2011–12 Big East Conference men's basketball season explained

2011–12 Big East Conference men's basketball season
Color:
  1. 072e67
Color Text:
  1. efe3bb
League:NCAA Division I
Sport:Basketball
Pixels:125px
Duration:December 27, 2011
through March 3, 2012
No Of Teams:16
Attendance:2,943,956 [1]
Average Attendance:10,823
Tv:Big East Network, ESPN
Season:Regular Season
Season Champs:Marquette (14–4)
Season Champ Name:Champion
Mvp:Jae Crowder (MARQ)
Mvp Link:Big East Men's Basketball Player of the Year
Finals:Tournament
Finals Link:Big East Men's Basketball Tournament
Finals Champ:Louisville
Finals Runner-Up:Cincinnati
Finals Mvp:Peyton Siva (LOU)
Finals Mvp Link:Most Valuable Player
Seasonslistnames:Big East Conference men's basketball
Prevseason Link:2010–11 Big East Conference men's basketball season
Prevseason Year:2010–11
Nextseason Link:2012–13 Big East Conference men's basketball season
Nextseason Year:2012–13

The 2011–12 Big East Conference men's basketball season was the 33rd season of competitive basketball played by the Big East Conference, since its inception in 1979, and involved its 16 full-time member schools. The season officially opened on December 27, 2011, when Notre Dame defeated Pittsburgh, 72–59, and St. John's defeated Providence, 91–67, and ended on March 3, 2012, with a 61–58 victory for Rutgers over St. John's.

Marquette captured the first of two consecutive regular season titles after Syracuse was forced to vacate 9 wins from the 2011-2012 season,[2] and third outright, with a conference win–loss record of 17–1, which tied Connecticut in 1995–96 for most regular season conference wins in conference history.[3] The Orange also received the no. 1 seed in the Big East tournament, and a bye into the quarterfinals, along with 2nd-seed Marquette, 3rd-seed Notre Dame, and 4th-seed Cincinnati. Georgetown, South Florida, Louisville, and West Virginia rounded out the top eight, and all received a bye into the tournament's second round. Play began at noon on Tuesday, March 6 in Madison Square Garden, when 9th-seed Connecticut defeated 16th-seed DePaul, 81–67. Play ended on Saturday, March 10, when Louisville defeated Cincinnati, 50–44, for their second Big East Championship.

The Big East led all conferences in having nine teams selected to the 2012 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament.[4]

The 2011–12 season marked the Big East's seventh and final season as a 16-team basketball league, with the departure of West Virginia to the Big 12 Conference for the 2012–13 season.

Preseason

Coaching changes

Prior to the start of the 2011–12 season, one Big East program hired a new coach, following the dismissal or resignation of their former coach:

After three seasons, Providence fired Keno Davis on March 11, 2011, despite five years remaining on Davis' contract.[5] After an NIT berth in 2008–09, Davis' squad finished 15th and 14th in the conference in 2009–10 and 2010–11, respectively. Davis finished with a 46–50 (.479) overall record and 18–36 (.333) conference record. He was replaced with Fairfield head coach and Providence native Ed Cooley on March 22, 2011.[6]

Conference predictions

At Big East media day on October 19, the conference released their predictions for standings and All-Big East teams.[7]

Predicted Big East results

Big East Coaches[8] Big East Writers[9] Rivals.com[10]
T-1.Connecticut (7*)Syracuse (6)Connecticut
T-1.Syracuse (5)Connecticut (8)Syracuse
3.Louisville (3)Louisville (2)Pittsburgh
4.Pittsburgh (1)PittsburghMarquette
5.MarquetteLouisville
6.MarquetteCincinnatiCincinnati
7.West VirginiaWest VirginiaWest Virginia
8.VillanovaVillanovaVillanova
9.Notre DameNotre DameNotre Dame
10.GeorgetownGeorgetownGeorgetown
11.RutgersRutgers
12.St. John'sDePaul
13.Seton HallSeton HallSeton Hall
14.South FloridaSouth FloridaSt. John's
15.ProvidenceDePaulProvidence
16.DePaulProvidenceSouth Florida
  • first place votes

Preseason All-Big East teams

Big East Preseason Player of the Year: Ashton Gibbs, G., Pittsburgh
Big East Preseason Rookie of the Year: Andre Drummond, C., Connecticut

Preseason national polls

AP[11] Coaches[12] AthlonLindy'sSporting News[13] Fox Sports[14] CBS Sports[15] Rivals.com[16] Blue Ribbon
Cincinnati22211817211623
Connecticut444844335
DePaul
Georgetown
Louisville8981216981613
Marquette21221721221422
Notre DameRV
Pittsburgh111010611101098
Providence
Rutgers
St. John'sRV
Seton Hall
South Florida
Syracuse555965464
VillanovaRVRV25
West VirginiaRVRV

Watchlists

On October 3, the Wooden Award preseason watch list included ten Big East players. The watchlist was composed of 50 players who were not transfers, freshmen or medical redshirts. On November 7, the Naismith College Player of the Year watchlist of 50 players was announced, which included nine Big East names.

Regular season

Season summary & highlights

Midseason watchlists

On January 17, the Wooden Award midseason watchlist was released, and included four Big East players.[26] The list was composed of 25 players, reduced from the preseason list of 50. There were no newcomers to the list from the preseason. In addition, seven Big East players who were on the preseason list did not appear at midseason: Tim Abromaitis, Andre Drummond, Ashton Gibbs, Scoop Jardine, Alex Oriakhi, Peyton Siva, and Maalik Wayns.[26] On February 29, the Naismith Top 30 was announced, and included newcomer Syracuse guard Dion Waiters.[27] Meanwhile, Abromaitis, Drummond, Gibbs, Jeremy Lamb, Oriakhi, and Siva, who were on the preseason list, did not appear at midseason.

