Too Early Big East Preview

Football season is on the way, which means we’re just a few months away from basketball being back on our televisions. 

Here's my Too Early Big East Preview, which contains my thoughts on all eleven Big East teams, as we stand two months away from College Basketball gracing our televisions.

(Note: some of these opinions might change as I look more nationally or into a transfer a little more).

Butler

The main win for the Bulldogs this offseason was retaining Pierre Brooks and Jahmyl Telfort for their final seasons of college basketball. The duo there could mark the best wing duo in the conference. Butler did a very good job of adding depth at those positions, bringing in Jamie Kaiser, a transfer I am very high on compared to others, and Patrick McCaffery. Those Two Players add much-needed versatility, bench depth and provide lineup flexibility that this team will certainly need. Do not be surprised if we see some lineups with McCaffery at the five.

Finley Bizjack provided Butler fans with a brief scare when he entered the transfer portal, but the former four-star G decided to return to the Bulldogs. Bizjack started the season slow but started to heat up as he got more acclimated, including a huge performance at home against Marquette. If Butler is to perform at their ceiling, Bizjack will be a large part of that.

As much as I have written at length about how much I love Bizjack, I have questions about this backcourt. Joining Bizjack are three-star freshman Evan Haywood, returning backup PG Landon Moore and Tulane transfer Kolby King. 

King plays with a very similar swagger to DJ Davis. King either pops off in some games or largely goes invisible in others. King also was the fifth-leading scorer on a Tulane team that went 6-14 in American conference play. King might be asked to play as many minutes as he did last season (28) in the Big East. It’s a jump in competition, and Butler will need him to retain that same role and production taking said jump in competition, which will be a tall (but achievable) task.

Also, interior play is a massive question. Butler loses Jalen Thomas, who was their best Big in conference play. As mentioned above, I would not be surprised to see Patrick McCaffery run some small ball five. Butler will be asking one of either Andre Screen or Boden Kapke to step up as a starting center in the Big East. That’s a very tall (pun intended) task for either man, who combined for just two games last season with over 20 minutes played in conference play. I need to see one of these guys prove they are a Big East caliber starting center before I can fully buy this Butler roster.

The wing duo of Brooks and Telfort is as good as anyone in the league. The depth Butler has at that position is also elite. The guards have potential, but need to prove it. The bigs have to prove their worth, and Butler has to improve defensively if they want to be dancing for the first time since 2018.

Connecticut

UConn has to be ranked first in the conference. They have won back-to-back national titles, they are first until someone beats them. They retained their entire staff, which is a massive win. That said, I see a lot of people ranking UConn nationally as a surefire Top Five team, and I think that’s quite aggressive at this moment. They feel fringe Top Ten preseason to me.

Over the last two seasons, you know the two where UConn won national titles, they had 6 NBA draft picks. Three of those guys went in the lottery. UConn lost two top-seven picks, from their team a season ago. If UConn is to hit those lofty expectations once again, do we have to see another two first-round picks? Another lottery pick? Who’s that guy on this team?

I feel like this team is a step behind the last two in talent. I don’t know how confident I am in Samson Johnson and Hassan Diarra to be starters on a Top Five/Ten team. Those guys are solid Big East players, but Top Ten? I need to see it first.

UConn’s freshman class will feature another frontrunner to win Big East Freshman of the Year, Liam McNeeley. McNeeley knows what it takes to win, and will play a similar role as he did at Montverde. McNeeley is a three-point marksman, with legit size to guard multiple positions, and the ability to create his own shot. His jumper is just money, it’s such a beautiful release.

UConn brought in Aidan Mahaney from St. Mary’s and Tarris Reed from Michigan via the transfer portal. Mahaney first, he’s an excellent college player. Mahaney is more of a scorer than a pure shooter to me. His jumper is very good, but he really excels in ball screen actions. I’ve been very high on Mahaney since his freshman year at St Mary’s, and expect him to hit the ground running at UConn. Mahaney has been a winner since he stepped foot in college, but the next step is seeing how he matches up against athleticism, something he struggled with at SMC. 

For Tarris Reed, he was one of Michigan’s two productive players a season ago. He can score with either hand on the block and is physically imposing down low. Not the quickest or most switchable defensively, but will be a productive enough Big East player.

