1. Is the Big East on par with the other power five conferences?
We’ll see after this season. This new version of the Big East Conference had six teams in the NCAA Tournament last March after earning just four bids to the field of 68 in its inaugural campaign in 2013-14. The league excelled last November and December during the non-conference portion of the schedule and that allowed the Big East to have more teams in the bracket than it had the previous year. But here is one thing to remember: this league has only had one team -- Xavier -- in the past two years advance to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament. That has to change if the Big East is going to be viewed as an equal to other power five leagues. Villanova and Georgetown both look capable of achieving that during the upcoming year, but after that this conference is truly wide open.
2. Which freshman is drastically flying under-the-radar?
Georgetown’s Jessie Govan. Villanova’s Jalen Brunson and Marquette’s Henry Ellenson were immediately put in bold print when they committed to their respective schools last fall, but Govan has somehow fallen through the cracks. It won’t stay that way for long. The 6-foot-10 big man will be an immediate starter for the Hoyas at center and is beyond ready offensively to make an impact. Armed with soft hands, an accurate touch around the rim, and a body that can create space around the rim, Govan plays like a redshirt junior even though he’s yet to play a game at the college level. This will wind up being one of the best big men in the Class of 2016.
3. Who will be Xavier’s point guard?
There’s no quick answer -- at least not yet. The Musketeers graduated a true pass-first point guard in Dee Davis and there’s no incumbent to replace him. Chris Mack has two options who played last season -- Larry Austin and Myles Davis as well as redshirt freshman Edmond Sumner who boasts good size at 6-5. Sumner and Davis are not built in the form of a true floor general and Austin may not be ready to assume heavy minutes as a starter in the Big East. Xavier is built for success at the other four spots on the floor and has two potential all-conference players in Trevon Blueitt and Jalen Reynolds. But this team still won’t enter next season with a known commodity at the most important position in college basketball. That could make for an interesting November and December for the Musketeers who travel to Michigan and Wake Forest, play three games in the Orlando Classic during Thanksgiving Weekend, and play host to Missouri, Cincinnati, and Auburn all before they ever play a game in the Big East.
4. Does Providence have enough of a supporting cast around Kris Dunn?
Time will tell. Ed Cooley led the Friars to a Big East Tournament title in 2014 with a six-man rotation and it will interesting to see how much he uses Providence’s bench last season. This team lost their likely starting center when Paschal Chukwu decided to transfer and his potential replacement Alex Owens was unable to qualify academically. That means that the Friars will have to play smaller and quicker with players like Jalen Lindsey, Ben Bentil, Kyron Cartwright, and freshmen Ryan Fazekas, Drew Edwards, and Ricky Council to have a chance to earn minutes next to Dunn. The wild card to watch next year for Providence? Rodney Bullock. The Friars’ staff has raved about this 6-8 forward for two seasons, but he’s yet to play a minute for this program since he was suspended two years ago and missed last season with an ACL injury. Dunn is pound-for-pound the best point guard in college basketball and he’s shown that he’s capable of carrying a team if that’s what the circumstances require. That may have to happen until Lindsey, Bullock, orBentil emerges as a legitimate double-figure scorer next season.
5. Who is the sleeper?
Marquette. The Golden Eagles went 4-14 in Big East play last year in Steve Wojciechowski’s first season in the conference and he has them primed to be a factor in year two. Marquette will likely have the Big East’s best power forward-center combination in Henry Ellenson and Luke Fischer (11.0 points, 4.8 rebounds per game, 61.0 percent from the floor in 2014-15) as well as several capable returning rotation players in Duane Wilson, Jajuan Johnson, and Sandy Cohen. The Golden Eagles also have other potential impact first-year players in 6-5 wing Haanif Cheatham and Traci Carter, who could be this team’s starting point guard. This group has yet to prove it can win or be in unison each time it takes the floor, but Marquette has talent. And talent in a league that’s wide open after Villanova and Georgetown could go an awfully long way.
This and That
• The one guy that continues to be overlooked in Villanova’s program is Phil Booth. There’s been a consistent amount of buzz surrounding Ryan Arcidiacono, Josh Hart, and incoming freshman Jalen Brunson, but Booth continues to slide under-the-radar -- he shouldn’t. The 6-3 point guard had a big hand in the Wildcats’ 33-win season a year ago as a freshman and should be even better as a sophomore. Booth averaged 5.8 points in 14.5 minutes per game a year ago while shooting an impressive 56.3 percent from the field and 48.5 percent from long distance. Another thing about Booth? He never turns the ball over. The Baltimore native only tallied a total of 27 turnovers last season in 521 minutes played.
• Butler will add a pair of transfers who should be rotation players in Tyler Lewis (NC State) and Jordan Gathers (St. Bonaventure). The 5-11 Lewis is a former Top-100 recruit out of high school while Gathers averaged 8.2 points per game two years ago for the Bonnies while shooting a solid 36.0 percent from 3-point range. Both players should take pressure off do-everything forward Roosevelt Jones (12.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists per game in 2014-15), who should make a run at Big East Player of the Year.
• How excruciating was last year for Creighton? The Bluejays lost seven games in Big East play by four points or less and finished 14-19 overall. Greg McDermott’s team should have an improved talent base, but it will be tested early. Creighton visits both Indiana and Oklahoma before conference play begins and also has to host Arizona State and Nebraska in Omaha.
• Seton Hall’s staff is expecting a major jump from Khadeen Carrington as a sophomore. The 6-3 lefty averaged 8.8 points last season as a freshman and could emerge as a borderline all-league player. The Pirates lost two starters last season when both Jaren Sina and Sterling Gibbs opted to transfer, but still return three quality pieces in Carrington, Isaiah Whitehead, and reigning Big East Rookie of the Year Angel Delgado.
• How will St. John’s fare in Chris Mullin’s inaugural season as head coach of his alma mater? Nobody really knows. The Red Storm’s top returning scorer from last year’s team is Amar Alibegovic, who averaged 1.5 points per game and there’s a bevy of newcomers that will arrive in Jamaica as unproven commodities in college basketball. This is the mystery team in the Big East Conference.