Composite matrix

This table summarizes the head-to-head results between teams in conference play.

  CincinnatiConnecticutDePaulGeorgetownLouisvilleMarquetteNotre DamePittsburghProvidenceRutgersSt. John'sSeton HallSouth FloridaSyracuseVillanovaWest Virginia
UCONN DEP GTOWN UL MARQ ND PITT PROV RUT STJ SHU USF CUSE NOVA WVU -->vs. Cincinnati– 0–10–10–10–11–10–10–10–11–01–10–11–01–00–21–0
vs. Connecticut1–0– 0–11–01–01–01–10–11–01–00–11–10–12–00–10–1
vs. DePaul1–01–0– 1–02–01–01–00–11–00–12–01–11–01–01–01–0
vs. Georgetown1–00–10–1– 0–11–10–11–00–20–10–21–00–11–00–11–0
vs. Louisville1–00–10–21–0– 1–01–00–21–00–10–10–11–02–00–10–1
vs. Marquette1–10–10–11–10–1– 1–00–10–10–10–10–10–11–00–20–1
vs. Notre Dame1–01–10–11–00–10–1– 0–10–11–11-00-10–10–10–10–2
vs. Pittsburgh1–01–01–00–12–01–01–0– 0–11–00–11–02–01–00–11–1
vs. Providence1–00–10–12–00–11–01–01–0– 0–11–01–02–02–01–01–0
vs. Rutgers0–10–11–01–01–01–01-10–11–0– 0–11–11–01–01–02–0
vs. St. John's1–11–00–22–01–01–00–11–00–11–0– 1–01–01–01–00–1
vs. Seton Hall1–01–11–10–11–01–01–00–10–11–10–1– 1–01–01–00–1
vs. South Florida0–11–00–11–00–11–01–00–20–20–10–10–1– 1–00–21–0
vs. Syracuse0–10–20–10–10–20–11–00–10–20–10–10–10–1– 0–10–1
vs. Villanova2–01–00–11–01–02–01–01–00–10–10–10–12–01–0– 1–0
vs. West Virginia0–11–00–10–11–01–02–01–10–10–21–01–00–11–00–1– UCONN DEP GTOWN UL MARQ ND PITT PROV RUT STJ SHU USF CUSE NOVA WVU -->
Total12–6 8–10 3–15 12–6 10–8 14–4 13–5 5–13 4–14 6–12 6–12 8–10 12–6 17–1 5–13 9–9

Statistical leaders

The regular season team, individual, and attendance figures include all conference and non-conference games played from November 7, 2011 through March 3, 2012.[28]

Team

Scoring Offense
RkTeamGamesPointsPPG
1Marquette31235976.1
2Syracuse31233575.3
3DePaul30223174.4
4West Virginia31222571.8
5Villanova30214971.6
Scoring Defense
RkTeamGamesPointsPPG
1South Florida31177357.2
2Georgetown29171059.0
3Syracuse31186760.2
4Cincinnati31189261.0
5Notre Dame31191361.7
Scoring Margin
RkTeamOffenseDefenseMargin
1Syracuse75.360.2+15.1
2Marquette76.165.6+10.5
3Georgetown69.259.0+10.2
4Cincinnati69.161.0+8.1
5Louisville69.462.0+7.4
Free throw percentage
RkTeamFTMFTAPct
1Villanova514678.758
2Marquette543750.724
3Notre Dame447626.714
4Pittsburgh389551.706
5Providence488692.705

Field goal percentage
RkTeamFGMFGAPct
1Syracuse8661844.470
2Georgetown7111542.461
3Marquette8181779.460
4Connecticut7591671.454
5Pittsburgh7831730.453
3-Pt Field goal percentage
RkTeam3FGM3FGAPct
1Seton Hall213588.362
2Providence154426.362
3Georgetown167476.351
4Cincinnati228652.350
5Syracuse195568.343
Rebounding Margin
RkTeamAvgOpp AvgMarg
1Pittsburgh36.929.1+7.7
2West Virginia38.131.6+6.5
3Georgetown36.130.6+5.6
4Villanova39.534.9+4.6
5Connecticut37.734.1+3.5
Offensive Rebounds
RkTeamGamesNo.Avg/G
1West Virginia3145414.7
2Pittsburgh3144314.3
3Villanova3041713.9
4Cincinnati3141913.5
5Louisville3141313.3

Defensive Rebounds
RkTeamGamesNo.Avg/G
1Villanova3076725.6
2Connecticut3076025.3
3Louisville3178025.2
4Georgetown2971424.6
5Providence3175524.4
Blocks
RkTeamGamesNo.Avg/G
1Syracuse312257.3
2Connecticut302016.7
3Providence311635.3
4Louisville311474.7
5Georgetown291374.7
Assists
RkTeamGamesNo.Avg/G
1Marquette3152817.0
2Syracuse3149616.0
3DePaul3046315.4
4Pittsburgh3146815.1
5West Virginia3145914.8
Steals
RkTeamGamesNo.Avg/G
1Syracuse313029.7
2Louisville312869.2
3Marquette312828.8
4Seton Hall302588.6
5Rutgers312558.2

