2016-17 Season how good will the Big East be?

[XtoDC]

Here is what I expect Xavier to look like next year broken out into guards/wings/bigs. I bolded who I expect to start and what kind of impact the new guys might have joining the team.

Edmond Sumner (SO)/ Myles Davis (SR)/ Larry Austin (JR)/ Quentin Goodin (incoming freshman - should contribute some)
Trevon Bluiett (JR)/ JP Macura (JR)/ Kaiser Gates (SO)
Sean O'Mara (JR)/ Rashid Gaston (incoming senior transfer - should contribute)/ Makinde London (SO)/ Eddie Ekiyor (incoming freshman - depth)/ Tyrique Jones (incoming freshman - depth)

Remy Abell and James Farr lose eligibility so they are gone, and everyone assumes Jalen Reynolds is ready to start getting a paycheck (most likely overseas obviously). There is room for one more scholarship which I hope goes to a transfer that sits out this year, but it could obviously be used on a decommit or pocketed for another year.

[MackNova]

Way-too-early power rankings for next season. I may be forgetting players, particularly transfers.

1. Villanova
Nova has run the league for 3 years now. No reason that will change next season with an impact transfer in Paschall and the top-rated incoming freshman in the league in Spellman. Arch and Ochefu will be a big loss in terms of leadership, but I hope Brunson can be better when he's running the show.

2. Xavier
They bring a lot back from a really good team. Clearly a tier above the rest of the league on paper. I'm assuming Reynolds comes back.

3. Seton Hall
If everyone comes back, this is where they belong. Will they? I have no idea.

4. Creighton
Watson and Foster will be a good Big East backcourt, and I think they're ready to take a step forward. They'll be a really good offense next season.

5. Georgetown
I can't figure out Georgetown for the life of me. Maybe one year it will click. Maybe I'm overrating them without DSR. I don't know

6. Providence
If Bentil comes back and Dunn is gone, this is where I'd place them. Talent-wise, I might even put them behind Butler and Marquette, but I trust Cooley.

7. Butler
I'm a huge Kelan Martin fan, and I like some of the other pieces, but it will take some time to gel without Jones and Dunham taking most of the shots.

8. Marquette
I want to put them higher, but I trust Providence and Butler more at this point. Henry Ellenson is probably gone, too. If he's back, they'll be a lot higher. As it is, they could be as high as 5th in my power rankings.

9. DePaul
They could easily be last. But right now, they're 90 spots higher on KenPom than St. John's. Will SJU make all that up next year? They definitely could, but for now, I'll go DePaul first. Maybe Garrett finally explodes.

10. St. John's
I can't see them cracking the top 8 next season. They may pass DePaul, but I think they are still a year or two away from being respectable. That could change if they bring in Alkins or Maker or guys like that, but they're so young, and there are so many unknowns here. And can the guys they sign get themselves qualified?

[thebigeXpress]

Wait...Miles Davis is still eligible next year? I thought the guy was pushing 30! hahaha Seems like he's been at X forever![/quote]

Perry Ellis from Kansas will be 32 next month making him 16 months older than Davis.

[scoscox]

If Jalen comes back, X should bully Nova and the rest of the league next year. Seton Hall I think will give everyone the most problems after that.

[aughnanure]

Way-too-early power rankings for next season. I may be forgetting players, particularly transfers.

1. Villanova
Nova has run the league for 3 years now. No reason that will change next season with an impact transfer in Paschall and the top-rated incoming freshman in the league in Spellman. Arch and Ochefu will be a big loss in terms of leadership, but I hope Brunson can be better when he's running the show.

2. Xavier
They bring a lot back from a really good team. Clearly a tier above the rest of the league on paper. I'm assuming Reynolds comes back.

3. Seton Hall
If everyone comes back, this is where they belong. Will they? I have no idea.

4. Creighton
Watson and Foster will be a good Big East backcourt, and I think they're ready to take a step forward. They'll be a really good offense next season.

5. Georgetown
I can't figure out Georgetown for the life of me. Maybe one year it will click. Maybe I'm overrating them without DSR. I don't know

6. Providence
If Bentil comes back and Dunn is gone, this is where I'd place them. Talent-wise, I might even put them behind Butler and Marquette, but I trust Cooley.

7. Butler
I'm a huge Kelan Martin fan, and I like some of the other pieces, but it will take some time to gel without Jones and Dunham taking most of the shots.

8. Marquette
I want to put them higher, but I trust Providence and Butler more at this point. Henry Ellenson is probably gone, too. If he's back, they'll be a lot higher. As it is, they could be as high as 5th in my power rankings.

