Gillespie ranks fourth in the league in scoring with a 16.3 average. He also ranks first in 3-point shooting, making 43.1 percent and is first in free throw shooting at 91.5 percent.

UConn’s Cole and Sanogo helped lead the Huskies to a 22-8 overall record and a third-place finish in the BIG EAST regular season. Cole, a 6-1 graduate student, ranks fifth in the league in scoring with a 15.8 average. His 2.2 assist/turnover ratio was fourth in the BIG EAST. Sanogo, a 6-9 sophomore, has averaged 15.3 points and a league-leading 8.6 rebounds. He is shooting 51.5 percent from the field, which ranks second in the league.

Marquette’s Lewis became the BIG EAST scoring champion on the last day of season, finishing with an 18.2 scoring mark in league games. In all games, he is the only player in the BIG EAST to rank in the top five in scoring and rebounding. Lewis ranks third in overall scoring at 17.1 points per game, fourth in rebounding at 8.0 and fourth in field goal shooting, connecting on 45.2 percent.

Seton Hall’s Rhoden has led his team to a 20-9 record and an 11-8 BIG EAST mark. The 6-6 senior guard-forward is averaging a team-leading 16.2 points and 6.9 rebounds. He was a Preseason All-BIG EAST First Team selection.

The All-BIG EAST Second Team includes two players from regular-season champion Providence, Jared Bynum and Nate Watson, along with Ryan Hawkins of Creighton, Javon Freeman-Liberty of DePaul and Justin Moore of Villanova.

Watson also earned second team honors last season. This year, the 6-10 center is averaging 13.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and ranks first in the league in field goal shooting, making 56.0 percent. Bynum enjoyed a strong second half of the season with his superb point guard play. He started only three league games but finished the regular season with a 12.9 scoring mark and ranked third in the league in assists with a 4.5 average.

Hawkins was the top scorer and rebounder on a Creighton team had returned no starters, but is very likely headed to the NCAA Tournament. The 6-7 transfer from Northwest Missouri State is averaging 14.3 points and 7.7 boards.

DePaul’s Freeman-Liberty led all BIG EAST players with a 21.9 scoring average in all games. He scored 20 or more points in 16 of the 23 games played. In league play, he was two games short of qualifying for the scoring crown, averaging 22.6 points.

Villanova’s Moore was seventh in the BIG EAST in scoring, averaging 15.3 points and 5.2 rebounds. He is second to Gillespie in scoring and third in rebounding for the second-place Wildcats. The 6-5 junior led Villanova in minutes played with a 34.2 average.

All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention includes four players: Ryan Kalkbrenner of Creighton, Darryl Morsell of Marquette, Posh Alexander of St. John’s and Jack Nunge of Xavier.

Three of the six members of the BIG EAST All-Rookie Team were unanimous picks – Creighton’s Ryan Nembhard, Georgetown’s Aminu Mohammed and Marquette’s Kam Jones. The other All-Freshman Team selections are Jordan Hawkins of UConn, and Creighton’s Trey Alexander and Arthur Kaluma.

Nembhard averaged 11.3 points and 4.4 assists for Creighton and was named BIG EAST Rookie of the Week six times. Mohammed was the league’s top freshman scorer (13.8) and rebounder (8.1). A sharp-shooting guard, Jones averaged 7.5 points. Of his 77 field goals made, 53 of were from 3-point range, hitting on 39.6 percent.

Hawkins was in the backcourt rotation for UConn and averaged 6.7 points. Kaluma was a freshman starter for the Bluejays. The 6-7 forward averaged 9.5 points and 5.0 rebounds. Alexander was the top reserve off the bench, averaging 6.4 points and 3.7 rebounds in 25.4 minutes per game.

The BIG EAST Freshman of the Year will come from the All-Freshman Team.

ALL-BIG EAST FIRST TEAM+

R.J. Cole, Connecticut, G, Gr., 6-1, 185, Union, N.J.

Adama Sanogo, Connecticut, F, So., 6-9, 240, Bamako, Mali

Justin Lewis, Marquette, F, So., 6-7, 245, Baltimore, Md.

Julian Champagnie, St. John’s, G-F, Jr., 6-8, 215, Brooklyn, N.Y.

Jared Rhoden, Seton Hall, G-F, 6-6, 210, Baldwin, N.Y.

*Collin Gillespie, Villanova, G, Gr., 6-3, 195, Huntingdon Valley, Pa.

 

ALL-BIG EAST SECOND TEAM

Ryan Hawkins, Creighton, F, Sr., 6-7, 222, Atlantic, Iowa

Javon Freeman-Liberty, DePaul, G, Sr., 6-4, 180, Chicago, Ill.

Jared Bynum, Providence, G, R-Jr., 5-10, 180, Largo, Md.

Nate Watson, Providence, F, Gr., 6-10, 260, Portsmouth, Va.

Justin Moore, Villanova, G, Jr., 6-4, 210, Ft. Washington, Md.

 

ALL-BIG EAST HONORABLE MENTION

Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton, C, So., 7-0, 256, St. Louis, Mo.