Individual

Scoring
RkNameGPPtsAvg/G
1Kevin Jones, WVU3161920.0
2Darius Johnson-Odom, MARQ3054918.3
3Jae Crowder, MARQ3154717.6
4Jeremy Lamb, CONN3052717.6
5Maalik Wayns, VILL2747317.5
Rebounding
RkNameGPRebAvg/G
1Kevin Jones, WVU3134611.2
2Herb Pope, HALL2929810.3
3Yancy Gates, CIN252369.4
4Jack Cooley, ND302769.2
5Gorgui Dieng, LOU312839.1
Assists
RkNameGPNo.Avg/G
1Vincent Council, PROV302267.5
2Jordan Theodore, HALL302006.7
3Shabazz Napier, CONN301775.9
4Junior Cadougan, MARQ301645.5
5Peyton Siva, LOU291575.4
Steals
RkNameGPNo.Avg/G
1Fuquan Edwin, HALL30923.1
2Jae Crowder, MARQ31752.4
3Russ Smith, LOU30692.3
4Cashmere Wright, CIN31612.0
5Dion Waiters, SYR31591.9

Blocks
RkNameGPNo.Avg/G
1Gorgui Dieng, LOU31983.2
2Fab Melo, SYR28873.1
3Andre Drummond, CONN30792.6
4Dane Miller, RUT31511.6
5Herb Pope, HALL29461.6
Field Goals
RkNameFGMFGAPCT
1Jack Cooley, ND141227.621
2Fab Melo, SYR90158.570
3Nasir Robinson, PITT146260.562
4God'sgift Achiuwa, SJU109196.556
5Andre Drummond, CONN140262.534
3-Pt Field Goals
RkName3PM3PAPCT
1Hollis Thompson, GTWN54118.458
2Lamar Patterson, PITT3277.416
3Toarlyn Fitzpatrick, USF3687.414
4LaDontae Henton, PROV43107.402
5Darius Johnson-Odom, MARQ69172.401
Free Throws
RkNameFTMFTAPCT
1Bryce Cotton, PROV8696.896
2Maalik Wayns, VILL125140.893
3Anthony Collins, USF5463.857
4Ashton Gibbs, PITT8397.856
5Jeremy Lamb, CONN90109.826

Attendance

RkTeamHome Gms.Home Att.Avg. HomeAway Gms.Away Att.Avg. AwayNeut. Gms.Neut. Att.Avg. Neut.Total Gms.Total Att.Avg.
1Syracuse19448,73623,61810141,93314,193216,7708,38531607,43919,595
2Louisville20430,05221,50311160,95714,63200031591,00919,065
3Marquette16242,20515,13811145,95413,269417,0664,26631405,22513,072
4Connecticut17214,87312,64010146,33914,63435,1461,71530366,35812,212
5Pittsburgh18182,96810,16511142,78112,980232,92616,46331358,67511,570
6Georgetown16180,53011,28310147,31214,73137,2002,40029335,04211,553
7West Virginia16158,8879,93010111,89011,189540,8828,17631311,65910,054
8Notre Dame17135,9757,99910121,02512,102441,21413,738*31298,2149,940*
9Villanova15133,8398,92311125,03911,36749,6584,829**30268,5369,591**
10St. John's17133,1297,83112125,71310,47629,0369,036†31267,8788,929†
11Cincinnati18145,2358,06912115,0559,58814,4394,43931264,7298,540
12Seton Hall16121,5877,59911114,79610,43636,5043,252‡30242,8878,375‡
13Providence17134,0077,88312108,9509,07921,37568831244,3327,882
14DePaul16123,8327,7401189,3538,12338,2752,75830221,4607,382
15South Florida1661,5903,84913147,67911,3602n/an/a31209,2697,216§
16Rutgers1896,5115,36210104,86010,4863862862§§31202,2336,974§§
 TOTALS2722,943,95610,8231752,049,63611,71243201,3535,922^4905,194,94510,800^
  • – does not factor one neutral game played, vs. Georgia, in the 2011 CBE Classic, which does not have an attendance figure on record.[29] Averages are therefore calculated based on the three neutral games and 30 total games with attendance figures.
    ** – does not factor two neutral games played, vs. Saint Louis and Santa Clara, in the 2011 76 Classic, which do not have attendance figures on record.[30] [31] Averages are therefore calculated based on the two neutral games and 28 total games with attendance figures.
    † – does not factor one neutral game played, vs. Texas A&M, in the 2011 2K Sports Classic, which does not have an attendance figure on record.[32] Averages are therefore calculated based on the one neutral game and 30 total games with attendance figures.
    ‡ – does not factor one neutral game played, vs. St. Joseph's, in the 2011 Charleston Classic, which does not have an attendance figure on record.[33] Averages are therefore calculated based on the two neutral games and 29 total games with attendance figures.
    § – does not factor two neutral games played, vs. Old Dominion and Penn State, in the 2011 Hall of Fame Tip-Off, which do not have attendance figures on record.[34] [35] Overall average is therefore calculated based on the 29 games with attendance figures.
    §§ – does not factor two neutral games played, vs. Illinois State, in the 2011 Cancún Challenge, and vs. Stony Brook, in the 2011 Holiday Festival, which do not have attendance figures on record.[36] [37] Averages are therefore calculated based on the one neutral game and 29 total games with attendance figures.
    ^ – due to games without attendance figures, overall averages are therefore calculated based on the 34 neutral games and 481 total games with attendance figures.

