2009-2010 Preview

NBE PRESEASON ALL-BIG EAST AWARDS

The majority of the Big East teams tip off their seasons tonight and just in time for the real action to begin in earnest, here are the preseason NBE All-Big East awards, as voted on by NBE writers and contributors…

NBE Big East Preseason Player of the Year:
–Luke Harangody, Notre Dame

NBE Preseason All-Big East 1st Team:
–Da’Sean Butler, West Virginia
–Scottie Reynolds, Villanova
–Greg Monroe, Georgetown
–Devin Ebanks, West Virginia
–Lazar Hayward, Marquette

NBE Preseason All-Big East 2nd Team:
–Deonta Vaughn, Cincinnati
–Kemba Walker, Connecticut
–Jerome Dyson, Connecticut
–Dominique Jones, South Florida
–Samardo Samuels, Louisville

NBE Preseason All-Big East 3rd Team:
–Jeremy Hazell, Seton Hall
–Wesley Johnson, Syracuse
–Mike Rosario, Rutgers
–Stanley Robinson, Connecticut
–Mac Koshwal, Depaul

NBE Preseason All-Big East 4th Team:
–Arinze Onuaku, Syracuse
–Lance Stephenson, Cincinnati
–Yancy Gates, Cincinnati
–Andy Rautins, Syracuse
–Marshon Brooks, Providence

NBE Preseason All-Big East Honorable Mention:
–Jerry Smith, Louisville
–Edgar Sosa, Louisville
–Chris Wright, Georgetown
–Corey Fisher, Villanova
————————————————–

NBE Preseason Big East Freshman of the Year:
–Lance Stephenson, Cincinnati

NBE Preseason Big East All-Freshman 1st Team:
–Dante Taylor, Pittsburgh
–Alex Oriakhi, Connecticut
–Peyton Siva, Louisville
–Mouphtau Yarou, Villanova
–Dominic Cheek, Villanova

NBE Preseason Big East All-Freshman 2nd Team:
–Malik Wayns, Villanova
–Brandon Triche, Syracuse
–Hollis Thompson, Georgetown
–Jeronne Maymon, Marquette
–Omari Lawrence, St. John’s

NBE Preseason Big East All-Freshman 3rd Team:
–Jamal Coombs-McDaniel, Connecticut
–Dane Miller, Rutgers
–Johnny Lacy, Providence
–Danny Jennings, West Virginia
–Darius Smith, Connecticut

NBE Preseason Big East All-Freshman Honorable Mention:
–Joey Brooks, Notre Dame
–Brian Okam, Rutgers
–Isaiah Armwood, Villanova
–Erik Williams, Marquette
–Rakeem Buckles, Louisville
—————————————————–

NBE Preseason Big East All-Transfer Impact 1st Team:
–Wesley Johnson, Syracuse
–Herb Pope, Seton Hall
–Jarrid Famous, South Florida
–Dwight Buycks, Marquette
–Casey Mitchell, West Virginia

NBE Preseason Big East All-Transfer Impact Honorable Mention:
–Dwight Hardy, St. John’s
–Ben Hansbrough, Notre Dame
–James Beatty, Rutgers

Here were the preseason poll voters:

NBE Blogger
Chris Dokish, Contributing editor of Pittsburgh Sports Report
Ron Bailey, Publisher of i95ballerz.com
Jeff Borzello, NBE Senior Basketball Analyst and Publisher of March Madness All Season
Raphielle Johnson, NBE contributor and CollegeHoopsNet.com writer
Bill San Antonio, sports editor of the Torch
Alex Schwartz, President of Northstar Basketball
Ray Balter, NBE contributor
Nathan Wollack, Publisher of Blue Demons Nation
Zach Smart, NBE contributor and Publisher of ZSmart’s Sports Blog
Doug Ferguson, NBE Midwest Editor and lead writer at the NBE Association Report
Alex Jesswein, NBE Contributor/Milwaukee correspondent

*********Follow NBE Sports on Twitter: http://twitter.com/NBESports*****

2009-2010 BIG EAST PREVIEW: 12) RUTGERS

*********Follow NBE Sports on Twitter: http://twitter.com/NBESports*****

There was a lot of hemming and hawing done when crafting this season’s Big East preseason countdown of the 16 teams. One perplexing team was the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and when the Big East coaches poll was released placing Fred Hill’s squad 15th, I really began wondering if I had this team too high.

