DePaul was the best last place team in the P6. The Big East is very tough.
They were also the best last place team in 2018-19 when they went 7-11 in the BE and 19-17 overall. Heck, they probably have been the best last place team a few times in the last decade.
Butler picks up a quality grad transfer guard from South Carolina.
https://bustingbrackets.com/2020/04/17/butler-basketball-dawgs-land-graduate-transfer-jair-bolden/
Ehhh a lot of other years had mind blowing non con losses and 18-19 it only came together in conference. This year they truly were the best last place team.
I would argue that finishing strong in 18-19 (as opposed to their epic face-plant down the stretch this year) makes it even clearer that they were the best last place team.
However unlikely, Saddiq Bey could still return to Villanova as well.
Fair enough. Guess it depends if you mean best last place as in better than other conferences or best last place meaning able to compete within the conference.
Mike Anderson did a nice job with very little at The Johnnies and I would not be surprised to see him take that team up a notch. Georgetown has some question marks.
Honestly, I think it means a little of both. But making the distinction between the two is difficult because non-conference games are always weighted toward the early season, and conference games occur late. So the difference between 18-19 and 19-20 might not lie so much in whether DePaul was "better than other last place teams" or "more able to compete within the BE" as it was in starting slow one season and starting hot the other.
Put another way, maybe DePaul just appeared to be better than the last place teams of other conferences last season simply because they started hot. And maybe the season before, they didn't appear as strong simply because they started slow.
Anyhow, to-MAY-toes vs to-MAH-toes. Either way, they are still the last place team, but not bad as far as last place teams go....
https://twitter.com/jonrothstein/status/1253655303398318080?s=21That is definitely a tough schedule for Creighton.
This is no surprise at all...
Evan Daniels
@EvanDaniels
·
50s
DePaul forward Paul Reed is bypassing his remaining college eligibility and signing with Ron Shade of Octagon for his professional representation, a source tells @247Sports
. Reed averaged 15.1 PPG and 10.7 RPG this past season.
Georgetown's five year record since 2015: 78-82, 31-59 in the Big East.
And for 20-21? Georgetown loses 63% of its scoring and returns two starters, each of which shot under 39 percent on the season.
Some Analysis on Villanova by the U Conn website. First in a series by this website
https://www.theuconnblog.com/2020/6/1/21275739/uconn-huskies-mens-basketball-back-to-the-big-east-villanova
Wojo has yet to solve the Creighton experiment. This doesn’t help.
Seven wins in 12 games for Wojo against Creighton.
Seven wins in 12 games for Wojo against Creighton.Sorry, should have been more clear.
I think we have enough to worry about with MU. DePaul will be DePaul but does it really matter to an MU fan?
The end of the JLP era will lead to big changes in the DePaul basketball program.Leitao would be an idiot to agree to a buyout.
JLP extended Leitao's contract to 2023-24 but that means DePaul can figure when to set the buyout, as early as the end of 2021-22. A new athletic director will be under significant pressure to resuscitate the program and try to recover what is left of the fan base in Chicago.
Any tangible movement by DePaul out of the basement will put pressure on Georgetown and St. John's to avoid dropping down further. Villanova's success has bought the Big East some flexibility but the idea that the league's top three TV markets are at the bottom of the league is a net negative.
The end of the JLP era will lead to big changes in the DePaul basketball program.DePaul has been making steady progress the last few years. The on court product has been much better and recruiting has been consistent. The Big East is a tough conference top to bottom , so upward traction for DePaul will take time. The addition of U -Conn to the league makes the hurdle even tougher for everyone.
JLP extended Leitao's contract to 2023-24 but that means DePaul can figure when to set the buyout, as early as the end of 2021-22. A new athletic director will be under significant pressure to resuscitate the program and try to recover what is left of the fan base in Chicago.
Any tangible movement by DePaul out of the basement will put pressure on Georgetown and St. John's to avoid dropping down further. Villanova's success has bought the Big East some flexibility but the idea that the league's top three TV markets are at the bottom of the league is a net negative.
DePaul has been making steady progress the last few years. The on court product has been much better and recruiting has been consistent. The Big East is a tough conference top to bottom , so upward traction for DePaul will take time. The addition of U -Conn to the league makes the hurdle even tougher for everyone.
