Preliminary Big East’s Best Teams | Page 2 | The Boneyard

Preliminary Big East’s Best Teams

husky429 said:
2000+ still in the portal. Gotta let it shake out.
Expand ...
Have we reached the point where there are more players in the portal than out of it?
 
nelsonmuntz said:
I think the Top 7 will be pretty good.

UConn, St. John's, Creighton - Obvious

Xavier - Miller kind of blew it this year with a pretty talented team at Xavier, and Pitino Jr may be an improvement. Swain was a big loss. Conwell is good, but can be a pretty selfish player at times. I like the pickups.

Providence - English is on the hot seat. He gets a mulligan for Hopkins stealing PC's money, but he has a good squad coming in next year and a tournament bid is expected.

Marquette - Smart is way out on a limb with his roster management approach. We will find out if he is really smarter than everyone else next year.

Villanova - Neptune gone will help a lot by itself.

Others:

Depaul - Are they getting Gunn, Blocker and Benson back? If they are, Depaul won't suck. Enright was overrated and got more praise than he deserved in part because of his Adam Morrison look.

Butler - I have no way to judge if this batch of low-major transfers is better or worse than the last batch.

Georgetown - I have no idea what this team's roster is at this point. Who is coming back?

Seton Hall - I have defended Holloway for years, but if the rumors are right about them having some NIL money, and this is the team that they are ending up with, then Holloway may be in over his head.


I think overall the conference should be a little better than last year. The Top 3 should be Top 20 teams the whole season unless there are major injuries. Providence should be the 4th best team, but English has never proven he really knows how to win. We will find out.
Expand ...
Conwell is gone right now?
 
UconnU said:
Have we reached the point where there are more players in the portal than out of it?
Expand ...
There are about 3500 D1 players who would be eligible to enter the portal and there were 2200 players who entered. So that’s a resounding yes.
 
.-.
HooperScooper said:
There are about 3500 D1 players who would be eligible to enter the portal and there were 2200 players who entered. So that’s a resounding yes.
Expand ...
I think it's half of D1 players or something like that.
 
jibsey said:
As the rosters are finalized in the Big East UConn has so far 6 players who will see a lot of floor time with college competitive experience. Reed, Solo, Stew, Ross, Silas and Smith. Karaban would make the 7th. Without injuries in March or April crunch time Hurley pulls back to using 8 players.
I don’t know what other teams have added but it seems like the BE is a 2 team race for first with us and St. John’s.
Taking into consideration that we don’t know until play is going for a while how is the order in the BE lining up? Are there 2 other teams that can jump over or even compete with UConn or St. John’s?
Expand ...
I think it’s a one team race if you include UConn’s incoming class.
 
jibsey said:
St. John’s is getting all the press for their portal team. It bugs me, I can’t help it.
Expand ...
The portal has been integral to our success the last few years as well.
 
CTBasketball said:
The portal has been integral to our success the last few years as well.
Expand ...
As it is everyone’s but our first 9 players are not just portal the way St. John’s is. Pitino has said he doesn’t want HS players, now I think that is because he can’t get the level that say a Duke can get, he would surely take them but if Alex is back we have 3 starters, and even without him we will have at least 4 significant home grown contributors maybe 5 or 6.
I won’t defend or praise that scumbag Pitino even though we all know he’s a good coach.
 
jibsey said:
As it is everyone’s but our first 9 players are not just portal the way St. John’s is. Pitino has said he doesn’t want HS players, now I think that is because he can’t get the level that say a Duke can get, he would surely take them but if Alex is back we have 3 starters, and even without him we will have at least 4 significant home grown contributors maybe 5 or 6.
I won’t defend or praise that scumbag Pitino even though we all know he’s a good coach.
Expand ...
LOL. And yet you did.
 
willie99 said:
They lost the best guy in the portal. Although he may be NBA bound

I don’t think RJ was happy sitting the last 4 minutes of the season

Is that getting any play? Ricky choked
Expand ...

I doubt Rick choked willie there was a lot more to that than meets the eye. Luis did something to make that happen or did something. He would’ve played if not for an incident so I actually applaud Rick sticking to his guns for whatever reason it was and losing with his best player on the bench. Luis deserved what he got and it was obviously irreparable.
 
.-.
BigErnMcCracken said:
I haven't followed the portal all that closely outside of UConn. Is Shaka still ignoring it?
Expand ...
Shaka is a stubborn one. Even Painter is starting to use it.

