Martin Krampelj
Photo by: Mitchell Layton
Men’s Basketball Picked Ninth in BIG EAST as Krampelj Honored
10/25/2018 8:30:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Martin Krampelj named Honorable Mention Preseason All-BIG EAST
NEW YORK, N.Y. – The 2018-19 Creighton men's basketball team has been picked to finish ninth in the BIG EAST Conference, with junior forward Martin Krampelj being named Honorable Mention All-BIG EAST. The results of a preseason poll of BIG EAST coaches were announced on Thursday morning as part of the league's annual Media Day festivities at Madison Square Garden.
Creighton was the coaches' pick for ninth place in the poll, but has matched or exceeded its preseason projection every season since joining the BIG EAST in 2013-14. The Bluejays put together a 21-12 season in 2017-18, advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the fifth time in seven seasons. Last year's CU team was picked to finish fifth but tied for third place at year's end.
Defending national champion Villanova was picked to win the BIG EAST crown, garnering 8-of-9 possible first-place votes. The Wildcats return two starters from last year's team that finished 32-4, including First Team All-BIG EAST forward Eric Paschall and Second Team pick Phil Booth. Last year's Villanova team finished 36-4 and was 14-4 in league play.
Marquette garnered one first-place vote and was picked to finish in second place, with Providence and St. John's close behind. Butler rounded out the top half of the league prognostications and also picked up a first-place vote.
Defending league champ Xavier was picked sixth, just ahead of Georgetown and Seton Hall. Following ninth-place Creighton was DePaul.
St. John's junior guard Shamorie Ponds was chosen as the Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year, with Providence's David Duke and Villanova's Jahvon Quinerly sharing Preseason Co-BIG EAST Freshmen of the Year accolades.
A junior forward from Grosuplje, Slovenia, Krampelj averaged 11.9 points and 8.1 rebounds per game before a season-ending injury in mid-January. He ranked second in the BIG EAST in field goal percentage (.671) and third in the league in rebounds per game (8.1) before suffering his injury.
Creighton hosts an exhibition game on Saturday vs. Winona State before opening the regular-season on Nov. 6 against Western Illinois.
2018-19 BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll
(First-place votes in parentheses)
BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year
Shamorie Ponds, St. John's, G, Jr., 6-1, 175, Brooklyn, N.Y.
BIG EAST Preseason Freshmen of the Year
David Duke, Providence, G, Fr., 6-5, 198, Providence, R.I.
Jahvon Quinerly, Villanova, G, Fr., 6-1, 175, Hackensack, N.J.
BIG EAST Preseason All-BIG EAST First Team
Kamar Baldwin, Butler, G, Jr., 6-1, 195, Winder, Ga.*
Jessie Govan, Georgetown, C, Sr., 6-10, 255, Queens Village, N.Y.*
Markus Howard, Marquette, G, Jr., 5-11, 175, Chandler, Ariz.*
Alpha Diallo, Providence, G, Jr., 6-7, 211, New York, N.Y.
Shamorie Ponds, St. John's, G, Jr., 6-1, 175, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Eric Paschall, Villanova, F, Sr., 6-8, 225, Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.*
BIG EAST Preseason All-BIG EAST Second Team
Max Strus, DePaul, F, Sr., 6-6, 215, Hickory Hills, Ill.
Sam Hauser, Marquette, F, Jr., 6-8, 225, Stevens Point, Wis.
Justin Simon, St. John's, G, Jr., 6-5, 215, Temcula, Calif.
Myles Powell, Seton Hall, G, Jr., 6-2, 195, Trenton, N.J.
Phil Booth, Villanova, G, Sr., 6-3, 194, Baltimore, Md.
Preseason All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention
Martin Krampelj, Creighton, F, Jr., 6-9, 235, Grosuplje, Slovenia
Naji Marshall, Xavier, F, So., 6-7, 222, Atlantic City, N.J.