One of Solo Ball or Ahmad Nowell feels destined to break out in the backcourt this year. It just feels due. Nowell is an incredible passer and we saw what Ball could do at the beginning of the last season, and I’m excited to see how he evolves over the Summer.

Creighton

Ryan Kalkbrenner robbed Donovan Clingan of Big East DPOY last year. That said, Creighton returning Kalkbrenner more or less guarantees them a Top-25 defense for as long as he plays (19, 14 and 24 in KenPom defensive efficiency the last three years).

Replacing Baylor Scheierman and Trey Alexander is a very tall task. Those were the two engines to Creighton offensively, and some of the greatest players the program has ever seen.

Pop Isaacs and Jamiya Neal will be asked to replace those two. Isaacs is a shot hunter. He’s a high-volume scorer, who can play on or off the ball, but largely is more effective with the ball in his hands, which should help take some pressure off Steven Ashworth.

Neal brings some much-needed athleticism to Omaha. That said, it’s going to feel weird that Creighton’s 2-3 combo aren’t elite shooters. He shot 27.5% from three on almost 4.5 attempts per game and was 66% from the free-throw line. Neal is a downhill wing, he is best at and around the basket.

At the four, there are some options. Jackson McAndrew is a very highly touted freshman with a beautiful jumper, but I’m unsure he will play a ton in his first year. Mason Miller returns after shooting 45% from three this year, but suffered a leg/knee injury this summer. Hopefully, he’s back in time for the start of the season.

Lastly, Fedor Zugic has just announced he’s coming to Creighton. Zugic is an experienced international talent and one of the best shooters coming to the conference. He just committed and might face a suspension, but Zugic will make an impact as soon as he steps foot on the court, and might even be ready to start for the Jays by Big East play, if not sooner.

I think the depth is a question with this team, as it has been recently with Creighton. I don’t know who backs up Isaacs/Ashworth, and we know how steep the drop-off is between Kalkbrenner and everyone behind him. I think they’re good, feel fringe Top 25 to me currently.

DePaul

Chris Holtmann returns to the Big East to rebuild this DePaul program. It will take time, but Holtmann knows how to win in the Big East. At Butler, one thing he very notably did, was take away your best option. He would make someone else beat you. If they did, fair play, but it was always a tough night for your star player against Chris Holtmann’s Butler Bulldogs.

DePaul had a very clear point of emphasis in the transfer portal: shooting. Of their 10 transfers, seven of them shoot above 36% from three. Almost all of their mid-major transfers do, excluding NJ Benson who’s a small, physical five-man. Five of those transfers shot above 40% from deep.

DePaul will have an identity. DePaul also has some solid young talent. Layden Blocker is a name to watch. Blocker was a top 60 recruit coming out of high school known for his elite athleticism and speed.

David Thomas and Jacob Meyer are two mid-major transfers who come to DePaul after very successful freshman seasons. Both players shot exactly 40.2% from beyond the arc. Thomas and Meyer both averaged double figures at Mercer and Coastal Carolina respectively, with Meyer averaging 15.7PPG on very effective shooting splits.

Connor Enright and David Skogman transfer over from solid mid-major programs. Enright was the floor general at Drake, who had back-to-back very successful seasons. He is a pass-first PG with an excellent jumper, as he shot 43.9% from beyond the arc a season ago. David Skogman comes from Davidson who runs very intricate offense, and Skogman was a crucial piece to that. His ability to step beyond the arc and knock down a jumper (47.1%(!!) from three) or find the open cutter opened up Davidson’s offense.

All that said, I’ve tried to be nice to DePaul. I struggle to see how this roster gets out of the cellar in the Big East. Who are we expecting to be the leading scorer on this team? I don’t know if I can confidently peg anyone to fill that role, or how the top-end talent on this roster competes with others in the Big East. 

This is a complete rebuild year, and if you are a DePaul fan you just have to hope to see flashes from this group. Hope to see flashes of connected play, flashes from some of the talented sophomores and enough to buy into the rebuild. There will be some ugly games, but if this team can look competitive in conference play, that’s a good building block to start the Holtmann era.

Georgetown

After a first year that was… ungood, Ed Cooley heads his second year as Hoya Head Coach, looking for a much-needed spark.

The Hoyas return Jayden Epps and Drew Fielder. That’s it, those are the only two guys who logged minutes last season who are back. Epps is a scoring machine, as Big East fans know, and Fielder was much better down the stretch, averaging 7PPG over Georgetown’s last seven games.