DePaul's success will roughly track their ability to get fans into Wintrust. If they can get 6,000 to 7,000 consistent attendance ( with actual fans in the seats), they may start to have some semblance of a home court advantage and their conference record could improve. Winning conference home games will help DePaul's greatly.
DePaul has been making steady progress the last few years. The on court product has been much better and recruiting has been consistent. The Big East is a tough conference top to bottom , so upward traction for DePaul will take time. The addition of U -Conn to the league makes the hurdle even tougher for everyone.
DePaul's success will roughly track their ability to get fans into Wintrust. If they can get 6,000 to 7,000 consistent attendance ( with actual fans in the seats), they may start to have some semblance of a home court advantage and their conference record could improve. Winning conference home games will help DePaul's greatly.
DePaul is 19-71 in Big East play over the past five seasons. In what world is that "steady progress the last few years"?
Well, they did go 15-75 in the 5 years before that so it is technically progress...
But also their ratings in KenPom have gone from being in the high 100s/low 200s to the 75-125 range under Leitao. Still good for the basement of the Big East but they may be closer to busting out
DePaul is 19-71 in Big East play over the past five seasons. In what world is that "steady progress the last few years"?
DePaul is 19-71 in Big East play over the past five seasons. In what world is that "steady progress the last few years"?I am mot going to actually look it up, but I am guessing their record against MU is significantly better than the 21.11% winning percentage that 19-71 calculates out to be.
There are three crowds in the Big East right now:
1. The "Leaders": Villanova
2. The "Challengers": Creighton, UConn, Seton Hall, Marquette, PC, Xavier, Butler
3. The "Good Old Days": St. John's, Georgetown, DePaul
There are three crowds in the Big East right now:MU and CU in the same conversation is a joke.
1. The "Leaders": Villanova
2. The "Challengers": Creighton, UConn, Seton Hall, Marquette, PC, Xavier, Butler
3. The "Good Old Days": St. John's, Georgetown, DePaul
MU and CU in the same conversation is a joke.
This feels pretty accurate to me. I can't believe everyone fully jumping on the Creighton train. Looking at their On/Off splits last year regarding Ty-Shon Alexander, they weren't just worse, they were downright terrible without him:It’s a new season for everyone in the league . Alexander is a loss ,however Creighton is returning the rest of their lineup plus a solid transfer is becoming eligible. They play good team ball so having 8 solid rotation players makes them a formidable team. Zegarowski is an All Big East player and dynamic playmaker .(https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55db761ce4b0d9cdccddad7d/1598284427214-ZRMGU6KKP9XRCKXH6TTO/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kB4H1sHmCw_ahROZgYkzsRZZw-zPPgdn4jUwVcJE1ZvWEtT5uBSRWt4vQZAgTJucoTqqXjS3CfNDSuuf31e0tVHXPht8k_0AMU46un4wZY7pug_Arn3SPNuDoeMGRc0jhR926scO3xePJoa6uVJa9B4/Ty-Shon+Alexander+Hoop+Lens.PNG?format=500w)
I saw the 3MW case (https://www.three-man-weave.com/3mw/creighton-2020-21-preview) that it isn't that big of a deal because it was mostly garbage time and he rarely came out, but they don't have any other proven offensive commodities besides Zegarowski that have anything like a go-to mindset and defensively Alexander was the only guy who gave anything resembling effort on that end.
EDIT: After Marquette's losses to end the year, Alexander was the clear BEPOY choice and would've been the clear BEPOY preseason pick and a legit NPOY candidate had he returned. How Creighton goes from top-10ish to top-15ish without someone of his caliber is baffling to me.
It’s a new season for everyone in the league . Alexander is a loss ,however Creighton is returning the rest of their lineup plus a solid transfer is becoming eligible. They play good team ball so having 8 solid rotation players makes them a formidable team. Zegarowski is an All Big East player and dynamic playmaker .
MU and CU in the same conversation is a joke.
They had pretty much all that last year and were terrible without Alexander. I'm just pointing out that there are a lot of reasons to consider selling high on Creighton early, and it really wouldn't be that surprising to see them closer to the middle-bottom of the league and on the bubble if someone can't replace Alexander, especially on the defensive end of the court where he was the only reliable stopper.Antawn Jones is projected to be a big addition in defense.
Most every other team in The Big East is losing key players as well and those teams ,with the exception of Nova, have no where near the same supporting cast as Creighton.