9. DePaul
They could easily be last. But right now, they're 90 spots higher on KenPom than St. John's. Will SJU make all that up next year? They definitely could, but for now, I'll go DePaul first. Maybe Garrett finally explodes.

10. St. John's
I can't see them cracking the top 8 next season. They may pass DePaul, but I think they are still a year or two away from being respectable. That could change if they bring in Alkins or Maker or guys like that, but they're so young, and there are so many unknowns here. And can the guys they sign get themselves qualified?

If Marquette finishes next season there, Wojo is going to be under some pretty severe heat. I don't see lower than 7 with Butler losing what they are though. It will all come down to who is our PF. There will plenty of minutes to attract a top-end grad transfer or juco.

[PhilaNova]

If Jalen comes back, X should bully Nova and the rest of the league next year. Seton Hall I think will give everyone the most problems after that.

[MackNova]

Way-too-early power rankings for next season. I may be forgetting players, particularly transfers.

1. Villanova
Nova has run the league for 3 years now. No reason that will change next season with an impact transfer in Paschall and the top-rated incoming freshman in the league in Spellman. Arch and Ochefu will be a big loss in terms of leadership, but I hope Brunson can be better when he's running the show.

2. Xavier
They bring a lot back from a really good team. Clearly a tier above the rest of the league on paper. I'm assuming Reynolds comes back.

3. Seton Hall
If everyone comes back, this is where they belong. Will they? I have no idea.

4. Creighton
Watson and Foster will be a good Big East backcourt, and I think they're ready to take a step forward. They'll be a really good offense next season.

5. Georgetown
I can't figure out Georgetown for the life of me. Maybe one year it will click. Maybe I'm overrating them without DSR. I don't know

6. Providence
If Bentil comes back and Dunn is gone, this is where I'd place them. Talent-wise, I might even put them behind Butler and Marquette, but I trust Cooley.

7. Butler
I'm a huge Kelan Martin fan, and I like some of the other pieces, but it will take some time to gel without Jones and Dunham taking most of the shots.

8. Marquette
I want to put them higher, but I trust Providence and Butler more at this point. Henry Ellenson is probably gone, too. If he's back, they'll be a lot higher. As it is, they could be as high as 5th in my power rankings.

9. DePaul
They could easily be last. But right now, they're 90 spots higher on KenPom than St. John's. Will SJU make all that up next year? They definitely could, but for now, I'll go DePaul first. Maybe Garrett finally explodes.

10. St. John's
I can't see them cracking the top 8 next season. They may pass DePaul, but I think they are still a year or two away from being respectable. That could change if they bring in Alkins or Maker or guys like that, but they're so young, and there are so many unknowns here. And can the guys they sign get themselves qualified?

If Marquette finishes next season there, Wojo is going to be under some pretty severe heat. I don't see lower than 7 with Butler losing what they are though. It will all come down to who is our PF. There will plenty of minutes to attract a top-end grad transfer or juco.

I forgot I had posted this since for some reason I had a draft up on my computer still. I actually moved Marquette up to 5th looking at it again, realizing they were bringing in a transfer guard who looks good in Andrew Rowsey.

Next year looks like Villanova and Xavier on Tier 1, Seton Hall a notch below that, then a relatively close group from 4-8, then a big gap to 9-10.

[Rum_Ham]

