Will 2016-2017 be the strongest year for the "new" Big East?
Posted: Sat Oct 29, 2016 4:09 pmWe are just a few weeks until the season starts thankfully but before we start I was wondering what everyone's thoughts were on the strength of the league as a whole heading into the season? In my personal opinion this league is without a doubt the strongest it has been since we broke away from the football schools. Here's a quick look at where I ranked each conference member's 2016-2017 team compared to the past 3 years.
1. Villanova - Same level as past years
When I say Villanova is at the same level as recent years I mean that I expect they will be competing for a 1 or 2 seed come March. This team is preseason top 5 with legit national champion aspirations. Had Spellmen been ruled eligible I would be tempted to say this year's squad would have been the best yet. Losing a 4 year captain like Arch hurts, but Jay Wright has arguably built the strongest team-oriented program is college hoops and am more than confident that this years seniors (Hart, Jenkins, Reynolds) along with Brunson and Booth can step up as leaders. Front court depth is a weakness but with versatile wings like Mikal Bridges and Eric Paschell on the roster I think Jay Wright can roll with a small ball lineup that will be a nightmare for opponents.
2. Xavier - Best team since realignment
This is the highest a Xavier team has been ranked in the Chris Mack era and with good reason, this Xavier squad has final four potential. Sumner and Blueitt are arguably two of the top 5 players in the conference and they are surrounded by a talent supporting cast (I am including Myles Davis as this point). Like Nova, Xavier is a bit weak in the front court but I think this is a bit overblown. Rashid Gaston is a great transfer big man who averaged a double double two years ago and Sean O'Mara isn't going to beat teams single handily but he's still solid. The X-factor for this team is Kaiser Gates, he is out a month but I think he comes back and plays a big role as a 6-8 versatile forward. Watch out for the transfer Malcom Bernard and freshmen Tyrique Jones too, Bernard will help replace Remy Abel on the wing and Jones was one of the best rebounders in the 2016 high school class. They each will provide solid minutes.
3, Creighton - Best team since realignment
I know this is a bit controversial since Creighton's team in their first year had one of the greatest college players of all time on it. However, their loss against Baylor showed that team wasn't athletic enough to be a contender, that is not an issue with this year's team. They boast one of the best backcourts in the country with All Big East guard Mo Watson and impact transfer Marcus Foster. Watson was stellar in his first year and my pick for the best point guard in the conference. Foster was great at Kansas State in his first two years, his efficiency as a scorer dropped considerably his second year but with a guard like Foster next to him and a better supporting cast I think this area will improve. Frontcourt is a question mark (I sense a theme) with redshirt freshmen Justin Patton expected to fill the gap left by Geoffrey Groselle. Patton was a recruit who's stock exploded after Creighton signed him, raising as high as a 5 star on Scout. He is close to 7-1 and while his offensive game needs work he should be able to anchor the defense down low, which is my opinion was a huge flaw in Groselle's game. Patton was listed as one of 20 big men up for the Kareem Abdul Jabbar award for best big man in the country just as an example of what he can bring to the table. Zach Hanson backs him up as a senior who is solid enough. Creighton is also stacked with wings with Huff, Zierdan, Harrell, Thomas, and Kobe Paras. They are a preseason top 20 team and with good reason.
