BIG EAST Player of the Year: Luke Harangody
11th Mar 2008
As expected, Notre Dame sophomore forward Luke Harangody was named the BIG EAST Player of the Year. Just yesterday he was named to the All-BIG EAST First Team along with teammate Kyle McAlarney. He has had a phenomenal year for the Irish after playing very well as a freshman and surprised a lot of people. Luke leads the conference in points per game with 21.0 and finished second in rebounding with 10.3 boards. Those numbers are extremely impressive for a sophomore, in fact, for any college basketball player. Averaging a double-double at the end of the regular season is an incredible accomplishment and Luke certainly deserves this award.
Harangody has not only contributed with numbers but through leadership and his will each and every game. He and fellow sophomore Tory Jackson have shown true passion for the sport and have given 110% each and every game. He makes the big shots when they are needed and gives the effort when the Irish need motivation. Luke clinched the BIG EAST Player of the Year award when he hit three shots from behind the arc against Louisville to bring them back into that game. Before that game he had never made a three-pointer for Notre Dame.
Without Luke Harangody, there is no chance that the Irish would have been as successful as they have. He has been the heart and soul of Mike Brey’s team the entire year and it’s hard to believe he didn’t have faith in himself at one point. An ESPN (I think) article recently stated that Luke Harangody doubted himself and his ability, thinking that he could never play in a competitive conference like the Big East. Obviously he was mistaken because he is now the best player in the conference as only a sophomore. Everyone is hoping that he will be in South Bend for the next two years and lead the Irish to a Final Four or even better.
Here’s a look at Luke’s season stats:
Points Per Game - 21.0
Rebounds Per Game - 10.3
Assists Per Game - 1.8
Steals Per Game - 0.8
Blocks Per Game - 0.9
Field Goal Percentage - 51.7%
Free Throw Percentage - 76.8%
Minutes Per Game - 28.9
Double-Doubles - 17
Congratulations Luke Harangody, it is truly deserved. I look forward to more incredible performances in the upcoming tournaments and the rest of your Notre Dame career.
