Early big east predictions

[gtcam]

Any one of the top 6 teams could win the title. To be honest I see UConn closer to 5 than 1. Lost too much experience and leadership.The Huskies will be stronger at the end of the season (baring significant injuries) but they will lose more games than this past season. I still see a sweet 16 season.

 

[Fan1978]

Any one of the top 6 teams could win the title. To be honest I see UConn closer to 5 than 1. Lost too much experience and leadership.The Huskies will be stronger at the end of the season (baring significant injuries) but they will lose more games than this past season. I still see a sweet 16 season.

I think uconn all things being equal will win more toss up games in conference this year. Residual confidence from last year and hurley maintaining his cool will help with officiating. Hurley matured last year and learned to deal with the poor calls better late in the year

 

[Hunt for 7]

Where we finish will be better than how we start. We do have a tougher OOC and we have to at least split those games. Or I would take losing to all the good OOC games but winning in Kansas. We all know what has to happen for us to be a threat in conference both regular season and tourney. Castle has to play at FOY level. Tristan has to get his dribble penetration going earlier and be more consistent at finishing. I worry the least about Karaban and Spencer I feel confident Spencer will hit his three’s if they are good looks. And the final piece is the big man. Does he keep up the same production with more minutes. Is he a better scorer around the basket, because although I love him he did miss a lot of bunnies last year. That can’t happen next year. I am considering his rim protection as a given. No matter what we can count on that. And then what happens with Samson and the stretch 4 or 5 when AK is on the bench. Then we need another freshman to have a positive impact. Transfers are easier to predict reference output than how a freshman will acclimate to a higher level.

 

[Hunt for 7]

Any one of the top 6 teams could win the title. To be honest I see UConn closer to 5 than 1. Lost too much experience and leadership.The Huskies will be stronger at the end of the season (baring significant injuries) but they will lose more games than this past season. I still see a sweet 16 season.

Well how many people picked Marquette and they dominated for most of the regular season. Hopefully our conference schedule won’t be as brutal early like it was last year. So you are probably right. There is a team that no one is expecting that will step up a challenge for the BE reg season title. I just hope it’s not St Johns because the memory of the always kicking our a** during the first few BE seasons still bothers me.

 

[ChrisSmithsPart]

With transfer season pretty much closed, we should know what pieces these teams have. Whether they play out the way we think is another matter. Rank your teams
Here's mine:
Regular season, non BET finish


1. Xavier
2. Uconn
3.Creighton
4 Marquette
5 St.Johns
6. Nova
7. Georgetown
8. PC
9. Seton Hall
10. DePaul
11. Butler

The last 6 will be totally up in the air. I can see Seton Hall finishing behind Butler and can also see PC finishing toward the bottom.
I can see us winning the tourney though.

X at #1 is great click bait! Nova with Moore and PC with Hopkins might have the 2 best players in the league next year. If they play at that level it's hard to see those teams not out-performing these predictions. The same could be said for Marquette if Cam Jones takes another leap like he did last year. And then there is another wild card in Pitino with potentially the conference's best inside/outside combo in Soriano & Dingle.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

There’s a chance the first place team is 14-6, and every fan base is convinced their team sucks for at least part of the conference season. It’s going to be fun.

Top to bottom it’s going to be brutal not one road game you can point to as a sure win .
I don’t know about 6 but I was thinking 4-5 .. Hopefully the league has a winning percentage in the 90’s going in so everyone with a .500 conference record makes the dance like the old Big East . I could see 6 teams in .

 

[Hey Adrien!]

There’s a chance the first place team is 14-6, and every fan base is convinced their team sucks for at least part of the conference season. It’s going to be fun.

This.

Usually, when I predict the Big East, I put teams in "tiers" but as @NJHoops alluded, I expect a lot more parity this season as St. John's, Butler and Georgetown will be a lot better this season than last year.

