Over the last few years, the Big East has been arguably the
best basketball conference in the nation. They are deep and always have a
handful of teams ranked in the top 25.
This year, West Virginia is gone and Connecticut is in
transition. Couple that with the graduation and early departures of many Big
East stars, and you have a conference that isn’t nearly as scary as in years
past.
With that said, there is plenty of talent here, and there
are a few teams that should be national powers. In fact, Louisville has a great
chance to win a national title. There are also some great new freshmen and
transfers that will play major roles this season.
As we continue to look into each conference’s talent pool,
below is our ranking of the top 30 Big East players entering the 2012-2013
season. Last year’s stats are listed. Please let us know your thoughts on our
rankings in the comment section below. Enjoy!
Big East’s Top 30
Players
1. Peyton Siva: Louisville - 9.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, 5.6
assists, 1.7 steals
His return put Louisville in position to not only win this
conference, but he gives them a real chance to win a national championship.
When Siva is on the floor, he creates and does so much for the offense. His
quickness and tenacity also helps lead a great defense.
2. Shabazz Napier: Connecticut – 13 points, 3.5 rebounds,
5.8 assists
Napier is one of the only remaining stars on this dismantled
UCONN team. He will have a big season for sure, but the program is in a sorry
state.
3. Sean Kilpatrick: Cincinnati – 14.3 points, 4.6 rebounds,
2.1 assists
His dynamic scoring ability will keep Cincinnati in the
thick of things this season. With a couple of last year’s starters gone, it
will be his team now. What I like most is his ability to score from all over
the court.
4. C.J. Fair: Syracuse – 8.5 points, 5.4 rebounds
Fair had a great season last year for a dominant Syracuse
team. But because of their depth, he wasn’t able to truly shine. He is due for
a breakout season and will fully make a name for himself like stars have before
him. His talent could make him a lottery pick.
5. Jack Cooley: Notre Dame – 12.5 points, 8.9 rebounds
Like other great Notre Dame inside players before him,
Cooley is as fundamentally sound as any. He positions himself well on both ends
of the floor and is a great rebounder. He should keep Notre Dame among the best
in the conference.
6. D’Angelo Harrison: St. John’s – 16.8 points, 3.9
rebounds, 2 assists
Harrison can put the ball in the hoop better than most.
After a down year in 2012, Harrison will lead a resurgence for St. John’s in
2013. Expect him to get a bit more help this year though.
7. Cashmere Wright: Cincinnati – 10.9 points, 3.8 rebounds,
4.6 assists
Cincinnati should again be among the best in the conference,
and this guy’s leadership is a big reason why. He is great at setting his
teammates up and really sets the pace for the Bearcats. Watch for his scoring
to increase this season.
8. Cleveland Melvin: Depaul – 17.5 points, 7.4 rebounds
Depaul may not be an elite team, but Melvin is truly an
elite player. He will likely lead the conference in scoring, and he’ll be among
the leaders in rebounding too.
9. Eli Carter: Rutgers – 13.8 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.1
assists, 1.3 steals
Carter does a lot for this Rutgers team. He “litters up the
stat sheet” if you will. But similar to Melvin above, he doesn’t have much
support around him.
10. Jerian Grant: Notre Dame – 12.3 points, 2.9 rebounds, 5
assists
We expect a big year from Grant. And in order for the Irish
to accomplish what they want, he needs one. He already sets his teammates up
well, but I think he’ll look for his own shot a bit more this year.
11. Gorgui Dieng: Louisville – 9.1 points, 9.1 rebounds, 1.1
assists, 3.2 blocks
Dieng will play a key role for the Cardinals in their effort
to win a national title. He is already a great defensive player and rebounder.
But rumors are that his offensive game has developed a lot this offseason.
12. Brandon Triche: Syracuse – 9.4 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.6
assists
Triche will do more than put up numbers. He will be the
leader for this team. I expect for him to really up his assist total too.
13. Chane Behanan: Louisville – 9.5 points, 7.5 rebounds
People expected so much out of him last year and he got off
to a slow start. But late in the year he started to play some great basketball
and that will carry over to 2013. He very well may play himself into the
lottery for the upcoming draft.
