Crowder, Johnson-Odom Named All-BIG EAST First Team

March 4, 2012 Release Courtesy of BIG EAST Conference

Crowder Lone Unanimous Selection

Forward Jae Crowder and guard Darius Johnson-Odom of Marquette were two of six players named to the All-BIG EAST First Team, the league announced. The conference’s head coaches choose the all-conference teams. The coaches are not permitted to vote for their own players. The league announced the All-BIG EAST First, Second and Third Teams in addition to the BIG EAST All-Rookie Team.



The BIG EAST Player of the Year will come from the All-BIG EAST First Team. The conference will announce Player of the Year, Oppenheimer Funds/BIG EAST Coach of the Year, BIG EAST Rookie of the Year and American Eagle Outfitters BIG EAST Scholar-Athlete of the Year on Tuesday, March 6. The announcement will be made between sessions of the first day of The BIG EAST Championship Presented by American Eagle Outfitters at Madison Square Garden. The press conference will begin after the postgame interviews of the afternoon doubleheader have been completed. The other league individual awards will be announced Monday, March 5.

In addition to Crowder and Johnson-Odom, the other first-team selections are: Jeremy Lamb of Connecticut, Jason Clark of Georgetown, Kris Joseph of Syracuse and Kevin Jones of West Virginia.

Crowder, a 6-6 senior, was the only unanimous selection. He teamed with Johnson-Odom to lead Marquette to a second-place finish in the regular season with a 14-4 record. They were the highest scoring duo in the BIG EAST. In league games, Johnson-Odom finished second in the BIG EAST, averaging 18.9 points per game while Crowder finished fourth at 18.0. Crowder also averaged 8.3 rebounds in conference play and tied for first in the league in steals with a 2.9 mark.

Lamb averaged 17.6 points for Connecticut, which placed him fourth in the conference in scoring in all games. The 6-5 guard, who was a BIG EAST All-Rookie pick last year, is the only sophomore on the first team.

Clark was the senior floor leader who helped Georgetown to a 12-6 BIG EAST mark and a No. 5 seed in The BIG EAST Championship. He averaged 14.3 points. Overall, the Hoyas are 22-7.

Joseph was the scoring leader for regular-season champion Syracuse. He averaged 14.1 points in all games. The Orange finished the regular season with a 30-1 overall record and a 17-1 BIG EAST mark.

Jones was the anchor for West Virginia. In league play, he edged Johnson-Odom by two points for the BIG EAST scoring title. Jones finished with a 19.0 scoring average in BIG EAST games. He also finished first in rebounding with a 10.9 mark.

For the BIG EAST All-Rookie Team, the coaches included the two top freshman scorers in the league, St. John’s teammates D’Angelo Harrison and Moe Harkless. In league play, Harrison was third in the BIG EAST in scoring with an 18.5 average. Harkless averaged 15.3 points and 8.5 rebounds. The BIG EAST Rookie of the Year will come from the All-Rookie Team.

ALL-BIG EAST FIRST TEAM

Jeremy Lamb, Connecticut, G, So., 6-5, 185, Norcross, Ga.
Jason Clark, Georgetown, G, Sr., 6-2, 170, Arlington, Va.
*Jae Crowder, Marquette, F, Sr., 6-6, 235, Villa Rica, Ga.
Darius Johnson-Odom, Marquette, G, Sr., 6-2, 215, Raleigh, N.C.
Kris Joseph, Syracuse, F, Sr., 6-7, 210, Montreal, Quebec
Kevin Jones, West Virginia, F, Sr., 6-8, 260, Mount Vernon, N.Y.

ALL-BIG EAST SECOND TEAM

Sean Kilpatrick, Cincinnati, G, So., 6-4, 215, White Plains, N.Y.
Jack Cooley, Notre Dame, F, Jr., 6-9, 244, Glenview, Ill.
Jordan Theodore, Seton Hall, G, Sr., 6-0, 174, Englewood, N.J.
Scoop Jardine, Syracuse, G, Sr., 6-2, 190, Philadelphia, Pa.
Maalik Wayns, Villanova, G, Jr., 6-2, 200, Philadelphia, Pa.

ALL-BIG EAST THIRD TEAM

Henry Sims, Georgetown, C, Sr., 6-10, 232, Baltimore, Md.
Vincent Council, Providence, G, Jr., 6-2, 180, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Herb Pope, Seton Hall, F, Sr., 6-8, 236, Aliquippa, Pa.
Dion Waiters, Syracuse, G, So., 6-4, 215, Philadelphia, Pa.
Darryl Bryant, West Virginia, G, Sr., 6-2, 195, Brooklyn, N.Y.

BIG EAST HONORABLE MENTION

Cleveland Melvin, DePaul, F, So., 6-8, 205, Baltimore, Md.
Hollis Thompson, Georgetown, F, Sr., 6-7, 205, Los Angeles, Calif.
Kyle Kuric, Louisville, G-F, Sr., 6-4, 185, Evansville, Ind.
Ashton Gibbs, Pittsburgh, G, Sr., 6-2, 190, Scotch Plains, N.J.
Moe Harkless, St. John’s, F, Fr., 6-8, 190, Queens, N.Y.

BIG EAST ALL-ROOKIE TEAM^

Andre Drummond, Connecticut, C, Fr., 6-11, 275, Middletown, Conn.
Chane Behanan, Louisville, F, Fr., 6-7, 250, Bowling Green, Ky.
Jerian Grant, Notre Dame, G, So., 6-5, 185, Bowie, Md.
LaDontae Henton, Providence, F, Fr., 6-6, 220 Lansing, Mich.
Moe Harkless, St. John’s, F, Fr., 6-8, 190, Queens, N.Y.
D’Angelo Harrison, St. John’s, G, Fr., 6-3, 186, Missouri City, Texas
Anthony Collins, USF, G, Fr., G, 6-1, 175, Houston, Texas

*Denotes unanimous selection.
^Due to a tie in the voting, an additional position was named.