Hansbrough, Walker head All-Big East team

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Notre Dame’s Ben Hansbrough was the lone unanimous selection to the All-Big East team on Sunday.

The 6-foot-3 senior guard was joined on the six-man first team by Kemba Walker of Connecticut, Austin Freeman of Georgetown, Ashton Gibbs of Pittsburgh, Marshon Brooks of Providence and Dwight Hardy of St. John’s. The first team is comprised of the league’s top six scorers and was chosen by the conference’s head coaches, who were not allowed to vote for their own players.

Hansbrough, the younger brother of Indiana Pacer Tyler Hansbrough, led the Irish (14-4) to a second-place finish behind Pittsburgh (15-3) in the regular season. He led the Irish in scoring with an 18.5 average, which was third in the league, and he was third in the conference in 3-point shooting at 45.1 percent.

Walker finished his junior year second in the league in scoring with a 23.1 average. He was a third-team selection last season.

Freeman was the preseason player of the year. He was fifth in the conference in scoring at 17.8 points per game.

Gibbs, the top 3-point shooter in the league at 46.4 percent, was sixth in scoring at 16.4. He was a second-team pick in 2009-10.

Brooks was the league’s scoring champion with a 26.0 average in league games. He was first in all games as well at 24.8. The 6-5 senior averaged 14.2 points last season.

Hardy was leader of the Red Storm’s late run to the national rankings and a tie for third in the conference. He was fourth in the league in scoring at 17.9 per game.