March 5, 2002

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Providence College senior guard John Linehan (Chester, Pa.) was named BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year on Tuesday, March 5. Linehan, who earned the honor for the second consecutive season, is the only Friar ever to receive one of the BIG EAST's four post-season individual accolades (Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Most Improved Player and Rookie of the Year). He also joins Patrick Ewing (Georgetown - 1982, 1983, 1984 and 1985), Alonzo Mourning (Georgetown - 1989, 1990 and 1992 ), Dikembe Mutombo (Georgetown - 1990 and 1991), Allen Iverson (Georgetown - 1995 and 1996) and Etan Thomas (Syracuse - 1999 and 2000) as the only players to earn the league's Defensive Player of the Year honor more than once.

Linehan, who is second in the nation in average steals per game (4.5), has made 134 steals in 30 contests this season. He set the NCAA career steals record last week with his 377th steal. Linehan finished the regular season with 380 career steals. In addition to the NCAA career steals mark, Linehan also established the BIG EAST career steals record (226), the BIG EAST single-season steals record (77) and the BIG EAST single-game steals record (11). He is averaging 12.5 points, 4.4 assists and 3.8 rebounds per game this season.

Also this season, Linehan became just the second Friar ever to register 100 or more steals, rebounds and assists in one year. Linehan has registered 134 steals, 133 assists and 115 rebounds this season. Eric Murdock is the only other Friar to accomplish this feat.

This season, he also was named All-BIG EAST Second Team and NABC District 1 First Team.

Linehan, who concluded his high school career at the Winchendon School, is the son of Elizabeth Linehan and Mike Shaw.

The Friars, 15-15, return to action in the First Round of the BIG EAST Tournament on Wednesday, March 6 at Madison Square Garden in New York. Providence, the No. 6 seed in the East, will face Georgetown, the No. 3 seed in the West, at 2:00 p.m. on ESPN.