Marquette University Athletics
Marquette Picked Sixth; Johnson-Odom All-BIG EAST First Team
10/19/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Oct. 19, 2011
NEW YORK - Marquette was picked sixth in the annual BIG EAST Confernce Preseason Coaches' Poll and senior guard Darius Johnson-Odom was selected to the Preseason All-BIG EAST First Team, the league announced Wednesday morning. Senior forward Jae Crowder was named Preseason All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention.
Marquette will be aiming for its seventh straight NCAA bid. Johnson-Odom, a Preseason All-BIG EAST First Team pick, will give coach Buzz Williams a proven scorer. Last year, the Golden Eagles finished 22-15 and advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 for the first time since 2003. Marquette was picked eighth to open the 2010-11 season.
Connecticut and Syracuse are the co-favorites to win the 2011-12 BIG EAST men's basketball regular-season crown in the BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Huskies, who won the 2011 NCAA national championship, received seven first-place votes and a total of 209 points. The Orange, who finished last season with a 27-8 record, collected five first-place votes. It is the third tie for first place in the history of the BIG EAST with the last coming in 2007-08. The league's head coaches do not place their own teams on their ballots.
The Huskies, coached by Jim Calhoun, welcome back three starters, including sophomore guard Jeremy Lamb, a 2011-12 Preseason All-BIG EAST First Team pick, and junior forward Alex Oriakhi, a Preseason All-BIG EAST Second Team selection. Freshman forward Andre Drummond was named BIG EAST Preseason Rookie of the Year.
The strength of the Orange in 2011-12 starts with senior forward Kris Joseph, a member of the Preseason All-BIG EAST First Team. Junior guard Scoop Jardine who led the BIG EAST in assists with a 6.1 average in league play, is a Preseason All-BIG EAST Second Team pick.
Louisville finished third in the poll with 201 points and three first-place votes. The Cardinals return 11 lettermen including three starters from last year's team that finished 25-10 overall and 12-6 in the BIG EAST. Junior guard Peyton Siva is a top all-around contributor to the UofL success. Last season, he averaged 9.9 points, was fourth in the league in assists with a 5.2 average and second in steals at 2.0. He is a Preseason All-BIG EAST Second Team selection.
Pittsburgh is a solid fourth in the poll with 188 points and one first-place vote. The Panthers won the BIG EAST regular-season crown last season and finished 28-6 overall. This year, Pitt will depend on senior guard Ashton Gibbs, the 2011-12 BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year.
Cincinnati was placed fifth in the poll, its highest position since joining the BIG EAST in 2005-06. Last year, the Bearcats finished 26-9 overall, 11-7 in the league and earned an NCAA berth for the first time since 2005. Coach Mick Cronin welcomes back three starters, including senior forward Yancy Gates, a Preseason All-BIG EAST Second Team selection.
West Virginia was picked seventh. The Mountaineers figure to be led by senior forward Kevin Jones who made the Preseason All-BIG EAST First Team. Last season, WVU compiled its seventh straight 20-win season, finishing 21-12.
Villanova was slotted for eighth place. Like West Virginia, the Wildcats finished 21-12 and were one of the BIG EAST's record 11 NCAA tourney teams. This season, coach Jay Wright will not have a senior on his squad. Junior guard Maalik Wayns is the top returning scorer with a 13.8 average.
The coaches chose Notre Dame ninth. The Irish recorded the second highest win total in school history last year when they finished 27-7 overall and were 14-4 in the BIG EAST. Notre Dame will miss guard Ben Hansbrough, last year's BIG EAST Player of the Year, but will lean on Tim Abromaitis who made the 2011-12 Preseason All-BIG EAST First Team.
Georgetown is 10th in the poll. The Hoyas will look to senior guard Jason Clark while finding replacements for Clark's backcourt partners, all-conference players Austin Freeman and Chris Wright.
Rutgers was tabbed for 11th place, the Scarlet Knights' highest position in the poll since the BIG EAST became a 16-team conference in 2005-06. Rutgers, under second-year coach Mike Rice, expects to improve on last year's 15-17 record.
St. John's is 12th in the poll. Under coach Steve Lavin, the Red Storm earned their first NCAA bid last season since 2002. This season, Lavin will have a team with only one returning scholarship player.
Seton Hall was placed 13th in the poll. USF is 14th followed by Providence and DePaul.
Preseason BIG EAST Conference Coaches Poll
Pts. | |
1. Connecticut (7) Syracuse (5) | 209 209 |
3. Louisville (3) | 201 |
4. Pittsburgh (1) | 188 |
5. Cincinnati | 169 |
6. Marquette | 155 |
7. West Virginia | 132 |
8. Villanova | 127 |
9. Notre Dame | 114 |
10. Georgetown | 104 |
11. Rutgers | 75 |
12. St. John's | 71 |
13. Seton Hall | 56 |
14. USF | 43 |
15. Providence | 40 |
16. DePaul | 27 |
Pittsburgh guard Ashton Gibbs has been named 2011-12 BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year by a vote of the league's head men's basketball coaches. It is the fifth time in league history that a Pittsburgh player has captured BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year honors.
