Consistently one of the most hotly-contested conferences in the nation, the Big East also features a star-studded competition for the honor of top player. The league has some fantastic bigs, but in discussing Player of the Year, a group of perimeter players has risen to the top. They say that great backcourt play is a must for the best of teams, and some of the country’s most extraordinary lead guards are among the favorites for Big East Player of the Year.
Tyler Kolek – Marquette
15.1 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 7.2 apg, 1.7 spg – 48.6% FG, 59.9% TS – 23.8% Usage Rate
There weren’t many players in the country who had greater individual success than Tyler Kolek last year. He was named a first-team All-American, Big East Tournament MVP, and the league’s Player of the Year. As a result, expectations for both Kolek and the Marquette team he leads were sky-high this summer. All Kolek has done for his encore is to captain the Golden Eagles on a course towards realizing those extraordinary goals.
One of the nation’s smartest and most skilled passers, Kolek reads the floor like few other players in recent memory. He is on course to lead the Big East in assists for the third consecutive season, and Kolek’s 6.9 helpers per game ranks second all-time among the league’s legendary floor generals. A strong outside shooter, Kolek would nonetheless rather attack off the bounce than sit back and launch jumpers – and he does so very effectively. Fully half of his shot attempts this year have come from near the rim, per Bart Torvik, and Kolek has maintained high-end efficiency on his shooting splits from all over the floor. Kolek’s evolution from distributor and deep threat into an off-the-bounce dynamo has been remarkable, and he still shoots it at 38.6% from the land of trey these days. In late January, when Villanova fans got on him with ‘airball’ chants following a bad miss, Kolek calmly splashed two deep balls in a row and then told the crowd to hush en route to a career-high 32 points – plus nine assists, of course – in an 85-80 Marquette victory.
A quality defender who began his career as a high-energy piece in George Mason’s rotation, Kolek has carried his tenacity on that end of the floor with him as his star has risen. He doesn’t just make life difficult for shooters and help to get stops; Kolek has been among the top five in the Big East in steals each of the past two seasons as well. A consummate point guard, Kolek has proven that he’s got the handles, playmaking skill, and bravado of a superstar. Increasingly, Kolek also has the hardware to confirm that he is among the legendary players in recent history – and he will be adding to his trophy case in the near future.
Tristen Newton – Connecticut
15.6 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 5.6 apg, 1.2 spg – 40.8% FG, 54.8% TS – 26.6% Usage Rate
Storrs, CT, has been good to Tristen Newton, and Tristen Newton has been good to Storrs. Since joining the Huskies prior to last season as a transfer from East Carolina, Newton has played at an all-conference level. He has also posted three triple-doubles, been named to the All-Tournament team during the UConn’s run through March Madness last season, and won a national championship. After hearing boo birds following some turnover issues amidst larger team struggles last season, Newton has enjoyed his greatest success individually this year. The do-everything point guard has proven himself to the home fans, and having gotten comfortable with the Big East is now leading a new-look ensemble cast towards more postseason hardware. A big, wiry-strong guard, Newton covers ground in a hurry and can knife through tight spaces despite his height in order to create good opportunities in close. Newton scores the majority of his points in the lane and near the rim – unless he’s cashing in at the charity stripe.
An outstanding rebounder for a guard, Newton is averaging a career-best 6.7 boards, and his 125 defensive rebounds rank fourth among all Big East players. Newton has found his greatest consistency as a scoring option this year, which has been huge given the 33+ points per game which the Huskies lost when Adama Sanogo and Jordan Hawkins took their talents to the NBA. He’s gone for 14+ points in 17 of UConn’s 23 games, and Newton’s penchant for getting fouled keeps the Huskies’ star contributing positively even when his jumper isn’t falling. Unfortunately, the deep ball has been a struggle for Newton in his super-senior season, but despite his streaky shooting, Newton has made multiple treys in nine different games. With Connecticut poised to make another deep run in the Big Dance, Newton’s comfort level at keeping the many talented pieces on the roster well-fed will remain invaluable.
Baylor Scheierman – Creighton
18.6 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 3.6 apg, 0.9 spg – 44.9% FG, 59.5% TS – 25.7% Usage Rate
It’s tough to pick from among Creighton’s trio of huge stars – Trey Alexander and Ryan Kalkbrenner are also among the best players in the Big East. For the maturity of his game, dangerous shooting range, and versatility, though, Scheierman is the choice as top Bluejay. In fact, Scheierman has been even better this year for Creighton than he was two years ago, back when he was named the Summit League’s Player of the Year while at South Dakota State.
The Aurora, NE, native is a singular talent, and recently reached a singular milestone. Scheierman is the only player in Division I history to have recorded at least 2,000 career points, 1,000 rebounds, 500 assists, and 300 made 3FG’s. Passing and deep shooting form the bedrock of Scheierman’s game. He is a dangerous jump shooter who can find and then get off a good look against even the closest defense, and Scheierman has splashed three or more triples 15 times in Creighton’s 23 games this season. His outstanding vision and ability to think ahead of the action also make Scheierman a true facilitator. He has demonstrated the consistency and composure to make the smart play often enough that head coach Greg McDermott trusts Scheierman. As a result, he and his veteran counterparts are given rein to play fast and free, and in such an environment Scheierman has thrived. His work on the glass cannot go unnoticed; Scheierman may be a 205-pound wing, but he’s one of the league’s best and most productive rebounders. He’s posted double figures on the boards ten times already, with eight double-doubles. The Bluejays know exactly what they will get from their slick, quick-thinking and tenacious star, and it’s those abilities which make Scheierman a superstar.