Postseason

Big East tournament

See main article: 2012 Big East men's basketball tournament. For the fourth straight year, all 16 teams in the conference participated in the Big East tournament.[38] Under this format, the teams finishing 9 through 16 in the regular season standings played first-round games, while teams 5 through 8 received a bye to the second round. The top 4 teams during the regular season received a bye to the quarterfinals. The five-round tournament spanned five consecutive days, from Tuesday, March 6, through Saturday, March 10, at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

2012 Big East men's basketball tournament seeds and results
SeedSchoolConf.Over.Tiebreaker[39] First round
Tuesday, March 6		Second round
Wednesday, March 7		Quarterfinals
Thursday, March 8		Semifinals
Friday, March 9		Championship
Saturday, March 10
1.‡†Syracuse17–131–2BYEBYE
  1. 9 CONN – W, 58–55[40]
  1. 4 CIN – L, 68–71[41]
2.†Marquette14–425–7BYEBYE
  1. 7 LOU – L, 71–84[42]
3.†Notre Dame13–522–11BYEBYE
  1. 6 USF – W, 57–53OT[43]
  1. 7 LOU – L, 50–64[44]
4.†Cincinnati12–624–101–1 vs. USF/GTWN; 0–1 vs. SYR; 1–1 vs. MARQ;
1–0 vs. ND; 1–0 vs. GTWN		BYEBYE
  1. 5 GTWN – W, 72–702OT[45]
  1. 1 SYR – W, 71–68
  1. 7 LOU – L, 44–50[46]
5.
  1. Georgetown
12–623–81–1 vs. USF/CIN; 0–1 vs. SYR; 1–1 vs. MARQ;
1–0 vs. ND; 0–1 vs. CIN		BYE
  1. 13 PITT – W, 64–52[47]
  1. 4 CIN – L, 70–722OT
6.
  1. South Florida
12–620–131–1 vs. CIN/GTWN; 0–1 vs. SYR;
0–1 vs. MARQ; 0–1 vs. ND		BYE
  1. 14 VILL – W, 56–47[48]
  1. 3 ND – L, 53–57OT
7.
  1. Louisville
10–826–9BYE
  1. 10 HALL – W, 61–55[49]
  1. 2 MARQ – W, 84–71
  1. 3 ND – W, 64–50
  1. 4 CIN – W, 50–44
8.
  1. West Virginia
9–919–13BYE
  1. 9 CONN – L, 67–71OT[50]
9.Connecticut8–1020–131–1 vs. HALL; 0–2 vs. SYR; 0–1 vs. MARQ;
1–1 vs. ND; 1–2 vs. GTWN/CIN/USF; 0–1 vs. LOU;
1–0 vs. WVU; 2–1 vs. SJU/RUT; 2–0 vs. PITT/VILL
  1. 16 DEP – W, 81–67[51]
  1. 8 WVU – W, 71–67OT
  1. 1 SYR – L, 55–58
10.Seton Hall8–1020–121–1 vs. CONN; 0–1 vs. SYR; 0–1 vs. MARQ;
0–1 vs. ND; 1–2 vs. GTWN/CIN/USF; 0–1 vs. LOU;
1–0 vs. WVU; 1–1 vs. SJU/RUT; 1–1 vs. PITT/VILL
  1. 15 PROV – W, 79–47[52]
  1. 7 LOU – L, 55–61
11.Rutgers6–1214–181–0 vs. SJU
  1. 14 VILL – L, 49–70[53]
12.St. John's6–1213–190–1 vs. RUT
  1. 13 PITT – L, 59–73[54]
13.Pittsburgh5–1317–151–0 vs. VILL
  1. 12 SJU – W, 73–59
  1. 5 GTWN – L, 52–64
14.Villanova5–1313–190–1 vs. PITTvs. #11 RUT – W, 70–49
  1. 6 USF – L, 47–56
15.Providence4–1415–17
  1. 10 HALL – L, 47–79
16.DePaul3–1512–19
  1. 9 CONN – L, 67–81
‡ – Big East regular season champions, and tournament No. 1 seed.
† – Received a double-bye in the conference tournament.
# – Received a single-bye in the conference tournament.
Overall records include all games played in the Big East tournament.

Highlights

NCAA tournament

See main article: 2012 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. The official tournament selection process took place on Sunday, March 11, and the following nine Big East teams received bids into the tournament:

SeedRegionSchoolFirst FourRound of 64Round of 32Sweet 16Elite EightFinal FourChampionship
4WestLouisvillen/a
  1. 13 Davidson – W, 69–62
  1. 5 New Mexico – W, 59–56
  1. 1 Michigan State – W, 57–44
  1. 7 Florida – W, 72–68
  1. 1 Kentucky - L, 61–69
 
1EastSyracusen/a
  1. 16 UNC Asheville – W, 72–65
  1. 8 Kansas State – W, 75–59
  1. 4 Wisconsin – W, 64–63
  1. 2 Ohio State – L, 70–77
  
3WestMarquetten/a
  1. 14 BYU – W, 88–68
  1. 6 Murray State – W, 62–53
  1. 7 Florida – L, 58–68
   
6EastCincinnatin/a
  1. 11 Texas – W, 65–59
  1. 3 Florida State – W, 62–56
  1. 2 Ohio State – W, 81–66
   
3MidwestGeorgetownn/a
  1. 14 Belmont – W, 74–59
  1. 11 NC State – L, 63–66
    
12MidwestSouth Florida
  1. 12 California – W, 65–54
  1. 5 Temple – W, 58–44
  1. 13 Ohio – L, 56–62
    