Evanmaya came out with some analytics this week that the winning formula is brining back at least 50% of your minutes.

Right now between our 4 returners, we’re at about 82mpg/41%.
 
RuffRuff said:
Shaka is a stubborn one. Even Painter is starting to use it.

Evanmaya came out with some analytics this week that the winning formula is brining back at least 50% of your minutes.

Right now between our 4 returners, we’re at about 82mpg/41%.
Expand ...
Miya's things is 50% of a minutes played in the next season are filled by returning players, not minutes from the season before returning.

So as long as Ball, Reed, Ross, Stewart, and possibly Karaban play 50% of our minutes, we'd qualify. That's 100 minutes. Easy with AK (3-4 starters gets you to 100). Without him if we say Ball 30, Reed 28, Stewart 25, Ross would need to play at least 17 if those other estimates are accurate.
 
mauconnfan said:
I doubt Rick choked willie there was a lot more to that than meets the eye. Luis did something to make that happen or did something. He would’ve played if not for an incident so I actually applaud Rick sticking to his guns for whatever reason it was and losing with his best player on the bench. Luis deserved what he got and it was obviously irreparable.
Expand ...

The Big East champion gets bounced in the first weekend, that's a choke my friend. Whatever the underlying circumstances may be, his team choked. The only 1 or 2 seed to not advance to the Elite 8. Never mind the Sweet 16

Maybe he should have worried a little less about Storrs, and have his team better prepared for Arkansas :)
 
willie99 said:
The Big East champion gets bounced in the first weekend, that's a choke my friend. Whatever the underlying circumstances may be, his team choked. The only 1 or 2 seed to not advance to the Elite 8. Never mind the Sweet 16

Maybe he should have worried a little less about Storrs, and have his team better prepared for Arkansas :)
Expand ...

Oh it’s a choke but not putting Luis in wasn’t a reason at all, he left him out the last 4 minutes regardless for other reasons was my point. I thought you were pointing out he choked not knowing he didn’t get RJ back in the game.
 
jibsey said:
Yes. And as a UConn fan I see that Ricky Scumbag is attempting to wrestle the attention and media focus from the Huskies in the BE with the story of his vigilantes and his son at Xavier.
He won the BE for 1 season, made a snarky comment about waving at Storrs and was planning a parade route when he was bounced out during the Tourney’s first weekend against a #10 seed.
There is only one thing to do to shut him and their fans up. kick them to the curb…..on the court.
Expand ...
I don’t think the Boneyard grasps how close we were to a least a share of the BE
even with the injury to McNeeley .
Simply reverse
Improbable road losses to Nova 68-66 and SH 69-68
and a home loss to St John’s 66-62 and were tied with them .
Plus either Sweep Cteighton 68-63 or win at Xavier 76-72 in two other winnable games.
and we’re in sole possession
 
.-.
AZHuskiePop said:
I don’t think the Boneyard grasps how close we were to a least a share of the BE
even with the injury to McNeeley .
Simply reverse
Improbable road losses to Nova 68-66 and SH 69-68
and a home loss to St John’s 66-62 and were tied with them .
Plus either Sweep Cteighton 68-63 or win at Xavier 76-72 in two other winnable games.
and we’re in sole possession
Expand ...
Yup, we were close on a lot of stuff last year, even the eventual National Champion, and that was with us being compromised at PG.
 
Ifs and buts. Candy and nuts. Accept , if you can, that last year St John’s was better in regular season. As successful as UCONN has been , just learn that not every season will be a Natty. As for Creighton, I find this 6’8” PG from Howard to be VERY intriguing.
 
jibsey said:
Yup, we were close on a lot of stuff last year, even the eventual National Champion, and that was with us being compromised at PG.
Expand ...
Imagine that team with another stud true combo guard who was a good 1v1 defender and a three peat although difficult certainly was a possibility.
McNeeley consecrating on a speciality role and an additional three point threat gives better shots to AK ,Ball and McNeeley Better shots = higher % . Even losing ;4 starters all drafted and all who have seen the floor at the next level .that’s amazing. But the success in the portal can ease the pain of graduation that freshman recruits could never do .
 
