2022-23 Big East Preview
A look ahead at the best prospects, teams, and biggest X-Factors lying ahead in the Big East
In order to do prospect scouting the right way, we firmly believe that understanding the schemes and team circumstances that surround each prospect is necessary. Get to know the coaches and what they look to do on both ends. Learn about the teammates so we can contextualize how a prospect’s usage comes to be. Understand opponents to make sure the game-to-game product is better contextualized. Without doing that, our scouting feels rather incomplete and leaving too many variables unaccounted for. In order to nail college scouting, we need to get to know as much about the college landscape as possible.
With that in mind, we’re putting our observations and predictions to the page on every major conference team in college basketball. We’ll discuss their style of play, their holes on the roster, pro prospects, where they might land next to their conference rivals, swing factors to their success this season, and more. Some will see this as a college season preview — and that’s quite alright. What this is intended to be just as clearly, though, is a guide to refer back to for team understanding all season.
Standings Predictions
Creighton
Connecticut
Villanova
Providence
Xavier
Butler
Seton Hall
St. John’s
Marquette
DePaul
Georgetown
11. Georgetown Hoyas
Head Coach: Patrick Ewing
Record Last Year: 6-25, 11th in Big East
Prospects to Watch: Brandon Murray, Denver Anglin, Qudus Wahab, Akok Akok
After a surprise run through the 2020 Big East tournament and to the NCAAs, Patrick Ewing’s Hoyas were the worst major conference team in college basketball. It isn’t like they lacked talent across the board. Donald Carey and Aminu Mohammed were solid producers, albeit lacking well-rounded games. The Hoyas also couldn’t stop anyone, giving up 80.4 PPG in Big East play. Both Mohammed and Carey, the two best players, have moved on.
LSU transfer Brandon Murray is an incredibly talented scorer, a better talent than the Hoyas have had since Mac McClung, and likely a future NBA player. That has to count for something and help the Hoyas improve at least a little. The return of former Hoya and Maryland transfer Qudus Wahab will help anchor the interior as well; Wahab is more of a scorer/ rebounder than a major shot blocker, but the other options for the Hoyas at the 5 were bleak. He’s experienced and dependable, to say the least.
Beyond those two, these Hoyas need some work. We like the scoring upside of freshman point guard Denver Anglin; he and Murray can easily combine for 30 a game. How Anglin and returning starter Dante Harris (a 6’0” non-shooter) are able to balance roles/ minutes will be important. Harris may have enough of an experience edge to stay in the lineup ahead of Anglin. Duquesne transfer Primo Spears, a talented sophomore, will also push for backcourt minutes, giving the Hoyas multiple smaller guards. Jay Heath, Arizona State transfer, will be able to score and play the off-guard spot. Even UConn transfer Akok Akok should play. The Hoyas have brought in some solid offensive firepower, though I don’t know if there’s enough here to make a large enough ascent up the standings to save Ewing’s reputation.
10. DePaul Blue Demons
Head Coach: Tony Stubblefield
Record Last Year: 15-16, t-9th in Big East
Prospects to Watch: Zion Cruz, Caleb Murphy, Umoja Gibson
We believe in what Stubblefield is building and the improvements he’s brought to the Demons. He’s just working completely uphill to undo nearly a decade of poor play, worse reputations and a league that doesn’t show much mercy to rebuilds. Stubblefield has gotten a lot of mileage out of giving the keys to one talented scorer in the past; Javon Freeman-Liberty was that guy last year.
This year, two candidates emerge for the task, which should be healthy for the Blue Demons overall. The first is freshman Zion Cruz, a playground-esque scorer with high confidence and polished dribble moves. The other is 6’4” power guard Caleb Murphy, a South Florida transfer with an incredible frame. Those two really talented, but the fit alongside each other could be rocky. Murphy is a really good passer, but isn’t much of an off-ball shooter. Umoja Gibson, the Oklahoma transfer, gives DePaul an experienced sniper that can pair really nicely next to Murphy.
