March 10, 2013

OFFICIAL BIG EAST RELEASE

Junior guard Vander Blue has been named to the All-BIG EAST Second Team and junior forward Davante Gardner was tabbed All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention, the league office announced Sunday morning.

The league’s specialty awards will begin to be announced on Monday.

Blue enjoyed a breakthrough campaign in 2012-13 and concluded the regular season ranked 15th in the league in scoring (14.4 ppg.). The Madison, Wis., native is the squad’s leading scorer and nearly doubled his scoring average of 8.4 points per outing in 2011-12. He shot 46.1 percent from the floor through the team’s first 30 games this year, reaching double figures in points a total of 21 times.

Gardner was one of the league’s most efficient players all season long, posting averages of 11.5 points and 4.8 rebounds per contest in just 21.3 minutes per night. He is ranked fourth among league players in both field goal percentage (.577) and free throw percentage (.848) and is top-three in both categories in league-only games. He is on pace to finish among MU’s top-10 performers in the season record book as well in those areas.

Marquette earned a share of the 2012-13 BIG EAST Conference regular season title Saturday evening with a win at St. John’s and will open play at the league tourney Thursday night at 8 p.m. CT.

ALL-BIG EAST FIRST TEAM

Shabazz Napier, Connecticut, G, Jr., 6-1, 171, Roxbury, Mass.
*Otto Porter, Jr., Georgetown, F, So., 6-8, 205, Sikeston, Mo.
Gorgui Dieng, Louisville, C, Jr., 6-11, 245, Kebemer, Senegal
Russ Smith, Louisville, G, Jr., 6-0, 165, Briarwood, N.Y.
Jack Cooley, Notre Dame, F, Sr., 6-9, 246, Glenview, Ill.
Bryce Cotton, Providence, G, Jr., 6-1, 165, Tucson, Ariz.

Sean Kilpatrick, Cincinnati, G, Jr., 6-4, 221, White Plains, N.Y.
Vander Blue, Marquette, G, Sr., 6-4, 200, Madison, Wis.
Jerian Grant, Notre Dame, G, Jr., 6-5, 202, Bowie, Md.
Michael Carter-Williams, Syracuse, G, So., 6-6, 185, Hamilton, Mass.
C.J. Fair, Syracuse, F, Jr., 6-8, 215, Baltimore, Md.

ALL-BIG EAST THIRD TEAM

Markel Starks, Georgetown, G, Jr., 6-2, 175, Accokeek, Md.
Peyton Siva, Louisville, G, Sr., 6-0, 185, Seattle, Wash.
Tray Woodall, Pittsburgh, G, Sr., 6-0, 190, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Brandon Triche, Syracuse, G, Sr., 6-4,210, Jamesville, N.Y.
JayVaughn Pinkston, Villanova, F, So., 6-6, 240, Brooklyn, N.Y.

BIG EAST HONORABLE MENTION

Davante Gardner, Marquette, F, Jr., 6-8, 290, Suffolk, Va.
Kadeem Batts, Providence, F, Jr., 6-9, 245, Powder Springs, Ga.
JaKarr Sampson, St. John’s, F, Fr., 6-8, 204, Barberton, Ohio
Fuquan Edwin, Seton Hall, F, Jr., G-F, 6-6, 205, Paterson, N.J.

BIG EAST ALL-ROOKIE TEAM^

Omar Calhoun, Connecticut, G, Fr., 6-5, 195, Brooklyn, N.Y.
D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera, Georgetown, G, Fr., 6-3, 227, Indianapolis, Ind.
Steven Adams, Pittsburgh, C, Fr., 7-0, 250, Roturua, New Zealand
Chris Obekpa, St. John’s, C, Fr., 6-9, 223, Makurdi, Nigeria
*JaKarr Sampson, St. John’s, F, Fr., 6-8, 204, Barberton, Ohio
*Ryan Arcidiacono, Villanova, G, Fr., 6-3, 195, Langhorne, Pa.

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