Big East Preview

The Big East, formerly the premier conference in college basketball, has continued to put out good teams. Last season, they produced a number 1 seed as well as the eventual national champion. There is a lot of talent lost this year, but also lots of intriguing players and potential breakouts to look out for. Here are my thoughts on how the conference shakes out this year.

Team Previews

1. Villanova

Best Case Scenario: The Wildcats follow up a national championship with another stellar season. Despite losing lots of production, they don’t miss a beat thanks to Jay Wright’s coaching ability. Led by returning seniors Eric Paschall and Phil Booth, Nova once again has one of the best offenses in college basketball. Role players from last season Jermaine Samuels, Conor Gillespie, and Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree take on larger roles this season, and thrive. Newcomers Jahvon Quinerly and Joe Cremo step into large backcourt roles immediately, and Cole Swider, Brandon Slater, and Saddiq Bey all provide good play from the wing, particularly offensively. On defense, Samuels develops into a stopper on the wing, Quinerly is able to lock down opposing guards, and Cosby-Roundtree anchors the unit. Vilanova once again wins the Big East and finishes as one of the top teams in the country.
Worst Case Scenario: It turns out replacing 4 NBA draft picks, including the National Player of the Year and your best defender, is really hard. Despite having Jay Wright at the helm, the talent just isn’t there. Paschall and Booth struggle being the focal point of defenses and they regress. The new freshmen aren’t able to produce at a high enough level, Cremo struggles against better competition, and the remaining returning players aren’t able to take the step forward that is needed. Defensively, they struggle, especially on the wing, and playing Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree hurts the team offensively. Nova ends up in the backend of the top 25 thanks to their defensive struggles.

My Take: Despite all the production they lose from last season, I can’t bet against this team. For one, they have lots of talent on the roster. Eric Paschall really emerged down the stretch last season, and I think he’ll be even better this year. Phil Booth is another returner who has proven everything he needs to and I fully expect him to have another great year. Their freshman class is great, I really like Quinerly, and I think Samuels could emerge as an excellent defender. But the main reason I’m picking Villanova to do this well is Jay Wright. He is, in my opinion, one of the best, if not the best, coach in college basketball right now and he has players who will do an excellent job in his system. I do think they’ll take a step back, especially on the defensive end, but they should be the class of the Big East.

2. Marquette

Best Case Scenario: Steve Wojciechowski’s teams at Marquette have been excellent on the offensive end of the floor, and they continue that this season. Led by potential Big East Player of the Year Markus Howard, the Golden Eagles once again rain down threes with reckless abandon, and it works wonders. After shooting 41.7% as a team from deep last season, Marquette continues to make threes at a crazy rate, led by Howard. Without last season’s backcourt mate Andrew Rousey taking away shots, Howard gets even more usage and scores even more points this season, which is impressive given he scored over 20 a game last season. He’ll be aided in the three point barrage by brothers Sam and Joey Hauser, who are both good shooters from the wing. Defensively, their other wings, namely Sacir Anim, Jamal Cain, and Greg Elliot, fulfill their potential and freshman Brandon Bailey comes back from his Mormon mission and plays well on both sides of the ball. Incoming transfers Joseph Chartouny in the backcourt and Ed Morrow in the frontcourt really help them on the defensive side of the ball and turn Marquette into a Big East champion and top 15 team.

Worst Case Scenario: This team still doesn’t know how to play defense, even with the more defensive minded Chartnouy and Morrow coming in. Howard is an absolute liability on that end and the Hauser’s aren’t exactly Kawhi Leonard on the wing. Howard becomes much less efficient on his threes this season, and opposing teams get better at closing out, and Marquette uncharacteristically struggles shooting the ball. Without their high-powered offense, this team is nothing, and they miss the tournament this year.