4 - Georgetown - Best team since realignment
Could be a bit controversial but I feel this is JT3's deepest and most talented team in years. Frontcourt is NOT an issue, Govan has the potential to be the best center in the conference and Hayes is solid in his own right. Marcus Derrickson could breakout this year as versatile forward with and inside-outside game. Akoy Agau is back after sitting out last year and should contribute up front as well. Issac Copeland was a bit of a disappointment last year but is still a very talented player that I think can be one of the league's best if he shot the 3 like he did his freshmen year. Georgetown has LJ Peak and Rodney Pryor on the wing, both are talented enough to be selected for an All Big east team. The only question mark is at point guard. Tre Campell went through a sophomore slump but I think he will be serviceable at point as a junior, Jonathan Mulmore will likely start and reports are he is the fastest guard they have had since AI. With JT3 saying he wants to play faster I think Mulmore can lead this team at a faster pace while scoring in bunches (he was 2nd in scoring as a JUCO). JT3's coaching is always in question but we can't deny he was a force during the regular season in the old big east and may have his best roster in years for this season. Would not shock me to to see them in the top 25 a lot this season
5 - Seton Hall - Best team since realignment
Yes Isiah Whitehead is gone, but he was not the entire team last year. Kevin Willard returns 4 starters and essentially the entirety of his roster this year. Khadeen Carrington will step into the lead guard role left by Whitehead and I think he can thrive there. There were games last year where Carrington outplayed Whitehead and I think he can play his way onto an All Big East team by the end of the year. Seton Hall adds what they desperately needed last year, a knockdown three point shooter, in Myles Powell who should help stretch defenses and allow for Carrington and Desi Rodriguez to attack the basket. Seton Hall won based on their defense last year and with Angel Delgado and Ish Sanogo back that should not change this year. Jevon Thomas is likely the starter at point guard and he's reputation as a defender will only make it tougher for teams to score. Thomas and other transfer guard Madison Jones are good enough replacements to fill the point guard role, they don't need to be as good as Isiah Whitehead for this Seton Hall team to succeed. I think this year's Seton Hall team is a top 25 team.
6 - Butler - Tied for best team since realignment
This is a tricky one, losing Rosie Jones and Kellan Dunham is tough, both were great players but I think this Butler team can be as good as they were last year. They ended up as a 8 seed and frankly I think they could end up back there again this year. Jones will be replaced by Kelan Martin in the starting lineup and Martin being named to the preseason all big east 1st team should tell you that Martin is a stud. He can lead the big east in scoring this year. Kethan Savage is another transfer who should help replace the stats of Rosie Jones as well. Along with a great last name, Savage is an atheltic guard who can defend, rebound, and score. He did not have a great field goal percentage his last year at GW but he doesn't have to be "the guy" on this Butler team so that area should improve. Avery Woodson will help fill the role as a three point shooter with Dunham leaving, he actually had a higher three point percentage than Dunham had two years ago at Memphis. The entire frontcourt is back plus Butler adds Joey Brunk, who was a top 100 big man and is talented enough to contribute right away. Most people have written Tyler Lewis off and I understand that as he is just too small to defend some opposing guards. However, on offense he a exactly what you want at point with his great vision and passing. If he can play like he did against Purdue more often this Butler team will be hard to beat. X factor here is freshmen guard Kamar Baldwin, very positive reports about him this off season. In conclusion, Butler lost two great players but I feel they have pieces coming in that they can replace those stats with a budding star in Kelan Martin that is talented enough to get them back in the tournament.
7 - Marquette - Best team since realignment
Marquette returns essentially its entire roster, adds two impact transfers, and had the highest ranked recruiting class in the conference. Unfortunately the one player they don't bring back was a first round draft pick in Henry Ellenson. Most people see that and expect a worse year but I don't think that is the case. The three biggest problems for Marquette last year was youth, turnovers, and three point shooting. Marquette has gone from a team with no seniors to a team with three seniors, along with a large percentage of their team jumping from freshmen to sophomores so age isn't an issue anymore. That should help the turnover problem as well, Traci Carter has another year of experience so turnovers should come down a bit. Hanif Cheatham also was forced into the point guard role as a freshmen and committed a lot of turnovers, this year they have a stud transfer in Andrew Rowsey (will remind