With many conference tournaments beginning this week, the Big East regular season is also one game from completion. Connecticut already wrapped up the league title — its first Big East title since 2005-06 and its first outright regular season crown since 1998-99.
Several UConn players will also look to claim the Big East Player of the Year Award. Marquette's Tyler Kolek — the Preseason Player of the Year — is the favorite, but can Huskies Cam Spencer or Tristan Newton prevent Kolek from being a repeat winner?
Big East Player of the Year Favorites
Tyler Kolek (Marquette)
As the Big East Player of the Year in 2022-23 and the Preseason Conference Player of the Year this season, the pressure was always going to be on Tyler Kolek to repeat his fabulous junior year. Not only has Kolek met those expectations, he has improved in his third year at Marquette.
He is assisting on 45% of the Golden Eagles' made field goals in Big East play while upping his scoring average from 12.9 to 15.0 PPG this year. His program-record 18 assists in a win over DePaul (while attempting just two field goals) will go down as one of the performances of the season. It came just two weeks after Kolek scored 27 points in back-to-back games.
Kolek's all-around offensive game makes him one of the favorites to win the award for the second straight year.
Cam Spencer (UConn)
After a strong collegiate career at Loyola Maryland and Rutgers, Cam Spencer has blossomed into one of the best players in the country. Not only does Spencer lead the country with an offensive rating of 140.2, but he is also on pace to be the first DI player to shoot 50-40-90 and post a 3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio in a season. As the engine of one of the top offenses in the country, Spencer has a strong case to be Big East Player of the Year.
Ryan Kalkbrenner (Creighton)
A classic two-way player, Ryan Kalkbrenner continues to improve in his fourth season in Omaha. The Creighton center is second in the nation at 3.0 blocks/game and third in the Big East in offensive rating. His consistent scoring and rim protection will be key for the Bluejays in the NCAA Tournament.
Tristen Newton (UConn)
Cam Spencer has gotten the attention as of late in Storrs, but Tristen Newton has quietly been just as impressive. The Husky point guard averages 5.8 assists/game — second in the league — while also averaging 15.1 points per contest. He has seven double-doubles this season, five with rebounds and two with assists, to go with a pair of triple-doubles. Perhaps only poor outside shooting (31.8% on the year) is holding the UConn playmaker back.
Baylor Scheierman (Creighton)
Baylor Scheierman had a strong debut season with Creighton last year, averaging 12.8 PPG. This year, the fifth-year senior has proven he is one of the biggest offensive threats in the conference. Scheierman has scored in double-digits in all but one game this year while averaging 18.5 PPG — better than in his final year with South Dakota State when he was Summit League Player of the Year. Is the Big East Player of the Year Award next?
Devin Carter (Providence)
Devin Carter has exploded on the scene this year not only as a top Big East player but also as a legitimate NBA prospect. Offensively, Carter is averaging 19.3 PPG and 3.6 APG while shooting nearly 40% from deep. On defense, the athletic and lanky guard is second in the Big East in defensive box plus-minus and is one of the best individual defenders in the country. He does all of this while also being a 6-3 player who averages 8.4 rebounds per game.
Providence's struggles in conference play hurt his POTY bid, but Carter is still an elite all-around player.
Our Choice: Cam Spencer
In a close race, Spencer's historic season and untouchable offensive rating put him a step above the rest.
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