2012 Big East Basketball Media Day Updates

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No 'Cats named to Preseason teams

Louisville's Peyton Siva has been named the preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year today by the Conference's coaches. Villanova's basketball team did not receive any recognition on all-Conference teams this season, breaking a streak over the last few years of having players on the pre-season awards list.

Head coach Jay Wright was not surprised by the announcements.

"There are a number of guys that could [have been picked]," Wright said. "I don't think any of these guys have been overlooked."

"I think Mouph will be there at the end of the year, I think he's going to be one of the best rebounders in the league, I really do. He's going to be one of the best rebounders in the country.

The coaches also announced their Pre-Season First & Second teams and Honorable Mention.

2012-13 BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year
Peyton Siva, Louisville

2012-13 BIG EAST Preseason Rookie of the Year
Steven Adams, Pittsburgh

2012-13 Preseason All-BIG EAST First Team
Sean Kilpatrick, Cincinnati, G, Jr., 6-4, 221, White Plains, N.Y.
Otto Porter, Georgetown, F, So., 6-8, 205, Sikeston, Mo.
Gorgui Dieng, Louisville, C, Jr., 6-10, 225, Dakar, Senegal
Jack Cooley, Notre Dame, F, Sr., 6-9, 244, Glenview, Ill.
Vincent Council, Providence, G, Sr., 6-2, 180, Brooklyn, N.Y.

2012-13 Preseason All-BIG EAST Second Team
Shabazz Napier, Connecticut, G, Jr., 6-1, 171, Roxbury, Mass.
Cleveland Melvin, DePaul, F, Jr., 6-8, 208, Baltimore, Md.
D’Angelo Harrison, St. John’s, G, So., 6-3, 202, Missouri City, Texas
Anthony Collins, USF, So., G, 6-1, 175, Houston, Texas
Brandon Triche, Syracuse, G, Sr., 6-4, 205, Jamesville, N.Y.

2012-13 Preseason BIG EAST Honorable Mention
Chane Behanan, Louisville, F, So., 6-7, 250, Cincinnati, Ohio
Jerian Grant, Notre Dame, G, Jr., 6-5, 185, Bowie, Md.
Tray Woodall, Pittsburgh, G, Sr., 5-11, 190, Brooklyn, N.Y.
C.J. Fair, Syracuse, F, Jr., 6-8, 212, Baltimore, Md.

Press Release

NEW YORK - Louisville guard Peyton Siva has been named 2012-13 BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year by a vote of the league’s head coaches. It is the first time a Louisville player has earned BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year honors.

Steven Adams, a 7-0 freshman center from Pittsburgh, was named BIG EAST Preseason Rookie of the Year.

Siva, a 5-11 senior, helped lead Louisville to the NCAA Final Four last year season. He averaged 9.1 points per game and was fourth in the BIG EAST in assists with a 5.6 mark. Siva also led the Cardinals to The BIG EAST Championship title and won the Dave Gavitt Trophy as the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. A native of Seattle, Wash., Siva was named to the NCAA West Regional All-Tournament Team.

Adams is a native of Wellington, New Zealand. He played prep school basketball at Notre Dame Prep in Fitchburg, Mass., last season. Adams was among the top 10 recruits nationally by several national recruiting services.

The 2011-12 Preseason All-BIG EAST Team has two seniors, two juniors and a sophomore. The seniors are Notre Dame’s Jack Cooley and Providence’s Vincent Council. Cooley, the BIG EAST Most Improved Player last season, averaged 12.3 points and 8.9 rebounds. The rugged 6-9 forward helped the Irish to a 21-12 record and 13-5 BIG EAST mark.

Council emerged as an elite BIG EAST player last season. The 6-2 guard averaged a team-leading 15.9 ppg and was first in the league in assists with a 7.5 average. Council also led the BIG EAST in minutes playing, seeing 38.7 minutes of action each game.

