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You can believe the Big East isn't the best league in college basketball this year, but next year, you'll have no choice. That said, which league houses the past two national champions?
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| Pittsburgh's Chris Taft has quite a tall order to fill as the top big man in the Big East.(Getty Images) |
To put that in perspective: Consider that 10 of the Big East's 14 schools won at least 17 games last year, with defectors Miami and Virginia Tech among the group that didn't. Now take into account that all of next year's arrivals outside of USF won at least 20.
Wow.
| Stock Chart | |
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| Team | Stock |
| 1. Connecticut |
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| 2. Syracuse |
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| 3. Pittsburgh |
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| 4. Notre Dame |
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| 5. Boston College |
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| 6. Villanova |
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| 7. Seton Hall |
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| 8. Providence |
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| 9. Rutgers |
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| 10. West Virginia |
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| 11. St. John's |
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| 12. Georgetown |
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Ten of the 12 teams that will participate in this year's derby made the postseason. St. John's can't lose for everyone, so that means there are sure to be at least a couple of slips into mediocrity. Georgetown and West Virginia can use the company.
Connecticut
Top three: SG Rashad Anderson, C Josh Boone, F Charlie Villanueva.
On the decline: Down, down, down -- UConn is going down.
An incredible slide awaits the Huskies as they fall from 33 wins to barely pushing 30.
Only the true elite can overcome the loss of two game-changing lottery picks, but Jim Calhoun has the personnel in place to do it, leaning on a rotation as balanced and powerful as Boston's pitching staff was in the World Series.
| Accolades |
| First team |
| F -- Hakim Warrick, Syracuse |
| F -- Craig Smith, Boston College |
| C -- Chris Taft, Pittsburgh |
| G -- Gerry McNamara, Syracuse |
| G -- Carl Krauser, Pittsburgh |
| Second team |
| F -- Charlie Villanueva, UConn |
| F -- Ryan Gomes, Providence |
| C -- Torin Francis, Notre Dame |
| G -- Chris Thomas, Notre Dame |
| G -- Rashad Anderson, UConn |
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Player of the year Carl Krauser, Pittsburgh |
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Newcomer of the year Rudy Gay, UConn |
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Breakthrough players Charlie Villanueva/Rashad Anderson, UConn |
Speaking of which, that Red Sox title put a smile on Calhoun's face, too, although we doubt it's as big as the thought of fielding a lineup of Villanueva, Boone, Anderson, Marcus Williams and prized freshman Rudy Gay. Then off his bench, he'd have Georgia Tech transfer Ed Nelson and fellow bruisers Marcus White and Hilton Armstrong, athletic swingman Denham Brown, promising guard Antonio Kellogg and maybe even fellow freshman A.J. Price, recovering marvelously from a brain hemorrhage on Oct. 4.
Syracuse
Top three: SG Gerry McNamara, PF Hakim Warrick, PG Billy Edelin.
On the rise: Last season's chances for a repeat were foiled primarily by the inconsistency of the team's prized freshmen and the constant off-court problems of Edelin, which eventually cost him a spot on the team. Both problems should now be alleviated.
Terrence Roberts, Demetris Nichols, Darryl Watkins and Louie McCroskey are now experienced sophomores, while Edelin was reinstated by the NCAA in late October. Throw in senior role players Craig Forth and Josh Pace, and you have a superb supporting cast for McNamara and Warrick, the most dynamic combination in the conference.
Edelin's return allows him to resume running the point, freeing McNamara to do what he does best: spot up and shoot. Warrick continues to improve himself by working on fundamentals to match his freakish athleticism. He could be a first-team All-American.
Pittsburgh
Top three: PG Carl Krauser, C Chris Taft, F Chevy Troutman.
On the decline: When you think Pittsburgh, you think tough. Be it under Ben Howland or Jamie Dixon, who won 31 games and a Big East title in his first season, that's the spirit the Panthers project, and it stems from the attitude of their point guard, Krauser.
Powerfully built at 6-feet-2, 200 pounds, Krauser doesn't just look like he can run through a brick wall; he plays like it. It will be interesting to see how he handles a new backcourt mate with Julius Page and Jaron Brown gone, but Pitt likes what it sees out of freshmen Ronald Ramon and Keith Benjamin.
Up front, Taft is the best big man in a league filled with them. He's a future lottery pick, possibly as soon as season's end. Running mate Troutman is another warrior, and the arrival of JC pickup John DeGroat adds another dimension. Pitt might not win the league again, but they'll certainly be a factor, particularly in March.
Notre Dame
Top three: PG Chris Thomas, PF Torin Francis, G Chris Quinn.
On the rise: What happened to this team last year? The Irish were expected to be a chic sleeper but must have hit snooze and kept right on dozing, snoring their way to an NIT appearance.
Thomas, who flirted with the NBA before the start of the season and came back to South Bend committed to improve, again struggled with his shot and shot selection, while Francis' back was a recurring problem that tempered his production.
Both return intent on making up for lost time. Thomas is a senior and has one last chance to silence critics who call him selfish. Francis had offseason surgery to remove a herniated disc and should be more productive with Arizona transfer Dennis Latimore joining Jordan Cornette and Ricky Cornett in watching his back -- no pun intended.
Boston College
Top three: PF Craig Smith, F Jared Dudley, SG Sean Marshall.
On the rise: Al Skinner has plucked more quality players out of California than USC has in recent years, starting with Smith, a 265-pound beast with great touch around the basket. He'll approach a double-double on a nightly basis and keep the Eagles in games.