My Take: God I love this team. I love basically everything about them. Markus Howard and Sam Hauser are possibly the best shooting duo in the country, and Joey was better than him brother in high school. If one of the wings can develop into a defensive stopper, along with having Chartouny replace Andrew Rowsey, which is a massive upgrade defensively, and Ed Morrow anchoring the defense. I’m not going to claim they’ll be an elite defensive team, but I think they could be average, which when paired with their outstanding offense, should put them into the top 25, and I think they could challenge for the Big East title.

3. St. John’s

Best Case Scenario: St. John’s takes the Big East by (red) storm this season, led by the star studded backcourt of Shamorie Ponds, Justin Simon, and Mustapha Heron. The addition of Heron allows for the other two to take lesser roles, and their offensive efficiency improves, mostly Ponds who is able to shoot at a rate much more like he did as a freshman. Transfer Mikey Dixon and LJ Figueroa provide a scoring punch off the bench, and allow for the big three to get rest that they simply couldn’t afford last season. The frontcourt is led by Marvin Clark, a good stretch four that can also play bigger on defense, and South Carolina transfer Sedee Keita comes in and replaces Tariq Owens defensive production while improving offensively. The guards continue their excellent defensive play and St. John’s retain their lofty defensive status from last season with offensive improvement and the Johnnies are in the top 25 all season.

Worst Case Scenario: The Red Storm have the talent, but their coach can’t coach it once again. Chris Mullin proves he isn’t as good of a coach as he was a player, and once again squanders the talent on his roster. A power struggle emerges between Ponds and Heron for the alpha dog and Simon attempts to improve his NBA Draft prospects. They take a step back defensively and offensively they’re a mess. Their paper-thin frontcourt can’t hold up for the whole season, and they get very little paint protection. St. John’s struggles with consistency all year and end up missing the tournament and Mullin gets fired.

My Take: This team is ridiculously talented. Ponds, Simon, and Heron is one of the most talented trios in the nation, and if they can improve their shooting from deep as a team, there’s a lot of potential for this team. I like what they do defensively, gambling for steals and causing havoc, and I buy Sedee Keita having a good season as their big guy. I do worry about their depth, particularly up front, but I can certainly see lineups with Marvin Clark playing the five thanks to his physicality. I think the talent comes together and they have an excellent year, but I wouldn’t be shocked if everything blows up this year.

4. Butler

Best Case Scenario: Kamar Baldwin emerges as a star and Big East Player of the Contender for the Bulldogs, leading the charge offensively and defensively. He is given tons of room to operate by floor spacers Sean McDermott and Paul Jorgensen, the latter of whom emerges as one of the best shooters in the country, and Baldwin is helped in the backcourt by Aaron Thompson, who is able to share some of the ball handling duties with Baldwin. They form a formidable defensive duo in the backcourt, and along with the rest of the team putting together solid defensive contributions, greatly improve on that end. When Duke transfer Jordan Tucker becomes eligible mid-way through the season, he immediately steps in as an athletic stretch four, further spacing the floor and helping on the defensive end. They continue to be stout on the glass, and Butler once again flirts with the top 25.

Worst Case Scenario: The team around Baldwin fails to develop and he is still very inefficient on offense. McDermott and Jorgensen aren’t able to do much except shoot, the frontcourt is basically barren offensively, and Thompson continues to struggle with turnovers and his game doesn’t take the next step. While he and Baldwin are solid defensively, they get very little help from the rest of the team and the Bulldogs struggle on that end. Tucker isn’t the savior Butler needs him to be, as he throws off the team’s dynamic and isn’t ever able to get going. The team really misses Kelan Martin as they don’t have a second option offensively, and they sit on the bubble all season.

My Take: I think this team has the highest floor of the group in that 2-9 range in the Big East that is really up for grabs. Baldwin is a stud, and I think both Jorgensen and Tucker, once he is able to play, will help him out on the offensive end. I also think Aaron Thompson provides enough on the offensive end to keep his defensive in the game, which will make their backcourt very imposing on that end. Other than those two, I don’t think their defense will be very good, but I think their offense will be good enough to win them quite a few games this year.

