Big East Midseason Awards

Every team in the league has played between 8-10 games and 10 have played exactly nine, so this is as close as we're going to get.

Player of the Year: Kemba Walker, Connecticut

He's the league's leading scorer and one of three guys in the country with a legitimate shot at the Wooden Award.

Coach of the Year: Jim Calhoun, Connecticut

When it's February and your team's national ranking (7) is three spots better than its preseason conference ranking (10), you probably deserve this award.

Freshman of the Year: Cleveland Melvin, DePaul

Melvin might not be getting this kind of playing time on a team that hadn't lost 44 of its last 45 Big East regular season games, but he's still third in the league in scoring during conference play.

Defensive Player of the Year: John Flowers, West Virginia

Leads the league in blocked shots, a category ordinarily dominated in this conference by someone standing closer to or above 7-feet.

6th Man of the Year: Joe Mazzulla, West Virginia

Has moved into the starting lineup since the suspension of Casey Mitchell, but will likely return to backing up Truck Bryant once Mitchell returns. Averaging seven points and three and-a-half assists per game, and might be the league's best on-ball defender.

Best Team: Pittsburgh

Pretty self-explanatory.

Worst Team: TCU

Because DePaul doesn't deserve anything.

Game of the Half-Year: Louisville 79, Connecticut 78 (2OT)

For the other nominees, just look at every other conference game played by Louisville or Georgetown.

All Big East First Team

Kemba Walker, Connecticut
Austin Freeman, Georgetown
Rick Jackson, Syracuse
Corey Fisher, Villanova
Ben Hansbrough, Notre Dame

All Big East Second Team

Marshon Brooks, Providence
Ashton Gibbs, Pittsburgh
Darius Johnson-Odom, Marquette
Preston Knowles, Lousiville
Corey Stokes, Villanova

All Big East Third Team

Jimmy Butler, Marquette
Bradley Wanamaker, Pittsburgh
Casey Mitchell, West Virginia (currently suspended)
Kris Joseph, Syracuse
Dwight Hardy, St. John's

Honorable Mention

Tim Abromaitis, Notre Dame
Vincent Council, Providence
Herb Pope, Seton Hall
Scoop Jardine, Syracuse
Gary McGhee, Pittsburgh