As the Big East’s convoluted conference season winds to a finish, the postseason award picture is equally as confusing.

Commentators like Billy Packer and Dick Vitale rave about every player they can, from Boston College’s Troy Bell to teammate Kirsten Zoellner. Don’t worry, we don’t know who he is either. But we’re sure they do.

It seems like everybody has a favorite — or two or three — for the postseason awards. With that in mind, here are our picks for some of the traditional categories, as well as some that even Vitale and Packer don’t vote on.

Most Valuable Player

Brandin Knight, Pittsburgh

Knight led a team of nobodys to the top of the Big East West Division. Although Pittsburgh’s talent level resides somewhere in the middle of the pack, Knight’s leadership has helped it broach the elite. His numbers aren’t spectacular, but Knight (15.5 ppg, 6.9 assists) has been the Panthers’ offensive catalyst. On a team specializing in defense, Knight’s ability to work the shot clock has been crucial.

Honorable Mention: Troy Bell, Boston College; Mike Sweetney, Georgetown; Caron Butler, Connecticut

Coach of the Year

Ben Howland, Pittsburgh

Howland has led a team expected to finish near the bottom of the Big East to the Top 25 and first place in the Big East West. He’s persuaded the modern-day player with a tendency to run and gun to slow the ball down and dig in on defense.

Honorable Mention: Gary Waters, Rutgers; Mike Jarvis, St. John’s

Newcomer of the year

Marcus Hatten, St. John’s

Hatten, a junior-college transfer, sits third in the Big East in scoring with just less than 20 points a game. Only one other player on his team averages more than 10. Hatten also averages 4.6 assists and is the team’s second-leading rebounder. On the league’s third-worst scoring team, Hatten is the only viable option on offense.

Honorable Mention: Jerome Coleman, Rutgers

Freshman of the year

Chris Thomas, Notre Dame

We need to make this category because the two top newcomers came from the junior-college ranks, but the Big East cupboard of freshmen is far from bare. Although Thomas, like most freshmen, appeared to hit the wall at times, his ability to lead the Irish in his first year has been tremendous. Thomas averages more than 16 points and leads the leagues in assists.

Honorable Mention: Emeka Okafor, Connecticut; Ryan Gomes, Providence; Ricky Shields, Rutgers

Only Questions

Troy Bell, Boston College

This award goes to the player that kept opposing coaches tossing and turning at night with a burning question — how can I stop this guy? Bell is probably the quickest player in the league, and he shoots 90 percent from the foul line and 30 percent from behind the arc. Although his team has struggled to a mediocre finish, Bell led the league in scoring with 22 points per game.

Honorable Mention: Mike Sweetney, Georgetown; Caron Butler, Connecticut

Easy Answers

Darius Lane, Seton Hall

This award goes to the league’s most one-dimensional scorer. Discounting players who are not expected to score, Lane wins this award easily. Despite possessing the range of a smart missile, Lane averaged only 12 points, including two games where he came up with nothing and another with only one bucket. He can shoot, and…umm…well, he can shoot — sometimes.

Honorable Mention: Darius Rice, Miami; Preston Shumpert, Syracuse

Human Fly

Jerome Coleman, Rutgers

This award goes to the player who loves to have every stutter step and shoulder shake spotlighted around the nation. Coleman has put up his best numbers against the league’s top teams, including 30 against Miami and 26 against UConn. Also, for some reason, his range extends to half-court whenever ESPN’s cameras are around. Against the top three teams in each division, Coleman averaged over five three-pointers.

Honorable Mention: Marcus Hatten, St. John’s; Brandin Knight, Pittsburgh

The Alcatraz Award

The Louis Brown Athletic Center (Better known as the RAC), Rutgers

This award is given to the arena that opponents want to escape as quickly as possible. Our reporters left the RAC with their ears ringing and heads buzzing. Rutgers’ 15-1 home record says all you need to know about its home court. The 2-6 away record tells you something about the team.

Honorable Mention: Fitzgerald Fieldhouse, Pittsburgh; Carrier Dome, Syracuse

Are you kidding me?

Seton Hall coach Louis Orr is the quiet type. But maybe his team ought to listen anyway. Six minutes into the Pirates’ game with Rutgers on Saturday, senior Darius Lane began yapping with Coleman, who outscored Mr. Easy Answers, 27-8. Later, Pirate guard Marcus Toney-El hammered Scarlet Knight Mike Sherrod on an attempted layup, earning a flagrant foul and an ejection. Like Lane, Toney-El couldn’t keep down the verbal detritus, leaving the arena with a parade of expletives and a 66-60 loss.

Boston College seemed to have the chance it wanted — two games in the final weeks against two of three teams ahead of it in the Big East East Division. But instead of climbing out of their hole, the Eagles did their best Punxsutawney Phil impression, diving underground and retreating at the shadows of Connecticut and St. John’s. The Eagles allowed 31 points to Marcus Hatten in a 71-62 loss to the Red Storm and then failed to bring any emotion into a 75-61 debacle against UConn.

Numbers never lie

35-1

Seven minutes into St. John’s 97-55 loss to No. 3 Duke, the Johnnies held a seven-point lead. Then the doors flew off their hinges, and the rest of the house blew away with it. The Blue Devils ended the half with a 35-1 run. St. John’s launched 12 errant shots and committed a dozen turnovers while watching a 20-13 lead become a 48-21 deficit.

4

Rutgers senior Rashod Kent was seriously recruited by two schools — then-lowly Rutgers and Marshall. Now he holds four spots in the Rutgers record book. Kent will most likely finish his career No. 1 in field-goal percentage, No. 5 in rebounding, No. 4 in points and most surprisingly for a 265-pound, linebacker look alike, No. 2 in steals.

On tap

Notre Dame at St. John’s

Tonight, 7:30 p.m.

Momma always said slumping was bad for your posture. Both squads are posturing themselves for the Big East’s postseason tourney and trying to avoid ending the season in a slump. Each team is aiming for the bye that first- and second-place finishers in each division receive.

Rutgers at Georgetown

Saturday, noon

With the NCAA tournament bubble slipping from beneath their legs, both Rutgers and Georgetown need a win. Georgetown must move into the top half of its division, while Rutgers needs a road win against a team with an RPI over 144.

Yup, he said it

Coleman, Rutgers

Courtesy of The Star-Ledger

Coleman’s take on what transpired between he and Lane: “He said a couple things to me I didn’t appreciate. He paid for it, though. That just made me want it much more, so I could rub it in their faces when I see them in the street. I stayed in his face (on defense). He can’t put it on the floor, so I stayed in his face.’

Published on February 26, 2002 at 12:00 pm