Big man Nick Ongenda is functional but unspectacular on the interior. A good amount of minutes on the wings return as well. This will be a steady improvement from where the Blue Demons were last year, and may result in the winning of one or two more games. Expecting a major leap up the standings may be pushing it. The frontcourt impact simply isn’t there.
9. Marquette Golden Eagles
Head Coach: Shaka Smart
Record Last Year: 21-11, t-5th in Big East
Prospects to Watch: Oso Ighodaro, Olivier-Maxence Prosper, Tyler Kolek, Ben Gold, Stevie Mitchell
We love Shaka. He’s going to be great for Marquette because his style fits the Big East a lot better than it did the Big Twelve, and he can recruit his type of guys here. He’ll want to play a ton of dudes, as he’s a coach that values depth, toughness and guard play. Tyler Kolek is a talented facilitator, and we have hope for sophomore Stevie Mitchell to step into a larger role. But last year’s immediate success under Smart was due largely to their interior presence with Kur Kuath on defense, the experience and offensive production of Baltimore tough guys Justin Lewis and Darryl Morsell, and shooting backup guard Greg Elliott. All four have since moved on.
What’s left behind is a uniquely young roster. Kameron Jones (7.4 PPG), guard Kolek (6.7 PPG), starting wing Olivier-Maxence Prosper (6.6 PPG) and big Oso Ighodaro (5.5 PPG) are the holdovers that make up a deep sophomore class; finding room for Mitchell to step up could make this a special class. Mitchell is almost exclusively a good defender, though, and needs to show major strides on defense. Kolek is the only one to play more than 21 minutes, and Shaka is betting more on the internal development of this group than major moves on the transfer portal. Also: Kolek has a good shot to be an all-conference player.
At least in the short term, we can’t see that propelling the Golden Eagles to the NCAA Tournament. There are individual pieces that we really like, like freshman stretch big Ben Gold from New Zealand, Kolek as a legitimate playmaker, and Ighodaro as a fascinating big man. The ability for both to step in and contribute early next year will be crucial to their hopes of returning to the NCAA Tournament. Quietly, this is a team that lost a lot.
8. St. John’s Red Storm
Head Coach: Mike Anderson
Record Last Year: 17-15, t-7th in Big East
Prospects to Watch: Andre Curbelo, Posh Alexander, David Jones, Montez Mathis
The backcourt depth is really strong for the Red Storm, who are as imposing of a team to play against under Mike Anderson as any team you’ll find. They press for 40 minutes and rely on their multitude of guards to turn opponents over and play in transition. The addition of Illinois transfer Andre Curbelo alongside returning starting point guard Posh Alexander gives the Red Storm two really different options. Alexander is the slasher bulldog, while Curbelo is the cerebral playmaker.
The problem is that neither are reliable shooters. 6’4” guard Montez Mathis is also broke from downtown and too good of a player to leave off the court. Quite frankly, these Johnnies must play in transition, otherwise, points in the half-court may be a little more difficult. DePaul transfer wing David Jones will be an exciting fit within the mix; there’s athleticism and talent all over.
It’s a throwback brand of basketball as Anderson goes all-in on speed, toughness and pressure on the rim. Dylan Addae-Wusu adds more athleticism on the wing, big man Joel Soriano is an experienced rim protector on the back line, O’Mar Stanley is poised for a big sophomore year in the frontcourt, and shooting wing Rafael Pinzon may end up being a necessity for minutes. Their success will be built on whether they can force their will on opponents. To us, that’s going to be an inconsistent venture.
7. Seton Hall Pirates
Head Coach: Shaheen Holloway
Record Last Year: 21-11, t-5th in Big East
Prospects to Watch: Kadary Richmond, Femi Odukale, KC Ndefo, Tray Jackson
After Kevin Willard left for Maryland and an improbable NCAA Tournament run by Saint Peter’s, the storybook ending was all but evident: a return for former Pirates star Shaheen Holloway to the Seton Hall ranks. Now that storybook chapter will close and a new one opens back home, where the Pirates have lost a ton due to graduation and transfer. Junior wing Kadary Richmond, grad senior guard Jamir Harris, senior bigs Alex Yetna and Tray Jackson (a solid stretch-4), and backup big Tyrese Samuel are the only returners. There’s size and depth in the frontcourt, and Holloway added to that by bringing 6’7” slasher KC Ndefo with him.
