Jack Cooley has played like one of the top players in the Big East Conference all season long, and the league's coaches have honored him like one. Cooley is among six players who have been named first team All-Big East for the 2012-2013 men's basketball season.
The 6'9 senior averaged a double-double for the season with 13.6 points and a conference-leading 10.6 rebounds a game for the Fighting Irish, which tied Syracuse for fifth place in the Big East during the regular season. Cooley registered double-doubles in 19 of 31 games this season. Nobody in the Big East Conference had more.
Joining Cooley on the first team are Georgetown forward Otto Porter (the only unanimous selection), UConn's Shabazz Napier, Louisville's Gorgui Dieng and Russ Smith, and Bryce Cotton of Providence.
The Big East will name its Player of the Year, Coach of the Year and Rookie of the Year awards at its banquet on Monday in New York.
Jerian Grant is the only other Irish player to receive All-Big East accolades for the season. Grant received second team honors after averaging 13.4 points and 5.7 assists during the season. His 45 three-pointers made are second to backcourt mate Eric Atkins' 46.
No Irish players were named to the third team or honorable mention Big East squads.
Here's a look at each all-conference team:
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.
ALL-BIG EAST SECOND TEAM
Sean Kilpatrick, Cincinnati, G, Jr., 6-4, 221, White Plains, N.Y.
Vander Blue, Marquette, G, Jr., 6-4, 200, Madison, Wisc.
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.
