Big East Basketball: Breaking down the 2017 recruiting class
By Bryan Mauro
Big East basketball has proven over the last few seasons that they are a top conference in the country. How will the 2016 recruiting classes play?
Villanova has become one of the powerhouses of the country over the past couple of seasons. After Villanova, Big East basketball is still very strong. Butler, Xavier, Seton Hall, and Providence are all expected to have solid seasons this year and some will compete within the top-25. There are plenty of important returning players, but let’s take a look at the top recruit each team signed for the class of 2016.
Butler Bulldogs
Located in Indianapolis, Indiana, Butler is near the mecca of college basketball. Butler has always been one of the more underrated teams year in and year out, yet they never seem to have a rebuilding year. Butler lost their head coach Chris Holtmann earlier this summer when he left to take the Ohio State job. The new coach of the Bulldogs is former Butler guard and assistant coach LaVall Jordan. With the Bulldogs current roster and their incoming recruits, Coach Jordan should have no problem getting Hinkle Fieldhouse rocking this year.
Aaron Thompson: Right after coach Holtmann left for Ohio State, there was some speculation about whether or not Aaron would de-commit and go to Ohio State. However, shortly after Holtmann left for Ohio State, Thompson met with coach Jordan and reaffirmed his commitment to Butler. Thompson played a key role in the team’s recent foreign trip and appears poised to make a huge impact for the Bulldogs this year. Thompson is a point guard who can really get after it on the defensive end of the floor. He and Kamar Baldwin should make quite the pair, and will not make it easy on opposing guards.
Creighton Bluejays
Coach McDermott’s Creighton Bluejays has become the class program in the state of Nebraska. Creighton lost a lot of talent this offseason will have to rebuild while still being competitive. The loss of the big man Justin Patton is really going to hurt Creighton. The Bluejays like to spread teams out and Coach McDermott doesn’t play a conventional style of basketball. He likes to have the ability to have any player shoot the ball from anywhere on the floor at any time.
Jacob Epperson: Originally from Australia, this big man is athletic and can protect the rim. He has the potential to be an elite shot blocker at the college level. Epperson has a nice set of post moves and should be able to score without having to come out to the 3-point line. Epperson also has the potential to be one of the better passing big men in the country. Epperson played for one of the premier prep basketball programs in the country, which should help his assimilation into the American style of play.