A lot can change over the next couple of months but here's how I see the league shaping up next year. Of course if there are some surprised NBA entries or transfers this list can change. Sorry for the length I may have spent too much time thinking about this.
1. Xavier
With Edmond Sumner and Trevon Bluiett expected to be back Xavier should be the favorite to win the league and could be a top 10 pre-season team. Those two players could potentially both be 1st team all big east. Losing Farr and most likely Reynolds up front will hurt, but Xavier adds a transfer in RaShid Gaston who averaged 16 points and 10 rebounds last year and should come in and start immediately. Gaston, along with two other solid front court recruits in Tyrique Jones and Eddie Ekiyor, should help form a deep front court with Sean O'Mara, Makinde London, and Kaiser Gates coming back. Xavier's backcourt also gets an upgrade by adding top 100 guard Quentin Goodin. Goodin is a tall,, athletic guard who should be a instant contributor off the bench. Xavier's backcourt loses Remy Abel but will still have Sumner, Myles Davis, J.P Macura, and Larry Austin Jr. Xavier has the perfect blend of depth and star power, they should be as strong next year as they are this year.
2. Nova
Was tempted to put Seton Hall here but its hard to justifying having Nova lower than top 2 with how they have performed since the league was started. Nova graduates Arch and Ocehfu but should return everyone else (haven't seen Hart on any draft boards yet so I'll assume he will come back). Their front court gets some much needed height next year. Villanova adds three players over 6-9 including a 5 star player in Omari Spellmen. Spellmen should come in an fill the gap left by Ocehfu immediately and is a perfect fit for Jay Wright's system. He is a big that can run the floor and has shooting range out to the three point line. He's not the rim protector that Ocehfu is but is arguably already better offensively. Nova adds Dylan Painter and redshirt Tim Deleny along with returning Daryl Reynolds giving Jay Wright some actual front-court depth. On the wing they return Mikal Bridges and Kris Jenkins plus add A-10 freshmen of the year Eric Paschell as a transfer. Paschell should start immediately and will be one of the big east's best newcomers. Nova is still stacked at guard with Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Phil Booth, and Donte DiVincenzo making up what will most likely be the league's best backcout. Josh Hart will be seen as a player of the year front runner with Ben Bentil. Nova should still be a contender next and has the potential to be better than this year.
3. Seton Hall
This is assuming everyone comes back but of course there is always the chance Whitehead leaves even though he isn't high on many draft boards. This should be the best team Willard has had at Seton Hall. A young team will now be filled with talented upperclassmen. Whitehead would be a 1st team all big east contender and their starting lineup will be absolutely stacked if they can return Carrington, Rodriguez, Sanago, and Delgado. Seton Hall adds Myles Powell, one of the best shooters in the nation, who fills one of their biggest needs of a consistent three point threat. He will add scoring and depth to their backcourt. Veer Signh also returns and should improve while making the jump from freshmen to sophomore. Seton hall also has Jevon Thomas sitting out who would add additional depth to the point guard position but he just got accused of choking a student so he may be expelled. Seton Hall loses only Derrick Gordon who has been a solid player and seems to be the team's leader. Next year one of Seton Hall's juniors will have to step up and fill this role. If this happens, and Willard can keep this team together, they will be contenders and have the ability to make a deep run in march.
4. Creighton
They lose Groselle and Milikan but will return everyone else. They add Marcus Foster and top 50 redshirt recruit Justin Patton at center. Foster is an immediate impact player who was arguably the best transfer on the market. Him and Maurice Watson will be a incredible backcourt. Patton replaces Groselle and will give Creighton a rim protector with legit NBA potential. Creighton adds another recruit in Davion Mintz who seems to be a bit overlooked and should add backcourt depth. I may be overestimating them a bit but I think Creighton has preseason top 20 potential. They are deep this year and will only get more depth and talent next year. Guys like Khyri Thomas and Ronnie Harrell should benefit from another year of experience and Creighton will still have 3 point specialists Isiah Zierdon and Toby Hegner on the roster. Would not be surprised if Creighton finished higher than 4th .
5. Marquette
This is assuming Ellenson leaves for the draft. May be a homer pick but I expect Marquette's rebuild ends this year and will be back in the tournament next year. This team returns all but one player and that additional year of experience will benefit the team's 7 freshmen greatly. Hanif Cheatem looks like a future star and I think he will be the team's best player next year. Marquette adds top 100 player in Sam Hauser and transfer Andrew Rowsey. These two players fill Marquette's biggest need in three point shooting as both can light it up from outside. Rowsey averaged 20 points a game last year and should greatly help out Traci Carter at the point guard position. Marquette's backcourt still has upperclassmen in Duane Wilson and Jajuan Johnson who are both solid as well. Wojo will need to pick up a grad-transfer at the 4 position to replace Ellenson but with the amount of playing time available next year he should be able to get someone. Upfront they still have two 7 footers in Luke Fischer and Matt Heldt. Fischer has been a bit of a disappointed lately but is still solid. Marquette also has a solid chance at landing Markus Howard for the 2016 class, a top 40 point guard. College players usually make their biggest jump from freshmen to sophomore year, if this holds true then Marquette will finally start contributing to the overall strength of the league and make the tournament.
