My Big East Picks

[redmen9194]

Here's my stab at it...

1.) Nova
2.) Johnnies
3.) G'Town
4.) X
5.) Providence
6.) The Hall
7.) Quette
8.) Creighton
9.) Butler
10.) DePaul

If you group them together I think 1-4 are pretty firm, then the 5-6 could wind up in any order, and Creighton Butler might swap. The only lock I think is DePaul. It's been so long for them and I just don't see any light. I also don't think Nova is a lock at the top. A few teams played them close last season, including the Johnnies. Let's hope we all kill it in the non-con so we have bids locked up in February.

[stever20]

Here's my stab at it...

1.) Nova
2.) Johnnies
3.) G'Town
4.) X
5.) Providence
6.) The Hall
7.) Quette
8.) Creighton
9.) Butler
10.) DePaul

If you group them together I think 1-4 are pretty firm, then the 5-6 could wind up in any order, and Creighton Butler might swap. The only lock I think is DePaul. It's been so long for them and I just don't see any light. I also don't think Nova is a lock at the top. A few teams played them close last season, including the Johnnies. Let's hope we all kill it in the non-con so we have bids locked up in February.

That's the absolute key of things- the OOC. Key is going to be the teams like Xavier, PC, Seton Hall- the ones in that 3-6 range. They can't go into conference play with 3+ losses and have a really good chance if they finish 9-9 or 10-8 in conference play. Maybe get a PIG spot like X last year- but that's kind of best case.

[SJHooper]

Please do not take this as a negative for Creighton but take it as a chance to impress. I just can't see Creighton as a top 5 team. That would mean they are either on the bubble or in the NCAA tourney. To lose the all-world McDermott, the automatic Wragge, the perfect setup man Gibbs, etc. and expect to not skip much of a beat is really putting yourself in a position to be greatly disappointed. I don't think I've ever heard of a team losing basically everyone and making the tourney the next year. There is almost always a pretty big drop after your studs leave. Again, if they DO finish top 5 then great for them and the conference. If they do that it will definitely prove they are not just a team carried by one of the best NCAA players ever, but a legitimate major program that knows how to find and develop talent. I could be wrong and please tell me if I am, but it's pretty rare to have teams make the tourney or be on the bubble with a totally new team after losing some of the best in the nation including a Wooden winner.

With that said, I'm not a homer. I think SJ can finish anywhere from #2-#7. They will likely finish somewhere in the middle because they never totally suck but never seem to put it all together either. All I know is the team disappointing and underachieving except 1 year in 2011 so I'm not going to be shocked if we have another non-NCAA season, but missing it again and not landing Briscoe will really kick Lavin out the door.

[Bill Marsh]

Here's my stab at it...

1.) Nova
2.) Johnnies
3.) G'Town
4.) X
5.) Providence
6.) The Hall
7.) Quette
8.) Creighton
9.) Butler
10.) DePaul

If you group them together I think 1-4 are pretty firm, then the 5-6 could wind up in any order, and Creighton Butler might swap. The only lock I think is DePaul. It's been so long for them and I just don't see any light. I also don't think Nova is a lock at the top. A few teams played them close last season, including the Johnnies. Let's hope we all kill it in the non-con so we have bids locked up in February.

No disagreement with your top 3 although it's hard for me to see how anyone but Villanova can be considered firm. Not trying to be argumentative, but I have a hard time seeing how X especially can be considered firm at #4. They lost 3 of their top 4 scorers including Semaj who made them go. Who replaces those 3? They have a good recruiting class, but freshmen are always iffy, making them anything but firm.

Just my take.

[Jet915]

I understand why so many are picking Creighton so low with all the departures, but to make a comment that Mac needs to up the talent level without seeing the newcomers is ridiculous.
Having seen what Creighton has this season I am very high on them and have no problem sticking my neck out in my predictions.

But aren't you doing the same thing that you label as "ridiculous"? As soon as you make predictions, you're evaluating everyone else's talent as well as your own. You have a first hand appreciation of what your own recruits look like, but how can you have any sense of anyone else's newcomers without seeing them?

My comment was based only on the fact that McDermott is routinely bringing in 3-star recruits when most of the rest of the conference has been bringing in some 4 and 5-star recruits in addition to their 3's.

While I'm a pretty realistic Creighton fan who thinks they will be somewhere between 6-10 in the Big East this year (2015 will be a different story), I don't think it's fair to paint McDermott as routinely bringing in "3 star recruits." First of all, he has only been recruiting to the Big East for over a year. So far, in 2014, he brought in a Top 100 (Harrell) and Top 150 recruit (Gilmore). In 2015, he has brought in a Top 50 recruit (Patton) and a 3 star recruit (Stewart). This doesn't include the transfers he also has brought which includes Watson (one of the top assist men in the NCAA last year), Huff (honorable mention Mountain West) and Kreklow (Cal starter). Although I'm somewhat disappointed in the amount of misses so far for recruits in 2015, I think it's too early to paint McDermott as a poor recruiter.

[SJHooper]

I understand why so many are picking Creighton so low with all the departures, but to make a comment that Mac needs to up the talent level without seeing the newcomers is ridiculous.
Having seen what Creighton has this season I am very high on them and have no problem sticking my neck out in my predictions.