5. Providence

Best Case Scenario: The Friars come into this season with lots of promise, and live up to it this year. Alpha Diallo emerges as an excellent go-to option for this team, and he becomes a slightly more consistent shooter from deep. Emmitt Holt returns from injury better than ever and provides floor spacing that this team desperately needs. They have 4 top 100 prospects on their roster from the past 2 recruiting classes, and all of them establish themselves as quality players at the college level. Makai Ashton-Langford and Nate Watson, both from the 2017 class, become starters and David Duke and AJ Reeves, their top 50 recruits from this year’s class, are good options as well, specifically on the offensive end. They all provide great defense as well, along with wing Isaiah Jackson. This team clicks together and becomes a borderline top 25 team.

Worst Case Scenario: The team can’t come together and they struggle all season. Without Kyrion Cartwright and Rodney Bullock, Providence can’t find its footing offensively. They struggle shooting from deep, and the lack of floor spacing limits their wings from slashing like they prefer. Ashton-Langford and Watson fail to develop into the starting caliber players that this team needs, and the freshmen take time to adjust to college level. The team takes a step back defensively, and they miss the tournament.

My Take: I really like this group of players. Although there are concerns about their shooting from deep, which I certainly understand and I do worry about that, but I think there is a lot of potential here waiting to be unlocked. I really like Ed Cooley as a coach and I feel he is very underrated nationally, and I think he’s done an excellent job bringing in talent as well as coaching it. I think Watson, and especially Ashton-Langford who I really like, breakout this year and become very good players, although I think one of Duke and Reeves ends up as the odd man out in the rotation. They should once again be very good defensively with lots of versatility, so I think the defense carries them and they get some offensive firepower to propel them into the top half of the Big East.

6. Xavier

Best Case Scenario: With JP Macura, Trevon Bluiett, and other players, along with coach Chris Mack leaving this season, the Musketeers have a lot to replace. Former assistant Travis Steele takes over, he replicates Mack’s style and gets X back into contention right away. A group of talented returners in Quentin Goodin, Paul Scruggs, Naji Marshall, and Tyrique Jones have improved seasons, especially Marshall, who breaks out in a big way. The entire group improves shooting from deep, and incoming transfers Ryan Welage and Kyle Castlin really help in that department. The frontcourt is restocked with the reigning D-II player of the year Zach Hankins, who translates his game flawlessly. The defense improves with more mobile bigs and some very athletic wings. The team doesn’t quite reach the heights of last season, but they are still in the back end of the top 25 for the majority of the season.
Worst Case Scenario: The team misses their key seniors from last year and their head coach real bad. No one steps up and becomes a go to option, and they take a massive step back on that end. They continue to struggle from deep, especially Goodin, who has struggled mightily in the past. The defense doesn’t improve from last year, and they can’t put all their talent together. None of their players have the breakout that is expected, and the transfers struggle with the increase in competition. Without their three leading scorers from last season, Xavier can’t recover and they end up missing out on the tournament in Steele’s first season.

My Take: I think I’m a little lower than the consensus on Xavier, and I think a good amount of that comes from my love of Chris Mack. I do like Travis Steele, but it’s hard to ignore the impact that Mack had on this team. Plus, the loss of Macura, Bluiett, and some key frontcourt players is hard to overlook for me. I think this team is relying a lot on some big breakout seasons and I just don’t see it happening with some guys. While I like Goodin quite a lot, I do worry about his three point shot, and I don’t really love anything I’ve seen from Paul Scruggs or Tyrique Jones. I do think Marshall breaks out this season, but I just don’t if they’ll be able to compete with some of the other teams in this conference.