Read more

2009-2010 BIG EAST PREVIEW: 13) MARQUETTE

*********Follow NBE Sports on Twitter: http://twitter.com/NBESports*****

The era of the ‘Three Amigo’ has ended at Marquette as the school’s all-time leading scorer, Jerel McNeal, and classmates Dominic James and Wesley Mathews have taken their game to the professional ranks. Buzz Williams enters his second year at the helm of the Golden Eagles program and it is almost completely his program already. Only seniors Lazar Hayward, Maurice Acker and David Cubillan remain on the roster that played under Tom Crean at MU.

That kind of turnover so quickly will obviously set Marquette back in 2009-2010. There are only five players on the current roster that played high-major Division 1-A basketball last season, including Chris Otule and Joseph Fulce who only appeared in nine and 11 games respectively in 08-09. The lack of experience shows some empty recruiting classes towards the end of the Crean tenure. While Williams was able to secure an outstanding recruiting class to join the program this fall, he acknowledges there is plenty of work to be done.

Read more

2009-2010 BIG EAST PREVIEWS: IMPACT TRANSFERS

*********Follow NBE Sports on Twitter: http://twitter.com/NBESports*****

This could be an unprecedented season in the Big East in terms of transfer students making an impact on the conference standings. There will be nine teams counting on 11 eligible transfers this season to make an impact on their line-ups. The transfers range from the sub 6-foot point guards to the near 7-foot big men and everywhere in between, filling holes throughout the league.

All in all, we count 11 players as impact transfers this season, the number would certainly have been 12 if not for the preseason injury to Scott Martin of Notre Dame, who was scheduled to undergo surgery yesterday to repair a torn ACL. The transfer from Purdue was a projected starter for the Irish this season, but his return to the court will have to wait another season.

Here are the new names in the conference via a Division 1-A transfer that fans need to know in 2009-2010:

Read more

2009-2010 BIG EAST PREVIEW: 14) SOUTH FLORIDA

*********Follow NBE Sports on Twitter: http://twitter.com/NBESports*****

Since the South Florida Bulls moved from Conference USA to the Big East there has not been much basketball joy in the Tampa/St. Pete area. USF has lost 81 games in the four seasons, including 57 of 68 league games and 34 of 36 Big East road contests. Even with everything stacked against them, there might finally be some optimism for Bulls fans heading into the 2009-2010 season as Stan Heath’s club looks to become a viable threat to climb out the lower quarter of the conference.

Many consider the job of basketball coach at South Florida to be the toughest such position in the Big East. While the state of Florida certainly has plenty of talented basketball prospects, it is not like the deep talent pool of football which can sustain in-state rivals such as Miami, University of Florida and Florida State as national powers in that sport. The USF football program has also risen to a status of a national threat, but on the hoops side, the Sunshine State can not supply the four schools with everything they need to compete consistently at the top of their conferences. Last year only Florida State made the NCAA Tournament and in 2007-2008, only Miami made the Big Dance of the state’s four major conference teams.

Read more

2009-2010 BIG EAST PREVIEW: 15) PROVIDENCE

*********Follow NBE Sports on Twitter: http://twitter.com/NBESports*****

Over 75% of the current Providence College roster did not log a single minute of game action at the Division 1-A level last season. With five incoming freshmen, two JUCO transfers, one redshirt freshman, one redshirt sophomore and a senior returning from missing a year because of injury added to a returning core of Sharaud Curry, Marshon Brooks and Brian McKenzie, the Friars could be among one of the most inexperienced teams in the country this season. That much inexperience will be tough to overcome in the Big East.

There is no doubt that Providence had their moments last season in Keno Davis’ first at the helm of the Friars. Hired away from Drake one year removed from taking the coaching world by storm leading the Bulldogs to the NCAA Tournament, the son of longtime college basketball coach Dr. Tom Davis, the younger Davis inherited a veteran group from previous coach Tim Welsh. With seniors Weyinmu Efejuku, Randall Hanke, Jonathan Kale, Jeff Xavier and Geoff McDermott leading the way, PC posted a winning record in the Big East (10-8), won 19 games, knocked off #1 ranked Pittsburgh and made an appearance in the NIT.

Read more

2009-2010 BIG EAST PREVIEW: 16) DEPAUL

*********Follow NBE Sports on Twitter: http://twitter.com/NBESports*****

0-18.

Not since the 1993-1994 Miami Hurricanes had a Big East team went through the entire conference schedule without a win.

Before that, it had not happened since Providence went 0-6 in the Big East inaugural season of 1979-1980.

It was a rare occurrence, but the 2008-2009 DePaul Blue Demons under Jerry Wainwright equaled a mark for Big East conference futility, finishing 0-18 in the league and 9-24 overall.

The Blue Demons did show some life in the conference tournament, which was expanded to include all 16 Big East teams last season, knocking off Cincinnati 67-57 on the first day.

Read more