Tuesday morning was Big East Media Day and St. John’s guard Shamarie Ponds is already highly thought of.
As the 2016-17 college basketball season is approaching, the Big East had their Media Day on Tuesday morning.The coaches from the conference have chosen players of who they believe will win each award.
For the Big East’s preseason Freshmen of the Year, a St. John’s Red Storm guard was selected. Shamarie Ponds was chosen as the preseason favorite for that award.
Ponds is a four-star player and the no. 36 player in the class of 2016 according to ESPN. He came from Thomas Jefferson High School in Brooklyn, where he led the school to its first PSAL title since 1964 as a senior.
Brooklyn’s own Shamorie Ponds of @StJohnsBBall is the 2016-17 #BIGEASThoops Freshman of the Year. #BEmediaday pic.twitter.com/t5G1RGie9G
— #BIGEASThoops (@BIGEASTMBB) October 11, 2016
In the championship game at Madison Square Garden, Ponds scored 31 points, 12 rebounds, six steal, and five assists.
He was also a First Team All-State selection and the 2015-16 New York Player of The Year, according to USA Today High School Sports. As a senior, Ponds averaged 29 points, eight rebounds, and six assists per game.
St. John’s will begin their season playing Bethune-Cookman in Carnesseca Arena a month later. Ponds is head coach Chris Mullin‘s biggest recruit for this season and will definitely help improve the Red Storm’s 1-17 Big East record last year.