AZHuskiePop said:
Imagine that team with another stud true combo guard who was a good 1v1 defender and a three peat although difficult certainly was a possibility.
McNeeley consecrating on a speciality role and an additional three point threat gives better shots to AK ,Ball and McNeeley Better shots = higher % . Even losing ;4 starters all drafted and all who have seen the floor at the next level .that’s amazing. But the success in the portal can ease the pain of graduation that freshman recruits could never do .
Expand ...
Tue
HiltonHeadJ said:
Ifs and buts. Candy and nuts. Accept , if you can, that last year St John’s was better in regular season. As successful as UCONN has been , just learn that not every season will be a Natty. As for Creighton, I find this 6’8” PG from Howard to be VERY intriguing.
Expand ...
The McNeeley “ifs” can go so many ways. He was an inconsistent frosh when it all came down to it. Once the the tape was out and he starting forcing things it got ugly quick. I’m honestly not sure his injury avoided would have resulted in anything close to a BEC. Perhaps a couple games.
 
HiltonHeadJ said:
Ifs and buts. Candy and nuts. Accept , if you can, that last year St John’s was better in regular season. As successful as UCONN has been , just learn that not every season will be a Natty. As for Creighton, I find this 6’8” PG from Howard to be VERY intriguing.
Expand ...

Oy vey he went to Creighton? Well that stinks. That kid is going to be problematic.
 
jibsey said:
As the rosters are finalized in the Big East...... UConn has so far 6 players who will see a lot of floor time with college competitive experience. Reed, Solo, Stew, Ross, Silas and Smith. Karaban would make the 7th. Without injuries in March or April crunch time Hurley pulls back to using 8 players.
Expand ...
Here's a shout out and current look today at the roster from a former Daily Campus guy. Nothing groundbreaking and some opinion stuff, ( a FR starter over a JR...and AK ? ) but anyway.....

connecticut.rivals.com

UConn Hoops: The Huskies' depth chart a month into the offseason

Who is currently slated to start for the Huskies for the 2025-26 season? Who comes off the bench?
connecticut.rivals.com connecticut.rivals.com
 
.-.
Believe it or not, rumor out there is SJU likely to land 6’10” HS senior forward/C and McD’s AA Niko Gundalo to the roster. He’s committed to Washington but it’s being said that he has already de-committed but hasn’t made it public yet. Stay tuned.
 
Blades said:
Here's a shout out and current look today at the roster from a former Daily Campus guy. Nothing groundbreaking and some opinion stuff, ( a FR starter over a JR...and AK ? ) but anyway.....

connecticut.rivals.com

UConn Hoops: The Huskies' depth chart a month into the offseason

Who is currently slated to start for the Huskies for the 2025-26 season? Who comes off the bench?
connecticut.rivals.com connecticut.rivals.com
Expand ...
Not a bad list but I doubt Furphy is 10th on the list. He comes off like a transfer with a lot of experience of playing against older players. He is also becoming a pest on defense.

Guards: 4 (Demary, Ball, Smith, Mullins)
Centers: 2 (Reed, Reibe)
Forwards: 4 (AK, Stewart, Ross, Furphy)

But Furphy is more a 2-3 and this year I think we'll see more 3 guard combos Demary / Ball / Mullins with Reed and Stewart/AK as we have decent height now at the guard spot so similar to Newton / Spencer / Castle though not 1:1 comparisons but similar lineup.

Big decisions still: AK, AK replacement...are we really going to stay at 10 when 15 is the max? When it was 13, we had 12.
 
Xavier might finish last. Their only returning player is a red shirt and their portal kids all have question marks. Not a good situation for Pitino jr.
 
willie99 said:
They lost the best guy in the portal. Although he may be NBA bound

I don’t think RJ was happy sitting the last 4 minutes of the season

Is that getting any play? Ricky choked
Expand ...
I wonder what their NIL is. Someone e told me UCONN has a 10 million dollar NIL. Not sure if that is true or not but I bet the Johnnie's have a nice budget too.
 
Greg said:
I wonder what their NIL is. Someone e told me UCONN has a 10 million dollar NIL. Not sure if that is true or not but I bet the Johnnie's have a nice budget too.
Expand ...
St. John’s budget is currently unlimited! No cap necessary.
 
I'm really curious how much "outside" influence some of these NIL donors have over incoming players. Are they on the phone telling coaches which players they'd donate "X$" if they go after them?
 
.-.
You must log in or register to reply here.

Forum statistics

Threads
168,154
Messages
4,554,963
Members
10,438
Latest member
UConnheart


Top Bottom