Connecticut freshman center Andre Drummond was chosen BIG EAST Preseason Rookie of the Year. Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own players.
Gibbs is a 6-2 senior who was an All-BIG EAST First Team selection last year. He led the Panthers in scoring with a 16.8 average. He was first in the league in 3-point shooting, making 49 percent, and second in free throw shooting, hitting at an 88.9-percent clip. A native of Scotch Plains, N.J., Gibbs enters the season third on the BIG EAST career list in 3-point shooting percentage at 45.4 percent.
The other Panthers to earn Preseason Player of the Year honors are Charles Smith (1986-87), Jerome Lane (1987-88), Brandin Knight (2002-03) and Aaron Gray (2006-07).
Drummond is a 6-11 freshman center from Middletown, Conn. He also was chosen Preseason All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention.
In addition to Gibbs, five players earned All-BIG EAST First Team recognition. The group includes a graduate student, three seniors and a sophomore.
Notre Dame's Tim Abromaitis is the graduate student. The 2010 and 2011 American Eagle Outfitters BIG EAST Men's Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Abromaitis helped the Irish on the court by averaging 15.4 points and 6.1 rebounds. The 6-8 forward also is one of the conference's best long-range shooters. He made 42.9 percent from beyond the arc last year.
Darius Johnson-Odom is Marquette's top-notch offensive force. The 6-2 senior guard averaged 15.8 points last season, which ranked seventh in the BIG EAST. In league play, he was even more productive, averaging 17.2 points. Johnson-Odom helped the Golden Eagles reach the NCAA Sweet 16 and finish with a 22-15 record last season.
Syracuse's Kris Joseph earned third-team conference honors last season after averaging a team-leading 14.3 points and 5.2 rebounds. The 6-7 senior forward also averaged 1.5 steals. Joseph helped the Orange finish 27-8 last year and No. 12 in the final Associated Press poll.
West Virginia's Kevin Jones has been a three-year contributor as a scorer and rebounder. The 6-8 senior forward averaged 13.1 points and led the Mountaineers in rebounding with a 7.5 mark. Entering the 2011-12 season, Jones leads all league players with 612 points and 364 rebounds in conference games.
Jeremy Lamb is a sophomore guard who played a key role in Connecticut's march to the national championship last year. For the season, he averaged 11.1 points and shot 48.7 percent from the floor while making the BIG EAST All-Rookie Team. The 6-5 guard was a standout on the USA Basketball U-19 Team that competed at the World Championships this past summer.
The Preseason All-BIG EAST Second Team includes two seniors and three juniors. The seniors are Cincinnati forward Yancy Gates and Syracuse guard Scoop Jardine. The juniors are Connecticut forward/center Alex Oriakhi, Louisville guard Peyton Siva and Villanova guard Maalik Wayns.
The 2011-12 Preseason All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention group includes Drummond, teammate Shabazz Napier, DePaul forward Cleveland Melvin, Marquette forward Jae Crowder and USF forward/center Augustus Gilchrist.
2011-12 BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year
Ashton Gibbs, Pittsburgh
2011-12 BIG EAST Preseason Rookie of the Year
Andre Drummond, Connecticut
2011-12 Preseason All-BIG EAST First Team
Ashton Gibbs, Pittsburgh (Player of the Year), G, Sr., 6-2, 190, Scotch Plains, N.J.
Jeremy Lamb, Connecticut, G/F, So., 6-5, 185, Norcross, Ga.
Darius Johnson-Odom, Marquette, G, Sr., 6-2, 215, Raleigh, N.C.
Tim Abromaitis, Notre Dame, F, Gr., 6-8, 235, Unionville, Conn.
Kris Joseph, Syracuse, F, Sr., 6-7, 210, Montreal, Quebec
Kevin Jones, West Virginia, F, Sr., 6-8, 260, Mount Vernon, N.Y.
2011-12 Preseason All-BIG EAST Second Team
Yancy Gates, Cincinnati, F, Sr., 6-9, 260, Cincinnati, Ohio
Alex Oriakhi, Connecticut, F/C, Jr., 6-9, 240, Lowell, Mass.
Peyton Siva, Louisville, G, Jr., 5-11, 180, Seattle, Wash.
Scoop Jardine, Syracuse, G, Sr., 6-2 190, Philadelphia, Pa.
Maalik Wayns, Villanova, G, Jr., 6-2, 200, Philadelphia, Pa.
2011-12 Preseason All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention
Andre Drummond, Connecticut, C, Fr., 6-11, 275, Middletown, Conn.
Shabazz Napier, Connecticut, G, So. 6-0, 170, Roxbury, Mass.
Cleveland Melvin, DePaul, F, So., 6-8, 208, Baltimore, Md.
Jae Crowder, Marquette, F, Sr., 6-6, 235, Villa Rica, Ga.
Augustus Gilchrist, USF, F/C, Sr., 6-10, 245, Clinton, Md.
