Khyri Thomas Named BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year

NEW YORK, N.Y. -- Sophomore guard Khyri Thomas of the Creighton men's basketball team has been named BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year in a vote of league coaches. Thomas shares the award with Villanova's Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges as part of the first three-way tie for a major award in league history.

Thomas is just the second player in Creighton history to be named a Defensive Player of the Year by a conference, joining Gregory Echenique's recognition in 2011-12 by the Missouri Valley Conference.

A 6-foot-3 sophomore from Omaha, Neb., Thomas leads Creighton in steals and ranks second on the club in rebounding and blocked shots. He regularly is assigned to guard the top perimeter players that Creighton plays, and helped limit Josh Hart, Rodney Pryor, Shamorie Ponds and Trevon Bluiett (the league's top five scorers, minus Thomas' teammate Marcus Foster) below their yearly scoring average in each meeting this season.

Thomas ranks seventh in the BIG EAST in rebounds (182) and eighth in steals (46), and also ranks among the league leaders on the other end of the floor in assist/turnover ratio (6th), assists (7th), field goal percentage (9th), three-point percentage (14th) and points (20th).

The league also announced that Providence's Kyron Cartwright has been named BIG EAST Most Improved Player. Marquette's Andrew Rowsey has won the BIG EAST Sixth Man Award. DePaul's Billy Garrett Jr. has been selected for the BIG EAST Sportsmanship Award.

The BIG EAST will announce the remaining individual awards: Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, Freshman of the Year and Outstanding Men's Basketball Scholar-Athlete at a press conference at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday, March 8, at 4:30 p.m. ET.

Creighton (23-8, 10-8 BIG EAST) returns to the floor on Thursday at 8:30 p.m. Central when it meets Providence in the final BIG EAST Tournament quarterfinal.

Conference Defensive Players of the Year - Creighton History
2011-12: Gregory Echenique (Missouri Valley Conference)
2016-17: Khyri Thomas (BIG EAST Conference)

BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year History
1981-82: Patrick Ewing, Georgetown
1982-83: Patrick Ewing, Georgetown
1983-84: Patrick Ewing, Georgetown
1984-85: Patrick Ewing, Georgetown
1985-86: Harold Pressley, Villanova
1986-87: Mark Jackson, St. John's
1987-88: Gary Massey, Villanova
1988-89: Alonzo Mourning, Georgetown
1989-90: Alonzo Mourning, Georgetown and Dikembe Mutombo, Georgetown
1990-91: Dikembe Mutombo, Georgetown
1991-92: Alonzo Mourning, Georgetown
1992-93: Jerry Walker, Seton Hall
1993-94: Donyell Marshall, Connecticut
1994-95: Allen Iverson, Georgetown
1995-96: Allen Iverson, Georgetown
1996-97: Jason Lawson, Villanova
1997-98: Damian Owens, West Virginia
1998-99: Etan Thomas, Syracuse
1999-00: Etan Thomas, Syracuse
2000-01: John Linehan, Providence
2001-02: John Linehan, Providence
2002-03: Emeka Okafor, Connecticut
2003-04: Emeka Okafor, Connecticut
2004-05: Josh Boone, Connecticut
2005-06: Hilton Armstrong, Connecticut
2006-07: Jerel McNeal, Marquette
2007-08: Hasheem Thabeet, Connecticut
2008-09: Hasheem Thabeet, Connecticut
2009-10: Hamady Ndiaye, Rutgers
2010-11: Rick Jackson, Syracuse
2011-12: Fab Melo, Syracuse
2012-13: Gorgui Dieng, Louisville
2013-14: Fuquan Edwin, Seton Hall
2014-15: Kris Dunn, Providence and Sir'Dominic Pointer, St. John's
2015-16: Kris Dunn, Providence
2016-17: Khyri Thomas, Creighton and Josh Hart, Villanova and Mikal Bridges, Villanova

Khyri Thomas Named BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year

Players Mentioned

Marcus Foster

Khyri Thomas

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