Hart named to 3 more All-America teams
USA Today, the Sporting News and NBC Sports released their All-America men’s basketball teams Monday, and not surprisingly Villanova’s Josh Hart was a first-team selection on all three.
The 6-5 senior guard is expected to be a consensus All-American when all the teams are announced in the coming weeks, and also is up for Big East and national Player of the Year honors.
However, that was not the only accolade Hart or the Wildcats received Monday.
Hart and teammate Mikal Bridges, along with Creighton’s Khyri Thomas were named co-winners of the Big East Defensive Player of the Year award. That’s the first time in conference history three players have shared the honor.
In other awards announced by the Big East, Providence guard Kyron Cartwright was named the Most Improved Player, Marquette’s Andrew Rowsey received the Sixth Man of the Year award and Billy Garrett Jr. of DePaul earned the Sportsmanship award.
The Player and Coach of the Year will be announced Wednesday.
The honors did not stop there. Villanova guard Jalen Brunson was named as one of five finalists for the Bob Cousy Award, given annually to the top point guard in the country. Brunson has some stiff competition for that award. Frank Mason III (Kansas), Lonzo Ball (UCLA), Nigel WilliamsGoss (Gonzaga) and Joel Berry II (North Carolina) are the other finalists.
With Hart and Bridges leading the way Villanova led the Big East Conference in scoring defense (63.1 points per game), field goal (41.7) and 3-point field goals percentage defense (31.1) during the regular season. Nationally, the second-ranked Wildcats (28-3 overall, 15-3 Big East) are 20th, 67th and 24th in those respective categories heading into the Big East Tournament.
Hart, a two-time unanimous All-Big East firstteam selection, is sixth in the Big East in steals per game (1.5) and is one of just two players in Villanova history with more than 1,800 points (1,815), 700 rebounds (778), 250 assists (255) and 150 steals (151).
Bridges was not a starter at the beginning of the season. He was the first man off the bench for the first three games, but that changed when Phil Booth, the leading scorer in last year’s national championship game, was sidelined with pain and swelling in his surgically repaired left knee.
The 6-7 sophomore swingman slid into the starting lineup and did not miss a beat. He ranks fourth in the conference in steals (1.9) and its tied for sixth in blocked shots with 28, while also averaging 10.4 points, 4.7 rebounds and two assists per game.
Brunson has been the glue for the Wildcats. The 6-2 sophomore was a unanimous selection to the AllBig East team and averaged 14.8 points per game during the regular season and finished second in the Big East in assists per game (4.3) and fourth in assist/turnover ratio (2.0). The 6-2 sophomore leads all Big East guards in shooting percentage (53.6).