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Big East News

First Season In the Books: How Did The Big East Do?

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Rewind to Big East media day, October 16, 2013. Val Ackerman, the Big East’s new commissioner said the following to the media: “There’s no doubt the eyes of the basketball world and the eyes of others in college sports are definitely on the Big East.”

How true those words would be. And not surprisingly, the “eyes of the basketball world” were quick to be negative. Without the backing of ESPN, the Big East was constantly knocked and, even when good things happened, not given its full due. It was not an ideal first season for this new basketball-centric league. Marquette and Georgetown were picked 1 and 2 in the Big East Preseason Coaches’ Poll. Many thought that it was crucial for Marquette, a team that has had a good run of success since joining the conference in 2005, and especially Georgetown, a school that was a big part of the original Big East’s foundation, to be successful both in the conference and nationally. Injuries and lack of on court chemistry seemed to do in both the Golden Eagles and Hoyas as the teams would finish 6th and 7th after 18 regular season games. Only two teams were ranked heading into the Big East Tournament and there was a concern that those two teams might even be the only schools to make the NCAA Tournament.

You Only Get One First Impression

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Bryce Cotton

Bryce Cotton Named Associated Press All American Honorable Mention

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Bryce Cotton became the first Friar to be named to an AP All American team since Marshon Brooks was a 3rd team All American in 2011. For the record, the voting occured on Selection Sunday so Cotton’s amazing performance against North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament was not considered by the voters. Doug McDermott (1st team) was the only Big East player to be named on the AP All American teams/honorable mentions.

Here is the full list:

Statistics through March 16
First Team

Doug McDermott, Creighton, 6-8, 225, senior, Ames, Iowa, 26.9 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 52.5 fg pct, 45.4 3-pt fg pct, 86.6 ft pct (65 first-team votes, 325 total points).

Jabari Parker, Duke, 6-8, 235, freshman, Chicago, 19.3 ppg, 8.8 rpg (55, 303).

Russ Smith, Louisville, 6-0, 165, senior, Brooklyn, N.Y., 18.3 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 4.7 apg, 40.5 3-pt fg pct, 2.1 steals (54, 298).

Shabazz Napier, Connecticut, 6-1, 180, senior, Roxbury, Mass., 17.4 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 4.9 apg, 85.9 ft pct, 1.7 steals (37, 254).

Sean Kilpatrick, Cincinnati, 6-4, 210, senior, Yonkers, N.Y., 20.7 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 2.6 apg, 84.7 ft pct (37, 243).

Second Team

Nick Johnson, Arizona, 6-3, 200, junior, Gilbert, Ariz., 16.2 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.8 apg, (30, 228).

Andrew Wiggins, Kansas, 6-8, 200, freshman, Vaughan, Ontario, 17.4 ppg, 6.0 rpg (14, 199).

Nik Stauskas, Michigan, 6-6, 205, sophomore, Mississauga, Ontario, 17.5 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 3.3 apg, 44.9 3-pt fg pct, 82.0 ft pct, (5, 128).

Melvin Ejim, Iowa State, 6-6, 220, senior, Toronto, 18.1 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 1.8 apg, 50.6 fg pct, (8, 127).

T.J. Warren, N.C. State, 6-8, 215, sophomore, Durham, N.C., 24.8 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 52.5 fg pct, 35.2 minutes, 1.8 steals, (7, 110).

Third Team

Cleanthony Early, Wichita State, 6-8, 219, senior, Middletown, N.Y., 15.8 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 2.0 apg, 84.4 ft pct (3, 104).

Kyle Anderson, UCLA, 6-9, 230, sophomore, Fairview, N.J., 14.9 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 6.6 apg, 48.1 3pt fg pct, 1.8 steals (84).

Julius Randle, Kentucky, 6-9, 250, freshman, Dallas, 15.0 ppg, 10.5 rpg, 50.2 fg pct (81).

C.J. Fair, Syracuse, 6-8, 215, senior, Baltimore, 16.7 ppg, 6.2 rpg (3, 65).

Scottie Wilbekin, Florida, 6-2, 176, senior, Gainesville, Fla., 13.0 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 3.8 apg, 40.0 3-pt fg pct, 1.7 steals (3, 59).

Honorable Mention (in alphabetical order)

Karvel Anderson, Robert Morris; Cameron Ayers, Bucknell; Cameron Bairstow, New Mexico; Billy Baron, Canisius; Jerrelle Benimon, Towson; Taylor Braun, North Dakota State; De’Mon Brooks, Davidson; John Brown, High Point; Bryce Cotton, Providence; Joel Embiid, Kansas.

Tyler Ennis, Syracuse; Aaron Gordon, Arizona; Langston Hall, Mercer; Gary Harris, Michigan State; Tyler Haws, BYU; R.J. Hunter, Georgia State; Jordair Jett, Saint Louis; Shawn Jones, Middle Tennessee; DeAndre Kane, Iowa State (1 first-team vote); J.J. Mann, Belmont.

Javon McCrea, Buffalo; Daniel Mullings, New Mexico State; Aaric Murray, Texas Southern; Marcus Paige, North Carolina; Jacob Parker, Stephen F. Austin; Lamar Patterson, Pittsburgh; Adreian Payne, Michigan State (1); Casey Prather, Florida; Wesley Saunders, Harvard; Marcus Smart, Oklahoma State (1).

Juwan Staten, West Virginia; Keifer Sykes, Green Bay; Xavier Thames, San Diego State; Fred VanVleet, Wichita State (1); Jameel Warney, Stony Brook; Davion Weber, Weber State; Alan Williams, UC Santa Barbara; Pendarvis Williams, Norfolk State; Patric Young, Florida.

Links of the Day

#pcbb Links of the Day 3/18/14

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Game Previews & Recaps

Player Quotes from Postgame #pcbb

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PROVIDENCE FRIARS
BRYCE COTTON LaDONTAE HENTON KADEEM BATTS
THE MODERATOR: We’ll start with Bryce Cotton, the Dave Gavitt Trophy winner.
Q. Bryce,Isawyouhadalotof confidence coming out early in the second half. What inspired that early confidence?
BRYCE COTTON: We got off to a good run in the first half. We had a great pep talk going into the locker room. And we just told each other, we’re 20 minutes away from something we’ve dreamed up for a long time. That was enough motivation to put a little pep in our step.
Q. That shot with 45 seconds left. They cut it to two. Any hesitation or were you pretty confident? You didn’t have the best shooting night tonight.
LaDONTAE HENTON: I mean, when you score the ball and your teammates believe in you, and they put you in spots to score the ball, you just want to come through for them. It was a tough night and a big game at Madison Square Garden. I just wanted to make the shot.
I practice that shot all the time. So it just comes from repetition.
Q. Bryce, coming into the week, there was a question whether Providence would make the Tournament. Now there’s no question; you get the automatic bid. Just talk about what it will be like going to sleep tonight and knowing that and watching on Selection Sunday there’s no doubt you’ll be in.
BRYCE COTTON: It feels great. Given everything what this team has gone through, all the adversity, obstacles we faced, for us to reach this moment now, we’re just going to cherish this moment for the time being. We’ll regroup when it’s time.
Q. LaDontae, talk to us about the team defense against one of the most explosive basketball teams in the country. You guys guarded them all night. Just talk about the team and the individual defense.
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