TicketsMarch 8, 2009
Pair of Bearcats Earn All-BIG EAST Conference Honors Vaughn named third-team all-league; Gates Named to All-Rookie Squad
PROVIDENCE, R.I. - University of Cincinnati junior guard Deonta Vaughn earned third-team all-BIG EAST Conference and freshman forward Yancy Gates was named a member of the league's all-Rookie squad, the conference office announced today.
Vaughn, a first-team all-league selection last year, is the first player since UC joined the BIG EAST in 2005-06 to earn all-league honors in back-to-back seasons. Heading into Tuesday's first round of the BIG EAST Championship at Madison Square Garden vs. No. 16-seed DePaul, Vaughn ranks in the Top 20 in league scoring (15.3/18th), assists (4.7/7th), free throw percentage (.807/7th), 3-point FG made (2.55/t-6th), and minutes played (35.74/6th). This season, he has scored in double-figures in 24 of 31 games. Earlier this year in the season opener, he became just the 45th player in school history to post 1,000 points in his career and with two 3-pointers vs. Rutgers on Jan. 14, he became just the fifth player in school history to record 200 or more 3-point baskets in his career at UC.
Gates joins Vaughn and former Bearcat Devan Downey as the third UC player to be named to the BIG EAST All-Rookie Squad. Gates is the league's 20th-best rebounder, averaging 6.2 boards per game, and his 10.7 points per game are second on the team trailing only to Vaughn. Twice this season Gates earned league Rookie of the Week honors, making him one of five players in the league to receive the honor multiple times. His best game to date was on Feb. 26 when he scored a career-high 22 points on 9-of-11 shooting and tied a career-high with 11 rebounds vs. West Virginia.
The conference's head coaches choose the all-conference teams. The coaches are not permitted to vote for their own players. This year, the league returned to five-player teams after having 10-player teams for the past three seasons.
Vaughn and Gates lead the Bearcats (18-13, 8-10) into the postseason Tuesday, March 10 as they take on DePaul (8-23, 0-18 BIG EAST) at Noon EST in the first round of the BIG EAST Championship. The game can be heard live on 700 WLW or fans can watch a live video stream of the game for free at the BIG EAST's website, www.BIGEAST.org.