I get the high ceiling argument, I just think people are missing a potentially lower floor. Alexander was a potential NPOY & they were beyond god-awful without him last year. Crowning them as a top-15 team, which seems the consensus, feels very risky to me.Though, the Jays now have size with the return of 6’11’ Jacob Epperson along with Top 75 frosh 7’0” Ryan Kalkbrenner as well as a highly rated 6’4” international player Rati Andro........ Could have a deep team.
If it all hits, I can see top-15. But if it doesn't, I can see bubble team. They look very similar to a Seton Hall, Providence, UConn, or Marquette.
I get the high ceiling argument, I just think people are missing a potentially lower floor. Alexander was a potential NPOY & they were beyond god-awful without him last year. Crowning them as a top-15 team, which seems the consensus, feels very risky to me.Looks like Creighton has been reading your posts. Taking the attitude that they have to prove themselves and not buying into PR.
If it all hits, I can see top-15. But if it doesn't, I can see bubble team. They look very similar to a Seton Hall, Providence, UConn, or Marquette.
PG: Carton/Sy
SG: Koby/Elliot
SF: Akanno (I’m buying the hype)/Cain
PF-C: Theo/Garcia/Oso/Lewis
I understand there is a lot of unknowns here but on paper I’m so excited to see what this team can do and surprised you don’t think they could challenge for the top tier of the conference.
Not sure there will be a player who averages more then 12-13ppg but decent shot we have 7-8 averaging in the 8-12 range. Can’t wait to get things started!!
Look, I'm pretty excited for this coming year's team. Carton is a game-changer for us and with Garcia and Oso, I'm of the view we may be a contender for the league championship. The may depends on two factors -- how the freshmen develop and whether Coach Wojo "coaches up" and gets the most out of what he has.
Going into the season, this may be one of the most talented teams we've had in several years. I'm just very optimistic at this point.
Tough break for Butler. Their top-rated FR, Scooby Johnson, tore his ACL. He was Michigan's Mr. Basketball last season.https://bustingbrackets.com/2020/09/01/butler-basketball-bulldogs-roster-outlook-losing-scooby-johnson/
Random connection. I knew the name because I watched him bury a game winning three to win the state championship against my dad's old high school. Had no idea at the time he would be heading to Butler.
Look, I'm pretty excited for this coming year's team. Carton is a game-changer for us and with Garcia and Oso, I'm of the view we may be a contender for the league championship. The may depends on two factors -- how the freshmen develop and whether Coach Wojo "coaches up" and gets the most out of what he has.
Going into the season, this may be one of the most talented teams we've had in several years. I'm just very optimistic at this point.
Crazy as it may sound, I think trading Markus for Carton may be close to a wash. There's a reason why Carton is projected as a first round draft pick in a few services. Theoretically, improvement from McEwen/Greg/Cain/Symir and the addition of the newbies could make up for the loss of Anim/Johnson/Bailey/Morrow. I still see this as a tournament team....though barely.
My biggest concern is the defense. We went from a solid defensive team through 25 games to a complete sieve for the last 5 and it wasn't like we were playing elite offenses (except Seton Hall). I think our Adj D on Kenpom went from 40ish to 73 during that 5 game stretch. To me, that's a coaching problem. Can't let that happen again.
Theoretically, this should be the most defensively versatile roster we've ever had under Wojo. I'll be interested to see what if anything he does with it.
Greg is the only weakness, but the older he gets the stronger he should play.
Katz bracket
https://mobile.twitter.com/marchmadness/status/1311021871954096144/photo/1
Looks like Katz’s Wisky bias as come out. MU has to many question marks for this season with 5 new players.
What's interesting is the amount of volatility within both the Katz brackets and the overall assessment of the college basketball scene for the coming year.This year we will have what will look like a typical Ed Cooley Providence team. That is one very talented player ( Carton) surrounded by a whole lot of seasoned hard working types. I generally don't expect much from freshman, hope by the end of conference season they are able to be contributors. We have enough talent to compete with the rest of the conference, execution is the key as you point out.
I'll say it again -- we're better than what most people think we are. How good we become depends on how well Coach Wojo coaches our team up in the fall. If we play together and quickly learn reasonable defense, we're going places.
If it's Carton and Garcia show, with everyone else as props, we're doomed.