Gillespie Big East POY again, Cooley 1st Friars coach to win
By MIKE FITZPATRICK
AP Sports Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — Villanova guard Collin Gillespie has won his second consecutive Big East player of the year award, and Ed Cooley was selected coach of the year after guiding Providence to its first regular-season championship. Injured point guard Ryan Nembhard of Creighton took freshman of the year honors in announcements made at Madison Square Garden a couple of hours before the start of the conference tournament. Gillespie shared the league’s player of the year prize last season with Wildcats teammate Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Seton Hall forward Sandro Mamukelashvili. Cooley gives Providence its first Big East coach of the year after 43 seasons in the conference.