As we get closer and closer to the start of the Big East season, I plan on examining different aspects of the teams in the conference. This week, I will look at a key player for each of the teams. This is not necessarily the best player, but one whose production will play a key role in the potential success of each team.
Connecticut – Hassan Diarra
Diarra was the Big East Sixth Man of the Year last year, a well-earned honor. He transferred to UConn in 2022 after two years as a solid role player at Texas A&M. In his first year in Storrs he struggled mightily and eventually saw his playing time diminish to where he played a total of 32 minutes in the 2023 NCAA Tournament. After the season there were rumors that he would transfer again, but he stuck it out and had his best year in the Huskies dominant run last season and played over 100 minutes in the Tournament. He also improved his shooting and maintained his strong defense. The question for this year is whether or not he can take another leap in a bigger role this year. If he can, it will take a lot of pressure off Solo Ball, Aidan Mahaney, et al.
Marquette – Ben Gold
In his first two seasons, Gold has shown flashes of ability but will need to handle a much bigger role this season. While Tyler Kolek was the All-American for Marquette, Oso Ighodaro is the type of jack-of-all-trades type player that is not easy to replace. Ighodaro led Marquette in offensive and defensive rebounding, blocks, and field goal percentage. He was second on the team in assists and third in steals. Gold was a superior three point shooter (Oso only had 2 such attempts all season), but did not contribute much else offensively last season. Since Shaka Smart did not wade into the transfer portal, it is up to Gold to up his game in order for Marquette to have a big man presence this year.
Creighton – Steven Ashworth
I was very high on Ashworth last year, and it was a tale of two halves last year for him. He struggled early on but was far more productive in the second half of the season. This year, with both Baylor Scheierman and Trey Alexander taking their talents to the NBA, Ashworth will have a lot more ball handling and distributing responsibilities. The Bluejays added a lot of talent in the offseason with freshmen Jackson McAndrew and Larry Johnson, plus Pops Isaac from the portal and Fedor Zugic from overseas. These players will all contribute, but Ashworth is their only true point guard. It would also help Creighton to see Ashworth’s shooting return to the level of consistency he showed at Utah State. If he is able to handle these responsibilities, Creighton could exceed last year’s finish.
Seton Hall – Chaunce Jenkins
Jenkins made a huge jump in two years at Old Dominion after barely playing at Wichita State. The question will be whether he can make the leap from the Sun Belt to the Big East. Usually when guards are transferring up, I am most comfortable when they are either quality shooters or have Big East size and body (or ideally both). Jenkins is 6’4” but rather thin and is an adequate but not elite shooter. He is good at getting into the lane, so it will be interesting to see if he can translate that skill to the Big East. His assist to turnover ratio is roughly 1:1 for his career, so a big step up from former Friar Garwey Dual would greatly help him. If Jenkins is able to produce at the same level as at Old Dominion, the Hall could surprise again this year.
St. John’s – Deivon Smith
I admit I barely saw Smith play last year, and hardly noticed him the year before at Georgia Tech. Watching some video, the first thing that is noticed is his ability to rebound at 6’1” and around 170 lbs. He had five triple doubles last season and averaged 6 rebounds and 7 assists to go with 13 points per game. He also shot over 40% from 3-point range, after being under 30% in his first three seasons. We will need to see how much of that is a result of his dramatic improvement and how much is because of the weakness of Pac-12 defenses last year. His ability to maintain the level he showed last season will free up Kadary Richmond to drive to the basket and show his overall versatility. Rick Pitino has brought in a number of players from all over the country and globe. Having the talent and leadership of Smith and Richmond in the backcourt will allow the new talent to develop at their own pace. If Smith is not up to the challenge, St. John’s will again likely find themselves on the bubble come March.
Villanova – Jhamir Brickus
Brickus had a solid year for LaSalle last season and will need to match that contribution across town this year for Villanova to compete. He is the only point guard with any experience on the Wildcat roster, and I am not sure what they do if Brickus is not up to the challenge. The good news is that he has improved his three-point shooting in each of his first four seasons, reaching 40% from deep last year, and also shot 86% from the free throw line. If he can continue to hit from the outside, he and Wooga Poplar will be able to take pressure off of Eric Dixon. He is another player who could have a size issue, and if he is not up to playing in the Big East, Nova will be in for a long season.
