2009-2010 Previews, Chris Dokish, Cincinnati News, Connecticut News, DePaul News, Georgetown News, Louisville News, Marquette News, Notre Dame News, Pittsburgh News, Providence News, Rutgers News, Seton Hall News, St. John's News, Syracuse News, USF News, Villanova News, West Virginia News

EARLY LOOK AT THE 2009-10 BIG EAST

by CHRIS DOKISH

Now that players have made their final decision about entering the NBA draft, this is one writer’s opinion on how the 2009-10 season will go. This is not to be confused with the official NBE Basketball Report predictions that will be released in the weeks leading up to the start of the season next November.

Of course, the Big East Basketball Schedule will be released in the next few weeks and that is also a good indicator on who the league thinks has the best basketball odds for the upcoming season by the marquee match-ups they set-up.

For now, here is a quick rundown of one opinion of the 16 teams…

1. Villanova- Shane Clark, Dwayne Anderson and Dante Cunningham are on their way out, but the Wildcats still may be the team to beat next season thanks to the combination of excellent perimeter players and a star studded freshman class that includes four elite prospects. At guard, the Wildcats may have the best threesome in the country in 6’2″ senior Scottie Reynolds, 6’1″ junior Corey Fisher, and 6’1″ freshman Maalik Wayns. If that wasn’t enough, 6’5″ junior SF Corey Stokes also returns, as does 6’5″ senior wing Reggie Redding and burly 6’8″ junior Antonio Pena. Reynolds, Fisher, Stokes, Redding, and Pena all played over 20 minutes a game this season. Then you add 6’6″ freshman wing Dominic Cheek, 6’7″ freshmen Isaiah Armwood and 6’10″ Mouphtaou Yarou, all three like Wayns, Top 50 prospects, plus 6’6″ Duke transfer Taylor King, and you can see why the Wildcat faithful can’t wait for next season. Bottom line- Despite losing Cunningham, it’s an embarrassment of riches for the program next season, as the roster will boast seven Top 50 recruits, three more than anyone else in the league. If the freshmen are as good as advertised, especially Armwood and Yarou in the front court, this may be the team to beat in the conference next season.

2. Connecticut- The Huskies will lose plenty with AJ Price, Jeff Adrien, Hasheem Thabeet, and Craig Austrie, but head coach Jim Calhoun will still have some weapons in his arsenal. PG Kemba Walker, 6’1″, will take over at the point and he showed as a freshman that by the end of the season he was already a star. SG Jerome Dyson, 6’3″, will return healthy after missing the last half of the season with a leg injury. The duo may be the quickest backcourt in the county next season. Late signee, 6’2″ Darius Smith, makes the position even stronger. At center, the Huskies will no doubt miss the dynamic shot blocking of Thabeet, but freshman Alex Oriakhi is a 6’9″ 250 pound beast that will give them much needed toughness in the paint. But he will first have to beat out 6’9″ senior Gavin Edwards, who Calhoun thinks will finally reach his potential. At PF, 6’9″ Stanley Robinson finally emerged as a force as a junior, and if he continues to improve, he is an all-star candidate. A second freshman, and Oriakhi’s 6’6″ high school teammate, Jamal Coombs-McDaniel, could start at SF. Fellow freshman Jamaal Trice, 6’5″, will battle for that spot. Depth, which was not ideal this past season after Dyson went down, again has questions that need to be answered. As of now, highly ranked 6’10″ Ater Majok is expected to finally be eligible halfway through the season, but that’s if he doesn’t bolt to play overseas. On the perimeter, 6’4″ junior Donnell Beverly will need to step up his game so that there is an experienced player coming off the bench. Bottom line- The Huskies won’t be as loaded as last season, but with Walker and Robinson turning into stars, Oriakhi, Coombs-McDaniel, and possibly Majok arriving on the scene, and Dyson returning, they will be right up near the top again.