a lot of Butler fans of Roteni Clark from a few years back) and a top 100 Freshmen in Markus Howard coming in so Cheatham can move to his natural position as a wing. All of Marquette's newcomers, Rowsey, Howard, grad transfer Katin Reinhardt, and freshmen Sam Hauser are three point threats so 3 point shooting will greatly improve. The big question for Marquette is now size and rebounding. Luke Fischer is a great big man and Matt Heldt can contribute for 10 minutes a game but besides that this team is all wings and guards. Marquette needs to speed its opponents up, knock down their threes, and rebound as a team to win games. However I think they have the talent and depth to do that. Sam Hauser is the x factor here, he is 6-8 and can fill the stretch 4 role. He is a great shooter and has looked stellar in the open scrimmages. If he can help rebound and defend down low this Marquette team is a tournament team, of course this could just be my biased opinion. Depth and experience makes this team a much more dangerous team than last years squad even with a first round pick leaving
8 - St Johns - Not the best team but will take HUGE step forward this season
Last year St John's was historically bad. They returned nobody from their senior led tournament team, kudos to Chris Mullin for just being able to build a roster when he took over in April. I am giving Mullin's coaching a pass last year, when you start a guy like Federico Mussini as a point guard for over 30 minutes a game while most other division one programs would have redshirted him its clear that your team is rebuilding. To his credit his team always played hard and I though he was excellent at neutralizing Syracuse's zone when he beat them at the Garden. This year they have a huge influx of talent. Have to start with Marcus Lovett who sat out last year. Without eligibility concerns I fully believe that Lovett would be a 5 star guard at a blueblood program right now he is that good (offers from Kansas shows he is a major talent). Shamorie Ponds joins him in the backcourt as the highest ranking recruit for the big east this year. Ponds needs to put on weight but he is a legit scorer and a deceptively good defender. Bashir Ahmed is another newcomer expected to start, one of the best JUCO players last year who can score, rebound, and defend, so expect he will make a big impact this year. Richard Frendenburg is the last newcomer and is a bit of an unknown at this point but when he was ranked he was a top 50 recruit so he obviously has talented. I heard he earned wearing number 20 by almost beating Chris Mullin at a game of horse so he must be one hell of a shooter. He is very skinny so he wouldn't see much playing time but I think he gets meaningful minutes. Kassoum Yakwe's development is the key for St John's this year. Yakwe was a nightmare on the defensive end with his shot blocking ability and just out hustles people on rebounds. Add an expanded offensive game this year and he would be one of the conference's best players. Yankuba Sima will start next to him at center showed great potential last year, especially on the defensive end. I still think they are a year away from the tournament but this St John's team has talent, let's see how Mullin does coaching them.
9 - Providence - Worst team this realignment
Sounds harsh but it's true the last three years Ed Cooley took Providence to the tournament and I don't think the pieces are there to make it 4 straight. Any team that loses two guys like Kris Dunn and Ben Bentil will take a step back the next year. However, Cooley always seems to have one guy come out of nowhere and become a All big east player. Nobody saw Bentil becoming the player that he was last year, maybe somebody will step up. It wouldn't be Rodney Bullock because he has already shown that he is a great player, Providence needs for him to be a go-to scorer to succeed this year and I think he has the talent to do it. Kyron Cartwright fills the point guard role after Dunn and he is ready for the job. He started last year and is my pick to be the guy at Providence that improves to be an all league player, if it were to happen this year. Outside of those two Providences has major question marks up front. Emmit Holt and Kalif Young were brought in to replace Bentil but neither will make a huge impact. I think Holt will be solid enough and Kalif Young will definitely contribute this year (really wanted him at Marquette) but they represent one of the weaker front courts in the conference. At wing we will see if Jalen Lindsey finally puts it together on the offensive end, he is a good defender and rebounder so he will get major minutes but his shot was off all of last year. Ryan Fazekus is a guy to watch, he was great at the start of last season but suffered from mono and lost a good amount of weight (he didn't really have much to loss to begin with) along with his confidence in his shot it seems. Frankly if Ben Bentil would have stayed I think this team could make the tournament, they have enough depth and talent at wing/guard, but they weakness upfront will be too much to overcome. However, Ed Cooley is one of the league's best coaches, would not be surprised if this team outperforms this ranking.
