This article is part of our Conference Preview series.
It could be argued that the Big East does not deserve its place among the top six conferences. Since being slimmed down two years ago, the conference has had few notable non-conference wins and little success in the NCAA Tournament. Granted, we are not looking at many games, so the sample size of meaningful out-of-conference action is small. Will this be the year that the 10-team group breaks through? There are reasons to believe that the conference will be better: some teams return much of their cores while others have big-name freshmen coming in. Plus, DePaul has a new coach ... that can't hurt, right?
Top Three Players
Kris Dunn, guard, Providence Friars
I thought Dunn should have gone pro after his breakout junior season. At worst, he would have been a late lottery pick, but he might have been picked much higher as the best point guard in the class. It is good news for college basketball fans that the 6-foot-4 guard is back. He has the ability to dominate defensively on the perimeter. His 2.7 steals were second among Tier 1 players (only Gary Payton II had more). He was no slouch on the offensive end with 15.6 points and 7.5 assists. The biggest problem for Dunn is the Friars' talent drain from last year. LaDontae Henton and Tyler Harris are gone, so players like Ben Bentil and Kyron Cartwright (who may share point-guard duties) need to step up. My guess is Dunn makes these young players better
It could be argued that the Big East does not deserve its place among the top six conferences. Since being slimmed down two years ago, the conference has had few notable non-conference wins and little success in the NCAA Tournament. Granted, we are not looking at many games, so the sample size of meaningful out-of-conference action is small. Will this be the year that the 10-team group breaks through? There are reasons to believe that the conference will be better: some teams return much of their cores while others have big-name freshmen coming in. Plus, DePaul has a new coach ... that can't hurt, right?
Top Three Players
Kris Dunn, guard, Providence Friars
I thought Dunn should have gone pro after his breakout junior season. At worst, he would have been a late lottery pick, but he might have been picked much higher as the best point guard in the class. It is good news for college basketball fans that the 6-foot-4 guard is back. He has the ability to dominate defensively on the perimeter. His 2.7 steals were second among Tier 1 players (only Gary Payton II had more). He was no slouch on the offensive end with 15.6 points and 7.5 assists. The biggest problem for Dunn is the Friars' talent drain from last year. LaDontae Henton and Tyler Harris are gone, so players like Ben Bentil and Kyron Cartwright (who may share point-guard duties) need to step up. My guess is Dunn makes these young players better and has another excellent season.
Angel Delgado, forward, Seton Hall Pirates
The Pirates' season was a tale of two halves. Seton Hall opened the season well and even had an impressive pair of home wins early in the conference slate against St. John's and Villanova. Then the wheels came off and the squad lost 12 of its last 15 games. While the team was inconsistent, Delgado continued to battle on the boards. He finished the season with 9.3 points and 9.8 rebounds and 10 double-doubles. Despite being a freshman and battling in the paint, Delgado managed -- for the most part -- to stay out of foul trouble. Many believe players take the biggest jump between their freshman and sophomore seasons. If that happens for the 6-9 Delgado, the rest of the Big East may be in trouble.
D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera, guard, Georgetown Hoyas
One of my pet theories is that players that return to school after flirting with the NBA rarely help themselves. Once a player like Smith-Rivera declares for the draft, it is as if he has one foot out the door. It remains to be seen if the 6-3 guard gets into the NBA, but he is back at Georgetown for his senior season. His junior numbers were actually down a tick from his sophomore campaign, but he still compiled 16.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.2 assists. Smith-Rivera will have more help in the paint with freshman center Jessie Govan and rising sophomores Isaac Copeland and Paul White. He may be asked to facilitate the offense more than calling his own number. His ability to do so could impress NBA general managers.
Top Freshmen
Henry Ellenson, forward, Marquette Golden Eagles
Coach Steve Wojceichowski's first season at Marquette was a rough one. The team did not have much size beyond center Luke Fischer and relied on Matt Carlino (who is now gone) for points. Wojo's second season should be better because he has the 6-10 Ellenson, who looks like he can help with both size and scoring. The Wisconsin native helped the Golden Eagles go undefeated on a trip to Italy over the summer with 21.3 points and 7.5 boards. Fischer should help Ellenson on the defensive end and the two players could form one of the better frontcourts in the Big East. Based on playing time and offensive opportunities, Ellenson should be viewed as one of the best fantasy prospects for first-year players.
Jalen Brunson, guard, Villanova Wildcats
Here's a surprise: Villanova has another great guard. OK, it's not a surprise at all. The Wildcats under coach Jay Wright have always leaned toward the perimeter with gobs and gobs of excellent guards. Brunson could be one of the best. The 6-2 guard from the suburbs of Chicago is more of a pure point guard than the other guards on the roster, including Ryan Arcidiacono, Phil Booth and Josh Hart. Brunson can get to the basket and has plus court vision. The problem is that the Wildcats have all of those guards, so that may limit Brunson's playing time somewhat -- particularly at the beginning of the season. Still, he should be a productive player for a winning team.
A Pair of Sleepers
Jalen Reynolds, forward, Xavier Musketeers
I have never been a big believer in per minute stats. Generally, there is a reason that certain players put up big numbers in limited minutes. In Reynolds' case, the reason was foul trouble. The 6-10 junior accrued at least four fouls 14 times last season which limited him to 20.3 minutes per game. If Reynolds can stay on the court longer as a junior, he could be one of the best players in the Big East. He averaged 9.9 points on 61.8 percent from the field and 6.1 rebounds. With Matt Stainbrook in the German professional league, Reynolds should have more room to operate in the paint.
Marcus LoVett Jr., guard, St. John's Red Storm
I wrote about the Red Storm a few weeks ago. Basically, every player on the team could be considered a sleeper. Someone is going to produce counting numbers, and my best guess is LoVett, a 6-0 guard from Chicago. His recommendation comes with a giant caveat in that he has not been cleared to play. He is taking classes at St. John's. If he receives clearance, he could be a volume scorer. As a senior, he averaged 20 points and put up 45 points in a semifinal loss in the Illinois State playoffs. Other Red Storm players to keep an eye on include freshman center Yankuba Sima and Pitt transfer Durand Johnson.