14. Tray Woodall: Pittsburgh – 11.7 points, 3.1 rebounds,
6.1 assists
When on the court last year, Pittsburgh was a good team.
When off the court, they struggled mightily. He completely transforms the
offense, and can be very disruptive on defense as well.
15. Otto Porter: Georgetown – 9.7 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.5
assists
Remember this name. Like so many Hoyas before him, he has gone
under the radar. But now this is his team and he could have a big year. He has
First Team All-Conference potential.
16. Anthony Collins: South Florida – 9 points, 2 rebounds,
5.2 assists
See Otto Porter above.
17. Vincent Council: Providence – 15.9 points, 4.1 rebounds,
7.5 assists
First off, this is a great name. Secondly, he is a great
player that does everything for the Friars. If he played for a big name school,
everyone would know whom this is.
18. Brandon Young: Depaul – 14.5 points, 2.6 rebounds, 4.7
assists, 1.6 steals
See Vincent Council above (minus the cool name part).
19. Eric Atkins: Notre Dame – 12.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, 4.1
assists
Atkins and Grant (ranked 10th) form arguably the
best backcourt in the Big East. He also does a great job setting up his
teammates, and rebounds well for his size too. His scoring should increase
slightly this year.
20. Steven Adams: Pittsburgh – Center, 6th Ranked
Recruit by ESPN
This is the best incoming freshman in the conference. The
big man from New Zealand will be a great fit for a team that needs an inside
presence. When the season is done though, he may be moving on to bigger and
better things.
21. Bryce Cotton: Providence – 14.3 points, 2.5 rebounds,
2.3 assists
Cotton can really light it up. If he begins to do more than
score though, he can really become a star.
22. Fuquan Edwin: Seton Hall – 12.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3
steals
Unlike others I have mentioned, his scoring takes a backseat
to the rest of his game. I love how he defends and hustles. He gets on the
glass well too.
23. Mouphtaou Yarou: Villanova – 11.3 points, 8.2 rebounds
Villanova’s best player is a double-double threat whenever
he is on the floor. If he can become a little more consistent this year, he can
best one of the best bigs in the conference in 2013.
24. Russ Smith: Louisville – 11.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.9
assists
Can go shot crazy at times for the Cardinals, but he can
also put points up in a hurry. He is very similar to J.R. Smith who is now
playing for the Knicks. Obviously, he needs to take better shots, but he still
needs to score plenty for the Cardinals.
25. Ryan Boatright: Connecticut – 10.4 points, 3.3 rebounds,
4 assists
Similar to his teammate Napier, he is one of the only
remaining stars for a team in a state of flux. His athleticism is amazing and
he will have his share of highlights in his second season.
26. Trent Lockett: Marquette – 13 points, 5.8 rebounds at
Arizona State last year
Marquette acquired a great transfer when Lockett joined the
program. He will be a big part of the team and should help offset some of the
players they lost from last year’s great team. Scoring and rebounding are
things he does well.
27. LaDontae Henton: Providence – 14.3 points, 8.6 rebounds,
1.1 assists
His scoring numbers are impressive, but his rebounding
numbers are up there with the best in the conference. His presence on the glass
is a major key for this team. Look out for the Friars this season!
28. God’sgift Achiuwa: St. John’s – 9 points, 5.6 rebounds
Arguably the best name in college basketball (maybe ever).
This year, he becomes more than a great name. His raw talent should be more
defined and his play should become more consistent.
29. Trey Ziegler: Pittsburgh – 15.6 points, 6.7 rebounds at
Central Michigan last year
Another key transfer will be a major factor at Pitt in his
first season. As you can see, he put up great numbers, but how will that
transform into the rugged Big East?
30. DaJuan Coleman: Syracuse – Center, 14th
Ranked Recruit on ESPN
After losing some size from last year’s team, Coleman was a
great recruit and much needed for the Orangemen. He should play inside from day
one and become a vital part of the success of this program.
NOTE: The Big East was very hard to rank due to the
tremendous depth of talent the conference possesses. It’s very possible that
players not listed here break out and become stars in their own right.
By: The Sports Guys
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