Darryl Morsell, Marquette, G, Gr., 6-5, 205, Baltimore, Md.

Posh Alexander, St. John’s, G, So., 6-0, 200, Brooklyn, N.Y.

Jack Nunge, Xavier, C, Jr., 7-0, 245, Newburgh, Ind.

 

BIG EAST ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM

Jordan Hawkins, Connecticut, G, 6-5, 175, Gaithersburg, Md.

Trey Alexander, Creighton, G, 6-4, 185, Oklahoma City, Okla.

*Ryan Nembhard, Creighton, G, 6-0, 167, Aurora, Ont.

Arthur Kaluma, Creighton, F, 6-7, 220, Glendale, Ariz.

*Aminu Mohammed, Georgetown, G, 6-5, 210, Temple Hills, Md.

*Kam Jones, Marquette, G, 6-4, 185, Cordova, Tenn.

 

*Denotes unanimous selection

Big East Honors for Final Week

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NEW YORK – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – Marquette guard Justin Lewis has been named BIG EAST Player of the Week and Creighton forward Arthur Kaluma has been selected BIG EAST Freshman of the Week for the final week of the regular season.

BIG EAST Player of the Week

Justin Lewis, Marquette, G, So. – Lewis averaged 27.0 points and 8.5 rebounds in a 1-1 week. In an 85-77 win against St. John’s in the season finale, he had a game-high 28 points and seven rebounds. He became the BIG EAST scoring champion with an 18.2 average in league play. Earlier in the week, Lewis posted his sixth double-double with 26 points and 10 boards in a 91-80 loss at DePaul.

BIG EAST Freshman of the Week

Arthur Kaluma, Creighton, F, Fr. – Kaluma averaged 12.0 points and 5.0 rebounds in a 1-1 week for the Bluejays. He posted 15 points and five rebounds in a 64-62 victory against Connecticut.

The forward had nine points and five boards in a 65-60 loss to Seton Hall. Kaluma takes Freshman honors for the second time this season.

BIG EAST Honor Roll

Adama Sanogo, UConn, F, So. – In a 1-1 week, averaged 19.5 points, 13.5 rebounds and 3.5 blocks while posting a pair of double-doubles.

Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton, C, So. – Averaged 19.5 points and 9.0 rebounds in a 1-1 week. Tied his career scoring high with 22 points in a victory versus UConn (64-62).

Javon Freeman-Liberty, DePaul, G, Sr. – In a 1-1 week, averaged 24.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists. Had 26 points and nine rebounds in a win over Marquette (91-80).

Jared Rhoden, Seton Hall, G, Gr. – Averaged 17.5 points in a 2-0 week. Had 13 of his 19 points in the second half of a win at Creighton (65-60).

Caleb Daniels, Villanova, G, Jr. – Averaged 15.5 points and 3.0 rebounds in a 2-0 week. Scored a season-high 20 points in a win over Providence (76-74).

 

Marquette’s Second Straight Big “W”

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WASHINGTON DC – (Staff report from Official News Release) – Marquette pulled away to win at Georgetown and Xavier did the same at Butler in Friday night BIG EAST play. After winning 88-56 against Providence on Tuesday, Marquette beat Georgetown 92-64. No. 22 Xavier, playing its first game in 17 days, defeated Butler 87-72.

The Golden Eagles (10-6, 2-3 BIG EAST) used a 17-0 run early in the second half to break the game open against the Hoyas (6-6, 0-1 BE). Olivier-Maxence Prosper, whose previous career scoring high was 13 points, netted 22 points on 9-of-11 shooting from the field. Tyler Kolek, the BIG EAST’s assist leader, had 13 points on 6-of-7 shooting and seven assists. Marquette outshot Georgetown from the field 59.1 percent to 29.9 percent. Collin Holloway was the Hoya scoring leader with 17 points.

The Musketeers (12-2, 2-1 BE) established a 42-31 halftime lead at Hinkle Fieldhouse, then repelled Bulldog comeback attempts. Xavier’s Adam Kunkel came off the bench to score a game-high 25 points, one short of his career high. He shot 8-of-12 from the floor, including 4-of-8 from 3-point range. Paul Scruggs contributed 16 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Xavier had a season-low six turnovers. Butler (8-6, 1-2 BE) was led by Aaron Thompson’s 20 points and Bryce Golden’s 19. Thompson went over the 500-assist mark for his career.

Saturday’s league schedule is all in the afternoon. Two games tip at noon ET. St. John’s plays at Providence on FS1. No. 24 Seton Hall hosts Connecticut at noon on FOX. The No. 19 Villanova at DePaul game has moved from FS1 to FOX at 2 p.m.

Villanova, UConn Bounce Back

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MILWAUKEE – (Staff Report from Official news Release) – After dropping their respective league openers, Villanova and Connecticut evened their BIG EAST records on Tuesday.

Villanova, ranked 23rd in this week’s Associated Press poll, recovered from an eight-point deficit at halftime to record a 71-58 win against No. 18 Xavier. UConn grabbed the lead midway through the first half and went on to win 78-70 at Marquette.

