On Wednesday afternoon, the individual Big East awards were presented, and three winners emerged.\
Among the recipients, Cam Whitmore of Villanova was named the Big East Freshman of the Year. Whitmore's achievement marked Nova's first win in this category since Jeremiah Robinson-Earl in 2019-20 and the fifth in the school's history.
Whitmore faced stiff competition from UConn's Alex Karaban, with the two being the only unanimous members of the Big East All-Freshman team.
Whitmore began as a starter in the game against Marquette on New Year's Eve and remained in the lineup for the rest of the season. The Wildcats benefited from his incredible athleticism, particularly on defense and rebounding.
Whitmore, who is likely to be a lottery pick in the upcoming NBA draft, finished the regular season with an average of 12.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game.
In a game against Xavier, Whitmore scored a season-high 26 points. In his fifth game of the season, he also recorded a season-high of ten rebounds, surpassing Joel Soriano, the Big East Most Improved Player, and St. John's.
