Big East Basketball: Five rising stars set for a big 2018-19 season
By Brian Foley
Big East Basketball is losing a host of top veterans. Here are five players that will make the leap from secondary weapons to on-ball stars.
The Big East is experiencing its most roster turnover since the conference split prior to the 2013-14 season.
Eleven of the thirteen players who received all-conference first-team, second-team, or honorable mention recognition last season are moving onto the professional ranks. That doesn’t even include St. John’s star and usage rate king Shamorie Ponds, who is still yet to make a decision on the NBA Draft.
Usage rate is a quick and dirty mark that shows which player is carrying the offensive load for his team. It measures how often a player finishes a possession with a shot attempt, free throws, or a turnover. Last year, Ponds led the Big East with a 32 percent usage rate. Among the 13 all-conference players in 2017-18, 10 of them finished in the top 15 in usage (defensive aces Mikal Bridges and Khyri Thomas were both ranked in the mid-20’s, as well as Georgetown forward Marcus Derrickson).
Every team in the league is losing at least one key veteran, which opens up the door for several star role players to dramatically increase their offensive responsibilities. Here are five players that flew under the radar last season as complimentary weapons that will not only step into the limelight in 2018-19 but should also push for all-conference awards.
(I did not include any rising sophomores on this list; it’s natural for second-year players to see a jump from bench piece to a key role player. The harder jump is from key role player to full-blown star.)