2015-16 All-BIG EAST teams

On Sunday afternoon, the BIG EAST Conference revealed their all-conference first and second teams, recognizing the most outstanding players during the course of the 2015-16 season.

Below are the first and second All-BIG EAST teams, courtesy of the conference's Twitter account.

All-BIG EAST First Team

Kris Dunn, Guard, Providence Friars

Isaiah Whitehead, Guard, Seton Hall Pirates

Josh Hart, Guard, Villanova Wildcats

Trevon Bluiett, Forward, Xavier Musketeers

Ben Bentil, Forward, Providence Friars

Henry Ellenson, Forward, Marquette Golden Eagles

All-BIG EAST Second Team

(Link)

Maurice Watson, Jr., Guard, Creighton Bluejays

D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera, Guard, Georgetown Hoyas

Ryan Arcidiacono, Guard, Villanova Wildcats

Kelan Martin, Forward, Butler Bulldogs

Roosevelt Jones, Forward, Butler Bulldogs

Honorable Mentions

(Link)

Kellen Dunham, Guard, Butler Bulldogs

Angel Delgado, Forward, Seton Hall Pirates

Daniel Ochefu, Center, Villanova Wildcats

All-Freshman Team

(Link)

Edmond Sumner, Guard, Xavier Musketeers

Jalen Brunson, Guard, Villanova Wildcats

Eli Cain, Guard, DePaul Blue Demons

Haanif Cheatham, Guard, Marquette Golden Eagles

Henry Ellenson, Forward, Marquette Golden Eagles

Kassoum Yakwe, Center, St. John's Red Storm

Jessie Govan, Center, Georgetown Hoyas

***

Rapid Reactions:

~ Really unsurprised at the first team choices. Whitehead, Dunn, Bentil and Hart were all unanimous choices, and thus are essentially in a Fatal Four-Way Match for the BIG EAST Player of the Year award which should be handed out later this week. My ballot for the BECB First Team included those four as well as Henry Ellenson, so I have nothing to complain about at all today.

~ I dig seeing Mo Watson Jr. and Kelan Martin as choices for the second team. Both were dynamic players this season. Martin is a great scorer and could be an All-BIG EAST First Team selection this time next year. He's the Bulldogs' next star. Mo Watson Jr. could very well join him since Ryan Arcidiacono, Kellen Dunham, Kris Dunn, and D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera are all departing, leaving the door wide open to jump through.

~ Don't dig Daniel Ochefu being just an honorable mention. He was, perhaps, the BIG EAST's best off-ball defender this year and a possible Defensive Player of the Year candidate too. He was on my second team ballot.

~ Kellen Dunham's slump may have hurt him a bit here. Really came on late in the year but it wasn't enough, evidently, to get past the slew of guards who were chosen.

~ Where is Kris Jenkins? Not even an honorable mention?

~ No fusses at all with the All-Freshman team except I would have swapped Kassoum Yakwe for his teammate, Yankuba Sima. Sima was a little more of a complete player and only played two less games than Yakwe did.

~ Edmond Sumner, Ellenson and Jalen Brunson were all evidently unanimous choices. Felt Sumner and Ellenson were a cut above the rest so I'm surprised to see Brunson join them as unanimous choices, as I felt he was a distant third to them. No slight to him, just felt like Sumner and Ellenson were both so much better than every freshman in the conference. But when you have to select five or six or so, he'll obviously be tabbed by quite a few people. Expect him to take a leap next season.