Best of the BE - Big Men

[GumbyDamnit!]

Just looking to have some off-season discussion.... I had started previous discussions around the guard positions, and before ending on the wings, I thought I'd look at the big man spot in conference. All of this is leading to my Preseason Top 50 BE players list (I'm sure everyone is waiting with bated breath for that one...haha).

This isn't an exact science and some teams might have two players who could be considered a "big." Will Bishop be the big at CU this year or is it Epperson? I guess we'll see. But based on what we believe now, let's give it a go...

The suspects:

Christian Bishop - Creighton
Jaylen Butz - DePaul
Josh Carlton - UConn
Zach Freemantle - X
Bryce Golden - Butler
Theo John - MU
Ike Obiagu - SHU
Josh Roberts - SJU
Robinson-Earl - Nova
Qudus Wahab - G'town
Nate Watson - PC

A very diverse group, who each have very different roles on their teams. Obiagu and Bishop play the game so differently, as do Theo and JRE. So it's hard to have objective metrics that can be compared. And the difference in ranking them, is a lot like trying to rank the actual teams in the BE. You could make the case to move any of them up or down several spots. So a lot of this is just personal preference and guessing which players might be able to take large steps forward this year.

1. JRE. Homer pick alert... As a Frosh he was just so consistent. 10.5 pts / 9.5 rebs; got better defensively as the season progressed. Many believe he's going to play more of an Omari Spellman type role in the Nova offense this year, and pull opposing bigs out to the 3 pt line. If he can hit the 3 like many in the program think, he's going to be a problem. I think you're going to see a 15/10 every game type of player this year, and see the Nova offense open up even more as a result.

2. Nate Watson - 9 & 5 a year ago. PC has been more of a team rebounding group with those big guards--Diallo and Duke specifically. Watson has the talent to be a lot like Jones from X was. Not sure many in the league could handle his physicality if he decides to impose his will more; a load for sure. Young and Holt gone, Watson is the undisputed man in the middle for the Friars this year. I think you'll see an uptick in usage and stats across the board.

3. Zach Freemantle - 7.5/4.5 in limited run last year. When you look for players that you expect to take a big step forward, ZF is near the top of the list IMO. No Ty Jones will allow Zach to carve out a bigger role. The kid is tough, versatile, and he can shoot the ball a little bit. I really like him. I like how he competes. I like that he has multiple skills. He's what the stretch big is all about. Can defend bigger guys and can score in a variety of ways on the other end. It will be interesting if Steele uses his shooting ability to stretch the floor more.

4. Christian Bishop - 8.5/5.5 This is an interesting one. I think Bishop did a GREAT job last year. He knew his role and with front court depth issues, Bishop really answered the call to what Mac needed from him. Athletic; timely blocks; battled guys much bigger than himself; could run the floor really well; and never took the focus away from what the Jays tried to do offensively. Ultimate glue-guy, team player. For what CU wanted to do, CB was invaluable.

5. Bryce Golden - 8 & 4 on a team that played at a very slow pace. Half of the Butler Bryce brigade, Golden is a solid big. Big body who can score, rebound and pass. He fits the Butler way in the sense that on paper you think: "yeah, he's decent," and then you look up and wonder how this guy and this team is so effective. Without Kamar I would expect both Bryces to be more of the focal point of Jordan's attack scheme.

6. Josh Carlton - 8 & 6 a year ago. More of a traditional big man. Carlton is solid, it not spectacular. He can rebound; he can block some shots; defend the post. He's hard to move when he gets the ball down low. UConn has a lot of depth upfront, and you wonder if JC fits what Hurley wants to do. He only scored in double digits in 1 of the Huskies final 11 games to end last season, and they have a handful of options in that spot to work in.

7. Jaylen Butz - 10/5.5 Wiry, athletic, opportunistic big for DePaul. Not a focus of the game plan, Butz just seems to clean up what needs to be cleaned up, grab a handful of O boards and put backs, while running the floor well and defending. Not sure he has a very high ceiling but his floor is not bad.

8. Theo John - I was surprised when I looked at Theo's #'s for last year. 5 & 5. He's got more talent than that. Always thought Theo tried too hard to be an old school enforcer in the middle, which caused lots of fouls and poor decisions. I think he could be more of a force if he focused on playing hard, but maybe smoothing out that edge just a bit. With no Howard there are a lot of points to go around; perhaps Theo plays a more key role.

9. Wahab - Really like this kid. I think he's got a very high ceiling. He's got an athletic bounce to his game that few can match. I think he just needs to learn how to play the game a bit more, and he's got the right guy coaching him to do that. He is going to surprise a lot of people this year on a team that desperately needs a few guys to develop quickly and contribute.