The Pirates backcourt will be entirely new, no promising freshmen are in the fold, and shooting will be a major concern. Holloway is an X’s and O’s master, but no amount of playbook experience can make up for the lack of a long ball. Harris plays more of an off-ball role while Richmond is the talented slasher and passer; playing Richmond and Ndefo together on the wings really clogs spacing. Pitt transfer Femi Odukale (33%) is the most talented guard he brought in on the transfer market.
The Pirates will be seven or eight deep, and will need Dre Davis (Louisville) to make an impact off the bench. He’s played a lot in ACC competition, but his lack of shooting (22.8% career) doesn’t help alleviate the team’s biggest weakness. This will be a building year for Holloway, who likes to play a ton of guys and really bring defensive intensity. Having multiple handlers, slashers and toughness will be their m.o. this year, and that could get them on the fringes of an NCAA Tournament berth.
6. Butler Bulldogs
Head Coach: Thad Matta
Record Last Year: 14-19, t-9th in Big East
Prospects to Watch: Manny Bates, Ali Ali, Eric Hunter, Chuck Harris
Thad Matta is back! Now that he’s home with the Bulldogs and in Indianapolis, he can dive into a college basketball landscape solely built on transfers — a little different than the way he left it! Matta didn’t waste any time getting acclimated, though, landing a few really important and impactful transfers. Most notably is Manny Bates, the emphatic shot-blocking center from NC State. Bates lost all of last year due to injury; if he can regain his form, he’s one of the most impactful, if not the most impactful, bigs in the league.
We really like Ali Ali (Akron), who averaged 14 PPG last year and shot 40% from 3. He’s athletic and impactful, though it isn’t clear if he’s a great threat in the half-court. That’s the area this Bulldogs team will struggle most. Grad transfer Eric Hunter played 25 minutes a game each of the last three years for Purdue and will likely start in the backcourt. Those three starters pair incredibly well with Butler’s best returners, Chuck Harris (11.4 PPG) and Jayden Taylor (8.2 PPG). Sophomore shooter Simas Lukosius is looking to rebound from a tough shooting season as a freshman; if he figures it out, that’s a nice weapon to add to a really talented backcourt.
Georgia State transfer Jalen Thomas is a really good backup 5-man that can play the 4 a little bit, and we have hopes that undersized 4-man DJ Hughes will take a step forward as a sophomore. We’re really high on this group; from the 4-5 combo of Ali and Bates as newcomers to the experience and balance in the backcourt, this is a Butler team that could turn some heads. We know Matta knows how to coach, and I’m predicting a surprise run to the NCAA Tournament. Not a ton of NBA scouts will grace Hinkle Fieldhouse, but this is a well-constructed roster.
5. Xavier Musketeers
Head Coach: Sean Miller
Record Last Year: 23-13, t-7th in Big East
Prospects to Watch: Colby Jones, Desmond Claude, Souley Boum, Zach Freemantle, Kam Craft, Jerome Hunter
The next two teams in our order are trending upward toward the NCAA Tournament right away. We think the Big East will be anywhere from a four-to-six-bid league; they had six last year, but were losing a few key pieces and it’s likely the league as a whole takes a step back. That brings an opportunity for a group like Xavier under new head coach Sean Miller to take a giant step forward. Miller was able to come in and retain the good pieces of the Musketeers roster in Colby Jones and Zach Freemantle. Those two are a really good one-two punch.
Jones is likely to end up on the first-team all-conference next year, while Freemantle has a really good inside-outside game. His frontcourt partner, grad senior Jack Nunge, is a lethal stretch shooter. These Musketeers can space the floor and invert opponents, making them a nightmare of a matchup. With Jones (3.2 APG) and UTEP grad transfer Souley Boum (2.9 APG) as experienced backcourt pieces, the Musketeers have a ton of balance with that top four.
