Some trophies are headed to Friartown!
As Championship Week continues, the Big East revealed their All-Big East teams and individual award winners.
As expected, not one member of the first-time Big East regular-season champions was featured on the First Team. But by no means does that make the Providence Friars’ season less impressive. They got ‘dudes’ that know their individual roles that benefit the greater good of the team.
Today, the Big East announced that longtime Providence head coach Ed Cooley was named the conference’s Coach of the Year. In addition, Cooley racked up the Sporting News Coach of the Year award earlier this week. The Providence native snatched his 200th win with the program and his 300th overall. These are incredible accomplishments to cap off a stellar regular season in Friartown.
They are Cooley’s first individual awards since winning the MAAC Coach of the Year in 2011.
A breakout year for Jared Bynum landed him on the All-Big East Second Team. Bynum was also named as the Big East’s Sixth Man of the Year. He averaged 12.9 PPG while leading the team in APG (4.5). The junior guard also went off for 25+ points three times this season and also won Big East Player of the Week in back-to-back weeks. The scariest part is this was all done while coming off the bench.
Many expected Nate Watson to be an All-Big East player and he did not disappoint. The -foot-10 senior logged 20+ points in seven games on his way to leading the Friars in scoring with 13.7 PPG.
All these awards are great, but Ed Cooley and his boys want more. Buckle up Big East fans, we have an exciting weekend ahead at Madison Square Garden.