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Big East preview: Conference comes back to pack

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Jeff Goodman

Jeff Goodman is a senior college basketball writer for FOXSports.com. Check out his Yardbarker blog. MORE>>
 
Updated Oct 7, 2009 9:05 PM ET
     
 
The Big East will take a hit this year. Then again, how could it not?

2009-10 preview

Roy Halladay Can't wait for the college hoops season to start? We get you ready for 2009-10 with our preseason guide.
After the league was as dominant as ever a year ago, the Big East lost plenty of its star power and should take a significant step down this season. Gone are guys like Hasheem Thabeet, Jeff Adrien and A.J. Price from UConn. Jonny Flynn, Paul Harris and Eric Devendorf have left Syracuse and so has the Pittsburgh trio of DeJuan Blair, Sam Young and Levance Fields. Providence has completely turned over, and Marquette graduated its guard trio of Jerel McNeal, Wesley Matthews and Dominic James. Louisville's best player, Terrence Williams, is also history. There are still quality teams. Villanova, West Virginia, UConn, Louisville and Georgetown are legitimate Sweet 16 contenders, but it'll be interesting to see what other programs step up.

Top storylines

  • How will the offseason circus surrounding Louisville coach Rick Pitino affect the program? Pitino's affair and impending trial could certainly become a distraction to a team that has enough talent to make a Sweet 16 run.
  • Georgetown plummeted last season after a strong start. Word is that the loss of Jessie Sapp may be addition by subtraction. The Hoyas have more than enough talent with potential lottery pick Greg Monroe and guards Chris Wright and Austin Freeman. They need to make sure the chemistry is right.
  • Who will replace Jonny Flynn at Syracuse? Let's face it. No one. However, will Scoop Jardine be able to effectively run the Orange or will Jim Boeheim go with freshman Brandon Triche? Also, is Iowa State transfer Wesley Johnson as good as Boeheim has stated in the offseason?
  • Can Seton Hall coach Bobby Gonzalez take advantage of a weaker Big East and get his team into the top half of the league? He's got the talent with transfers Herb Pope and Keon Lawrence eligible, and he's also got a quality backcourt with veteran point guard Eugene Harvey and wing Jeremy Hazell.
  • Pittsburgh lost four starters and the fifth, Jermaine Dixon, is coming off two significant foot injuries. Can the Panthers' young and unproven players keep the program at a high level this season?
  • Villanova returns three guards from last year's Final Four club, and Jay Wright also brings in a heralded freshman class. But the key will be whether the Wildcats can replace Dante Cunningham's production and maybe more important, his leadership.
  • UConn coach Jim Calhoun lost three starters, but the Huskies have a chance to remain in the Final Four hunt. Kemba Walker and Jerome Dyson form a terrific backcourt, but the key is up front with unproven guys like Ater Majok and Alex Oriakhi.
  • Four coaches — Jerry Wainright (DePaul), Norm Roberts (St. John's), Fred Hill (Rutgers) and Bobby Gonzalez (Seton Hall) — all have to make strides from a year ago, and the opportunity is there in the Big East this season.

Predicted finish

1. West Virginia
2. Villanova
3. UConn
4. Georgetown
5. Louisville
6. Syracuse
7. Cincinnati
8. Notre Dame
9. Pittsburgh
10. Seton Hall
11. St. John's
12. Marquette
13. Rutgers
14. South Florida
15. Providence
16. DePaul

All-Conference team

Small forward: Devin Ebanks, 6-7, 210, Soph., West Virginia
2008-09 Stats: 10.5 ppg, 7.8 rpg Power forward: Greg Monroe, 6-11, 245, Soph., Georgetown
2008-09 Stats: 12.7 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 2.5 apg, 1.8 spg, 1.5 bpg Center: Luke Harangody, 6-8, 240, Sr., Notre Dame
2008-09 Stats: 23.3 ppg, 11.8 rpg Point guard: Kemba Walker, 6-1, 175, Soph., UConn
2008-09 Stats: 8.9 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 2.9 apg Shooting guard: Scottie Reynolds, 6-2, 190, Sr., Villanova
2008-09 Stats: 15.2 ppg, 3.4 apg Player of the Year: Luke Harangody, 6-8, 240, Sr., Notre Dame Newcomer of the Year: Wesley Johnson, 6-7, 200, Jr., Syracuse (transfer from Iowa State)

Five frosh to watch

Dante Taylor (Pittsburgh): With DeJuan Blair and Sam Young both gone, the athletic freshman power forward will get plenty of opportunities. Lance Stephenson (Cincinnati): He has all the talent in the world, but it'll be interesting to see if the New York scoring wing can be a quality teammate and play in a system. Dominic Cheek, Maalik Wayns, Mouphtaou Yarou (Villanova): Jay Wright has talent coming back from last year's Final Four team, and he welcomes in one of the top recruiting classes in the nation. Alex Oriakhi, Ater Majok, Jamal Coombs-McDaniel (UConn): Majok sat out last season due to NCAA rules. Oriakhi could quickly emerge as a dominant big man, and Coombs-McDaniel brings a versatile game to the table. Deniz Kilicli and Dan Jennings (West Virginia): Bob Huggins finally has a couple of legitimate big men.

Five non-conference games to watch

1. UConn vs. Kentucky at Madison Square Garden (SEC/Big East Challenge), Dec. 9: This is a terrific matchup not only of two talented teams, but also of two coaches in Jim Calhoun and John Calipari who flat-out don't like one another. 2. Louisville at Kentucky, Jan. 3: This rivalry could return to the Duke-UNC level, especially due to the fact that Cardinals coach Rick Pitino and John Calipari aren't the best of friends. 3. Texas at UConn, Jan. 23: They haven't picked the site just yet, but no matter where it is, it'll be a terrific matchup. 4. West Virginia at Purdue, Jan. 1: Two no-nonsense, hard-nosed coaches in Bob Huggins and Matt Painter will face off. 5. UConn at Michigan, Jan. 17: The Huskies travel to Ann Arbor and take on a John Beilein team that has added more talent.
Tagged: Iowa State, Virginia, Kentucky, Marquette, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Providence, Syracuse, West Virginia, Louisville, Villanova, Connecticut, Georgetown, Seton Hall, Texas, Iowa

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