Georgetown attacked the portal early and locked in two huge commits. Micah Peavy was first, bringing elite activity defensively. Peavy has been on Top 50 defenses his entire career and was TCU’s leader in DBPR last season per Evan Miya.

Malik Mack has star potential coming over from Harvard. Mack started at PG for the Crimson and averaged 20.1PPG, 4.4APG and 4.0RPG in non-conference play. If Mack can return to that form, the Hoyas have as formidable an offensive 1-2 punch at guard as anyone in the conference. Malik Mack is a straight gamer, he’s a name Big East fans should know.

There are some legitimate defensive concerns with this team, given the small guards, and how woeful the defense was a season ago. Peavy will be in charge of masking that, but one man can only do so much defensively.

That’s where the Hoyas will look to another hyper-athletic, long wing in Jordan Burks. If Georgetown is to perform at their ceiling, Burks will have to shine. Burks comes over after playing a very limited role at Kentucky, but his motor and activity defensively really stand out. Burks was someone I thought was an underrated prospect who unfortunately got buried on a loaded Kentucky roster. I like his potential, but that said we need to see how much of it he’s ready to capitalize on.

Two more freshman pieces I expect to play a substantial role are Thomas Sorber and Drew McKenna. Sorber is a big you can run offense through. He’s a little undersized, but is really skilled, especially from the high post. He can pop out and hit a jumper, or find the open man with his surprising passing ability. Sorber and the recently committed Julius Halaifonua are very different physical profiles at the five, but both are very skilled bigs, who should be fun to watch develop as they start their college careers.

McKenna joined the team midseason last year and redshirted. McKenna’s skillset is college ready, he’s one of those guys who just knows how to score the ball. He needed to get in Big East shape, but his jumper and ability to create off one or two dribbles is noteworthy. 

There are some really promising young pieces on this team. The goal for Georgetown is simple: Grow and develop together, show legitimate promise, and staple your name back as a team that you just can’t walk over. Since the 2016-17 season, the Hoyas have just one season at .500 in conference play and just two, yes two, above 28%. Georgetown needs to show that this young core is for real and that the Hoyas are no longer a team you can pencil down as an easy win.

Marquette

Straight up, I think Marquette should have picked up a transfer this offseason. One guy who could make an immediate impact, ideally in the frontcourt. Of the group of Parham/Amadou/Hamilton/Clark, I don’t know if any are ready for Big East play. I wanted to get that out of the way off the top, especially because I think that’s how the portal is best used (more tape can be done, more dedication to recruiting, fit becomes more of a point of emphasis, etc.).

Marquette will be looking to replace the hole that Tyler Kolek and Oso Ighodaro left. 

Kam Jones steps into that PG role. Jones is an excellent player and has to be a contender for Big East Player of the Year. He played very well off of Kolek, and I’m interested to see how he will be on the ball. Stevie Mitchell and Chase Ross will be as good a 2-3 combo as this conference has defensively. Both can guard multiple positions and can produce offensively, with the duo combining to average nearly 15PPG a season ago. Ross is the better outside threat, while Mitchell gets downhill and scores mainly from inside the arc.

David Joplin returns for his final season in a Golden Eagle uniform, and we know exactly what he brings. He’s a very legitimate scoring threat on the wing, with a legit jumper. Marquette might ask a lot of Joplin this year, is he ready to be the second option offensively?

Here’s a take: I think Oso will be harder to replace than Tyler Kolek. Kam Jones is an all-conference guy, asking to take over for another all-conference guy. Chase Ross has proven he is worthy of the starting spot and brings a defensive intensity on the wings that Kolek didn’t. Obviously, Marquette won’t have their maestro offensively, but Oso was also a great passer. Ben Gold is a much better shooter than Oso was from outside, but Oso saw the floor so well. You could run offense through Oso unlike 90% of bigs in the country, if not more. Oso was also elite defensively. Oso was quick and able to guard multiple positions, especially in ball screen actions. Oso altered tons of shots at the rim and brought the ball up the floor to start the break. There are very few centers you could possibly ask to do that and Oso did it day in, day out. 

Lastly, Damarius Owens is a stud. I absolutely love his game. Owens can defend multiple positions and is hyper-athletic. He’s fast moving up and down the floor, can guard your team's PG, and has an incredible leaping ability. He’s as explosive as any freshman in this conference. He’s also got a good jumper and a very underrated passing ability. He has legitimate guard skills at 6’8”. He will surprise people. If you don’t know the name, you should. Take note.

