The Way-Too-Early 2017-18 Big East Hoops Prediction Thread

[JohnW22]

I'm obviously missing something here but why is Wichita State in all these polls as top 5 when they're returning everybody from a team that didn't even beat a tournament team last year. If they're top 5 Providence should for sure be ranked

[GoldenWarrior11]

I'm obviously missing something here but why is Wichita State in all these polls as top 5 when they're returning everybody from a team that didn't even beat a tournament team last year. If they're top 5 Providence should for sure be ranked

Wichita State is incredibly overrated. Their record against teams from the major conferences (ACC, B1G, Big 12, Big East, PAC-12, SEC) isn't impressive. They improve the AAC, no doubt, but their issue will continue to be the fact that Memphis, UConn, Tulsa and Temple remain down (along with Tulane, East Carolina and USF).

[redmen9194]

My take...

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

[stever20]

I'm obviously missing something here but why is Wichita State in all these polls as top 5 when they're returning everybody from a team that didn't even beat a tournament team last year. If they're top 5 Providence should for sure be ranked

Wichita State is incredibly overrated. Their record against teams from the major conferences (ACC, B1G, Big 12, Big East, PAC-12, SEC) isn't impressive. They improve the AAC, no doubt, but their issue will continue to be the fact that Memphis, UConn, Tulsa and Temple remain down (along with Tulane, East Carolina and USF).

looking at it- their record the last 5 years vs those conferences is 16-14. 6-5 in the NCAA tourney. Hardly bad.

The thing with their schedule is that it's going to improve massively by not having the round robin. using last years RPI's, they should wind up scheduled with only 3 games with RPI's over 200 from this past year next season(ECU, Tulane, and USF). 4th worst game would be Tulsa... at 140. Compare that to the MVC where of their 18 conference games- 8 were over 200, and only 2 Illinois St games were better than Tulsa.

The AAC will have 2 top 25 teams easily. SMU won't fall off much. UCF and Houston will have real shots at making the tourney. If the league can get even 1 of UConn or Temple good, they could possibly see 5 or 6 in the tourney next year.

[pc5151]

If any Big East team lost 3 of their top 4 scorers you would be predicting a huge drop off yet you pump SMU. Stever you are beyond a joke at this point, its pathetic.

[stever20]

If any Big East team lost 3 of their top 4 scorers you would be predicting a huge drop off yet you pump SMU. Stever you are beyond a joke at this point, its pathetic.

Part of it is that they do return their 2 top guards(and college basketball is a guards game). Also got Agau from Georgetown as a graduate transfer. SMU will still be projected by most to be a tourney team. Won't be top 25 at first, but they aren't going to fall apart next year.

[Xavier4036]

If any Big East team lost 3 of their top 4 scorers you would be predicting a huge drop off yet you pump SMU. Stever you are beyond a joke at this point, its pathetic.

Part of it is that they do return their 2 top guards(and college basketball is a guards game). Also got Agau from Georgetown as a graduate transfer. SMU will still be projected by most to be a tourney team. Won't be top 25 at first, but they aren't going to fall apart next year.

Wrong Stever.

If a Big East team that lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to an 11 seed lost 3 of their top 4 scorers, it'd be doom and gloom.
Oh, it's an AAC team, you say? Well then that means a fringe Top 25 team!!

All of this coming from a Georgetown and Big East fan

[stever20]

College Basketball isn't a guards game? SMU does bring back a guard who will be playing in the NBA very soon(almost went pro this year). Teams with guys like that normally do pretty well for themselves.

You just think they're going to implode, and that's not realistic by any stretch. They'll fall off, but they're still likely to make the tourney.

[Burrito]

If any Big East team lost 3 of their top 4 scorers you would be predicting a huge drop off yet you pump SMU. Stever you are beyond a joke at this point, its pathetic.

Part of it is that they do return their 2 top guards(and college basketball is a guards game). Also got Agau from Georgetown as a graduate transfer. SMU will still be projected by most to be a tourney team. Won't be top 25 at first, but they aren't going to fall apart next year.

Agau was a bench player for a team that finished 9th in the Big East standings last year. Not sure he'll have that big an impact at SMU.

[stever20]

well, Lunardi in his recent bracketology has SMU still as a 5 seed. Down from before but still. Don't think they're that high myself, but just throwing that out there.