3. West Virginia- The only loss for the Mountaineers, Alex Ruoff, is a big one, but that loss would be offset by the return of 6’2″ PG Joe Mazzulla, and another excellent Bob Huggins recruiting class. Mazzulla had a major injury early this season and there is no guarantee that he will be fully recovered in time for the start of next season. He also found himself in some off court trouble and is currently suspended indefinitely, so even if healthy, his return is in doubt and crucial so that 6’2″ Darryl Bryant can move over to his natural SG position. Bryant had a good freshman season, but the team was sometimes lost with him at the point. If Bryant is forced to play the point again, look for 6’5″ freshman Dalton Pepper to have a shot to start at SG. If Mazzulla is healthy and back in the good graqces of the University, the trio will make a very talented backcourt. In the frontcourt, the team’s best player, 6’7″ senior SF Da’Sean Butler, will return, and he is an all-star performer. At PF, extremely long and athletic Devin Ebanks improved greatly over the course of the season and he could be a legitimate All-American candidate this year. The 6’9″ Ebanks had an excellent freshman season. Ebanks is an excellent rebounder, but next season he should be helped by 6’9″ 250 pound Turkish import Deniz Kilicli, a tough, crafty big man who could start immediately at center. A third freshman, 6’8″ 240 pound Dan Jennings, is also tough in the paint and will help what could suddenly be a very physical frontcourt. Other forward reserves include 6’7″ sophomore Kevin Jones, 6’7″ senior Wellington Smith, and 6’7″ juniors Cam Thoroughman and John Flowers. Bottom line- With the added muscle, Huggins is now turning this program into his preferred style that he had at Cincinnati. If Mazzulla returns healthy and the new muscle makes an immediate impact, this team will be battling for the conference championship.

4. Louisville- The Cards had an excellent season, but next year they will lose star forwards Terrence Williams and Earl Clark, along with reserve guard Andre McGee. Williams, the team’s biggest star last season, and probable lottery pick Clark, are major losses. That means that the focal point for next season’s team should be 6’9″ sophomore Samardo Samuels. As a freshman, Samuels sometimes flashed great potential, but he needs to be much more authoritative in the paint. His rebounding especially needs an upgrade. Supporting him on the front line will be 6’9″ sophomore shot blocker Terrence Jennings, and 6’8″ sophomores Jared Swopshire and George Goode. Former Mississippi State transfer, Reginald Delk, a 6’4″ senior with great three point shooting skills, should be the favorite to start at SF. Top 50 prospect, 6’8″ Rakeem Buckles, will also be in the mix. On the perimeter, much maligned Edgar Sosa returns at PG, but he will have a hard time keeping 6’0″ elite freshman Peyton Siva off the court. Other guards returning including 6’2″ senior Jerry Smith, the returning start at SG, and yet another sharpshooter, 6’1″ junior Preston Knowles. Bottom line- Losing Williams and Clark hurts, but once again this team is loaded with natural talent. How well the younger and more inexperienced players perform could determine how far the Cards can go next season.

5. Syracuse- No top seniors will be leaving the Orange after this season, but that doesn’t mean the team will return its three best players. Sophomore PG Jonny Flynn, junior shooting guard Eric Devendorf and junior forward Paul Harris all turned pro early, turning the Orange from a potential Top 5 team to perhaps the fifth best in the league. Without Flynn, look for either 6’1″ sophomore Scoop Jardine or 6’3″ freshman Brandon Triche to take over as the floor leader. Jardine missed last season because of a leg injury, while the underrated Triche has Syracuse insiders excited. With the departure of Devendorf, 6’6″ sharpshooting senior Andy Rautins will likely move over from small forward. That’s because he has to make room for 6’7″ Iowa State transfer Wesley Johnson, a potential all-star candidate who can both rebound and shoot. At power forward, the Orange return burly 6’9″ junior Rick Jackson who performed well this season and improved greatly as the season progressed. Other talented wings include 6’6″ Mookie Jones, a freshman that was redshirted after incurring a leg injury early in the season, 6’7″ wings Kris Joseph, a sophomore, and James Southerland, a freshman. At center, big 6’9″ 275 pound senior center Arinze Onuaku will return as a starter and he will 6’11″ freshman DaShonte Riley. Bottom line- Even without the three veterans, the Orange will have a squad with some interesting young talent. Just because they aren’t what they expected to be, they still have the potential to be an excellent team.

6. Georgetown- It wasn’t the best year for John Thompson III and this is the year to see if it was just a one year glitch, or if it’s a sign that the scars run deep. That’s why it is imperative for Thompson and the program to turn things around immediately. Things got off to a great start for Thompson when, turning his back on being a probable top 5 draft pick, 6’11″ sophomore Greg Monroe returns. Monroe has huge amounts of talent, but he must be more aggressive this season or the Hoya could again be pushed around. DaJuan Summers has already left for the NBA, but that may not be the worst thing for the Hoyas. The new leaders of the team are 6’1″ junior PG Chris Wright and 6’4″ junior SG Austin Freeman, a very talented duo. At SF, incoming freshman 6’5″ Hollis Thompson will push for a starting job. Other players, such as 6’8″ junior Nikita Mescheriakov, 6’2″ sophomore Jason Clark, 6’9″ junior Julian Vaughn, and 6’10″ center Henry Sims will have to make major improvement. Bottom line- The program fell off the rails a little this season and infighting only made matters worse. But with great talents like Monroe, Wright, and Freeman, the Hoyas have the raw talent to right the ship.

7. Pittsburgh- Levance Fields and Sam Young are huge losses, and a third starter, Tyrell Biggs will also graduate. If that’s not bad enough, beastly star center DeJuan Blair also decided to leave early. Replacing Biggs at PF will be elite 6’9″ freshman Dante Taylor. That is seen as an immediate upgrade, even with the huge difference in experience. Replacing Young at SF will not be as easy, however. Both 6’6″ junior Gilbert Brown and 6’4″ junior Bradley Wanamaker have moments where they excel, but both also have much improvement to make if they want to even come close to approaching Young’s output. The duo are the two most experienced players on the team, though, and they may both find themselves in the starting lineup. Freshman Lamar Patterson and sophomore Nasir Robinson, both 6’5″, will also battle for playing time at SF, and 6’8″ redshirt freshman Dwight Miller and 6’8″ freshman Talib Zanna will support in the low blocks. At SG, 6’3″ junior college transfer Jermaine Dixon was a big surprise this season with his excellent athleticism and heady play, but he tailed off dramatically at the end of the season. His development this season is essential. At PG, the loss of Fields may be the hardest to overcome. Travon Woodall, is slightly built at 5’11″, and inexperienced after redshirting this season as a freshman, but he has catlike quickness and the New York City area moxy that Pitt has come to know in their floor generals. His ability to learn quickly is a must. Backing up both guards will be 6’2″ Ashton Gibbs, a deadly three point shooter who will have to start at the point if Woodall fails. He will see a lot of minutes. Bottom line- With such an inexperienced team, it’s unlikely that even Jamie Dixon’s wizardry could make the Panthers a major contender. But anybody completely dismissing a Jamie Dixon team, though, would be foolish.

8. Notre Dame- To say things didn’t go as planned for the Irish this season is an understatement. The Irish were picked to be a possible Top 5 team nationally this season, but instead ended up in the NIT. To make matters worse for coach Mike Brey, the Irish lose Kyle McAlarney, Zach Hillesland, Luke Zeller and Ryan Ayers after the season, and they are four of the Irish’s top six scorers. Luckily, though, 6’8″ Luke Harangody is back, and he has been the most productive player in the league over the last two seasons. Also returning is talented 5’11″ senior PG Tony Jackson. Eligible after transferring is 6’3″ Ben Hansbrough and 6’8″ Scott Martin. Both are talented and good offensively. Other returnees are 6’3″ SG Jonathan Peoples, 6’8″ junior forward Tyrone Nash, and 6’7″ junior forward Carleton Scott. None of the three has seen a lot of time in their careers. Four freshman will arrive on the scene, 6’8″ forwards Mike Broghammer, Jack Cooley, and Tom Knight, as well as 6’5″ wing Joey Brooks, but none of them are expected to make a huge initial impact. Bottom line- The top four of Harangody, Jackson, Hansbrough, and Martin is excellent, but then what? After the first four, there is a big drop off, and once again it looks like the Irish will be all offense and no defense. You can’t win big in this league by doing that.

9. Cincinnati- It took a few years for Mick Cronin to replenish the roster, but next season should finally be the season that the Bearcats could find themselves back in the NCAA tournament hunt. Senior SG Deonta Vaughn is an all-conference performer but because of the preseason season ending injury to freshman PG Cashmere Wright, Vaughn was forced to play out of position. Wright will be back to take over the point now and Vaughn gets to move back to his ideal position. The result is that both spots will be improved. At center, big 6’9″ 255 pound Yancy Gates returns after an impressive freshman season. He is very talented and should make a big jump as a sophomore. At PF, Mike Williams did not get his sixth year of eligibility and should be replaced by 6’8″ 255 pound sophomore Stephen Toyloy. At SF, 6’6″ junior starter Rashad Bishop returns, but he will have to hold off 6’3″ Larry Davis, who started at SG this season, as well as 6’3″ sophomore Dion Dixon. Bottom line- With eight of his top ten players back, plus the return of Wright, Cronin may finally be able to convince the Cincinnati faithful that life goes on without Bob Huggins.

10. Seton Hall- Fiery coach Bobby Gonzalez is under pressure to turn the Pirates around and if his highly thought of transfers mesh with his returnees, he may finally have that happen. SG Paul Gause is the only player graduating and his spot will be taken by 6’2″ Missouri transfer Keon Lawrence. Starting at PG for the fourth season will once again be 6’0″ senior Eugene Harvey. Backing him up again will be his eventual heir apparent, 6’0″ sophomore Jordan Theodore. The threesome form a talented corps. Returning on the wing is the league’s second leading scorer, 6’5″ junior Jeremy Hazell, a dynamite scorer who should be even more effective with a stronger supporting cast. Another returning starter is 6’6″ Robert Mitchell, a former transfer from Duquesne, who is one of the more underrated talents in the league. A fourth starter could also return in the pivot if 6’9″ 265 pound senior John Garcia can make it one more year on his bad knees. If he does, helping him eat up minutes this year should be 6’11″ 340 pound freshman behemoth Melvyn Oliver. Gonzalez must also somehow find a spot for 6’8″ New Mexico State transfer Herb Pope, an intriguing talent who once was considered one of the best high school players in the country. He may be too good not to start. Bottom line- If things come together for Gonzalez, he will have eight very good players on his squad and with that usually comes great success. But the volatile coach has had trouble in the past keeping hold of the reins, and that could be even more difficult this year with a roster full of strong personalities. Without a doubt, the Pirates will be the most intriguing team in the conference this year and they have the potential to finish much higher.

11. Marquette- An era is over as Dominic James, Wesley Matthews, and Jerel McNeal are all gone. But don’t cry too hard for Buzz Williams. While the Golden Eagles will probably take a step down this season, it’s only because their excellent talent is too young. Taking over for James at PG will be either 5’8″ Maurice Acker, who took over for the injured James at the end of the season, or 5’11″ freshman Junior Cadougan. At SG, taking over for McNeal will likely be another newcomer, 6’3″ juco Dwight Buycks. Joining them this year are fellow newcomers, 6’6″ freshmen Jeronne Maymon and Erik Williams. Like Cadougan and Buycks, they are elite level talents. They will join the lone returning star, 6’6″ senior PF Lazar Hayward, an all-conference talent. Also returning are improving 6’6″ junior Jimmy Butler, 6’0″ senior David Cubillan, and 6’10″ Chris Otule. Bottom line- Marquette fans will probably be shocked to see their team so low because the talent is at the level of a team in the Top 25. And it should surprise nobody if the Golden Eagles finished higher. This team may be a little green, but they will drive the rest of the league crazy. Plus, the future is bright.

12. St. John’s- Head coach Norm Roberts has the Red Storm playing hard every night and for the first time in a long time, he is amassing a decent number of good players. One of the program’s best players, Anthony Mason, Jr., was averaging 14.0 ppg when he was injured in the third game of this season. The fact that the senior will redshirt and will be back next season is a huge boost for the team. At PG, 5’9″ junior Malik Boothe returns, and he will again be joined in the backcourt by 6’3″ junior Paris Horne, who made huge strides this season and became one of the most improved players in the league. Returning for his third season as a starter is 6’6″ junior D.J. Kennedy, who is a good athlete and active rebounder. In the pivot, 6’8″ 250 pound junior Sean Evans also returns after a fine sophomore season, but the Red Storm could instead decide with 6’6″ junior Justin Burrell. Also coming off the bench are 6’6″ junior forward Rob Thomas, 6’5″ sophomore guard Quincy Roberts, and 6’10″ 260 pound junior center Dele Coker. Incoming freshman Omari Lawrence, a 6’3″ shooting guard, is talented and will also fight for time. Bottom line- There are many who were calling for Roberts to be fired after last season, but it looks like he may finally have the team on the verge of moving up in the league. There may be no stars in the program, but they also have enough good players to be a possible NCAA tournament bubble team.

13. Providence- Keno Davis was blessed with a veteran cast in his first season, but Jeff Xavier, Geoff McDermott, Weyinmi Efejuku, Jonathan Kale and Randall Hanke won’t be back next season. The Friars played eight players almost exclusively this season, so three others will be back. Those three include lighting quick 5’10″ PG Sharaud Curry, 6’5″ junior wing Marshon Brooks, and 6’4″ senior SG Brian McKenzie. In total, eight seniors will have graduated so Davis will have an almost completely different squad next season. Guards Johnnie Lacy and Vincent Council, and 6’8″ forward Kadeem Batts will be asked to contribute early. Bottom line- Davis proved he can coach a veteran team in the league, but with only three experienced players returning on the entire roster, it could be a long season for the Friars.

14. South Florida- Things haven’t been easy for the Bulls since they’ve joined this juggernaut of a basketball conference, but for the first team since joining, the program is expected to field a competitive team. SG Dominique Jones, a 6’4″ junior, is one of the most underrated talents in the league and could play for anybody. Augustus Gilchrist, a 6’10″ 250 pound sophomore, had a good freshman season and should only improve. Joining them is 6’11″ junior college star Jarrid Famous, who will added much needed height. At PG, 6’3″ senior Chris Howard has good size for the position, but he will have to hold off Ohio State transfer Anthony Crater, who was once an elite recruit. Senior center, 6’10″ Alex Rivas Sanchez adds size on the frontline as does 6’8″ Kansas State transfer Ron Anderson. As for the other newcomers, 6’6″ juco wing Mike Burwell could be a sleeper and 6’4″ SG Shaun Noriega and 6’6″ 230 pound SG Jordan Dumars, son of NBA great Joe Dumars, are three point threats. Bottom line- For the first time since entering the league, the Bulls may have enough to be competitive.

15. Rutgers- The Rutgers faithful thought things were finally starting to turn around behind the recruiting of head coach Fred Hill, but things didn’t quite work out last season, to say the least. The team’s two young stars, 6’2″ SG Mike Rosario and 6’9″ Gregory Echenique return after very good freshman seasons, and their quick progress is imperative this season. Also crucial is the recruitment of 6’0″ juco PG James Beatty, who would immediately give the Scarlet Knights the stabilization that they badly need. If he decides to go elsewhere, talented 6’2″ junior Corey Candler may be forced into the position. Mike Coburn, a 6’0″ junior will also see time at the point, though thus far he has not proven that he can be an effective starter. In the frontcourt, 6’7″ Florida transfer, 6’7″ Jonathan Mitchell, should start at PF and 6’6″ freshman Dane Miller should take over at SF. Another freshman, 6’7″ Austin Johnson will also have to contribute. Bottom line- Rosario and Echenique had good freshman seasons but their growth may be stunted by the fact that they are, by far, the two best players in the program. Hill is desperate to make progress in the program with Rosario and Echenique, because if he doesn’t, the local New Jersey talent may not give the program a look for quite awhile. That doesn’t appear to be in the cards this season, however.

16. DePaul- What has happened to the DePaul program is very sad for those of us who remembered the great teams a few decades ago. But, nevertheless, head coach Jerry Wainwright returns after finishing last season with just one conference win, and that wasn’t until the conference tournament. Leading scorer Dar Tucker inexplicably left early and took his undisciplined game with him. There are two good players returning, however. Will Walker had a hot second half at SG, but at 6’0″ his size isn’t ideal for the position. At center, 6’10″ 255 pound junior Mac Koshwal sometimes looks excellent, especially when rebounding, but consistency has been a problem. Sophomore Jeremiah Kelly, at 6’1″ should take over at the point. Devin Hill, a 6’9″ sophomore will also be in the mix, as will 6’5″ wings Tony Freeland, a freshman, Mike Stovall, a juco and Ohio State transfer Eric Wallace. Bottom line- There’s really nothing to think that the Blue Demons will have anything but a long, arduous season.

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