Nov. 22, 2011
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Notre Dame sophomore Jerian Grant (Bowie, Md.) became the first honoree in 2011-12 to earn BIG EAST rookie-of-the-week accolades as the league honored him on Monday, Nov. 21 in its first set of awards for the season. Grant, who did not play during the 2010-11 campaign, averaged 14.0 points, 5.3 assists and 3.5 rebounds in leading Notre Dame to a 4-0 start on the season.
Grant, the first player since Luke Harangody in 2006-07 to register double figures in each of his first four career outings, connected on 62.1 percent of his shots from the field (18-29) and 69.2 percent (.692) from three-point range. He also had a team-leading 21 assists and six steals through the first four games and averaged 34.5 minutes while earning starts in each of the four contests.
Herb Pope from Seton Hall was named the BIG EAST Player of the Week, while Shabazz Napier (Connecticut), Darius Johnson-Odom (Marquette), Tray Woodall (Pittsburgh), Bryce Cotton (Providence) and Dominic Cheek (Villanova) were selected to the Conference’s Honor Roll.
In his first two collegiate outings, Grant had back-to-back 11-point outings in Notre Dame’s wins over Mississippi Valley State (80-67) and Detroit (59-53). He then recorded two 17-point performances in victories against Sam Houston State (74-41) and Delaware State (93-69).
Against Sam Houston State, Grant was a perfect six-for-six from the field that included one three-pointer. In 36 minutes of action, he also dished off seven assists and grabbed six rebounds in addition to making two steals. In the following game versus Delaware State, Grant played 39 minutes and was four-for-six from the field and three-for-three from three-point range. He also dished off six assists and hauled in four rebounds.
His rookie-of-the-week honor is the first for an Irish player since Harangody and Tory Jackson earned similar accolades during the ’06-’07 campaign.