Jerome Hunter is an athletic 3 or 4 that will log minutes off the bench. 6’6” freshman Kam Craft is a guy we really like and hope he can slide into some minutes right away if he fends off fellow freshman guard Desmond Claude — a guy whose name we’ve heard a ton this Fall as a breakout candidate. 6’4” wing Adam Kunkel will likely slide into the fifth starter spot. The Musketeers go about seven or eight deep comfortably. Assistant coach and rising star Adam Cohen, along with Sean Miller’s deep recruiting ties, could make Xavier a Big East power within the next few years. There’s enough depth here to 100% call them an NCAA Tournament team, and with Miller’s coaching, they could be a surprise team to watch this year.
4. Providence Friars
Head Coach: Ed Cooley
Record Last Year: 27-6, 1st in Big East
Prospects to Watch: Bryce Hopkins, Jared Bynum, Noah Locke
Ed Cooley has long been one of our favorite coaches in the country, so we were thrilled to see last season’s improbable run to the top of the Big East. It felt a little bit like the stars aligning in a perfect way, and capturing lightning in a bottle twice is hard to do when building through the transfer market. Six of their top seven from last year are gone, as rising senior Jared Bynum is the lone returner to score more than five a game.
It’s hard to know what else, if anything, is in the cupboard for Cooley to work with. Without that knowledge, we have to look at the transfers he’s brought in. Kentucky wing Bryce Hopkins was the big-name catch, though we’re not sure how much Cooley’s disciplined system will suit him. Noah Locke (Louisville) is a really good scoring guard and second option; he and Bynum will work well together. LaSalle big man Clifton Moore (who started at Indiana) blocked nearly 3 shots a game last year; he’ll likely slide into the starting center position.
Hopkins may be the fourth starter, and senior glue guy Ed Croswell is likely to be the fifth. South Carolina transfer Devin Carter is a sophomore and has a really bright future; he’ll be a great additional guard for the Friars, especially if Cooley feels like going back to full-court defenses and speedy lineups. This won’t be the nearly 30-win season that they recently enjoyed, but it will be another example of why Cooley and his staff are some of the best in the business. This should still be an NCAA Tournament team.
3. Villanova Wildcats
Head Coach: Kyle Neptune
Record Last Year: 30-8, 2nd in Big East
Prospects to Watch: Cam Whitmore, Brandon Slater, Eric Dixon, Mark Armstrong, Trey Patterson, Justin Moore, Jordan Longino, Nnanna Njoku
The biggest news in the Big East this year was without a doubt the retirement of Jay Wright, and that move sent ripple waves throughout the conference and the nation. Wright leaves behind a talented team in many regards; they rarely lose players to transfer and keep a healthy stable of upperclassmen who have gone through their system. Add to that the most talented incoming freshman that the Wildcats have gotten in a long time in Cam Whitmore and I’d say that’s a pretty good first group for Kyle Neptune to work with.
The losses of Collin Gillespie and Jermaine Samuels will be large for the team at two important positions, and the experienced guard Justin Moore is unlikely to play as he recovers from an Achilles tear. While Whitmore is athletically imposing and an elite finisher, he’ll need good guard play to create easy buckets early on. Big man Eric Dixon showed inside and outside ability; he was 17-35 from 3 last year and was an impactful mismatch option against legitimate big men. Brandon Slater (8.5 PPG) and Caleb Daniels (10.3 PPG) bring experience to the off-guard/ wing spots.
Filling in at the point for Gillespie will be huge; while Gillespie was a shooter more than a pure driver, his poise and leadership helped a lot. Chris Arcidiacono is much more of a backup and game manager than a threat to be counted upon for extended minutes, and youngsters Mark Armstrong and Jordan Longino are more combo guards than pure points; Angelo Brizzi has been getting some run with the first units through camp. Perhaps that just opens the door up to play through Whitmore in late-clock situations.
This is a pretty good team without a doubt, but the loss of Moore to take the reigns in the backcourt looms large. We expect solid years from backups Trey Patterson and Nnanna Njoku to keep the depth really strong for this team, and there’s enough firepower to win games by committee. This is a fantastic group to start with for new head coach Kyle Neptune. Now he has to do the little things to make sure this program stays as detail-oriented as it always has been.