Butler – Finley Bizjack
In addition to having one of the coolest names in the NCAA, Bizjack showed flashes of real potential last season as a freshman and returned to Butler after briefly entering the transfer portal. With the Bulldogs losing both Posh Alexander and DJ Davis from last season’s backcourt, they need Bizjack to make a significant leap in order to have any chance of an NCAA bid. Thad Matta brought in Tulane and former St. John’s guard Kolby King at the guard spot and returns all-conference caliber forwards Jahmyl Telfort and Pierre Brooks to provide leadership and scoring. Knowing that they won’t get much offensive production from Andre Screen in the middle, it is imperative that Bizjack expands his game as a sophomore in the Big East.
Xavier – Zach Freemantle. The pride of Teaneck, NJ was a contender for Big East Player of the Year in 2023 until his season ended in late January when he was averaging 17 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists in conference play. He is the type of player you love when he’s on your team but hate when he’s in an opposing uniform. His toughness and cockiness was missing last year when we saw Xavier’s high early expectations collapse in September after Freemantle and Jerome Hunter were lost for the season with injuries. The two of them are expected back this year, and so are the lofty expectations. If Freemantle is back to his 2022-23 level, the Sweet 16 is a reasonable goal for the Musketeers. Without him, earning an NCAA tournament bid is uncertain at best.
Georgetown – Malik Mack
I have to be honest. I do not like this roster and think the possibility is there for the Hoyas to be worse than last year’s disaster. My guess is that they will be better, mainly because I cannot see an Ed Cooley team being so poorly prepared and lackadaisical again this year. As I mentioned in my coaches article last week, I believe a repeat of last year would cause Ed to walk away. Their key portal addition was Malik Mack, the Ivy League Freshman of the Year from Harvard. Mack was not a highly rated recruit, and after a fantastic first month of the season, Mack came way down from that early high. As the noted author Ultimate Cranston has mentioned on numerous occasions, Mack only shot 25% from three in the final four months last year. He did miss four weeks in December with mononucleosis and that may have impacted his development. At barely 6’, he will need to be able to shoot from deep for Georgetown to avoid another disaster.
DePaul – David Skogman
Skogman comes to DePaul after a terrific year at Davidson. He did not get the credit he deserved last season, primarily because Davidson underachieved. He shot 47% from three on four attempts per game and 63% from inside the arc. At his size, he should be able to draw defenses out and help his teammates, many of whom can also hit from deep. An NCAA bid is not realistic for this team, but with a light non-conference schedule, there is the potential for a .500 season, which would be reason to celebrate.
Providence – Wesley Cardet
Cardet was a top 60 recruit coming out of high school, but passed up offers from most of the SEC to play for his uncle at Samford. He followed his uncle to Chicago State when Gerald Gillion got the head job there. In two seasons there he averaged 17.7 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists per game while shooting 34.4% from 3 and 77% from the free throw line. The things that impress me most about Cardet is that he has an NBA body, and was able to get into the lane virtually at will despite being the focus of every opponent’s defense as a Cougar. His 34% from three was also impacted because he had to force a number of shots late in the shot clock as their only option on many nights. I believe Cardet will greatly benefit from the major talent around him in Friartown. He will not see double teams the way he did the past two seasons, and his ability to penetrate should result in the Friar wings being left open. I am completely of the belief that Wesley will be an all-conference caliber player and expect that his presence as a lead dog will allow Bryce Hopkins to ease himself into the lineup at his own pace.
Another player for Providence who will factor greatly in their success is Christ Essandako. The 7’, 275 lb. center has a style of play that should fit well into Coach English’s style of play. The staff report on him is that he is more than a big man who can shoot. He is a shooter who happens to be 7’ tall. His passing and ball-handling skills are reminiscent of last year’s center Josh Oduro. Last season at St. Joe’s he showed flashes of his skills. The problem was that foot and ankle injuries adversely impacted his quickness and conditioning. That should not be a problem this season. While this means nothing, I saw him on campus last week while walking my dog and he looks leaner but still huge. The other benefit is that his versatility should help newcomer Erhunmwunse Oswin as he adjusts to Big East basketball. Oswin is still developing his offensive skill set, but it would not shock me to see them playing together as Essandako can legitimately shoot from three-point range. Adding in Anton Bonke gives the Friars size and depth in the middle since they days of John Thompson and James Hadnot.
The Big East probably will not have a team as dominant as UConn of 2023-24 in this coming season, but they should have a lot of quality teams. I see six teams capable of playing on the second weekend. The above-mentioned players will play a major role in determining which teams fulfill their promise.
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