Big East offseason: Will anyone challenge UConn, St. John’s in men’s basketball?

[HooperScooper]

For your offseason reading pleasure. From the Courant.

“It’s UConn and it’s St. John’s and it’s MSG, and I don’t know where we’re dragging them next year. We lost in Gampel so that probably means I’ll drag them back to the XL Center (now PeoplesBank Arena) where we beat them the year before,” Hurley said last week at the NBA Draft. “It’s great for college to get eyeballs during the season, it’s great for the Big East to play a couple of the biggest games in the college basketball season.”

Big East offseason: Will anyone challenge UConn, St. John’s in men’s basketball?

UConn and St. John’s, Dan Hurley and Rick Pitino, are set up to have two of the best programs in the country next season. Will anyone come close in the Big East?

www.courant.com

Alternate access:
Big East offseason: Will anyone challenge UConn, St. John’s in men’s basketball?

 

[shizzle787]

I expect Creighton and Marquette to be solid again. Based on how each coach scheduled, I expect Butler, DePaul, Seton Hall, and Nova to stink. Providence, Xavier, and Georgetown all scheduled well so my bet is if the league gets a 5th or 6th bid, it comes from those three.

 

[upstater]

Butler was such a dubious addition. We all said it here at the time.

Villanova needs to get its act together fast.

It has new coaching at least.

 

[REB1094]

Creighton should be good. They brought in over 45 PPG in 3 star transfers (30 of that from the high major level) and have a great coach. But I think their X factor is the development of returners Jasen Green, Jackson McAndrew, and Traudt

The rest of the conference doesn’t really move me tbh. I’m sure Xavier, Georgetown, and Villanova will be good with a little time. But for next year, I’m only looking at the top 3

 

[Greedo]

Butler was such a dubious addition. We all said it here at the time.

Villanova needs to get its act together fast.

It has new coaching at least.

Butler is a solid example of why the Big East should not add Gonzaga.

 

[BEFAN]

Creighton should be good. They brought in over 45 PPG in 3 star transfers (30 of that from the high major level) and have a great coach. But I think their X factor is the development of returners Jasen Green, Jackson McAndrew, and Traudt

The rest of the conference doesn’t really move me tbh. I’m sure Xavier, Georgetown, and Villanova will be good with a little time. But for next year, I’m only looking at the top 3

I agree UConn and St. Johns are clear favorites. Creighton has potential with their newcomers and returning role players , but the defense will be really interesting to watch with Kalk gone. Maybe they will decide fouling is not such a bad idea once in awhile, lol.

By the way, a piece of good news for Creighton came a week or so ago. Fedor Zugic, whose eligibility had been a question mark for next season, was granted 2 more years of eligibility by the NCAA. Apparently, playing 5 years of pro ball in Europe translates to one year of college hoops!

 

[dennismenace]

I agree UConn and St. Johns are clear favorites. Creighton has potential with their newcomers and returning role players , but the defense will be really interesting to watch with Kalk gone. Maybe they will decide fouling is not such a bad idea once in awhile, lol.

By the way, a piece of good news for Creighton came a week or so ago. Fedor Zugic, whose eligibility had been a question mark for next season, was granted 2 more years of eligibility by the NCAA. Apparently, playing 5 years of pro ball in Europe translates to one year of college hoops!

Thanks for this information. If it really is a standard our coaches can start building up their frequent flyer miles asap.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

It is much more difficult to predict college basketball from year to year than it was pre-Transfer Portal. I think certitude needs to stay out of predictions when teams are returning 2 or 3 players and forecasts are based on which 13 ppg player from a mid-major is going to be better than which 17 ppg player from a low major, compared to the guy that rode the bench for a high major but was a borderline top 100 player when he came out of high school two years ago. Chemistry is as big a factor as talent in how these teams will do. Basketball is not a great rotisserie sport from a roster construction standpoint.

Throw in the mix the fact that I think players work so much harder now than they did 10 years ago when a lot of these guys would mail it in starting junior year if they were not on an NBA track. There are a lot of 22 and 23 year old men busting their butts to be as good as they can be.

So my prediction is that there are going to be a lot more 2025 UNC’s and Kansases and K-State’s who just whiff despite having super-talented rosters, and a lot more surprise teams that put it all together and have great seasons despite rosters that seem underwhelming in October.

 

[UConnSwag11]

I’d be surprised if Marquette finishes top 4/5