10 - Depaul - Worse
With Depaul I really don't know. They lost a lot a good players from a bad team last year and did not add enough to replace them. Garret is solid and Eli Cain was fantastic last year but there is not enough around them to compete. Upfront is the real issue with this team, the freshmen Levi Cook may start and that is not a good sign. Cook is talented enough to be good down the line but shouldn't be starting if he didn't have too. I think the key for Depaul here is development this year. I like the class Leitao brought in this year, all players i think can be solid by their junior/senior year. Love the Max Strus pickup for next year and think that taking a chance on former top 50 recruit Austin Grandstaff is worth the risk if he pans out. With the new stadium next year and Leitao bringing in solid players I think Depaul is trending up, just not this season
Ended up writing more then I thought but this league, on paper, looks to be 7 potential NCAA teams, two teams with post season hopes whether NIT or CBI, and Depaul. I think this league will be an absolute gauntlet come conference season and if they do well in non-conference we could be looking at 6 bids this year. Let me know your analysis of your teams, I am a marquette fan so I could be wrong on some things
1. Villanova - Same level as past years
When I say Villanova is at the same level as recent years I mean that I expect they will be competing for a 1 or 2 seed come March. This team is preseason top 5 with legit national champion aspirations. Had Spellmen been ruled eligible I would be tempted to say this year's squad would have been the best yet. Losing a 4 year captain like Arch hurts, but Jay Wright has arguably built the strongest team-oriented program is college hoops and am more than confident that this years seniors (Hart, Jenkins, Reynolds) along with Brunson and Booth can step up as leaders. Front court depth is a weakness but with versatile wings like Mikal Bridges and Eric Paschell on the roster I think Jay Wright can roll with a small ball lineup that will be a nightmare for opponents.
2. Xavier - Best team since realignment
This is the highest a Xavier team has been ranked in the Chris Mack era and with good reason, this Xavier squad has final four potential. Sumner and Blueitt are arguably two of the top 5 players in the conference and they are surrounded by a talent supporting cast (I am including Myles Davis as this point). Like Nova, Xavier is a bit weak in the front court but I think this is a bit overblown. Rashid Gaston is a great transfer big man who averaged a double double two years ago and Sean O'Mara isn't going to beat teams single handily but he's still solid. The X-factor for this team is Kaiser Gates, he is out a month but I think he comes back and plays a big role as a 6-8 versatile forward. Watch out for the transfer Malcom Bernard and freshmen Tyrique Jones too, Bernard will help replace Remy Abel on the wing and Jones was one of the best rebounders in the 2016 high school class. They each will provide solid minutes.
3, Creighton - Best team since realignment
I know this is a bit controversial since Creighton's team in their first year had one of the greatest college players of all time on it. However, their loss against Baylor showed that team wasn't athletic enough to be a contender, that is not an issue with this year's team. They boast one of the best backcourts in the country with All Big East guard Mo Watson and impact transfer Marcus Foster. Watson was stellar in his first year and my pick for the best point guard in the conference. Foster was great at Kansas State in his first two years, his efficiency as a scorer dropped considerably his second year but with a guard like Foster next to him and a better supporting cast I think this area will improve. Frontcourt is a question mark (I sense a theme) with redshirt freshmen Justin Patton expected to fill the gap left by Geoffrey Groselle. Patton was a recruit who's stock exploded after Creighton signed him, raising as high as a 5 star on Scout. He is close to 7-1 and while his offensive game needs work he should be able to anchor the defense down low, which is my opinion was a huge flaw in Groselle's game. Patton was listed as one of 20 big men up for the Kareem Abdul Jabbar award for best big man in the country just as an example of what he can bring to the table. Zach Hanson backs him up as a senior who is solid enough. Creighton is also stacked with wings with Huff, Zierdan, Harrell, Thomas, and Kobe Paras. They are a preseason top 20 team and with good reason.
4 - Georgetown - Best team since realignment
Could be a bit controversial but I feel this is JT3's deepest and most talented team in years. Frontcourt is NOT an issue, Govan has the potential to be the best center in the conference and Hayes is solid in his own right. Marcus Derrickson could breakout this year as versatile forward with and inside-outside game. Akoy Agau is back after sitting out last year and should contribute up front as well. Issac Copeland was a bit of a disappointment last year but is still a very talented player that I think can be one of the league's best if he shot the 3 like he did his freshmen year. Georgetown has LJ Peak and Rodney Pryor on the wing, both are talented enough to be selected for an All Big east team. The only question mark is at point guard. Tre Campell went through a sophomore slump but I think he will be serviceable at point as a junior, Jonathan Mulmore will likely start and reports are he is the fastest guard they have had since AI. With JT3 saying he wants to play faster I think Mulmore can lead this team at a faster pace while scoring in bunches (he was 2nd in scoring as a JUCO). JT3's coaching is always in question but we can't deny he was a force during the regular season in the old big east and may have his best roster in years for this season. Would not shock me to to see them in the top 25 a lot this season
5 - Seton Hall - Best team since realignment
Yes Isiah Whitehead is gone, but he was not the entire team last year. Kevin Willard returns 4 starters and essentially the entirety of his roster this year. Khadeen Carrington will step into the lead guard role left by Whitehead and I think he can thrive there. There were games last year where Carrington outplayed Whitehead and I think he can play his way onto an All Big East team by the end of the year. Seton Hall adds what they desperately needed last year, a knockdown three point shooter, in Myles Powell who should help stretch defenses and allow for Carrington and Desi Rodriguez to attack the basket. Seton Hall won based on their defense last year and with Angel Delgado and Ish Sanogo back that should not change this year. Jevon Thomas is likely the starter at point guard and he's reputation as a defender will only make it tougher for teams to score. Thomas and other transfer guard Madison Jones are good enough replacements to fill the point guard role, they don't need to be as good as Isiah Whitehead for this Seton Hall team to succeed. I think this year's Seton Hall team is a top 25 team.
