Big East Basketball: Top five players at each position for 2018-19
By Brian Foley
Forwards
Honorable Mentions: RS SR Marvin Clark II (St. John’s), JR Sean McDermott (Butler), SO Jamorko Pickett (Georgetown)
5. SO Naji Marshall, Xavier
7.7 ppg – 4.4 rpg – 1.6 apg – 53% FG – 34.9% 3PT – 75.3% FT
Marshall is a popular pick to break onto the scene in 2018-19 as Xavier looks to replace plenty of key minutes on the wing. Marshall already played nearly 22 minutes per game as a freshman, so it’s fair to assume he will average roughly 30 minutes a night this season.
The 6-foot-7 forward showed all the signs of a future star as a freshman, posting efficient shooting numbers from inside and outside the three-point line.Marshall is also a plus defender with room to grow on that end of the floor. If he can clean up his turnover rate, he will be one of the best all-around weapons in the Big East this season.
4. JR Alpha Diallo, Providence
13.2 ppg – 6.6 rpg – 2.3 apg – 46.6% FG – 21.4% 3PT – 73.3% FT
Diallo has taken impressive leaps in each of his first two seasons with the Friars, going from a complementary role player as a freshman to a key starter as a sophomore. Now he must take that next step towards stardom as a junior. Diallo actually tied for the Providence lead in usage rate last year with the since-graduated Cartwright. Leading scorer Bullock is also gone, as is starter Jalen Lindsey. There is some pressure on Diallo to keep the ball rolling for a program that has found new life recently.
Diallo lives at the basket on offense. In fact, nearly half of his shots last year came at the rim, resulting in Diallo hitting over two-thirds of such attempts. He more than holds his own on the glass and he also has a nifty little post game that he breaks out from time to time. Diallo does need to work on his jump shot, as he is just a career 22 percent shooter from beyond the arc and often hesitates when he has the opportunity to let it fly.
3. RS SR Max Strus, DePaul
16.8 ppg – 5.6 rpg – 2.7 apg – 40.8% FG – 33.3% 3PT – 80.3% FT
Strus is the shining light amidst the black hole that is Blue Demons basketball. He needs to clean up his shooting efficiency as a senior, but his all-around skill set at his size makes him a potential NBA prospect next summer. A good season for DePaul in 2018-19 would be avoiding last place; that could happen if Strus polishes his game and gets some help from the Blue Demons’ backcourt of Eli Cain and Jalen Coleman-Lands.
2. RS SR Eric Paschall, Villanova
10.6 ppg – 5.3 rpg – 2.2 apg – 53.3% FG – 35.6% 3PT – 81.3% FT
Paschall and Booth have to be looking around wondering what just happened. And while Booth will be tasked with filling the shoes of Brunson and DiVincenzo, Paschall will have to take over for Bridges and Spellman.
Paschall is no stranger to on-court responsibility. He started every game he was healthy for last year, and in 2014-15, he averaged 15.9 points and 5.5 rebounds as a freshman in his lone season at Fordham. He should improve on those marks now that he is four years older and in Jay Wright’s superb offensive system. The Wildcats might not be preseason national title contenders, but with Paschall, Booth, Cremo, and a top-20 recruiting class, Villanova is still the class of the Big East.
1. JR Sam Hauser, Marquette
14.1 ppg – 5.7 rpg – 2.9 apg – 49.9% FG – 48.7% 3PT – 83.6% FT
Hauser has been the most efficient player in the Big East over his first two seasons, and will see an even bigger role as a junior. He cannot be guarded on spot-up threes, and is the linchpin of Marquette’s devastating pick-and-pop action. Hauser’s screen game with an MU guard also opens up the entire floor for the ball handler if the defense does stick with Hauser off the screen (just ask Georgetown). Hauser also added an effective post game as a sophomore, giving Marquette yet another option late in the shot clock.
Hauser played last season on a bad hip that clearly hampered him towards the end of the season and into the NIT. If he returns from offseason surgery at 100 percent, expect his numbers to continue to climb.