Conference play for the Big East basketball is right around the corner. Let’s revisit some preseason questions for the conference.
1. Does Villanova run away with the regular season title?
With the exception of possibly Michigan State in the Big Ten, there doesn’t seem to be a larger gap between first place and everyone else than the Wildcats in the Big East. Xavier and Creighton are just too inconsistent to win a two-month marathon for the conference title.
2. What are the ceilings for Seton Hall and Providence?
Seton Hall hasn’t been as good as advertised, but the potential remains. Angel Delgado is a double-double machine and Desi Rodriquez has emerged as the top scorer for the team. If Khadeen Carrington can play up to his potential, the Pirates can still be a Sweet 16 team.
As for Providence, the goal is simply to make the NCAA tournament. Despite returning just about everyone from a year ago, injuries and poor play have derailed this team so far. The Friars will need a great showing in league play to be a part of March Madness.
3. Where does St. John’s need to finish for Chris Mullin to feel safe?
Sometimes, the goal is just not to do any harm in the non-conference in regards to the resume. For St. John’s, losses to Missouri and Arizona State are nothing to be ashamed of.
As far as the wins go, none are great right now, but Central Florida, Grand Canyon, and Iona could look good on the overall resume. As long as the Red Storm avoids losing to DePaul and Georgetown, and adds a couple of top-50 wins, they should be good to go for March.
4. Can Marquette play defense this year?
Last season, the Golden Eagles were ranked 260th in scoring defense. This season so far, they’re ranked No. 211. In half of the games this season, Marquette has given up at least 80 points. Without Haanif Cheatham, arguably the best defender on the team, who transferred out of the program, the spotlight now shines on everyone else to play better on the defensive end.
5. Can Patrick Ewing keep the bottom from coming out?
This answer would be better served waiting for conference play, but if the Syracuse game was any indication, there may be hope for the Hoyas after all. Georgetown actually led for a good part of the game against the Orange before losing in overtime.
Next: Big East rankings (version 4)
Due to the level of competition, the numbers of their players have to be taken with a grain of salt. Jessie Govan is a good player, though, and his averages of 19.8 ppg and 12.6 rpg are still impressive. He could very well be one of the best players in the Big East and the next couple of months might show it.