7. Seton Hall

Best Case Scenario: First things first: this will be a very different Seton Hall team after losing 4 very good seniors last season in Dezi Rodriguez, Khadeen Carrington, Angel Delgado, and Ish Sanogo. The Pirates hand the reins over to the one returning starter, Myles Powell. Powell is a dynamic guard who replaces a good amount of the lost production on his own. He scores at all three levels, improves his playmaking skills, and leads the Hall offensively. He is joined in the backcourt by transfer Quincy McKnight, who continues to be the dynamic scorer he was at Sacred Heart, and sophomore Myles Cale, who has a nice breakout year with more opportunities. New freshman Jared Rhoden comes in and has an immediate impact on the wing. The froncourt is manned by Michael Nzei and the man with the hardest name to spell in college basketball, Sandro Mamukelashvili, who are solid role players, Nzei on the glass, as he helps replace Delgado’s insane production, and Sandro provides floor spacing. They are joined by Syracuse transfer Taurean Thompson, who never felt properly utilized in the 2-3 and he develops into a force in the paint. The Pirates also improve on defense, mainly with Thompson blocking shots and Cale emerging into a good defender on the wing. They aren’t as successful as years past, but they do play their way onto the right side of the bubble.

Worst Case Scenario: Replacing four key contributors is tough, as Seton Hall learns the hard way this year. Powell struggles being the focal point of defenses and McKnight isn’t able to offer much help since his game isn’t able to take the step up. Cale doesn’t have the breakout year that many expect, and Powell is forced to try and do everything himself. Taurean Thompson looks more like he did at Cuse than the player many believe he can become. Neither one of the two returning bigs offer anything on offense either. There is an Angel Delgado sized hole on the glass for Seton Hall, and their defense continues to regress with all the experience lost. Seton Hall really misses their four seniors, and falter while missing out on a postseason berth.

My Take: I actually like the Pirates more than I thought I did going into this. I think they will get out and run and transition, which should suit Powell, McKnight, and Cale very well. I also really like the freshman Rhoden, who I think could play significant minutes immediately for this team. I also think the frontcourt will be a weakness for Seton Hall. I’m not the biggest Thompson fan, although I think he’ll be good, but I think this team could get eaten alive on the boards. I ultimately think that Seton Hall hangs around the bubble all season, but ends up in the NIT.

8. Creighton

Best Case Scenario: The Blue Jays have a group of players break out this season, effectively replacing all their lost production. Sophomore guards Mitch Ballack and Ty-Shon Alexander have up their production after the loss of Kyrie Thomas and Marcus Foster. Ballack is an excellent shooter and he should provide some excellent floor spacing for this squad, while Alexander prefers slashing and facilitating, while also being solid from deep and also developing into a plus defender. They lead the team, along with the frontcourt combination of Jacob Epperson and Martin Krampelj. Epperson is able to turn the flashes of potential from last season into consistent production, while Krampelj returns from his ACL injury around mid-season and picks up where he left off last season. Davion Mintz takes another step forward and handles the ball with poise, keeping the offense running well. Transfer Connor Cashaw and freshman Marcus Zegarowski get minutes immediately, as they both provide floor spacing. Creighton once again runs an incredibly efficient offense and guns their way into a tournament berth.
Worst Case Scenario: Creighton really misses their stars, Foster and Thomas, from last season. The offense lacks a creator, and no one is able to step up into that void. Ballack proves to just be a shooter, Alexander can’t capitalize on his potential, and Mintz is nothing more than an average floor general. Epperson turns out to just be a flash in the pan, and Krampelj either can’t recover from his injury, or rushes back and is ineffective. None of the newcomers offer the type of support that is needed for the team to succeed and Creighton struggles offensively. They also continue to struggle defensively, and are even worse than last season with good defenders Thomas and Ronnie Harrell both leaving the program. Without the trademark offensive firepower, the Blue Jays are unable to put together a good season and they miss out on the postseason.

My Take: In my eyes, the Big East is fairly simple to break down. Villanova is at the top, then the teams I have ranked 2-6, the group at 7-9, and DePaul. I think Creighton has the highest ceiling of their group, along with a pretty low floor. I’m betting on them somewhere in the middle this season, as I really like both Ballack and Alexander. I think Ballack is an underrated playmaker, and I really buy a Ty-Shon Alexander breakout in a big way. I think he has the potential to be this team’s best player, although I don’t know if he reaches that this year. I’m also big on both Epperson and Krampelj, if and when he becomes healthy. However, I’m not a big fan of Mintz and I don’t know if this team can play defense, so I think they bounce back and forth between dominate offensive performances and watching as opposing teams score at will all season and never reach their full potential.

