Last season it took Luke Harangody a full breakout sophomore campaign to pile up Big East Conference awards. This year he's bringing them in before the 2008-09 Notre Dame basketball season gets under way.
The Big East coaches voted Harangody the conference's Preseason Player of the Year on Wednesday at Big East Media Day in New York just months after the Notre Dame forward and Andrean grad captured the regular-season Player of the Year honors for his outstanding 2007-08 season.
"I was a little bit (surprised)," Harangody told The Times in March after the awards ceremony in Manhattan. "Coming from where I'm from, from where I was, just to be here right now is a great honor."
Harangody led the Big East in both scoring (23.3) and rebounding (11.3) last season while leading Notre Dame so a 25-8 record and an unexpected second-place showing in the conference standings. The Irish faltered in the postseason, however, losing to Marquette in the Big East Tournament quarterfinals and then again in the second round of the NCAA tournament to Washington State.
After surprising many people with his come-out-of-nowhere sophomore season, Harangody is ready to be the target of opposing defenses once the season starts.
"I know that's going to come," Harangody said at Notre Dame's recent basketball media day. "And a lot of people talk to me about how hard it's going to be, being a target for double-teams or triple-teams. What's great about that is that I've got a great bunch of guys around me. I've got (guards) Kyle (McAlarney) and Ryan (Ayers) on the outside, (forward) Zach (Hillesland) and (guard) Tory (Jackson) and a bunch of playmakers, so it's great."
Harangody's accolades have been derived mainly from his offensive prowess. But with the graduation of forward Rob Kurz, who usually guarded the opposing team's best post player, Harangody will have to move into that vacated role and be more of a force on both ends of the floor.
Harangody joins a list of Big East honorees that includes the likes of Patrick Ewing, Chris Mullin, Ray Allen and Allen Iverson.
"There's no reason he can't be compared to guys like that," Notre Dame coach Mike Brey told the Associated Press. "He is an unusually efficient offensive machine. He worked hard to improve his outside game this season. He has earned everything he has received."
Harangody is the first Big East Player of the Year to return for the next season since Pittsburgh's Brandin Knight did so in 2002-03 after winning the award in 2001-02.
This season the Irish have been tabbed to finish fourth in the conference behind Connecticut, Louisville and Pittsburgh, respectively.
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Luke Harangody
Led Notre Dame with 23.3 ppg and 11.3 rpg
Reigning Big East Player of the Year
Guided Irish to second place in the Big East
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