10. Ike Ogiagu - Kid is a monster. Can block everything in site, so that alone is a huge asset for the Pirates, and may warrant a higher rank. You worry about foul trouble, and his being able to guard on a switch. You also wonder if he can navigate the pick and role like Gill did last year, and become at least a threat offensively. But you can't teach tall and Ike's got it. He fits the SHU scheme well.

11. Roberts - It's funny I think of the Johnnies so much in terms of the collective instead of the individual talents. I think that is a testament to Anderson's style of play. Everyone competes and defends and rebounds. Roberts is not a bad player at all and being last on this list might be more about how he is used (or not). JR can defend the rim and he can get up and down the court. You wonder if the transfer from GW eats into his minutes a bit though. He's that prototypical "system" big for Anderson. He's not going to score a ton but he'll work when he's in the game.

[MUBoxer]

Fwiw Theo averages the most blocks of this bunch. But yeah I agree about the enforcer mentality being detrimental

[Omaha1]

No idea what CU will get from Jacob Epperson this year after missing all of last year, but he was a difference maker as a freshman.

[Husky_U]

We definitely have one of the deepest frontcourts in the conference. Lots of options. And I'd have Isaiah Whaley ahead of Carlton. Maybe Sanogo too.

[tribeninerhoya]

We're expecting big things from Q this year. The hope is that he really develops by leaps and bounds and is ready to lead the team when the full complement arrives in 21-22.

[Hall2012]

Obviously falls into the "teams have 2 players that can be considered a big" category - but I expect Mamu will actually be SHU's primary 5 this year. Barring a Gill level improvement from Ike, the Pirates simply have more options and less drop off from Mamu at the 4 than they do at the 5, so I expect he'll slide over.

[GumbyDamnit!]

Obviously falls into the "teams have 2 players that can be considered a big" category - but I expect Mamu will actually be SHU's primary 5 this year. Barring a Gill level improvement from Ike, the Pirates simply have more options and less drop off from Mamu at the 4 than they do at the 5, so I expect he'll slide over.

That will be really interesting to watch how it plays out Hall. Willard seems to like to have that anchor in the middle--with an old school 5 man look (Gill, Angel D.) Ike, obviously makes the Pirates a better defensive team. But Mamu at the 5 changes the whole dynamic of your team offensively. IMO, that lineup is better suited for how the game is now played. Instead of pick and rolls, Mamu can do pick and pops. He call pull bigs away from the basket to open up the driving lanes. I'm a fan of that style of play and would love to see Willard embrace it more this year. Mamu's got such a unique skill set; I hope he maximizes it.

[Xuperman]

There is starting to be a distinct buzz around Dieonte Miles. John Fanta mentioned him briefly on Gtmo's video forum and more chatter is starting to surface.

This kid is a baby Anthony Davis in the making. I think he was 17 when he hit campus last year and very thin, so the redshirt was a no brainer to add some muscle (which he did) and mature a little. Already a legit 6'11" and not done growing. The book on him is that his Big East level skill set, is limited to very effective defense with elite rim protection. Also, word is that he may be the fastest "big" running rim to rim in the BE. He will see some significant minutes on this alone BUT if he can be even remotely effective offensively he may approach 20 minutes toward seasons end.

If this happens and Ben Stanley gets his waiver, our frontcourt goes from questionable to incredible.

[DudeAnon]

There is starting to be a distinct buzz around Dieonte Miles. John Fanta mentioned him briefly on Gtmo's video forum and more chatter is starting to surface.

This kid is a baby Anthony Davis in the making. I think he was 17 when he hit campus last year and very thin, so the redshirt was a no brainer to add some muscle (which he did) and mature a little. Already a legit 6'11" and not done growing. The book on him is that his Big East level skill set, is limited to very effective defense with elite rim protection. Also, word is that he may be the fastest "big" running rim to rim in the BE. He will see some significant minutes on this alone BUT if he can be even remotely effective offensively he may approach 20 minutes toward seasons end.

If this happens and Ben Stanley gets his waiver, our frontcourt goes from questionable to incredible.

I watched the exhibition games in Spain that he played last year with X. His athleticism is undeniable, he can run and move like a guard at 6'11. Possible NBA potential if he puts in the work.

[Xuperman]

I will add, for those who may be interested, that Miles set the All Time KHSAA record for total blocks in the Kentucky Sweet 16 State Tournament, as a Senior, with 20. That is something special considering the long and illustrious history of this event....it is very prestigious in these parts!