7SouthNotre Damen/a
  1. 10 Xavier – L, 63–67
     
9SouthConnecticutn/a
  1. 8 Iowa State – L, 64–77
     
10EastWest Virginian/a
  1. 7 Gonzaga – L, 54–77
     
9 BidsW-L (%):1–0 (1.000)6–3 (.667)4–2 (.667)2–2 (.500)1–1 (.500)0–1 (.000)TOTAL: 14–9 (.609)

After winning the 2012 Big East men's basketball tournament, Louisville continued its winning streak all the way to the Final Four in New Orleans, Louisiana, but was defeated by Kentucky, who then defeated Kansas for the national championship. Louisville guard Peyton Siva, forward Chane Behanan, and center Gorgui Dieng were named to the West All-Regional team,[55] with Siva tapped as the Most Outstanding Player of the region. Syracuse guard Scoop Jardine was named to the East All-Regional team.[56]

National Invitation tournament

See main article: 2012 National Invitation Tournament.

After not receiving a bid to the 2012 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, Seton Hall was selected as a top seed to the 2012 National Invitation Tournament. They defeated Stony Brook in the first round before losing to Massachusetts in the second round.[57] [58]

Rankings

See also: 2011–12 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings.

Legend
  Improvement in ranking.
 Drop in ranking.
align=center style="width:20px; border:1px solid #aaaaaa; background:white;" RVReceived votes, but were not ranked.
align=center style="width:20px; border:1px solid #aaaaaa; background:white;" APAP Poll.[59]
align=center style="width:20px; border:1px solid #aaaaaa; background:white;" CESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll.[60]
тTied with team above or below also with this symbol
2011–12 Big East Conference Weekly Rankings
Pre Wk 1 Wk 2 Wk 3 Wk 4 Wk 5 Wk 6 Wk 7 Wk 8 Wk 9 Wk 10 Wk 11 Wk 12 Wk 13 Wk 14 Wk 15 Wk 16 Wk 17 Wk 18 FINAL
CincinnatiAP2120RVRVRVRVRVRVRVn/a
C2220RVRVRVRVRV18
ConnecticutAP444899898171324RVn/a
C44410910998161119RVRV
DePaulAPn/a
C
GeorgetownAPRVRV181616129111091412109111315n/a
CRVRV21171612911121014119812141517
LouisvilleAP98765444111423RVRV24 191719RV17n/a
C87764444101521252523181718RV184
MarquetteAP222116161111101420252117151812108911n/a
C21191716111110132024221815191310791110
Notre DameAPRVRVRV23202023RVn/a
CRVRVRVRV25181923RVRV
PittsburghAP109171715151522RVn/a
C119161714141322RVRV
ProvidenceAPn/a
C
RutgersAPn/a
C
St. John'sAPn/a
CRVRV
Seton HallAPRV24RVn/a
CRVRVRV RV
South FloridaAPn/a
CRV
SyracuseAP5554311111132222 222n/a
C55533111111422222225
VillanovaAPRVRVRVRVn/a
CRVRVRV
West VirginiaAPRVRVRVRVRVRVRVn/a
CRVRVRVRV RVRVRV

Awards and honors

Conference awards and teams

The following individuals received postseason honors after having been chosen by the Big East Conference coaches.

2012 Big East Men's Basketball Individual Awards
AwardRecipient(s)
Player of the Year[61] Jae Crowder, F., MARQUETTE
Coach of the YearStan Heath, SOUTH FLORIDA
Defensive Player of the Year[62] Fab Melo, C., SYRACUSE
Rookie of the YearMoe Harkless, F., ST. JOHN'S
Scholar-Athlete of the Year[63] Tim Abromaitis, F., NOTRE DAME
Most Improved PlayerJack Cooley, F., NOTRE DAME
Sixth Man AwardDion Waiters, G., SYRACUSE
Sportsmanship AwardJason Clark, G., GEORGETOWN

The Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, Rookie of the Year, and Scholar Athlete of the Year awards were announced on Tuesday, March 6, after the post-game interviews of the first session of the first round of the Big East tournament. The remainder of the individual awards were announced on Monday, March 5, while the All-Big East Men's Basketball Teams were announced on Sunday, March 4.[62] Awardees are chosen by a simple ballot, in which coaches are not allowed to vote for their players or themselves (in the case of the Big East Coach of the Year). Coaches voted for Big East Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year from the first team and all-rookie lists, respectively.

Marquette senior forward Jae Crowder was named Player of the Year. Crowder finished the regular season averaging 17.6 points per game, third in the conference, while ranking ninth in the conference in rebounds (7.9 per game). He also ranked second in the Big East in steals (2.4 per game) and recorded seven double-doubles for a Marquette squad that finished second in the conference.[28] South Florida head coach Stan Heath was named Coach of the Year, after leading the Bulls to their first winning conference record (12–6) in the school's seven seasons in the league.[61] Notre Dame's Tim Abromaitis, a graduate forward, became the first player to receive the Scholar Athlete of the Year award for the third year in a row. He was limited to two games in 2011–12 due to injury.[63]

Defensive Player of the Year Feb Melo, a sophomore center from Syracuse, led the conference in blocks, averaging 3.7 blocks per game during the conference season.[62]

St. John's freshman forward Moe Harkless was named Rookie of the Year, after averaging 15.5 points per game, second highest among conference freshmen and sixth among freshmen nationally, and 8.5 rebounds per game, also second among Big East freshmen.[28] [61]

Other awardees included most improved player Jack Cooley, a junior forward from Notre Dame, who went from playing 10.3 minutes per game in 2010–11 to leading the conference in field goal percentage (.621) and finishing fourth in rebounds per game (9.2) in both conference and non-conference play in 2011–12.[62] Syracuse sophomore guard Dion Waiters was honored with the Sixth Man Award, coming off the bench but serving as the Orange's second-leading scorer (11.9 points per game) and team leader in steals (1.9 per game).[62] Finally, Georgetown senior guard Jason Clark received the Sportsmanship Award.[62]

2012 All-Big East Men's Basketball Teams[64]
First TeamSecond TeamThird TeamHonorable MentionAll-Rookie Team
Jeremy Lamb, G., CONN
Jason Clark, G., GTWN
Jae Crowder†, F., MARQ
Darius Johnson-Odom, G., MARQ
Kris Joseph, F., SYR
Kevin Jones, F., WVU		Sean Kilpatrick, G., CIN
Jack Cooley, F., ND
Jordan Theodore, G., HALL
Scoop Jardine, G., SYR
Maalik Wayns, G., VILL		Henry Sims, C., GTWN
Vincent Council, G., PROV
Herb Pope, F., HALL
Dion Waiters, G., SYR
Darryl Bryant, G., WVU		Cleveland Melvin, F., DEP
Hollis Thompson, F., GTWN
Kyle Kuric, G/F., LOU
Ashton Gibbs, G., PITT
Moe Harkless, F., SJU		Andre Drummond, C., CONN
Chane Behanan, F., LOU
Jerian Grant, G., ND
LaDontae Henton, F., PROV
Moe Harkless, F., SJU
D'Angelo Harrison, G., SJU
Anthony Collins, G., USF
† - denotes unanimous selection
On the All-Big East Men's Basketball Teams, notable members of the first team included Clark, who was given no all-conference consideration prior to the start of the season, and Crowder, who was an honorable mention in the preseason. Crowder was the only unanimous selection for the first team, teaming up with Marquette guard Darius Johnson-Odom, who was also named to the first team, to form the highest-scoring pair in the conference. In conference games, Crowder finished fourth with 18.0 points per game and tied for first with 2.9 steals per contest. Selected as an honorable mention was Pittsburgh guard Ashton Gibbs, who was selected to the preseason first-team and was named the Preseason Player of the Year. Meanwhile, St. John's placed two players on the All-Rookie Team, guard D'Angelo Harrison and forward Moe Harkless, who were the top two freshman scorers in the conference.

National awards and teams

Players

See main article: 2012 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans.

West Virginia forward Kevin Jones was recognized as a consensus Second Team All-American after being named to the second team All-American lists by the Associated Press,[65] the USBWA,[66] and the NABC,[67] while the Sporting News named him to their third team.[68] In addition, Marquette forward Jae Crowder was selected as a Second Team All-American by the Associated Press and the Sporting News, as well as to the third team by the NABC. The NABC also named Syracuse forward Kris Joseph to their second team.

Award finalists

On March 6, the Wooden Award final ballot was released, and included three Big East players.[69] The list was composed of 15 players, reduced from the midseason list of 25. Marquette forward Jae Crowder was the newcomer to the list, while two Big East players who were on the midseason list did not appear on the final ballot: Darius Johnson-Odom and Jeremy Lamb.[69] No Big East players were among the four finalists for the Naismith Award, announced on March 19.[70]

Kentucky forward Anthony Davis was chosen as both the 2012 Wooden Award and 2012 Naismith Award recipient.[71] [72]

Coaches

Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey was selected for the Jim Phelan Award for the nation's top head coach.[73]

See also

Notes and References

  1. http://www.bigeast.org/fls/19400/stats/mbasketball/2011-2012/CONFLDRS.HTM "Big East Conference Overall Statistical Leaders"
  2. Web site: 'Syracuse to vacate wins, lose 12 scholarships; Boeheim suspended. 2015-03-07. 2015-03-07. 2015-03-18. https://web.archive.org/web/20150318030756/http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/eye-on-college-basketball/25095512/syracuse-will-have-to-vacate-wins-lose-12-scholarships-boeheim-suspended-9-games. dead.
  3. Web site: Syracuse matches Big East record for victories in win. https://web.archive.org/web/20160915004600/http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=320630183. dead. September 15, 2016. Associated Press. ESPN.com. 2012-03-03. 2012-03-03.
  4. https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/7672422/bracket-selections "2012 NCAA tournament selections"
  5. Web site: PC makes it official: Keno Davis done as head coach . Kevin . McNamara . . 2011-03-11 . 2011-03-11 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110314124756/http://hoopsblog.projo.com/2011/03/pc-fires-coach.html . 2011-03-14 . dead .
  6. Web site: Providence picks Ed Cooley as coach. ESPN.com. Andy. Katz. March 22, 2011. November 23, 2011.
  7. News: Pittsburgh's Gibbs Selected BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year . . October 19, 2011 . October 28, 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20111020105043/http://www.bigeast.org/News/tabid/435/Article/228745/Pittsburgh-s-Gibbs-Selected-BIG-EAST-Preseason-Player-of-the-Year-.aspx . October 20, 2011 .
  8. News: Connecticut, Syracuse Tie For First Place In Preseason Coaches’ Poll . . October 19, 2011 . October 28, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20111020104856/http://www.bigeast.org/News/tabid/435/Article/228746/Connecticut,-Syracuse-Tie-For-First-Place-In-Preseason-Coaches%E2%80%99-Poll-.aspx . October 20, 2011 . dead . mdy-all .
  9. Web site: The results of the Big East writers preseason men's basketball poll. The Post-Standard. 2011-10-18. 2011-11-23.
  10. Web site: League preview: Big East. 2011-11-23. 2011-11-01. Rivals.com.
  11. Web site: NCAA Division I: AP Top 25 (Oct. 28). 2011-10-28. 2011-10-28. ESPN.com.
  12. Web site: NCAA Division I: ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll (Oct. 20). 2011-10-20. 2010-10-20. ESPN.com.
  13. http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-basketball/feed/2010-10/duke/story/sounds-crazy-but-duke-must-address-some-issues Sounds crazy, but Duke must address some issues
  14. http://msn.foxsports.com/collegebasketball/story/Duke-tops-preseason-top-25-college-basketball Preseason Top 25: Duke a clear No. 1
  15. http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/story/14134634/final-preseason-top-25-and-one-its-the-work-of-the-devils Final preseason Top 25 (and one): It's the work of the Devils
  16. http://collegebasketball.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1147967 Rivals.com 2010-11 Preseason Top 25
  17. Web site: John R. Wooden Award Announces Men's Preseason Top 50 List. 2011-11-23. 2011-10-03. John R. Wooden Award.
  18. Web site: SEC Talent Rules in 2011-2012 Naismith Preseason Watch List. 2011-11-23. 2011-11-07. Naismith Award. https://web.archive.org/web/20111203024225/http://www.naismithawards.com/PressBox/ArticleView/tabid/209/ArticleId/28/SEC-Talent-Rules-in-2011-2012-Naismith-Preseason-Watch-List.aspx. 2011-12-03. dead.
  19. Web site: Kris Joseph, late run carry Orange to NIT Season Tip-Off title. https://web.archive.org/web/20201125114938/https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=313290183. dead. November 25, 2020. Associated Press. ESPN.com. 2011-11-25. 2012-03-03.
  20. Web site: Marquette wins Paradise Jam title despite blowing 14-point lead. https://web.archive.org/web/20201202033019/https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=313250269. dead. December 2, 2020. Associated Press. ESPN.com. 2011-11-21. 2012-03-03.
  21. Web site: Rick Pitino Wins 600th as No. 8 Louisville Cruises. WBKO. November 11, 2011. December 2, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20120415050532/http://www.wbko.com/sports/headlines/Rick_Pitino_Wins_600th_as_No_8_Louisville_Cruises_133730973.html. 2012-04-15. dead.
  22. News: Syracuse basketball coach fired amid sex abuse investigation . . November 27, 2011 . November 27, 2011.
  23. Web site: Jim Calhoun to be suspended in 2011–12. ESPN.com. 2011-02-23. 2011-03-06.
  24. Web site: UConn downs Pitt in Jim Calhoun's return to keep tournament hopes alive. https://web.archive.org/web/20211020001846/https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=320630041. dead. October 20, 2021. ESPN.com. ESPN.com. 2012-03-03. 2012-03-03.
  25. Web site: Syracuse puts bow on best regular season in school history with win over Louisville. The Post-Standard. Mike. Waters. 2012-03-03. 2012-03-03.
  26. Web site: John R. Wooden Award 2011-12 Midseason Top 25 Candidates Announced. 2012-02-22. 2012-01-17. John R. Wooden Award.
  27. Web site: Naismith ‘Midseason 30’ list released. 2011-03-05. 2012-02-29. NCAA. https://web.archive.org/web/20130403155532/http://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2012-02-29/naismith-midseason-30-list-released. 2013-04-03. dead.
  28. http://www.bigeast.org/fls/19400/stats/mbasketball/2011-2012/CONFLDRS.HTM "Big East Conference Overall Statistical Leaders"
  29. https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore?gameId=313260061 Box Score – Notre Dame vs. Georgia
  30. https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore?gameId=313290222 Box Score – Saint Louis vs. Villanova
  31. https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore?gameId=313312541 Box Score – Villanova vs. Santa Clara
  32. https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore?gameId=313222599 Box Score – Texas A&M vs. St. John's
  33. https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore?gameId=313222603 Box Score – Seton Hall vs. St. Joseph's
  34. https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore?gameId=313230295 Box Score – South Florida vs. Old Dominion
  35. https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore?gameId=313240213 Box Score – South Florida vs. Penn State
  36. https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore?gameId=313260164 Box Score – Illinois State vs. Rutgers
  37. https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore?gameId=313510164 Box Score – Stony Brook vs. Rutgers