I have Marquette in the middle of the conference. The floor is very high, but I think their ceiling is capped below where they finished each of the last two seasons.

Providence

The elephant in the room is Bryce Hopkins, who tore his ACL in a game against Seton Hall. We don’t know when Hopkins will be back, but hopefully, he’s at his pre-injury form. We all know how good a healthy Bryce Hopkins is, evidenced by his 2022-23 campaign which saw him receiving all Big East Honors.

Bensley Joseph comes over from Miami as a combo guard with a high shooting pedigree. Joseph averaged 9.6PPG and 3.4 assists and rebounds last season, starting 27/32 games for the Canes. He comes from a pretty open, pace and space system, and should bring similar numbers to Providence. I would expect to see Joseph play a lot next to PG Jayden Pierre, as Joseph thrives off the ball more than on it.

Wesley Cardet transfers in from Chicago State as one of the more boom or bust portal additions across the conference. At Chicago State, Cardet averaged 18.7PPG in his second season, including a 30-point outing in a win over Northwestern. However, against all other power competition, he struggled. Cardet could either be significantly more efficient as a secondary/tertiary option or could be out of sorts without the ball in his hands (color me closer to the “he good” side).

The last two transfers to PC were Jabri Abdur-Rahim and Christ Essandoko. Abdur-Rahim is a microwave scorer. Some days he’s on and goes for 30, other days he’s 1/8 from three. One concern I have with JAR is that his assist-to-turnover ratio last season was a disgusting 10:30. His jumper is money, but he has areas where he needs to show more to be a key guy for this PC team.

Essandoko is going to be the starting center at PC, in all likelihood. As St. Joe's season progressed, Essandoko’s minutes decreased fairly noticeably. He was the only player on that team to have a negative BPR on Evan Miya (in over 500 possessions). He has the potential: 7’0” big man with good hands, who passes well and has a legitimate three-point jumper, but the potential hasn’t been actualized yet (he has three years left, so that’s normal).

Providence will need a lot from Jayden Pierre. Pierre was the starting PG for the Friars last season, showing off improvements after his freshman season. The turnovers were an issue at times, but Pierre can lead this team and will need to take another jump if Providence wants to achieve what they will set out to.

I think I’m lower on PC than most. Providence fans are very loud and optimistic, so I’m possibly gauging the national buzz incorrectly, but they don’t yet feel like a tournament team to me. I think many projections I’ve seen of Providence lean much closer to their ceiling than their floor. Replacing a lottery pick in Devin Carter, who earned Conference Player of the Year with elite play on both ends and Josh Oduro an incredibly effective double-double machine, is significantly easier said than done. A healthy Bryce Hopkins will certainly help, but I still have questions.

Seton Hall

Man, after what was a huge step up in Shaheen Holloway’s second year, the Pirates were robbed of an NCAA Tournament bid. The Pirates then go on to win the NIT, but then lose the majority of their roster to graduation/the transfer portal. Seton Hall only returns three players from a season ago. 

Garwey Dual transfers in from Providence and Scotty Middleton comes over from Ohio State. Both players were Top 60 recruits who averaged about 5PPG a season ago. Both are long athletes who should thrive on the defensive end. Look for Middleton in particular to play a solid role for this team. He should see his scoring output tick up and can build off of shooting 45.2% from three a season ago.

In the backcourt, the Pirates brought in Zion Harmon and Chaunce Jenkins. Harmon is a player I’m really rooting for. Harmon was playing EYBL when he was in seventh grade and was once a Child Prodigy. He bounced around high schools before committing to Western Kentucky. Harmon never suited up at WKU and instead started his playing days in the 2022-23 season at Bethune Cookman. Harmon played two seasons at Bethune Cookman, averaging 14PPG and four assists a game last season before transferring to Seton Hall. His career has been full of ups and downs, but hopefully, Seton Hall is the spot for him.

Chaunce Jenkins is a downhill, slashing, physical guard from Old Dominion. Jenkins thrives getting to the basket and works well as a lead guard. He averaged nearly 16PPG last season for the Monarchs and should fit in well with Holloway’s playstyle.

