The regular season has yet to begin, and already, Notre Dame's Luke Harangody is again piling up awards.
Harangody, an Andrean graduate, was named to the Associated Press Preseason All-America Team for the second consecutive season. Moreover, of the 65 voters who participated, a team-high 57 named Harangody, making him the leading vote-getter on the list.
"Tremendous honor" were the words Harangody used to describe this latest recognition. Still, he acknowledged that the important awards are handed out after the season is done.
Harangody was a second-team All-American selection at the end of last season.
"It's still only a preseason thing," he said by phone Monday. "There's still a lot of work to be done."
The announcement comes just two weeks after Harangody was tabbed for his second straight Big East Preseason Player of the Year award, joining Patrick Ewing as the only players to bag that honor twice.
Now a fourth-year senior, Harangody considered professional options this past spring, entering his name in the NBA draft.
But in June, he made the decision to withdraw his name and return for his final season, giving coach Mike Brey's team a massive lift. If the Irish to return to the NCAA tournament this season after missing out last year, Harangody almost surely will have to play a central role.
Last season, Harangody improved his averages in nearly every major statistical category and led the Big East in scoring with 23.3 points per game.
Brey said at team media day last month that Harangody doesn't like talking about the multitude of team and conference records he is currently within striking distance of, preferring instead to focus on the hard work in front of him.
"He doesn't think about (the records) much, they won't enter into it," Brey said.
Still, even Harangody can't help but acknowledge that his career path, now marked by fistfuls of awards and recognition, isn't a common one. Turning all that attention into motivation is what Harangody said is most important, because none of it means anything without what he views as the biggest success.
"You still have to go out there and do a lot of work," Harangody said. "For me, myself, to be successful, personally, the team has to be successful."
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AP Preseason All-America Team
The Associated Press' 2009-10 preseason All-America team, with school, height, year and votes from a 65-member national media panel (key 2008-09 statistics in parentheses):
Luke Harangody, Notre Dame, 6-8, senior, 57 votes (23.3 ppg, 11.8 rpg)
Cole Aldrich, Kansas, 6-11, junior, 49 (14.9 ppg, 11.1 rpg)
Sherron Collins, Kansas, 5-11, senior, 39 (18.9 ppg, 5.0 apg)
Patrick Patterson, Kentucky, 6-9, junior, 35 (17.9 ppg, 9.3 rpg)
Kyle Singler, Duke, 6-8, junior, 30 (16.5 ppg, 7.7 rpg)
Others receiving votes (alphabetical): Al-Farouq Aminu, Wake Forest; Craig Brackins, Iowa State; Da'Sean Butler, West Virginia; Patrick Christopher, California; Ed Davis, North Carolina; Devan Downey, South Carolina; Devin Ebanks, West Virginia; Derrick Favors, Georgia Tech; Manny Harris, Michigan; Robbie Hummel, Purdue.
Damion James, Texas; Kalin Lucas, Michigan State; Greg Monroe, Georgetown; Scottie Reynolds, Villanova; Tyler Smith, Tennessee; Isaiah Thomas, Washington; Evan Turner, Ohio State; Greivis Vasquez, Maryland; John Wall, Kentucky; Willie Warren, Oklahoma.
