NEW YORK -- Pitt did not finish among the top four teams in the Big East this season and must play Cincinnati today in the first round of the Big East tournament. But being the seventh-place team did not prevent the Panthers from cleaning up at the Big East Awards banquet last night.

Pitt players won or shared three of the league's awards. Junior forward Sam Young won the most improved player award, freshman center DeJuan Blair is the co-rookie of the year with Syracuse's Jonny Flynn, and senior guard Ronald Ramon shared the sportsmanship award with West Virginia's Darris Nichols.

A Pitt player won the most improved player for the fifth time in the past nine years. Ricardo Greer, Brandin Knight, Carl Krauser and Aaron Gray won the award previously.

"I was told of the history of this award with the program," Young said. "I'm glad to be in their company. It means a lot to me. I was coming off two years of adjusting to the system and I had an injury. I just had a lot of setbacks. As a third-year player, it was nice to create this opportunity for myself and my teammates."

Young, a 6-foot-6 junior, finished the regular season third in Big East scoring with 18 points per game after averaging 7.2 points per game as a sophomore reserve.

"To me, it's the most important award," Pitt coach Jamie Dixon said. "Sam worked hard for it. This didn't happen by accident."

Blair is the fifth Pitt freshman to win rookie of the year. Charles Smith, Sean Miller, Brian Shorter and Chris Taft also won the award.

"This is a big award for me," Blair said. "Coming from Schenley to Pitt and getting rookie of the year ... this is a dream come true for me."

Ramon is the second Pitt player to win the sportsmanship award. Jaron Brown also won the award.

"That award kind of represents the program," Dixon said. "It says a lot more about a player than just his ability."

Notre Dame sophomore forward Luke Harangody is the Big East player of the year. Only one other sophomore in the history of the Big East has won a player of the year award -- Connecticut's Caron Butler in 2002.

Notre Dame coach Mike Brey won the coach of the year award for the second year in a row. Only P.J. Carlesimo and Lou Carnesecca won the coach of the year award in back-to-back years.

Georgetown's Patrick Ewing, Jr. won the sixth man award and Connecticut center Hasheem Thabeet won the defensive player of the year award. West Virginia's Ted Talkington won the scholar-athlete award.