In the frontcourt, the Pirates bring in Yacine Toumi, Gus Yalden and Prince Aligbe. Toumi plays much more like a wing than a traditional big man. He will need to prove he can deal with the size of Big East competition, but has very impressive ball skills for someone 6’11”. Yalden is a redshirt freshman who was a Top 150 prospect in high school but did not play at Wisconsin. Lastly, Aligbe is another downhill, more physical driver, coming over from Boston College, averaging over 5PPG in two seasons there.

There are a lot of questions with this Seton Hall roster. We know they’re going to fight, scrap and claw for everything, but this roster has a significant hill to climb if they are competitive in the middle of this league. Shaheen Holloway always gets the most out of his guys, but it will take a lot to match last year's results.

St. John’s

It’s largely another completely new roster, but once again, the Johnnies have a reason for optimism. That’s the backcourt. Kadary Richmond transfers over from Seton Hall and is a frontrunner for Big East Player of the Year, and deservedly so. He was a Big East All-First Team player, we all know how good he can be.

Deivon Smith comes to St. John’s after a huge season for Utah. At Utah, Smith averaged 13PPG, 7.1APG and 6.3RPG. He was an absolute star, logging multiple triple-doubles. Smith also shot 40% from three a season ago (I’d be very surprised if that number replicates this season). 

Simeon Wilcher is set up for a huge jump, after showing flashes in his freshman season. Going up against those two in practice every day will only make him better, and should have him ready to produce effectively off the bench.

RJ Luis returns, and showed off all of the athleticism last year. He needs some time to settle in a bit, as he’s shown tendencies to play very recklessly, leading to turnovers, but the talent is there for him to build off of his near 11PPG last season.

Aaron Scott transfers over from North Texas as a legit three and D wing. He’s a long 6’7”, from a very good North Texas defense, and can guard multiple spots while shooting 47% from three a season ago. I’m very high on what Scott brings, I think he fits very well at this level and will be a real factor for St. John’s.

Lastly, the interior will be held down by Zuby Eijofor and Vince Iwuchukwu. Both should play decent minutes, with Zuby being the more proven big, while Vince is more athletic, and flashing potential when he is healthy.

Overall, I have some questions about how all the pieces fit together offensively. Richmond is a downhill driver, as are Smith and Luis. Both Smith and Richmond are significantly better with the ball in their hands… who gives it up? Of those three, only one (Kadary) shoots above 33% from three for their career (33.7%). The Johnnies will need bench players, Simeon Wilcher, Brady Dunlap and one of the freshmen (Glover/Liotopoulos) to come off the bench and convert from the outside.

But where I have all those questions offensively, I think this defense will be terrifying. St. John’s ran this three-quarter court pressure last season that started to frustrate teams. With athletes up front of that, like a very long 6’5” Kadary Richmond, an athlete like Deivon Smith, and RJ Luis who showed how much chaos he can cause in that defense… good luck. Aaron Scott has the versatility to defend multiple positions, while Zuby Eijofor showed his defensive capabilities a season ago and Iwuchukwu can block shots. That defense could easily be the best in the conference, and because of that, I expect to be higher on St. John’s than most. I’ll buy back again, Pitino has me this season. As of today, I’d have them second in the conference.

Villanova

It’s been a weird two years for the Wildcats. The Kyle Neptune era hasn’t started as any Nova fan would like, which makes this a crucial year three.

We know exactly how good Eric Dixon is, Nova is very fortunate to get him back, especially with how close he was to going pro. Dixon played in the Portsmouth Invitational, which likely suspends him for the first three games of the season. Dixon returns alongside Jordan Longino, who has defensive switchability and likely slots into the starting lineup.

Wooga Poplar is the most prominent transfer to the Wildcats, coming back to his hometown of Philadelphia, PA. Poplar averaged 13.1PPG for Miami (FL) and brings a legitimate scoring pedigree. He should be the second leading scorer on this Villanova team, only behind Eric Dixon, with those two making one of the best 1-2 punches in the conference.

Behind those two, there are some questions about this roster. Jhamir Brickus transfers in from La Salle, averaging 13.9PPG and shooting 40% from three. Brickus has the outside shot but does struggle to finish inside. I like his game but have some questions about how does against Big East size and quickness. However, this season there are quite a few smaller Big East backcourts, so I expect Brickus to fit right in and play at a solid level.