6 - Butler - Tied for best team since realignment
This is a tricky one, losing Rosie Jones and Kellan Dunham is tough, both were great players but I think this Butler team can be as good as they were last year. They ended up as a 8 seed and frankly I think they could end up back there again this year. Jones will be replaced by Kelan Martin in the starting lineup and Martin being named to the preseason all big east 1st team should tell you that Martin is a stud. He can lead the big east in scoring this year. Kethan Savage is another transfer who should help replace the stats of Rosie Jones as well. Along with a great last name, Savage is an atheltic guard who can defend, rebound, and score. He did not have a great field goal percentage his last year at GW but he doesn't have to be "the guy" on this Butler team so that area should improve. Avery Woodson will help fill the role as a three point shooter with Dunham leaving, he actually had a higher three point percentage than Dunham had two years ago at Memphis. The entire frontcourt is back plus Butler adds Joey Brunk, who was a top 100 big man and is talented enough to contribute right away. Most people have written Tyler Lewis off and I understand that as he is just too small to defend some opposing guards. However, on offense he a exactly what you want at point with his great vision and passing. If he can play like he did against Purdue more often this Butler team will be hard to beat. X factor here is freshmen guard Kamar Baldwin, very positive reports about him this off season. In conclusion, Butler lost two great players but I feel they have pieces coming in that they can replace those stats with a budding star in Kelan Martin that is talented enough to get them back in the tournament.
7 - Marquette - Best team since realignment
Marquette returns essentially its entire roster, adds two impact transfers, and had the highest ranked recruiting class in the conference. Unfortunately the one player they don't bring back was a first round draft pick in Henry Ellenson. Most people see that and expect a worse year but I don't think that is the case. The three biggest problems for Marquette last year was youth, turnovers, and three point shooting. Marquette has gone from a team with no seniors to a team with three seniors, along with a large percentage of their team jumping from freshmen to sophomores so age isn't an issue anymore. That should help the turnover problem as well, Traci Carter has another year of experience so turnovers should come down a bit. Hanif Cheatham also was forced into the point guard role as a freshmen and committed a lot of turnovers, this year they have a stud transfer in Andrew Rowsey (will remind a lot of Butler fans of Roteni Clark from a few years back) and a top 100 Freshmen in Markus Howard coming in so Cheatham can move to his natural position as a wing. All of Marquette's newcomers, Rowsey, Howard, grad transfer Katin Reinhardt, and freshmen Sam Hauser are three point threats so 3 point shooting will greatly improve. The big question for Marquette is now size and rebounding. Luke Fischer is a great big man and Matt Heldt can contribute for 10 minutes a game but besides that this team is all wings and guards. Marquette needs to speed its opponents up, knock down their threes, and rebound as a team to win games. However I think they have the talent and depth to do that. Sam Hauser is the x factor here, he is 6-8 and can fill the stretch 4 role. He is a great shooter and has looked stellar in the open scrimmages. If he can help rebound and defend down low this Marquette team is a tournament team, of course this could just be my biased opinion. Depth and experience makes this team a much more dangerous team than last years squad even with a first round pick leaving
8 - St Johns - Not the best team but will take HUGE step forward this season
Last year St John's was historically bad. They returned nobody from their senior led tournament team, kudos to Chris Mullin for just being able to build a roster when he took over in April. I am giving Mullin's coaching a pass last year, when you start a guy like Federico Mussini as a point guard for over 30 minutes a game while most other division one programs would have redshirted him its clear that your team is rebuilding. To his credit his team always played hard and I though he was excellent at neutralizing Syracuse's zone when he beat them at the Garden. This year they have a huge influx of talent. Have to start with Marcus Lovett who sat out last year. Without eligibility concerns I fully believe that Lovett would be a 5 star guard