Kadary Richmond – Seton Hall
16.1 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 5.0 apg, 2.1 spg – 44.4% FG, 51.4% TS – 29.2% Usage Rate
There was a time when legendary Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim commented on his outgoing transfer Kadary Richmond with some derision as a player whose effort didn’t match his talent. These days, people don’t question Richmond’s commitment to being a disruptive, excellent player. They know by now that if they challenge Richmond, they might just find out more than they wanted to. One of the best perimeter defenders in America, Richmond brings great size, length, toughness and intelligence to each game. An intimidating presence who can stop even top scorers, Richmond keys the Pirate attack at both ends of the floor. Not only does Richmond force bad shots, off-games, and endless frustration with his skills: he also ranks second in the Big East in steals, and his steal rate of 4.2% is the 11th-best in league history. He’s accumulated 150 thefts across his 80 games in a Seton Hall jersey, and Richmond’s quick fingers and talent for getting out in transition to earn cheap buckets is invaluable to the low-scoring Pirates.
This season, he’s also made a tremendous leap as a go-to offensive player, and Richmond’s evolution has turned the Hall into a very good team. Last season was the first time that Richmond averaged double figures all year; this time around, he’s among the top ten scorers in the conference. Richmond is not really a deep threat, but he’s hell on wheels off the bounce and on his way through the lane. The physicality Richmond plays with allows him to get shots off under tremendous duress, and he consistently finishes against larger players near the basket. A standout playmaker who opens up space inside and then drops off clever feeds to his teammates in the post, Richmond is truly the straw that stirs the Pirates’ drink. Though Richmond occasionally coughs up too many turnovers, his dynamism and creativity are elements which drive everything that the team does. He’s a perfect fit for the aggressive, full-court style that head coach Shaheen Holloway prefers, and Richmond has flourished like never before this year. He hasn’t just changed the narrative of his career: Richmond has emerged as one of the nation’s most valuable and versatile players.
Devin Carter – Providence
19.0 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 3.5 apg, 1.7 spg, 0.9 bpg – 48.7% FG, 60.3% TS – 27.2% Usage Rate
At the beginning of this season, PC fans were hyped to know that their team would feature three different established stars as headliners as the team got used to a new head coach. Unfortunately, one of the stars was lost early in Big East play, as Bryce Hopkins suffered a season-ending knee injury. Fortunately, the Friars can still cook without one future pro, and that’s in large part because it seems that there is nothing Devin Carter can’t do. An off-guard who makes plays; a perimeter guy who outworks bigs for loose balls; an aggressive combo forward trapped in a 6’3″ frame – Carter defies standard categorization. In some ways, that’s always been the case. Devin Carter is the son of 1997 WAC Player of the Year and longtime NBA player and coach Anthony Carter, and such was the talent that he flashed in high school that Devin Carter entered the college game as a consensus Top 100 recruit. In other ways, Carter has shown out on an all-new level this year.
The last few weeks, Carter has assumed the mantle of scoring star as well as standout stopper, and he’s proving to be the Friars’ MVP. It had already been a breakout year for Carter, but in the nine games PC has played without Hopkins, Carter is averaging 23 points, eight rebounds, four assists and better than two steals per game on 60.1% true shooting. His deep jumper in particular has been a revelation. Over his first two seasons of college ball, Carter was just a 28.9% shooter from the land of trey. This year, he’s made 38.9% of his deep heaves, and Carter has become a volume shooter, too – he’s made three or more triples 11 times this year after having done so just twice in his first two seasons. Always an outstanding slasher, Carter has also refined his handle, and is now highly effective operating off of screens and attacking defenses with his drive. An excellent defender whose elite bounce and athleticism allow him to cover just about any perimeter player, Carter has labored all over the floor to keep PC in contention. He’s one of the best shot-blockers in the country, and Carter is constantly deflecting a pass or making some opponent think twice about bringing the ball near him. There aren’t that many players who have the combination of skill, pedigree, desire and smarts that Carter offers, and it’s all been on display as he attempts to bring Friartown an NCAA Tournament bid.
Current Favorite: Tyler Kolek
It’s going to be very difficult to keep Kolek from taking home this award for the second consecutive year. He has improved from last season in observable and measurable ways, he’s showed up with big performances in big games against top competition, and Kolek fills a clear leadership role for one of the league’s best teams. In the Maui Invitational championship game this fall, Kolek went for 22 points, seven boards and six assists. He’s shared 10 or more assists five different times this year, and Kolek is averaging 15.2 points and 8.5 assists across more than 35 minutes per contest since Big East play began.
While he may not be the intimidating defensive presence that Richmond or Carter is defensively or possess the high-end rebounding ability of Newton or Scheierman, Kolek is a true maestro on the hardwood. His ability to coordinate all of the action across the floor is exceptional, and Kolek has grown his game meaningfully each year as he translates experience into expertise. His rare poise and composure allow Kolek’s teammates to play free and confident ball, knowing that their leader has his eye on the details which will see them all to success. Like a great quarterback, Kolek knows that utilizing the talent around him is the best way to keep an opponent off-guard, and his easy manner in keeping everyone involved has become a paramount strength of the Golden Eagles. There are surely conference heroics to come which nobody has yet imagined – from Kolek, the other top contenders, and likely from less-heralded players, too. As we start to look towards March, few players have done more to help their teams win, nor measured up as well to the standards and expectations previously established than Kolek.
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