University of Connecticut Athletics
WHALEY, POLLEY WIN BIG EAST INDIVIDUAL AWARDS
3/8/2021 9:05:00 AM | Men's Basketball
NEW YORK – The UConn men's basketball team continues to make an impact as the BIG EAST Conference announces its awards for the 2020-21 season.
Monday, UConn senior forward Isaiah Whaley was named co-winner of the BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year award and senior forward Tyler Polley was named the BIG EAST Sixth Man of the Year. The awards are determined by a vote of the league's coaches, who are not allowed to vote for their own players.
That follows Sunday's announcement that sophomore James Bouknight was named to the All-BIG EAST First Team and freshman Adama Sanogo was named to the BIG EAST All-Freshman Team.
Whaley is at the heart of the UConn defense that leads the BIG EAST in scoring defense, holding opponents to 65.5 points per game, and blocked shots at 5.1, and is second in field goal percentage defense, holding opponents to .418.
Whaley, usually assigned defensively to the opposing team's top-scoring forward, is second in the conference and is 11th nationally in the country in blocked shots per game at 2.5. He ranks in the top 20 in rebounding at 6.0 per game.
Whaley shares the Defensive Player of the Year award with St. John's freshman guard Posh Alexander, who leads the league in steals. It is the eighth time UConn has won the Big East Defensive Player of the Year award, as well as once in the American Athletic Conference.
Polley averages 22 minutes per game, coming off the bench for the Huskies and leads the team with 33 three-pointers made. He is averaging 7.6 points per game and is shooting .369 from three-point range. He was named the BIG EAST Player of the Week on Jan. 11 after coming off the bench to lead UConn to victories at Marquette and at Butler.
Polley is the first UConn player to win the Sixth Man award in either conference.
Other awards announced by the BIG EAST Monday included Co-Most Improved Player between sophomores Julian Champagnie of St. John's and Xavier's Zach Freemantle and the Sportsmanship Award to Creighton senior Mitch Ballock.