Parity could either mean the conference cannibalizes itself, minimizing the teams that make the tournament (kinda like the A-10 last year) or the overall quality up and town improves NET ratings, therefore the Big East has six teams in the tournament (kinda like 2022, when eight Big East teams ranked within the top-55 KenPom).

Anywho, here's my rank:

Teams in the Preseason Top 25

1) UConn
2) Marquette
3) Villanova
4) Creighton

Teams that could be in the Top 25 at points this season

5) Xavier

The strong middle of the pack

6) St. John's
7) Providence

Better than last year

8) Georgetown
9) Butler

Worse than last year

10) Seton Hall
11) DePaul

 

[businesslawyer]

Definitely no complaints on how it turned out, but the league as a whole was disrespected by the committee because of the poor OOC results (outside of UConn).

If poor OOC results lead to lower than ideal seeds, how in the world is that being “disrespected?” The only way to judge comparative strength of conferences for seeding purposes is with OOC results.

 

[willie99]

UConn regular season and BET Champions, no worse than 17-3. The three losses we're outshot on the freethrow line by 30 at Creighton and at Xavier and somebody else too. Probably not losing to Marquette this year, that schtick is over for now

We carry 1 or 2 teams off the bubble and into the tourney

We contend for back to back, and the women contend too

I have no idea how the wannabes are going to finish

Arrogant and spoiled

 

[REB1094]

I have Marquette at #1, Creighton/UConn at #2, UConn/Creighton at #3, and it could go anywhere from there. I feel like St Johns, PC, Xavier, Nova, maybe even GTown will be between pretty decent and solid teams.

Seton Hall won’t win a lot of games but I don’t think they’ll be easy to beat. They’ll play really hard and really scrappy. They’ll win a few upsets

I feel like the only free wins this year are DePaul and Butler. There should be 3 real contenders, and a good amount of teams in the running for at large bids

 

[McLovin]

If poor OOC results lead to lower than ideal seeds, how in the world is that being “disrespected?” The only way to judge comparative strength of conferences for seeding purposes is with OOC results.

Fair, but I think the bad results in the OOC were used as a negative for some teams (Creighton, PC) and completely ignored for others (UConn). Both UConn and Creighton deserved better seed lines by at least 1, if not 2. PC at 11 was probably 3 spots too low, considering 19-15 WVU got a 9 seed (and best OOC win was at Pitt).

 

[Hunt for 7]

UConn regular season and BET Champions, no worse than 17-3. The three losses we're outshot on the freethrow line by 30 at Creighton and at Xavier and somebody else too. Probably not losing to Marquette this year, that schtick is over for now

We carry 1 or 2 teams off the bubble and into the tourney

We contend for back to back, and the women contend too

I have no idea how the wannabes are going to finish

Arrogant and spoiled

Very optimistic take….hope you are correct!

 

[Ricker]

I see 3 tiers with the top 6 teams all ncaa

Creighton, UConn, Nova, Marquette, St Johns, Xavier,
Seton Hall, PC, Georgetown
Depaul, Butler

 

[Tiamat7]

I'll wait and see on Xavier. Miller is a great coach, but they will rely on transfers to replace Boum, Colby Jones, and Kunkel. That's a lot to lose in the backcourt. No way they can be placed in the preseason top 3.

Perhaps you have more Intel about Butler than others, but why is the OP suggesting they'll be better? Thad is a good coach, but they'll need someone to pop unexpectedly. Lost two talented players in Lukocious and Bates.

PC is wait and see with the new coach, but the return of Hopkins and Carter will give them a chance. Udoro from GMU is solid.

Agree that Seton Hall is suspect on paper, but still a tough out in NJ. They play hard for Holloway.

It'll be a tremendous year in the BE! I'd bet 6 teams will qualify for the NCAA tournament. If everything falls into place (good OOC results+ not too much canabalizing), perhaps 7.

Tier 1: Marquette, UConn, Creighton

Tier 2: Villanova, Xavier, St Johns, Providence

Tier 3: Georgetown, Seton Hall, Butler

Tier 4: DePaul