9. Georgetown

Best Case Scenario: Patrick Ewing and the Hoyas come out and have a much better season than last year. Ewing continues to help develop big men, and Jessie Govan continues to emerge as one of the best players in the conference. He is aided by improved point guard play with incoming recruit James Akinjo, who immediately contributes from day 1. He is joined in the backcourt by Jahvon Blair, who breaks out as a sophomore, and JaMarko Pickett does the same in the frontcourt. Kaleb Johnson and Josh LeBlanc provide good length on the wing, which helps the Hoyas putrid defense improve. Mac McClung comes in and continues to provide highlights. They improve on both sides of the ball, and end up on the right side of the bubble this season.
Worst Case Scenario: While Govan is still good, he gets no help around him once again and this team really struggles. Defensively, they are horrid once again, and they struggle to get any stops. Akinjo struggles in his first season, and none of the other players emerge as a good scoring option. Blair and Pickett especially can’t get anything going offensively and they really struggle under the increased pressure. People begin to question Ewing’s ability as a coach as the team once again struggles and misses out on the both the NCAA Tournament and the NIT.

My Take: I honestly just don’t get a lot of the hype surrounding this team. I’ve seen them ranked as high as 6 in the Big East, and to me that is just madness. This is a team that was absolutely atrocious defensively last season, and I don’t see them getting that much better. I really only see two good players on this roster, Jessie Govan, who is a legit star, and James Akinjo, who should be an immediate upgrade at the 1. But outside of those two, no one else on this roster impressed me last season, and I think maybe Blair can take a nice step forward this year, but other than that, I’m not very excited about this team, and I don’t think they’ll compete in the Big East this year.  

10. DePaul

Best Case Scenario: Look I’m gonna be honest here: at best, this team finishes ninth. But, there are some things to like. Max Strus is actually really good, and Eli Cain emerges as his Robin and the two perform admirably on the offensive end. They will be joined by Illinois transfer Jalen Coleman-Lands, who can certainly shoot it well, as can redshirt freshman Flynn Cameron. The Blue Demons actually shoot it quite well, and when they miss, NC AT&T transfer Femi Olujobi cleans up the boards. The defense is also solid, and DePaul surprises a few teams this season, although they still don’t play in the postseason.  
Worst Case Scenario: They make Pitt from last year look good as they struggle to even get a win. Defenses limit Strus and Coleman-Lands, and Cain continues to struggle with inefficiency. The frontcourt offers nothing offensively, and the defense struggles. This team continues to be bad.

My Take: Listen DePaul isn’t going to be good. But, they also won’t be atrocious. There are brighter days ahead for this program with highly-touted recruits Romeo Weems and Markese Jacobs coming next season, and I think they’ll be much more competitive next year, but yeah, this year watch for Strus and Coleman-Lands making threes and not much else.

Awards

Player of the Year: Markus Howard, Marquette

Coach of the Year: Jay Wright, Villanova

Freshman of the Year: Jahvon Quinerly, Villanova
Newcomer of the Year: Mustapha Heron, St. John’s

First Team All Big East

G: Markus Howard, Marquette

G: Shamorie Ponds, St. John’s

G: Kamar Baldwin, Butler

F: Eric Paschall, Villanova

F: Jessie Govans, Georgetown

Second Team All Big East

G: Alpha Diallo, Marquette
G: Mustapha Heron, St. John’s
G: Myles Powell, Seton Hall

F: Sam Hauser, Marquette

F: Naji Marshall, Xavier

Third Team All Big East

G: Quentin Goodin, Xavier

G: Mitch Ballock, Creighton

G: Phil Booth, Villanova
G: Jahvon Quinerly, Villanova
F: Max Strus, DePaul