*Unanimous selection
Creighton was the coaches' pick for ninth place in the poll, but has matched or exceeded its preseason projection every season since joining the BIG EAST in 2013-14. The Bluejays put together a 21-12 season in 2017-18, advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the fifth time in seven seasons. Last year's CU team was picked to finish fifth but tied for third place at year's end.
Defending national champion Villanova was picked to win the BIG EAST crown, garnering 8-of-9 possible first-place votes. The Wildcats return two starters from last year's team that finished 32-4, including First Team All-BIG EAST forward Eric Paschall and Second Team pick Phil Booth. Last year's Villanova team finished 36-4 and was 14-4 in league play.
Marquette garnered one first-place vote and was picked to finish in second place, with Providence and St. John's close behind. Butler rounded out the top half of the league prognostications and also picked up a first-place vote.
Defending league champ Xavier was picked sixth, just ahead of Georgetown and Seton Hall. Following ninth-place Creighton was DePaul.
St. John's junior guard Shamorie Ponds was chosen as the Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year, with Providence's David Duke and Villanova's Jahvon Quinerly sharing Preseason Co-BIG EAST Freshmen of the Year accolades.
A junior forward from Grosuplje, Slovenia, Krampelj averaged 11.9 points and 8.1 rebounds per game before a season-ending injury in mid-January. He ranked second in the BIG EAST in field goal percentage (.671) and third in the league in rebounds per game (8.1) before suffering his injury.
Creighton hosts an exhibition game on Saturday vs. Winona State before opening the regular-season on Nov. 6 against Western Illinois.
2018-19 BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll
(First-place votes in parentheses)
- Villanova (8) 79
- Marquette (1) 70
- Providence 58
- St. John's 57
- Butler (1) 45
- Xavier 41
- Georgetown 33
- Seton Hall 26
- Creighton 25
- DePaul 16
BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year
Shamorie Ponds, St. John's, G, Jr., 6-1, 175, Brooklyn, N.Y.
BIG EAST Preseason Freshmen of the Year
David Duke, Providence, G, Fr., 6-5, 198, Providence, R.I.
Jahvon Quinerly, Villanova, G, Fr., 6-1, 175, Hackensack, N.J.
BIG EAST Preseason All-BIG EAST First Team
Kamar Baldwin, Butler, G, Jr., 6-1, 195, Winder, Ga.*
Jessie Govan, Georgetown, C, Sr., 6-10, 255, Queens Village, N.Y.*
Markus Howard, Marquette, G, Jr., 5-11, 175, Chandler, Ariz.*
Alpha Diallo, Providence, G, Jr., 6-7, 211, New York, N.Y.
Shamorie Ponds, St. John's, G, Jr., 6-1, 175, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Eric Paschall, Villanova, F, Sr., 6-8, 225, Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.*
BIG EAST Preseason All-BIG EAST Second Team
Max Strus, DePaul, F, Sr., 6-6, 215, Hickory Hills, Ill.
Sam Hauser, Marquette, F, Jr., 6-8, 225, Stevens Point, Wis.
Justin Simon, St. John's, G, Jr., 6-5, 215, Temcula, Calif.
Myles Powell, Seton Hall, G, Jr., 6-2, 195, Trenton, N.J.
Phil Booth, Villanova, G, Sr., 6-3, 194, Baltimore, Md.
Preseason All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention
Martin Krampelj, Creighton, F, Jr., 6-9, 235, Grosuplje, Slovenia
Naji Marshall, Xavier, F, So., 6-7, 222, Atlantic City, N.J.
*Unanimous selection
Creighton juniors Martin Krampelj and Davion Mintz stopped by the BIG EAST Shootaround set for an interview with Steve Lavin and John Fanta earlier today at #BEmediaday. pic.twitter.com/0qvv8ndDY2
— Creighton Men's Basketball (@BluejayMBB) October 25, 2018
Earlier today Creighton coach Greg McDermott and Providence coach Ed Cooley sat down for a fun interview with Steve Lavin and John Fanta on the BIG EAST Shootaround set at Madison Square Garden. #BEmediaday pic.twitter.com/VkOgx0PLQs
— Creighton Men's Basketball (@BluejayMBB) October 25, 2018
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