DePaul University Athletics
BIG EAST Coaches Make Preseason Picks, Garrett Named Second Team All-Conference
10/14/2015 12:00:00 AM | MEN'S BASKETBALL
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NEW YORK -- DePaul junior guard Billy Garrett Jr. was selected to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Second Team as the league kicked off the 2015-16 season at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday. Defending conference champion Villanova was the unanimous pick to win the 2015-16 BIG EAST regular-season crown while the Blue Demons were slotted eighth in a vote by the league's head coaches.
Garrett was also named to the preseason second team last season after winning BIG EAST Rookie of the Year honors in 2014. The Chicago native led the Blue Demons with 12.0 points and 3.9 assists per game shooting .832 (158-190) from the free throw line during his sophomore campaign. The two-time BIG EAST All-Academic Team member enters his junior year ranked among DePaul's all-time leaders in free throw percentage (4th - .829), free throws (t20th -- 290) and assists (27th -- 219).
Georgetown followed Villanova in the preseason poll for the second straight year with Butler, Xavier and Providence rounding out the top half of the preseason picks. Providence's Kris Dunn was selected as the BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year while Villanova's Jalen Brunson was named Preseason Freshman of the Year.
Marquette was picked to finish sixth with Seton Hall in seventh and DePaul in eighth place. Creighton and St. John's completed the 10-team poll.
The All-BIG EAST Preseason First Team included Butler's Kellen Dunham and Roosevelt Jones along with D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera from Georgetown, Ryan Arcidiacono from Villanova and Xavier's Jalen Reynolds. The second team included Garrett along with Marquette's Henry Ellenson, Villanova's Daniel Ochefu and Angel Delgado and Isaiah Whitehead from Seton Hall.
DePaul opens the 2015-16 season on Saturday, Nov. 14 against Western Michigan at McGrath-Phillips Arena. Season ticket packages are on sale now featuring great savings and the best seats available. Call the DePaul ticket office at (773) 325-SLAM (7526) for more information or go to www.depaulbluedemons.com/tickets.
The Blue Demons return three of the top four scorers from last season with Garrett, Tommy Hamilton IV and Myke Henry. Henry averaged 12.0 points and 5.4 rebounds last season while Hamilton posted 10.0 points and 5.3 boards per outing.
2015-16 BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. Villanova (9) -- 81 pts.
2. Georgetown (1) -- 70
3. Butler -- 67
4. Xavier -- 55
5. Providence -- 45
6. Marquette -- 44
7. Seton Hall -- 27
8. DePaul -- 25
9. Creighton -- 23
10. St. John's -- 13
first-place votes in parentheses
2015-16 BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year
Kris Dunn, Providence, G, Jr., 6-4, 220, New London, Conn.
2015-16 BIG EAST Preseason Freshman of the Year
Jalen Brunson, Villanova, G, Fr., 6-2, 199, Lincolnshire, Ill.
2015-16 BIG EAST Preseason All-BIG EAST First Team
Kellen Dunham, Butler, G, Sr., 6-6, 200, Pendleton, Ind.
Roosevelt Jones, Butler, F, Sr., 6-4, 225, O'Fallon, Ill.
D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera, Georgetown, G, Sr., 6-3, 214, Indianapolis, Ind.
Ryan Arcidiacono, Villanova, G, Sr., 6-3, 195, Langhorne, Pa.
Jalen Reynolds, Xavier, F, Jr., 6-10, 232, Detroit, Mich.
2015-16 BIG EAST Preseason All-BIG EAST Second Team
Billy Garrett Jr., DePaul, G, Jr., 6-6, 205, Chicago, Ill.
Henry Ellenson, Marquette, F, Fr., 6-10, 245, Rice Lake, Wis.
Angel Delgado, Seton Hall, F, So., 6-9, 230, Bajos De Haina, Dominican Republic
Isaiah Whitehead, Seton Hall, G, So., 6-4, 210, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Daniel Ochefu, Villanova, F, Sr., 6-11, 245, Baltimore, Md.
2015-16 Preseason All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention
Isaac Copeland, Georgetown, F, So., 6-9, 220, Raleigh, N.C.
Luke Fischer, Marquette, C, Jr., 6-11, 245, Germantown, Wis.
Jalen Brunson, Villanova, G, Fr., 6-2, 199, Lincolnshire, Ill.
Trevon Bluiett, Xavier, G, So., 6-6, 215, Indianapolis, Ind.