The Wildcats (8-4, 1-1 BIG EAST) started the second half with a 12-3 run and used a late 10-spurt in its win against the Musketeers (11-2, 1-1 BE). Justin Moore led a balanced scoring attack with 17 points. Caleb Daniels added 16. Xavier’s Dwon Odom scored a team-high 13 points.

UConn (10-3, 1-1 BE) got some offensive punch from Tyrese Martin and R.J. Cole at Marquette. Martin netted a career-high 25 points and reached the 1,000-point plateau for his career. Cole scored 20 points while eclipsing the 2,000-point mark. The Huskies welcomed back Adama Sanogo, who had missed four games due to injury. Justin Lewis led Marquette (8-5, 0-2 BE) with 20 points and seven rebounds.

The lone game left on the BIG EAST schedule before the Christmas holiday is Butler playing St. John’s at Carnesecca Arena on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. ET on FS1. The teams split their two meetings last season with St. John’s winning 69-57 at home.

Xavier, Providence Continue to Roll

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CINCINNATI – (Staff report from Official News Release) – Xavier and Providence both pushed their overall records to 11-1 and won their BIG EAST openers on Saturday. St. John’s, Georgetown and Butler dropped decisions in non-league competition.

The 22nd-ranked Musketeers knocked off visiting Marquette 80-71. Xavier’s Dwon Odom came off the bench to score a career-high 19 points on 8-of-9 shooting from the field. Nate Johnson added 17 points. Jack Nunge helped with 13 points and 12 rebounds. Marquette (8-4, 0-1 BIG EAST) cut a 10-point second-half deficit to 70-69 with 3:03 left before Xavier pulled away. Greg Elliott led the Golden Eagles with 18 points.

Providence built a 16-point lead before surviving a late rally in a 57-53 win against No. 20 UConn at XL Center. PC’s A.J. Reeves scored 16 points, which included 4-of-8 from beyond the arc. Reserve Ed Croswell added 11 points in 15 minutes. R.J. Cole led the Huskies with 16 points and eight assists. The Friars limited the Huskies to 31.1 percent shooting from the field.

St. John’s (8-3) played without Julian Champagnie because of COVID protocols and lost 59-57 to Pittsburgh on a shot just before the buzzer in the Gotham Classic at Madison Square Garden. Dylan Addae-Wusu scored a team-high 12 points. Posh Alexander finished with 11 points, seven rebounds, five assists and five steals.

Georgetown (6-5) made it close in the final minute but fell to TCU 80-73 in the final game of the BIG EAST-Big 12 Battle. Aminu Mohammed posted his fifth double-double this season with game highs of 21 points and 11 rebounds. Kaiden Rice, who missed Wednesday’s win against Howard, added 14 points.  The Hoyas played without an injured Dante Harris.

No. 3 Purdue pulled away from Butler in the final minutes of the first half en route to a 77-48 victory over the Bulldogs at the Crossroads Classic. Bryce Golden led the Bulldogs (7-4) with 17 points. Chuck Harris missed the game due to illness. Butler connected on only 4-of-28 from 3-point range.

After Saturday, BIG EAST teams have an overall record of 91-27 (.771) against non-league opponents.

No games are scheduled for today and the two games on Monday were canceled due to COVID-19. Play resumes on Tuesday with Xavier visiting Villanova and Marquette hosting UConn.

Big East vs Big 12 Match-Ups Begin

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NEW YORK – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – Providence topped Texas Tech in the first game of this season’s BIG EAST-Big 12 Battle on a night when all four league teams in action posted a victory. Overall, BIG EAST teams have won their last 16 games and have a composite record of 64-15 (.810).

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The Friars (7-1) won despite the Red Raiders being able to limit Nate Watson to five points. Al Durham helped pick up the scoring slack with 23 points that included 12-of-13 from the foul line. A.J. Reeves added 14 points and eight rebounds.

No. 6 Villanova (5-2) played its second straight game in the Palestra and defeated Penn 71-56. Collin Gillespie and Brandon Slater combined for 42 points on 16-of-23 shooting from the field and 6-of-11 from 3-point range. Gillespie finished with a game-high 26 points.

No. 25 Seton Hall (6-1) pulled away in the second half in an 85-63 win over Wagner. Jared Rhoden and Tyrese Samuel each had 15 points. Rhoden added 11 rebounds. Kadary Richmond made all-around contributions with 10 points, nine assists, six rebounds and four steals.

Xavier faced the least resistance, handling Central Michigan 78-45. The Musketeers (6-1) enjoyed a 12-0 start and then pushed their advantage to 25-4. Nate Johnson made 8-of-11 from the floor and 5-of-8 from beyond the arc en route to a game-high 24 points.

Thursday is dark on the BIG EAST schedule and Friday has only one contest. St. John’s hosts No. 8 Kansas in the second game of the BIG EAST-Big 12 Battle, which will be the first basketball game played at the new UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y.

Julian Champagnie leads the Johnnies with a 21.3 scoring average, which ranks second in the BIG EAST. His rebound average is 6.8. Posh Alexander is averaging 14.6 points and leads the league in assists (6.6) and steals (2.4).