St. John's University Athletics
Ponds and LoVett Unanimously Named to BIG EAST All-Freshman Team
3/5/2017 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
QUEENS, N.Y. - St. John's rookies Shamorie Ponds and Marcus LoVett were unanimously selected to the All-BIG EAST Freshman Team as announced Sunday by the league office. The Johnnies' dynamic backcourt duo took the league by storm in their freshman campaigns averaging a combined 34.0 points per game. They are now among 20 players in program history to receive the BIG EAST's All-Freshman Team honors.
The BIG EAST Freshman of the Year will come from the All-BIG EAST Freshman Team. The conference will announce the BIG EAST Freshman of the Year along with BIG EAST Player of the Year, BIG EAST Coach of the Year and BIG EAST Scholar Athlete of the Year on Wednesday, March 8. The announcement will be made on the first day of the BIG EAST Championship Presented by Jeep at Madison Square Garden at 4:30 p.m.
Ponds, a 6-foot-1 guard from Brooklyn, set the program's freshman scoring record and became only the third Johnnie to score over 500 points in a single season over the past decade. He started all 31 games for the Red Storm and recorded 547 points during the regular season. Ponds is among the BIG EAST leaders in several statistical categories, including a top-5 ranking in scoring (17.6 ppg), free-throw percentage (82.8 FT pct), 3-point field goals (70), and he was the first freshman to lead the league in steals (2.1 spg) since 1998-99.
A five-time BIG EAST Freshman of the Week selection, Ponds scored in double-figures 29 times and had 11 20-plus point performances. He was second on the team with 3.1 assists per game and third in rebounding with 4.5 boards per contest. Ponds also boasts the Johnnies' top assist-to-turnover ratio (1.7 A/TO), which is eight-best mark in the BIG EAST.
Ponds elevated his play against BIG EAST competition as the rookie poured in 17.9 points per game in 18 league contests. He scored in double-figures in all but one conference game and had 15-points or more in 11 of those contests. Ponds' league-leading steals average increased to 2.3 per game against BIG EAST opponents.
LoVett complemented his fellow first-year lefty backcourt mate well, as the duo was the second-highest scoring pair of freshmen in the nation during the regular-season, trailing only Kentucky's Malik Monk (21.2 ppg) and De'Aaron Fox (15.5 ppg). The 6-foot guard from Fort Wayne, Ind., finished seventh in the BIG EAST with 16.4 points per game and fourth overall with 3.8 assists per contest. LoVett also ranked in the top-10 in free-throw percentage (80.3 FG pct) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.4 A/TO) while also posting the 13th-best 3-point field goal shooting percentage (39.1 3FG pct) in the conference.
Starting 23 of 28 appearances for the Red Storm, LoVett reached double-figures in the scoring column 25 times, including nine 20+ point efforts and a pair of 30+ point performances, tying the program record for 30-point games by a freshman. LoVett dished out 64 of his team-leading 105 assists in BIG EAST play, while his 40 steals were the second-most on the team.
LoVett was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Week twice and collected a pair of BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll awards. In conference action, LoVett elevated his field goal shooting percentage to 47.3 percent, the 12th best mark in the BIG EAST, and swiped 1.8 steals per game, which was fourth overall. He started 15 of 18 league games and averaged 16.3 points and 3.6 assists.
St. John's (13-17) enters the BIG EAST Tournament as the No. 8 seed and will meet the No. 9 seed Georgetown (14-17) on Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Madison Square Garden in a first round matchup on FS1 and 970 AM WNYM.
ALL-BIG EAST FIRST TEAM
Andrew Chrabascz, Butler, F, Sr., 6-7, 230, Portsmouth, R.I.
*Marcus Foster, Creighton, G, Jr., 6-3, 210, Wichita Falls, Tex.
*Angel Delgado, Seton Hall, F, Jr., 6-10, 240, Bajos De Haina, Dominican Republic
*Jalen Brunson, Villanova, G, So., 6-2, 190, Lincolnshire, Ill.
*Josh Hart, Villanova, G, Sr., 6-5, 215, Silver Spring, Md.
Trevon Bluiett, Xavier, G, Jr., 6-6, 205, Indianapolis, Ind,
ALL-BIG EAST SECOND TEAM
Kelan Martin, Butler, F, So., 6-7, 220, Louisville, Ky.
Justin Patton, Creighton, F, Fr., 7-0, 230, Omaha, Neb.
Rodney Bullock, Providence, F, Jr., 6-8, 225, Hampton, Va.
Kyron Cartwright, Providence, G, Jr., 5-11, 185, Compton, Calif.
Khadeen Carrington, Seton Hall, G, Jr., 6-4, 195, Brooklyn, N.Y.
BIG EAST HONORABLE MENTION
Rodney Pryor, Georgetown, G, Gr., 6-5, 205, Evanston, Ill.
Kris Jenkins, Villanova, G, Sr., 6-6, 235, Upper Marlboro, Md.
BIG EAST ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM^
*Kamar Baldwin, Butler, G, Fr., 6-0, 170, Winder, Ga.
*Justin Patton, Creighton, F, Fr., 7-0, 230, Omaha, Neb.
Markus Howard, Marquette, G, Fr., 5-11, 175, Chandler, Ariz.
*Marcus LoVett, St. John's, G, Fr., 6-0, 175, Fort Wayne, Ind.
*Shamorie Ponds, St. John's, G, Fr., 6-1, 165, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Donte DiVincenzo, Villanova, G, Fr., 6-5, 205, Wilmington, Del.
*Denotes unanimous selection.