2. Connecticut Huskies
Head Coach: Dan Hurley
Record Last Year: 23-10, 3rd in Big East
Prospects to Watch: Jordan Hawkins, Andre Jackson, Adama Sanogo, Hassan Diarra, Tristen Newton, Donovan Clingain, Samson Johnson
Yes, the Huskies have seven players we’re tracking ahead of the season with NBA potential. Some massive additions to the program can help replace the departure of backcourt scorer RJ Cole, but the need for Jordan Hawkins to step into a primary role and thrive is paramount. If he does that, this is a Huskies team that can leapfrog Villanova and finish knocking on the door of the top ten.
Down low, the Huskies are massive. Adama Sanogo proved himself as a reliable post threat with sweet touch and a halfway decent rim protector on the other end. Freshman Donovan Clingain should be able to give some minutes off the bench as a legitimate seven-footer, and 6’10” sophomore Samson Johnson provides more size and some ability to play the 4.
While size is a strong point for this group, they can win games with wing play, too. Andre Jackson is as athletic as anyone in college basketball; he thrives in the open floor and can really defend. He’s best as a small-ball 4, or even a point forward with cutting around him. Hawkins shows flashes of lockdown potential too, and has good size for a guard at 6’5”. Texas A&M transfer Hassan Diarra will be able to join that defensive group — this could be a Huskies team that is incredibly tough to score on.
While we have high expectations for Hawkins as a sophomore, East Carolina transfer Tristen Newton (17.7 PPG, 5.0 APG) brings size, playmaking and experience to the table. We have small worries about whether guys like Diarra and Jackson will be able to space the floor consistently. Sharpshooter Virginia Tech transfer Nahiem Alleyne is the perfect remedy to that worry, so Dan Hurley will have lots to sort through with such a loaded and experienced backcourt rotation. Don’t sleep on redshirt freshman Alex Karaban, either — the dude can really score.
1. Creighton Blue Jays
Head Coach: Greg McDermott
Record Last Year: 23-12, 4th in Big East
Prospects to Watch: Arthur Kaluma, Trey Alexander, Ryan Nembhard, Arthur Kalkbrenner, Baylor Scheierman
Last year, Creighton went on a tear in the late part of the season thanks, in large part, to three freshmen: Arthur Kaluma, Trey Alexander and Ryan Nembhard. The Blue Jays won 10 of their final 14 games, scoring over 70 in nine of those contests. Their offense has always been potent with Greg McDermott in charge; he’s an unbelievable tactician, recruits shooters and uses them well, and gets the most out of his players from a developmental standpoint.
Many are expecting a big leap forward from Kaluma, a trendy draft breakout candidate in his sophomore year. Honestly, the likes of Alexander and Nembhard aren’t bad guesses either; they make up the best backcourt in the Big East. Kaluma is the ideal 4-man, while South Dakota State transfer Baylor Scheierman provides the movement shooting and floor spacing that makes this team tick. That’s an unbelievable guard and wing rotation.
Holding everything together is junior big Ryan Kalkbrenner, who averaged 2.6 blocks per game a year ago and is one of the best bigs in the league. His nice touch on the interior makes him a solid pick-and-roll partner, and he has enough of a jumper to garner attention on the perimeter.
Depth is going to be the issue for the Blue Jays; they’re one injury away from having their season changed drastically. TCU transfer Francisco Farabello gives another dose of shooting, and a class of five freshmen may jockey for some bench minutes, headlined by stretch-4 Mason Miller. This is a really good group that we have top-ten expectations for due to the experience, talent and perfect fit of all skill pieces.
All-Big East Awards
Player of the Year: Adama Sanogo, Connecticut
Freshman of the Year: Cam Whitmore, Villanova
Coach of the Year: Greg McDermott, Creighton
First Team:
Posh Alexander, St. John’s
Colby Jones, Xavier
Cam Whitmore, Villanova
Arthur Kaluma, Creighton
Adama Sanogo, Connecticut
Second Team:
Tyler Kolek, Marquette
Jordan Hawkins, Connecticut
Brandon Murray, Georgetown
Manny Bates, Butler
Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton