The Big East regular season wrapped up on Saturday, and all the focus is now on the Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Before games tip off on Wednesday evening, we must hand out awards to the players that have stood out all season. In the penultimate Big East Baller Update of the season, we will do exactly that.
UConn guard Solo Ball (1) is cornered by Creighton center Ryan Kalkbrenner (11) and guard Fez Žugić (7) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, in Omaha, Neb. (AP Photo/Bonnie Ryan)
Player and Defensive of the Year: Ryan Kalkbrenner, C, Creighton (19.4 ppg, 9 rpg, 1.6 apg, 2.7 bpg, 66.3 FG%, 34 3P%, 69 FT%)
Kalkbrenner has solidified himself as one of the greatest players in Creighton men’s basketball history. On Monday, the Big East awarded him his fourth Defensive Player of the Year award. There is no doubt that he deserves it, with a Hakeem percentage of 8.6% (sum of block and steal percentage). That comes from his 7.5% block rate, which ranks in the 92nd percentile nationally. He has 80 total blocks this season, by far the most in the Big East. His 197 defensive rebounds rank atop the Big East. He has been by far the most valuable player in the Big East this season after Creighton lost Baylor Scheierman and Trey Alexander to the NBA.
Coach of the Year: Rick Pitino, St. John’s
St. John’s was picked to finish fifth in the conference in October’s preseason coaches poll and finished first in the Big East standings for the first time in 40 years. The Johnnies are one of the best defensive teams in the country. Jon Rothstein picked Pitino as his National Coach of the Year winner on his College Hoops Today blog. It is a crime that Pitino has not won Big East Coach of the Year while at Providence or Louisville. If he wins National Coach of the Year, it would be the first time since 1987 that he has won the honor.
Freshman of the Year: Liam McNeeley, F, UConn (14.7 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 2.5 apg, 39.5 FG%, 34.7 3P%, 86.4 FT%)
Despite missing nearly all of January, McNeeley has locked up the Big East Freshman of the Year award with Georgetown’s Thomas Sorber sidelined for the remainder of the season. Since returning on Feb. 7 vs. St. John’s, McNeeley has averaged 16.3 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. His best game as a Husky came on Feb. 11 at Creighton, scoring 38 points and grabbing 10 rebounds on 54.5% shooting. He leads all Big East freshmen in points and assists per game.
Most Improved Player: Zuby Ejiofor, F, St. John’s (14.1 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 1.5 apg, 1.5 bpg, 57.3 FG%, 25.7 3P%, 68.2 FT%)
Last season, Ejiofor averaged 4.3 points, 3.1 rebounds, 0.7 assists and 1.1 blocks per game on 48.9% shooting. Those numbers skyrocketed this year as he emerged as one of six players named to the All-Big East First Team. The former Kansas Jayhawk is one of the best offensive rebounders in the country, averaging 4.3 per game. That leads to a whopping five second-chance points per game. Ejiofor ranks 19th in the conference in scoring, 10th in true shooting (63.6%, 86th percentile nationally) and tied for sixth in total blocks (46).
Sixth Man Award: Tarris Reed Jr., C, UConn (10 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 1.1 rpg, 1.7 bpg, 66.8 FG%, 65.6 FT%)
With how Reed has been able to produce off the bench for the Huskies, you would think he should be starting. Nope, he has only started one game this season. That is what makes Reed most dangerous: he is producing like this off the bench. He is second only to Ejiofor in offensive rebounds and has been the reason UConn has gotten more second-chance opportunities lately, averaging 2.7 offensive boards per game. Reed ranks third in the Big East in blocks per game, trailing only Kalkbrenner and Sorber. His player efficiency rating trails only Kalkbrenner (31.1). He leads the Big East in defensive rebounding percentage at 27% (98th percentile), block percentage at 9.3% (96th percentile) and Hakeem percentage at 11.6%. Reed becomes the second-straight Husky to win the Sixth Man Award, with Hassan Diarra winning the award last season.
All-Big East First Team
- Kam Jones, G, Marquette
- Kadary Richmond, G, St. John’s
- RJ Luis Jr., G/F, St. John’s
- Eric Dixon, F, Villanova
- Ryan Kalkbrenner, C, Creighton
All-Big East Second Team
- Steven Ashworth, G, Creighton
- Micah Peavy, G, Georgetown
- Liam McNeeley, F, UConn
- Zach Freemantle, F, Xavier
- Zuby Ejiofor, F, St. John’s
All-Big East Third Team
- Solo Ball, G, UConn
- Wooga Poplar, G, Villanova
- Jahmyl Telfort, F, Butler
- Alex Karaban, F, UConn
- Thomas Sorber, C, Georgetown
Big East All-Freshman Team
- Ryan Mela, F, Providence
- Liam McNeeley, F, UConn
- Oswin Erhunmwunse, F, Providence
- Jackson McAndrew, F, Creighton
- Thomas Sorber, C, Georgetown