But aren't you doing the same thing that you label as "ridiculous"? As soon as you make predictions, you're evaluating everyone else's talent as well as your own. You have a first hand appreciation of what your own recruits look like, but how can you have any sense of anyone else's newcomers without seeing them?

My comment was based only on the fact that McDermott is routinely bringing in 3-star recruits when most of the rest of the conference has been bringing in some 4 and 5-star recruits in addition to their 3's.

While I'm a pretty realistic Creighton fan who thinks they will be somewhere between 6-10 in the Big East this year (2015 will be a different story), I don't think it's fair to paint McDermott as routinely bringing in "3 star recruits." First of all, he has only been recruiting to the Big East for over a year. So far, in 2014, he brought in a Top 100 (Harrell) and Top 150 recruit (Gilmore). In 2015, he has brought in a Top 50 recruit (Patton) and a 3 star recruit (Stewart). This doesn't include the transfers he also has brought which includes Watson (one of the top assist men in the NCAA last year), Huff (honorable mention Mountain West) and Kreklow (Cal starter). Although I'm somewhat disappointed in the amount of misses so far for recruits in 2015, I think it's too early to paint McDermott as a poor recruiter.

That's what makes Creighton so interesting to me. They will be fun to follow. If they can really somehow overcome all the massive losses from their roster last year and somehow make the tourney McDermott has to win coach of the year and a lot more recruits would take notice. I know people say you lost Korver then rebounded with other great teams but I'm not sure Creighton has ever lost this much. Your roster last year was Elite 8 worthy if not Final Four. You essentially had a team of players who did not miss from anywhere on the court and everyone shot seemingly near 50%. If Creighton makes the tourney or is even firmly on the bubble this year I will give them a ton of credit. It will go a long way in proving that they have staying power in a major conference and can win without their Wooden stud. I see them performing as last year's Seton Hall team. Mediocre with some nice wins mixed in and will upset teams along the way. A team you can't sleep on and has a chance to surprise. You guys will be fine once you get more experience and McDermott brings more recruits in.

[Wizard of Westroads]

I'm a Creighton homer, my optimism this season is based on (1) the league is down from what I think its eventual level will be. Nova's the only top-level team, and good luck picking 2-9. (2) We have a lot of experience at guard positions, including a 3-year starter at point. (3) We have a lot of size and depth in the post, Artino and Hanson returning from last year and a 7-footer who's been limited by health issues the last two years.

We may not be a top 25 team, but who other than Nova can say for certain that they are? I'm picking SJ second, even though I'm familiar with their fans' misgivings. GT and Prov have some good pieces returning but they lost great PGs. A few years from now, when the league is where I think it will be, we'll look back on these first couple of years of the new BE as a wild time when we were figuring out the eventual pecking order. For now, anybody can rise up and surprise. About this time last year, Providence looked like a train wreck with injuries, but Ed cobbled together a lineup and made it work.

[GumbyDamnit!]

I am a big believer in: if you are to chose between two (or more) teams to determine who will be more successful, look to the backcourt. That is where so many games are won and lost. Taking care of the ball and applying defensive pressure on the perimeter are such a big part of today's game. Last year I questioned Marq's backcourt going into the season when everyone was crowning them as the league's best. They indeed struggled. This year G'town's worries me. SJU (prob the best backcourt in the league w/ Nova) and Creighton's (love Chatman), do not worry me. If Dunn is healthy I like PC's chances. SHU will have a nice backcourt by the 2nd H of the year when IW gets acclimated to the speed and size of the college game, but they might be one year away with all that youth. If Garrett takes a big step forward so too will DePaul. Marq, Butler & Gtown will need their wings and front courts to be so dominant that it negates some holes at the G position IMO. Not sure what to make of X's backcoiurt yet but losing Semaj will certainly hurt.

[Vill]

I've enjoyed this thread as much as any in a long time because it means hoops is near.

My Top 10:
1- Nova
2- SJU
3- GT
4- XU
5-Marquette
6-Providence
7-Creighton
8- Butler
9- Depaul
10- Seton Hall

[Westbrook#36]

Remy is the one many don't know about. He was the only guy who kept up with Semaj in practice last year. Before, that he was the under study to that Oladipo guy at Indiana. Oladipo was the ROY in the NBA.
Last year, Stainbrook was on a new team and in new conference. It was also his first year in his new body. His old one was 345 lbs. He could improve still this year.

I also think Bill's prediction for X is low, but a couple of minor quibbles with this. First, Michael Carter-Williams was NBA ROY, Oladipo finished a very distant 2nd(in a weak class of incoming rookies), like I said, minor point but still. Secondly, we're talkin' bout practice man, practice, ... practice, seriously we're talkin' bout practice. Going in to last year at Nova we heard for a year about how Dylan Ennis was ripping it up at practice, was arguably the best player on court, yada, yada, yada. Look at how that panned out, he was a role player with upside and the unnerving ability to chuck up(and brick/airball) ill-advised 3 pt. shots. Practice is practice it ain't regular season BE play, so I think trying to draw any comparison to how a player will perform is a very risky proposition.

BTW, here's my take on it...

1.) Villanova

2.) Georgetown
3.) St. John's <-- Tier 2 could see these 3 finish in any order
4.) Xavier

5.) Providence
6.) Seton Hall
7.) Marquette <-- Tier 3, again could see these 5 finish in any order
8.) Creighton
9.) Butler


10.) DePaul