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5 questions entering the Big East

College basketball season is almost here!

Between now and Nov. 4th, we’ll take an in-depth look at different conferences around the country.

Today’s focus is on the Big East:

1. How many teams from the Big East will play in the 2025 NCAA Tournament?
At least five seems like a safe number as of today. Six teams from the Big East — UConn, Marquette, Xavier, St. John’s, Creighton, and Providence — are all ranked in the ROTHSTEIN 45 and figure to be firmly in the NCAA Tournament picture. Murphy’s Law hit the conference last March when only three programs — UConn, Marquette, and Creighton — heard their names called on Selection Sunday, but that’s more of a byproduct of a plethora of unexpected teams earning automatic qualifiers in other leagues than it is of the quality of the Big East. It says here that the conference will rebound with quality representation in the 2025 NCAA Tournament.

2. Can UConn three-peat?
Don’t be against it. The Huskies have won 12 straight NCAA Tournament games by an average of 21.7 points over the past two years and the culture than Dan Hurley has created in Storrs is now comparable to what Jay Wright built at Villanova during the final 10 years of his career before he opted for retirement. UConn may not have what it had at center during the past two seasons at center with Adama Sanogo and Donovan Clingan, but it still may have enough with Samson Johnson and Michigan transfer Tarris Reed. Johnson, All-American candidate Alex Karaban, and fifth-year point guard Hassan Diarra are all back as guys who had major roles on last season’s team that finished 37-3. If Hurley can get Saint Mary’s transfer Aidan Mahaney or promising sophomores Solo Ball and/or Jaylin Stewart to perform at an all-conference caliber level then the ceiling in Storrs will instantly reach another level.

3. How good will Marquette be without both Tyler Kolek and Oso Ighodaro?
Probably better than most think. The Golden Eagles didn’t have Kolek available for the Big East Tournament last March due to injury and still made it all the way to the title game before losing to UConn. Seven of the eight players — Kam Jones, Stevie Mitchell, Ben Gold, Chase Ross, David Joplin, Tre Norman, and Zaide Lowery — that played in that game against the Huskies are back for Marquette. Shaka Smart is also bullish on the potential of redshirt freshman big man Caedin Hamilton as well as Royce Parham and Damarius Owens, who are both true freshmen. The Golden Eagles still have more than enough to still be a major factor in the Big East.

4. Which Big East transfer is not getting enough national attention?
St. John’s Deivon Smith. The 6-foot point guard only played 28 games last season for Utah, but still managed to tally a whopping five triple-doubles. He also averaged 18.8 points, 9.5 assists, and 8.5 rebounds in four games last spring in the Postseason NIT. The combination of Smith and Seton Hall transfer Kadary Richmond should give Rick Pitino the best backcourt in the Big East and one of the best backcourts in the country.

5. Who is the sleeper?
Butler. The Bulldogs were on the bubble for the majority of last season and may have become a bit of a forgotten team after Posh Alexander opted to transfer to Dayton. That shouldn’t be the case. Butler returns its top two scorers from last season in Pierre Brooks (14.8 points, 4.0 rebounds) and Jahmyl Telfort (13.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.0 assists) along with several capable role players in Andre Screen, Landon Moore, and Finley Bizjack, who all averaged double-figure minutes a year ago. Thad Matta also added three starting caliber players from the transfer portal in Kolby King (Tulane), Jamie Kaiser (Maryland), and Patrick McCaffery (Iowa). There’s more than enough here for Matta to have Butler in contention for an NCAA Tournament berth once again in 2025.

Leftovers