PC’s Kris Dunn, Ben Bentil Named First Team All-BIG EAST

Providence College Press Release

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – It was announced on Sunday, March 6 that Providence College sophomore forward Ben Bentil (Wilmington, Del.) and junior guard Kris Dunn (New London, Conn.) were named to the All-BIG EAST First Team. It marks the second consecutive season that the Friars placed two players on the First Team.  Last season, Dunn and forward LaDontae Henton were named to the First Team.  Providence College has had 13 players all-time earn 16 First Team All-BIG EAST accolades. 

Bentil and Dunn joined Villanova’s Josh Hart and Seton Hall’s Isaiah Whitehead as members of the First Team to be a unanimous selections.  The other players named First Team All-BIG EAST were Trevon Bluiett of Xavier and Henry Ellenson of Marquette.   The conference’s head coaches choose the all-conference teams. The coaches are not permitted to vote for their own players.

Bentil leads the league in scoring in overall action (21.2 ppg) and he led in conference play (22.9 ppg.). He is the seventh Friar all-time to lead the league in scoring and the fourth Friar in the last six years to accomplish the feat. The sophomore forward also ranks fifth in the league in rebounding (7.8 rpg.). Bentil scored 20 or more points in 19 of the 31 games this season.  He also scored 30 or more points in five games.  Bentil recorded the highest point total by a BIG EAST player this season when he scored 42 points at Marquette on February 10.  He has posted seven double-doubles in 2015-16.  Bentil’s 657 points scored this season ranks 13th-best all-time at Providence.  He has established Friar sophomore records for points scored (657), free throws made (184) and free throws attempted (232).  

Dunn, who was the 2015-16 BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year, joins Bryce Cotton (2013 and 2014) and Ryan Gomes (2004 and 2005) as the only Friars to earn two All-BIG EAST First Team accolades.  Dunn leads the league in steals (2.7) and ranks second in the nation that category. He also ranks second in BIG EAST in assists (6.4) and fourth in scoring (16.3).  This season, Dunn has registered seven double-doubles and one triple double.  Dunn became the first Friar ever to register 1,000 points, 500 assists, 400 rebounds and 200 steals.  In 91 career games, Dunn has recorded 1,145 points (12.6 ppg), 532 assists (5.8 apg), 475 rebounds (5.2 rpg) and 205 steals (2.3 spg).  A preseason Associated Press All-American, Dunn is a candidate for the Oscar Robertson Award, the Wooden Award, the Naismith Award, the Bob Cousy Award and the NABC Defensive Player of the Year honor.  Last season, he was named 2015 BIG EAST Co-Player of the Year and the 2015 BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year.  He became the sixth player to win both awards and the first guard in the history of the league to earn those two awards in the same season.

The Friars finished the regular season with a 22-9 mark overall and a 10-8 record in BIG EAST play. Providence earned the fourth seed in the BIG EAST Tournament and will play No. 5 seed Butler on Thursday, March 10 at 2:30 p.m. at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The game will be televised on Fox Sports 1.

ALL-BIG EAST FIRST TEAM

Henry Ellenson, Marquette, F, Fr., 6-11, 245, Rice Lake, Wis.

*Ben Bentil, Providence, F, So., 6-9, 235, Wilmington, Del.

*Kris Dunn, Providence, G, Jr., 6-3, 205, New London, Conn.

*Isaiah Whitehead, Seton Hall, G, So., 6-4, 210, Brooklyn, N.Y.

*Josh Hart, Villanova, G, Jr., 6-5, 202, Silver Spring, Md.

Trevon Bluiett, Xavier, G, So., 6-6, 208, Indianapolis, Ind.