at a blueblood program right now he is that good (offers from Kansas shows he is a major talent). Shamorie Ponds joins him in the backcourt as the highest ranking recruit for the big east this year. Ponds needs to put on weight but he is a legit scorer and a deceptively good defender. Bashir Ahmed is another newcomer expected to start, one of the best JUCO players last year who can score, rebound, and defend, so expect he will make a big impact this year. Richard Frendenburg is the last newcomer and is a bit of an unknown at this point but when he was ranked he was a top 50 recruit so he obviously has talented. I heard he earned wearing number 20 by almost beating Chris Mullin at a game of horse so he must be one hell of a shooter. He is very skinny so he wouldn't see much playing time but I think he gets meaningful minutes. Kassoum Yakwe's development is the key for St John's this year. Yakwe was a nightmare on the defensive end with his shot blocking ability and just out hustles people on rebounds. Add an expanded offensive game this year and he would be one of the conference's best players. Yankuba Sima will start next to him at center showed great potential last year, especially on the defensive end. I still think they are a year away from the tournament but this St John's team has talent, let's see how Mullin does coaching them.
9 - Providence - Worst team this realignment
Sounds harsh but it's true the last three years Ed Cooley took Providence to the tournament and I don't think the pieces are there to make it 4 straight. Any team that loses two guys like Kris Dunn and Ben Bentil will take a step back the next year. However, Cooley always seems to have one guy come out of nowhere and become a All big east player. Nobody saw Bentil becoming the player that he was last year, maybe somebody will step up. It wouldn't be Rodney Bullock because he has already shown that he is a great player, Providence needs for him to be a go-to scorer to succeed this year and I think he has the talent to do it. Kyron Cartwright fills the point guard role after Dunn and he is ready for the job. He started last year and is my pick to be the guy at Providence that improves to be an all league player, if it were to happen this year. Outside of those two Providences has major question marks up front. Emmit Holt and Kalif Young were brought in to replace Bentil but neither will make a huge impact. I think Holt will be solid enough and Kalif Young will definitely contribute this year (really wanted him at Marquette) but they represent one of the weaker front courts in the conference. At wing we will see if Jalen Lindsey finally puts it together on the offensive end, he is a good defender and rebounder so he will get major minutes but his shot was off all of last year. Ryan Fazekus is a guy to watch, he was great at the start of last season but suffered from mono and lost a good amount of weight (he didn't really have much to loss to begin with) along with his confidence in his shot it seems. Frankly if Ben Bentil would have stayed I think this team could make the tournament, they have enough depth and talent at wing/guard, but they weakness upfront will be too much to overcome. However, Ed Cooley is one of the league's best coaches, would not be surprised if this team outperforms this ranking.
10 - Depaul - Worse
With Depaul I really don't know. They lost a lot a good players from a bad team last year and did not add enough to replace them. Garret is solid and Eli Cain was fantastic last year but there is not enough around them to compete. Upfront is the real issue with this team, the freshmen Levi Cook may start and that is not a good sign. Cook is talented enough to be good down the line but shouldn't be starting if he didn't have too. I think the key for Depaul here is development this year. I like the class Leitao brought in this year, all players i think can be solid by their junior/senior year. Love the Max Strus pickup for next year and think that taking a chance on former top 50 recruit Austin Grandstaff is worth the risk if he pans out. With the new stadium next year and Leitao bringing in solid players I think Depaul is trending up, just not this season
Ended up writing more then I thought but this league, on paper, looks to be 7 potential NCAA teams, two teams with post season hopes whether NIT or CBI, and Depaul. I think this league will be an absolute gauntlet come conference season and if they do well in non-conference we could be looking at 6 bids this year. Let me know your analysis of your teams, I am a marquette fan so I could be wrong on some things