Enoch Boakye struggled at Arizona State in his freshman and sophomore seasons but had a good bounce-back season at Fresno State. He averaged 7.5-7.7, really cleaning up the glass in his lone season in the Mountain West. Boakye will be asked to play some five next to Dixon at the four and to add some defensive intensity inside.

Matthew Hodge is a freshman who I really like. He’s skilled, very effective from the high post and passes the ball well. Josiah Moseley is a freshman who our esteemed Tommy Godin raves about, he loves his athleticism and thinks he can translate on day one. Freshman Sasha Gavalyugov should be a good bench guard, he is very effective in the pick-and-roll.

However, there’s the elephant in the room. Straight up, I can’t trust Kyle Neptune, with a less talented roster than he’s had the last two seasons. I think there’s a chance the bottom falls out, even if this roster has some talented pieces that I like. There is a chance this roster fits together better than his first two (Neptune will say at length that this is his first season with a true PG, and he’s not wrong). I will need to see Villanova prove it to me before I buy in and because of that, I will have them fairly low.

Xavier

This Xavier roster is very new. Zach Freemantle and Jerome Hunter both missed last season but played for the Musketeers two seasons back. Hopefully, both will be healthy for the start of the season and ready to compete. I have some questions about Zach Freemantle at the PF position given some speed concerns, especially off the injury, but you can’t deny the offensive talent there, and the energy Jerome Hunter brings.

Dayvion McKnight played a very effective first season, particularly passing with a 3-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. I could make the argument McKnight is the most important player on this Xavier team, given how many scorers surround him. He’s by far their best facilitator and will be very dangerous if he can get these guys the ball in their spots.

Dante Maddox transfers in from Toledo as a very effective scoring guard. He stands 6’2” and can play both on and off the ball (better off the ball), averaging 15.6PPG shooting 40% from three. He gets inside pretty well too, he’s a fairly well-rounded scorer, headlined by his shooting prowess.

Xavier brings in two big-man transfers, John Hugley and Basile Traore. Hugley showed talent in his sophomore season at Pittsburgh, averaging 14.8PPG and 7.9 rebounds per game. He hasn’t hit those numbers since and saw his minutes cut toward the end of his Sooner career.

Traore was a walking double-double for the Beach. He finished eleventh in the country in rebounding, logging 10.3 boards per game. He struggled against Arizona in the Tournament but logged an efficient 12 and 10 against UConn’s Tarris Reed last season when the Beach played Michigan.

Ryan Conwell transfers over from Indiana State, who ran this absolutely magnificent offense. He averaged 16.6PPG there, and nearly six boards a game on near 50/40/90 splits (48.2/40.7/85.5). Straight up, he’s a star. I think he’s the best player on this Xavier team and would not be surprised to see him rocking an NBA jersey soon. 

Conwell is excellent around the rim. He’s comfortable around the rim finishing over taller defenders, particularly with his dominant left hand. He knows how to get there, or cut and find the open spot (his teammate Robbie Avila was an excellent passer, and their offense had so much open space) for an easy two. He comes off of ball screens super well (both on and off the ball), and is always shot-ready. His jumper is excellent by the way (did I mention 40% from three?). He does it all, I’m sky high on what he brings to the table.

Overall, I think Xavier has the widest range of outcomes of any Big East team. If it all goes well, they seem like a team built to challenge at the top. Feels like just about every pundit has them towards the very top of the league. However, if Freemantle and Hunter aren’t 100% healthy and all these scorers don’t play well together I think there’s room for concern. Not to mention on the defensive end, where I have fairly strong questions, as only Hugley enters with a rating above 1.0 DBPR on Evan Miya.

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As we get closer to the season, I’ll have more research done and feel more confident about a Pre-Season Power Ranking. But for now, here are my “Way Too Early, Self Created (In Some Cases), Niche” Awards”:

Player of the Year: Kam Jones 

First Team: Kadary Richmond, Ryan Conwell, Ryan Kalkbrenner, Alex Karaban, Bryce Hopkins

New-To-Big East Transfer of the Year: Ryan Conwell (Malik Mack HM)

Freshman of the Year: Liam McNeeley (if Zugic is ready on day one and considered a freshman, he’s here too)

Most Improved Player: Garwey Dual (Finley Bizjack HM)

Most Likely To get a “Man… This Kid Next Year will Be a Problem” from every single pundit: Damarius Owens