RJ Luis Jr. has been honored as the Big East Player of the Year, and Rick Pitino has been unanimously chosen as Coach of the Year after both played pivotal roles in St. John’s capturing its first outright conference title since 1985. Additionally, UConn’s freshman standout, Liam McNeeley, has been recognized as the Big East Newcomer of the Year.
Luis made a remarkable comeback from offseason surgery related to his shins, delivering an impressive performance with averages of 18.1 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game for the sixth-ranked Red Storm. St. John’s is currently on a six-game winning streak as they head into the Big East Tournament. Under Pitino’s leadership, the team, with a 27-4 record, is poised for its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2019.
Luis narrowly surpassed Creighton’s center, Ryan Kalkbrenner, by a single vote, obtaining six votes for the Player of the Year accolade from a 13-member voting panel comprised of media representatives. Meanwhile, Villanova’s forward, Eric Dixon, received the remaining two votes. “I’m grateful to my teammates and coaches,” Luis expressed on Saturday regarding the potential award. “They know how to position me for success, especially Kadary (Richmond). He understands my scoring ability and often finds opportunities to get me the ball. Receiving this award would be a wonderful honor.”
Luis, Kalkbrenner, and Dixon were all unanimously selected for the first-team all-Big East list. They were joined by Creighton’s guard Steven Ashworth, St. John’s forward Zuby Ejiofor, and Marquette’s guard Kam Jones, with Ashworth and Ejiofor tying for fifth in the voting.
The second team selections included UConn’s guard Solo Ball, Xavier’s forward Zach Freemantle, Georgetown’s swingman Micah Peavy, UConn’s forward Alex Karaban, and St. John’s guard Kadary Richmond, who was previously part of Seton Hall.
Kalkbrenner has now made it to the first team for three consecutive years. Conversely, Dixon and Richmond, who were part of the second team last year, have stepped up in their roles, with Richmond showcasing his talent after his previous association with Seton Hall.
The team’s detailed line-up includes standout players: Steven Ashworth, 5th year, Creighton; Kam Jones, senior, Marquette; RJ Luis Jr., junior, St. John’s; Eric Dixon, 6th year, Villanova; Zuby Ejiofor, junior, St. John’s; Ryan Kalkbrenner, 5th year, Creighton. The second team features Solo Ball, UConn sophomore; Kadary Richmond, 5th year, St. John’s; Micah Peavy, 5th year, Georgetown; Zach Freemantle, 6th year, Xavier; Alex Karaban, junior, UConn.
The awards for the season highlight Rick Pitino of St. John’s as the Coach of the Year, RJ Luis Jr. as the Player of the Year, and Liam McNeeley, UConn freshman, as the Newcomer of the Year.