6. Georgetown
Losing DSR hurts big and they also lose Bradly Hayes but Georgetown should return the rest of their roster unless there is a surprise transfer or NBA entry. Georgetown will still have a ton of talent on this
team. Their frontcourt will be stacked. Jessie Govan is on his way to becoming one of the best bigs in the league and Marcus Derrickson is a great compliment to him at the 4. The also have Paul White and Akoy Agau sitting out this year that will add additional depth. On the wing I expected Issac Copeland to be one of the best players in the conference this year but that hasn't panned out. Hopefully another year of experience helps him reach his potential. G-Town still has a shooter in Reggie Cameron and Trey Mourning to back up Copeland on the wing. They will be thin at guard next year. Tre Campell and L.J Peak are both solid and Kaleb Johnson has been a surprising contributor that will hopefully make a big jump next year as a sophomore. I like Gerogetown's only recruit Jagan Mosely a lot. He is a defensive minded guard with long arms and plays for a great coach at St Anthony's in New Jersey. Hopefully Georgetown can add a transfer guard to can help replace some of DSR's scoring. If this happens they could be a tournament team but they could also underwhelm like they did this year so I am putting them at 6th for now.
7. Providence
They will obviously regress a bit losing Kris Dunn, but should return everyone else including Bentil (the only draft board I have seen him on is for 2017). At point Kyron Cartwright should be decent and Providence has a solid recruit in Malik White as backup. Drew Edwards has looked very impressive at times as a 2 guard and could be a big factor next year. They also add a versatile transfer in Isiah Jackson who may end up surprising as he was pretty solid as a freshmen. At the wing they return sharpshooter Ryan Fazekas and Junior Lomomba. Lomomba may not return but hopefully Cooley brings him back as he has been a solid contributor this year. Fazekas will benefit from the experience and adding weight in the off-season, he will need to make a big jump next year. Up-front Providence needs to add size in the spring. Bentil has a good shot to be player of the year next year and Bullock is solid but they have no one behind them. Adding someone like Taureen Thompson or a grad transfer would help greatly. Providence could be a surprise team, they were a borderline tournament team this year and Cooley has them playing like a high seed team. With Ed Cooley as the coach Providence still has tournament potential even with losing Dunn but only if they add some front court pieces. Maybe someone makes a huge sophomore jump like Bentil did.
8. Butler
At this point the strength of the league shows because I think Butler will be pretty solid. Losing Roosevelt Jones and Kellen Dunham are two big losses but they still have some good pieces coming back. Kelen Martin is one of my favorite players in the league and I think he will be an eventual NBA draft pick. He will be the star of this team next year and will replace Jones in the starting lineup. Butler also adds Kethan Savage, a very good transfer who should be in the starting lineup. In the front court Butler returns everyone and will still have Tyler Lewis at point. Butler's recruiting class is one of the best they have had in a while. Joey Brunk is an excellent pickup up front. He is a 6-11 big with a well developed post game that should contribute right away. Kamar Baldwin is another recruit who could have a big impact, he has been having a great senior season and will have the opportunity for minutes in the backcourt. Howard Washington is another good recruit who will fill the role of backup point guard and has good shooting range. The reason I have Butler this low is because they are losing more than other teams, but with who they have coming back and coming in Butler still has a lot of talent.
9. St John's
Hard putting St John's this low but this will be a very deep league. St John's will no doubt be significantly improved. They add an actual point guard in Marcus Lovett which will allow Mussini to move off the ball. Lovett looks very impressive in his mixtapes and I think he will be a freshmen of the year candidate. St John's also adds top 40 recruit Shamorie Ponds to their back court. Bashir Ahmed is a JUCO wing who may be St John's leading scorer next year. He is considered one of the best JUCOs in the nation and will start right away on the wing. Richard Freudenberg is another impact recruit with NBA potential at the 3/4. He may be a bit skinny but he is a great shooter and should make some contributions. Up front St John's has Sima and Yakwe returning and those two, along with transfer Tariq Owens, will make it very hard for teams to score inside. I have St John's low because they have more question marks than the other teams. They are relaying a lot on newcomers and it may take some time for them to gel. They are also missing that bona fide star player that Butler and Providence has. However, St John's can still add Rawle Alkins(I would say 50/50) and Thon Maker(longshot) to this lineup as both have the red storm in their final fives. With Matt Abdelmassih on staff St John's will definitely be in the market for some grad transfers. St John's could be a tournament team if they continue to add players like they have been which will be great for the league.
10. Depaul
Probably still a rebuilding year. Losing Myke Henry will hurt as he is probably their best player plus they lose their best big man in Stimage. They actually have a decent recruiting class, not great but much better than last year. They still have some time to add some players. I think they will improve but with the strength of the league it will be hard to get out of last place
To summarize the big east will be loaded next year, probably looking at around 6-7 bids.

[ChestRockwell85]

Rum_Ham, that is a tremendous post. You really know your Big East hoops. Very insightful. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

[Jet915]

That is a great post. Very knowledgeable.