Big East expert picks, 2020-21 preview from CBSSports.com

[HuskyHawk]

The sources of the inconsistency were identified and addressed. No way UConn finishes in the bottom 1/3.

At one point we had six healthy players. Even our best walk on was injured. This season should be nothing like last season.

 

[superjohn]

Found another write up.

#3 UConn – Danny Hurley enters year three with what is without a doubt his most talented group yet in Storrs, and expectations are without a doubt high. The hype train grew further with the news that URI transfer Tyrese Martin received a waiver to play right away, giving the Huskies yet another proven talent to plug into the mix. If you don’t know the name James Bouknight yet, you will soon: Bouknight is a legit NBA prospect thanks to his high-flying athleticism the ability to shoot the ball from deep. He’s high on my list of must-watch players this season. Rounding out the backcourt with Bouknight and Martin is Howard transfer RJ Cole, a dynamic scoring point guard who is great in ball screens and scored a ridiculous 1510 points in two seasons for the Bison. Throw in Jalen Gaffney, Brendan Adams, and Andre Jackson, and all the sudden you have six impressive guards to cycle through. If healthy, the frontcourt might be just as deep. Akok Akok is a difference-maker as a rim protector, but he’s coming off an achilles tear and his timetable to return isn’t totally clear. Tyler Polley is excellent as a shooter off screens, but is still in recovery from a January ACL tear. But veterans Josh Carlton and Isaiah Whaley are productive pieces in the frontcourt, with Whaley really shining down the stretch once given the opportunity. And that’s not even mentioning Adama Sanogo, a highly-touted reclassified recruit whose best basketball is still in front of him. Hurley has a strong reputation as a recruiter for a reason, and it’s no surprise that he has loaded up the roster like this in a fairly short time. Cole’s play at point guard will be critical in making an offense that was inconsistent at times run smoother, but the Huskies now have the type of roster Hurley needs: deep, athletic, aggressive, and filled with guys who can make shots.

2020-21 32×32: Big East Preview

Week two of our preview series begins with the Big East! While other traditional high-major league administrators have been all-in on ensuring football teams took the field this fall, Val Ackerman …

cbbcentral.com

These guys do legit write ups.

 

[HuskyHawk]

These guys do legit write ups.

I find it interesting that a student at NorthWestern does a better write up than the paid guys at CBS.

 

[CL82]

I find it interesting that a student at NorthWestern does a better write up than the paid guys at CBS.

He actually gives crap, apparently.

 

[HooperScooper]

I find it interesting that a student at NorthWestern does a better write up than the paid guys at CBS.

Well he's probably a lot smarter than the CBS guys.

 

[Zissou]

The biggest challenge will be the consistency required to be successful in a league like the Big East. UConn lost to some bad teams last year, and if UConn is as inconsistent this season as it was last season, UConn will finish in the bottom 1/3 of the league. The Big East has two very good teams at the top, and goes deep. Georgetown sucks, but every other team will jump out to a 10 point lead on UConn if the Huskies show up out of sync like they did so often last season.

My quick and dirty:

1) Villanova
2) Creighton
3) Seton Hall
4T) Butler
4T) Marquette
4T) UConn
7) St. Johns
8) Depaul
9) Providence
10) Xavier
11) Georgetown

A real wildcard will be how each program manages Covid. This is a disruption that is a new variable to managing your chemistry, how deep you plan your participating bench, the emotional strength of your players, etc. Nova is at the top of everyone's predictions based on recent history and roster but I'm concerned about this unknown variable.

 

[Samoo]

These guys do legit write ups.

Without a doubt...

 

[HuskyHawk]

A real wildcard will be how each program manages Covid. This is a disruption that is a new variable to managing your chemistry, how deep you plan your participating bench, the emotional strength of your players, etc. Nova is at the top of everyone's predictions based on recent history and roster but I'm concerned about this unknown variable.

I honestly have considered this as one of the reasons I think UConn is in strong position. Last year these guys played with 6 active players at times. This year they have depth at every spot on the floor, usually at least 3 players who can handle each position without much dropoff, with the exception of Bouknight.