March 6, 2006
NOTRE DAME, Ind. — Chris Quinn, who led the Irish in scoring with an 18.2 scoring average and led the BIG EAST with 6.2 assists per game, was named to the 2005-06 BIG EAST All-Conference first team it was announced today. Quinn was selected by a vote of the league’s head coaches (who were not permitted to vote for their own players) and was one of 11 players selected to the all-conference first team.
Quinn becomes the third player under Irish head coach Mike Brey and fourth Notre Dame player overall to earn first-team all-conference honors. It also marks the sixth consecutive year that Notre Dame has had a player named to the all-conference team under Brey. Notre Dame also has produced an all-conference selection every year since the 1996-97 campaign. Prior to Quinn, former Irish players who have earned first-team accolades have included Pat Garrity (1996 and ’97), Troy Murphy (1999, ’00 and ’01), Ryan Humphrey (’02) and Matt Carroll (’03).
A three-year starter, he has scored in double figures in 25 games this season and has topped the 30-point mark on four occasions (all in BIG EAST play). Quinn also leads the team in assists (6.2) and steals (1.6) and has been named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on three occasions. Quinn is one of just three players in Notre Dame history to score 30-plus points in four conference games in a single season. Garrity was the first Irish player to record four 30-point games in BIG EAST play, in 1997-98, while Murphy registered his four 30-point performances during the 1999-2000 campaign.
Quinn averaged a career-best 20.2 points per game in conference and is just the third Irish player to average better than 20 points per game in league play. Garrity did it twice in both 1996-97 (20.1) and 1997-98 (24.1), while Murphy averaged better than 20 points per game in both 1999-00 (21.7) and 2000-01 (22.8).
The two-time Irish captain has played in 120 games during his career (and missed just two to injury) and made 79 starts. Quinn is one of eight players in school history to score more than 1,000 points and dish off better than 300 assists. He has scored 1,413 career points for an 11.8 average and has 402 assists (3.4).
With the increased membership of the BIG EAST to 16 teams, the all-league teams were expanded this year.
Rudy Gay (Connecticut), Steve Novak (Marquette), Randy Foye (Marquette) and Allan Ray (Villanova) were unanimous first-team selections. Also named to the 11-man squad were Eric Hicks (Cincinnati), Aaron Gray (Pittsburgh), Quincy Douby (Rutgers), Gerry McNamara (Syracuse), Mike Gansey (West Virginia) and Kevin Pittsnogle (West Virginia).
The second team was comprised of Hilton Armstrong (Connecticut), Marcus Williams (Connecticut), Jeff Green (Georgetown), Roy Hibbert (Georgetown), Taquan Dean (Louisville), Carl Krauser (Pittsburgh), Donnie McGrath (Providence), Donald Copeland (Seton Hall), Kelly Whitney (Seton Hall) and Kyle Lowry (Villanova).
Selected to the honorable mention team were James White (Cincinnati), Rashad Anderson (Connecticut), Josh Boone (Connecticut), Dominic James (Marquette), Lamont Hamilton (St. John’s) and Solomon Jones (South Florida).
There were three unanimous selections to the league’s all-rookie team – Devan Downey (Cincinnati), Wilson Chandler (DePaul) and Dominic James (Marquette). In addition to these three players, Jeff Adrien (Connecticut), Sam Young (Pittsburgh), Jerel McNeal (Marquette), Sharaud Curry (Providence), Geoff McDermott (Providence), JR Inman (Rutgers), Anthony Farmer (Rutgers) and Eric Devendorf (Syracuse) were named to the squad.