  38. http://www.bigeast.org/portals/5/fls/19400/ChampionshipCentral/Big%20East%20Men%27s%20Basketball/2012/2012_bracket.pdf 2012 Championship Bracket
  39. Web site: CHAMPIONSHIP SEEDING FORMULA. bigeast.org. 16 February 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20110725073329/http://www.bigeast.org/fls/19400/pdfs/men_basketball/tiebreaker11.pdf. 25 July 2011. dead. dmy-all.
  40. https://web.archive.org/web/20210415184723/https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=320680183 Connecticut vs. Syracuse – March 8, 2012 – Box Score
  41. https://web.archive.org/web/20180409171900/http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=320690183 Cincinnati vs. Syracuse – March 9, 2012 – Box Score
  42. https://web.archive.org/web/20210422170508/https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=320680269 Louisville vs. Marquette – March 8, 2012 – Box Score
  43. https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=320680087 South Florida vs. Notre Dame – March 8, 2012 – Box Score
  44. https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=320690087 Louisville vs. Notre Dame – March 9, 2012 – Box Score
  45. https://web.archive.org/web/20171207085908/http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=320682132 Georgetown vs. Cincinnati – March 8, 2012 – Box Score
  46. https://web.archive.org/web/20230921133330/https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=320702132 Louisville vs. Cincinnati – March 10, 2012 – Box Score
  47. https://web.archive.org/web/20171207085852/http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=320670046 Pittsburgh vs. Georgetown – March 7, 2012 – Box Score
  48. https://web.archive.org/web/20210127110923/https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=320670058 Villanova vs. South Florida – March 7, 2012 – Box Score
  49. https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=320670097 Seton Hall vs. Louisville – March 7, 2012 – Box Score
  50. https://web.archive.org/web/20211021052557/https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=320670277 Connecticut vs. West Virginia – March 7, 2012 – Box Score
  51. https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=320660041 DePaul vs. Connecticut – March 6, 2012 – Box Score
  52. https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=320662550 Providence vs. Seton Hall – March 6, 2012 – Box Score
  53. https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=320660164 Villanova vs. Rutgers – March 6, 2012 – Box Score
  54. https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=320662599 Pittsburgh vs. St. John's – March 6, 2012 – Box Score
  55. Web site: Michigan State's Draymond Green honored for NCAA tournament performance. MLive.com. Diamond. Leung. March 24, 2012. October 17, 2012.
  56. Web site: Ohio State's Jared Sullinger named East Region's Most Outstanding Player. The Post-Standard. Mike. Waters. March 25, 2012. October 17, 2012.
  57. Web site: Seton Hall 63, Stony Brook 61. Associated Press. ESPN.com. March 13, 2012. March 18, 2012.
  58. Web site: UMass 77, Seton Hall 67. Associated Press. ESPN.com. March 17, 2012. March 18, 2012.
  59. Web site: AP Top 25. 2011-03-07. Rivals.com. https://web.archive.org/web/20110227000212/http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/polls?poll=1. 27 February 2011 . live.
  60. Web site: USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll. 2011-03-07. Rivals.com. https://web.archive.org/web/20110125022145/http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/polls?poll=3. 25 January 2011 . live.
  61. Web site: Marquette's Crowder Named BIG EAST Player of the Year. Big East Conference. 2012-03-06. 2012-03-06. https://web.archive.org/web/20120308223115/http://bigeast.org/News/tabid/435/Article/232358/Marquette-s-Crowder-Named-BIG-EAST-Player-of-the-Year.aspx. 2012-03-08. dead.
  62. Web site: Melo Named BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year. Big East Conference. 2012-03-05. 2012-03-05. https://web.archive.org/web/20120307150041/http://www.bigeast.org/News/tabid/435/Article/232284/Melo-Named-BIG-EAST-Defensive-Player-of-the-Year.aspx. 2012-03-07. dead.
  63. Web site: Notre Dame's Tim Abromaitis Named American Eagle Outfitters BIG EAST Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Big East Conference. 2012-03-06. 2012-03-06. https://archive.today/20130414074556/http://bigeast.org/News/tabid/435/Article/232357/Notre-Dame-s-Tim-Abromaitis-Named-American-Eagle-Outfitters-BIG-EAST-Scholar-Athlete-of-the-Year.aspx. 2013-04-14. dead.
  64. Web site: Marquette Places Two On All-BIG EAST First Team. Big East Conference. 2012-03-04. 2012-03-05. https://web.archive.org/web/20120306084257/http://bigeast.org/News/tabid/435/Article/232234/Marquette-Places-Two-On-All-BIG-EAST-First-Team.aspx. 2012-03-06. dead.
  65. Web site: 2011-12 AP All-America Teams . Washington Examiner . March 26, 2012 . March 26, 2012 .
  66. Web site: USBWA NAMES 2011-12 ALL-AMERICANS. Sportswriters.net. March 12, 2012 . March 12, 2012.
  67. Web site: Rivers Named NABC Third Team All-America. GoDuke.com. March 19, 2012 . March 20, 2012.
  68. Web site: Anthony Davis named Sporting News' 2012 College Basketball Player of the Year . Sportingnews.com . March 6, 2012 . March 6, 2012.
  69. Web site: 2011-2012 Men's John R. Wooden Award Final Ballot. 2012-03-06. 2012-03-06. John R. Wooden Award. https://web.archive.org/web/20190201065445/http://www.woodenaward.com/?p=1171. 2019-02-01. dead.
  70. Web site: Anthony Davis Vies to Become First Player from Kentucky and Second Freshman Ever to Win the Naismith Trophy. Naismith Award. March 19, 2012. March 23, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120403202007/http://www.naismithawards.com/PressBox/ArticleView/tabid/209/ArticleId/41/Anthony-Davis-Vies-to-Become-First-Player-from-Kentucky-and-Second-Freshman-Ever-to-Win-the-Naismith.aspx. April 3, 2012. dead. mdy-all.
  71. Web site: Davis wins Wooden National Player of the Year Award. 2012-03-31. 2012-03-31. WKYT-TV.
  72. Web site: Anthony Davis wins Naismith, closes in on awards sweep. 2012-04-02. 2012-04-01. NBC Sports. Miller, Mike.
  73. Web site: Mike Brey Named Jim Phelan National Coach Of The Year . . 30 March 2012 . 2 April 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160306173802/http://www.und.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/033012aaa.html . 6 March 2016 . dead .

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