Thabeet named Big East Defensive Player of the Year
NEW YORK - With a new suit, new hair and that same smile, Hasheem Thabeet sat next to UConn men's basketball coach Jim Calhoun inside the Grand Hyatt Hotel, simply in awe of the prize that stood before him.
Wood stand, a gold-plated basketball, his name plastered in large, dark font on a plaque at the bottom - it was nothing like the sophomore had ever seen before.
"He was staring at the trophy, I mean just staring at it," Calhoun said. "I said, 'Have you ever got a trophy that big?' (He said), 'I've never seen a trophy that big.'"
The award fits the man.
Thabeet was named the Big East Defensive Player of the Year Tuesday at the league's annual award banquet, continuing a well-engrained UConn tradition while perhaps starting one of his own.
The Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania native led the league in blocks for the second straight season, swatting 4.6 a game and an average of 5.2 in Big East play. He set a new league record for blocks in conference play with 94, breaking Alonzo Mourning's previous mark by one, and his average of 4.5 per game over two seasons of league competition is the highest in the history of the Big East.
"If he's back at UConn next year, which right now is completely up in the air, he might become the greatest shot blocker not only in this league, but one of the great shot blockers in the history of college basketball," Calhoun said.
"He's the most intimidating defensive player in the country," said Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim. "That's still a big part of how you win championships and win games."
It was Thabeet's first honor, but he's also the fifth Husky in the last six years to receive the award, starting with Emeka Okafor in the 2003 and 2004 seasons, Josh Boone in 2005 and Hilton Armstrong in 2006. All four of those players are in the NBA, a place Thabeet seems destined for.
"It just feels good to continue the tradition,"' Thabeet said. "Me leaving UConn is going to be the biggest adjustment of my life. … But if I keep working the way I'm working, I'll be somebody somewhere someday."
Thabeet showed some of his personality during the awards ceremony, too. After receiving the award and thanking the usual suspects at the podium - the league, his coaches, etc. - he flashed a huge smile and said, "And thanks to the guards for letting the guys go by so I can block shots."
"Obviously he's playing with you," Calhoun said, "but he's smart enough to play with you. … He's a legitimately funny guy."
Thabeet was the only Husky honored on the night. Notre Dame sophomore forward Luke Harangody, left off the league's preseason All-Big East team, was named Player of the Year, and Pittsburgh junior Sam Young was tabbed as Most Improved. UConn junior A.J. Price was considered a candidate for both honors.
"I'm shocked to get this," said Harangody, the first sophomore to win the award since Caron Butler shared it with Pitt's Brandin Knight.
Notre Dame's Mike Brey was named Coach of the Year for the second straight season, becoming only the third coach to do so in league history. The Fighting Irish, picked to finish ninth in the conference, enter Thursday's Big East quarterfinals as the No. 3 seed.
Pitt's DeJuan Blair and Syracuse's Jonny Flynn shared Rookie of the Year honors, and Georgetown's Patrick Ewing Jr. earned the league's first Sixth Man award. Pitt's Ronald Roman and West Virginia's Darris Nichols, both seniors, shared the Sportsmanship Award. Mountaineers junior Ted Talkington was the league's Scholar-Athlete.
Reach Matt Stout at 425-4250 or mstout@norwichbulletin.com