The first team also includes Cincinnati’s Sean Kilpatrick, a 6-4 junior from White Plains, N.Y. One of the top shooters in the BIG EAST, Kilpatrick owned a 14.3 scoring average and made a league-high 92 3-point baskets. The other junior on the preseason team is Louisville’s Gorgui Dieng. A 6-10 center from Dakar, Senegal, Dieng led the BIG EAST in blocked shots with a 3.2 average. He also averaged 9.1 points and 9.1 rebounds.

The lone sophomore to earn first-team honors is Georgetown forward Otto Porter. A 6-8 native of Sikeston, Mo., Porter averaged nearly 30 minutes per game as a rookie, though he started only eight games. He averaged 9.7 points and a team-leading 6.8 rebounds.

The Preseason All-BIG EAST Second Team includes DePaul junior forward Cleveland Melvin, who is the league’s top returning scorer with a 17.4 scoring average. He also averaged 7.4 rebounds. After Melvin, the second team is backcourt heavy. Connecticut guard Shabazz Napier was the second highest scorer for the Huskies with a 13.0 average. St. John’s guard D’Angelo Harrison was the BIG EAST’s top freshman scorer with a 17.0 average. USF point guard Anthony Collins was the glue behind the Bulls’ breakout season last year. He averaged 9.0 points and 3.4 assists. Syracuse senior guard Brandon Triche offers Syracuse the same stability as Collins. Triche averaged 9.4 points.

The 2012-13 Preseason All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention group includes Louisville forward Chane Behanan, Notre Dame guard Jerian Grant, Pittsburgh guard Tray Woodall and Syracuse forward C.J. Fair.

2012-13 BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year

Peyton Siva, Louisville

2012-13 BIG EAST Preseason Rookie of the Year

Steven Adams, Pittsburgh

2012-13 Preseason All-BIG EAST First Team

Sean Kilpatrick, Cincinnati, G, Jr., 6-4, 221, White Plains, N.Y.

Otto Porter, Georgetown, F, So., 6-8, 205, Sikeston, Mo.

Gorgui Dieng, Louisville, C, Jr., 6-10, 225, Dakar, Senegal

Jack Cooley, Notre Dame, F, Sr., 6-9, 244, Glenview, Ill.

Vincent Council, Providence, G, Sr., 6-2, 180, Brooklyn, N.Y.

2012-13 Preseason All-BIG EAST Second Team

Shabazz Napier, Connecticut, G, Jr., 6-1, 171, Roxbury, Mass.

Cleveland Melvin, DePaul, F, Jr., 6-8, 208, Baltimore, Md.

D’Angelo Harrison, St. John’s, G, So., 6-3, 202, Missouri City, Texas

Anthony Collins, USF, So., G, 6-1, 175, Houston, Texas

Brandon Triche, Syracuse, G, Sr., 6-4, 205, Jamesville, N.Y.

2012-13 Preseason BIG EAST Honorable Mention

Chane Behanan, Louisville, F, So., 6-7, 250, Cincinnati, Ohio

Jerian Grant, Notre Dame, G, Jr., 6-5, 185, Bowie, Md.

Tray Woodall, Pittsburgh, G, Sr., 5-11, 190, Brooklyn, N.Y.

C.J. Fair, Syracuse, F, Jr., 6-8, 212, Baltimore, Md.

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Coaches pick Villanova 12th as well

There were very few surprises as the Big East conference unveiled its preseason coaches poll. Louisville was again a near-unanimous pick, while Villanova was pegged for 12th place in the league. The 'Cats were picked to finish 8th last season, but did not reach that high in the league standings.

The full poll follows:

2012-13 Preseason Coaches’ Poll

Pts.

1. Louisville (14) 196

2. Syracuse 175

3. Notre Dame (1) 166

4. Cincinnati 152

5. Georgetown 136

6. Pittsburgh 132

7. Marquette 121

8. USF 96

9. Connecticut 83

10. St. John’s 73

11. Rutgers 63

12. Villanova 61

13. DePaul 48

14. Seton Hall 42

15. Providence 31

First-place votes in parentheses