Dudley, last year's revelation, simply gets after it and, more often than not, gets things done. He's a player. Marshall, the third of the Cali connection, defends with great fervor and should improve offensively.
If BC can successfully overcome the loss of center Uka Agbai, a sizeable "if" given the veteran presence he provided, it will continue its recent run of great success. Senior Nate Doornekamp will get the first shot, but don't be surprised to see freshman Sean Williams, a great shot blocker as a prep, receive ample minutes.
Villanova
Top three: SG Allan Ray, PF Curtis Sumpter, PG Randy Foye.
On the rise: Given the level of talent on the Villanova roster, one could say that if Jay Wright was as good a coach as he is a recruiter, this team wouldn't have the label of perennial underachiever.
Wright, the new Pat Kennedy?
Not so fast. Fact is, Villanova has been tripped up by injuries and phone scandals that always seem to push the time table back. This year, there were supposed to be no excuses. Then Jason Fraser was forced to undergo knee surgery after just two practices. He's out indefinitely.
With him, the Wildcats were expected to contend for a spot in the top half of the league and make their first NCAA appearance since 1999.
Without him? The Wildcats are expected to contend for a spot in the top half of the league and make their first NCAA appearance since 1999. Their roster is too loaded not to be a part of the NCAA Tournament, particularly this year, which marks the 20th anniversary of the school's magical national championship run. Fraser should be back at some point. In the meantime, make do with what you have. It should be plenty.
Seton Hall
Top three: C Kelly Whitney, SG John Allen, PF Andre Sweet.
On the decline: Four starters are back -- the three above and fellow double-digit scorer J.R. Morris -- but the lone guy not returning tends to temper your enthusiasm regarding the Pirates.
Andre Barrett, all-everything for the four years he revolutionized the point in South Orange, finally exhausted his eligibility. It's easy to say he was invaluable to the Pirates' fortunes, but it's impossible to measure just how much he meant.
We'll find out this year as newcomers Jamar Nutter and Justin Serasoli vie to replace him and help the Pirates to a return appearance in the NCAAs. Coach Louis Orr is going to play the one who plays the best defense and makes the least mistakes, hoping that will be enough given the talented group of returners.
Providence
Top three: PF Ryan Gomes, PG Donnie McGrath, SG Dwight Brewington.
On the decline: For Providence, the line between NCAA and NIT aspirations is dictated by the presence of Gomes, who nearly crippled the team by jumping to the NBA a year early.
Bottom line, if he was an inch or two taller, we'd be talking about a team near the bottom of the conference, regardless of how good a coach Tim Welsh is.
Even with him back, there remains plenty to replace: Marcus Douthit's length in the post, Chris Anrin's versatility, the defense and intensity of Rob Sanders and Sheiku Kabba -- you get the point. The development of Brewington as a scorer, McGrath as a playmaker and freshman DeSean White as a force inside will be needed to take full advantage of Gomes' final go-round.
Rutgers
Top three: G Ricky Shields, G Quincy Douby, G Marquis Webb.
On the decline: In case you missed it, Rutgers won 20 games last year, flirted with the NCAAs, and then reached the NIT final, proving they can win away from the RAC.
Gary Waters has the program headed in a positive direction, although without human matchup problem Herve Lamizana and banger Sean Axani, they lose quite a bit of their versatility. Junior Adrian Hill, a key role player last year, becomes the main man inside.
Luckily, the Scarlet Knights are perimeter-based and have three terrific long-range shooters in Shields, Douby and Webb. That practically ensures an upset of one of this league's powers at some point, probably at home, where they're so difficult to beat.
West Virginia
Top three: C D'or Fischer, PF Kevin Pittsnogle, SF Tyrone Sally.
On the decline: One thing the Mountaineers will be able to do is bang, returning a pair of 6-11 anchors in Fischer and Pittsnogle. Fischer is interesting in that he might excel after a strong first year against a marked rise in level of competition; he transferred in from Northwestern State of the Southland Conference.
Yes, that's Division I. Anyway, he's stronger and more assertive and could become a real factor in a league with plenty of frontcourt talent.
John Beilein dismissed leading scorer Drew Schifino midway through last year and might have to turn to son Patrick to provide perimeter offense. Johannes Herber and St. Bonaventure transfer Mike Gansey will also be counted upon.
St. John's
Top three: PG Darryl Hill, F Rodney Epperson, PF/C Lamont Hamilton.
On the rise: Myriad suspensions and the eventual dismissal of Mike Jarvis destroyed once-proud St. John's last season. The team won just one Big East game and, aside from a sparse handful, basically quit.
Norm Roberts gives the program a fresh start and has a solid player to build around in Hill, a raw yet breathtaking playmaker who nearly continued the stupid St. John's legacy of lead guards leaving prematurely.
Both he and the school will end up happy he stayed, but the road back to respectability is going to be a difficult one.
Georgetown
Top three: PF Brandon Bowman, PG Ashanti Cook, G/F Darrel Owens.
On the decline: Things can't get significantly better until they hit rock bottom, and by wasting time playing the Morgan States of the world, Craig Esherick ensured that never happened. At least cosmetically.
John Thompson III didn't go that route in his first season in charge, forming a murderous non-conference slate by Hoyas' standards (it includes Illinois!) and employing the Princeton-style offense, which is sure to create its share of ups and downs as it is being learned.
Of the talent that returns, only Bowman is an above-average performer, so expect Thompson to experiment quite a bit and give his recruiting class major minutes. Sometimes you have to knock the whole thing down to build it back up again.