Big East Basketball: Top five players at each position for 2018-19
By Brian Foley
Big Men
Honorable Mentions: JR Kalif Young (Providence), SO Jacob Epperson (Creighton), SR Nate Fowler (Butler)
5. SO Nate Watson, Providence
6.8 ppg – 1.9 rpg – 0.1 apg – 0.7 bpg – 59.5% FG – 69.6% FT
A spot opened up in the top five big man rankings when Villanova’s Spellman signed with an agent for the NBA Draft. Epperson showed supreme flashes as a rim-running five during the latter portion of the season, while Providence‘s Young also has the chance to emerge as a junior. Ultimately, Watson, a fellow Friar, earned the fifth spot with an All-Freshman campaign a year ago that featured seven double-digit scoring performances. He does need to become a stronger rebounder though; his defensive rebounding rate ranked in just the 26th percentile nationally in 2017-18, an alarmingly low number for a 6-foot-10 center.
Emmitt Holt is a talented player in his own right and could also siphon minutes away from Watson in the Friars’ frontcourt, but his progress from an abdominal injury seems to be moving pretty slowly, according to the Providence Journal. Watson may get the first crack at minutes down low.
4. JR Tyrique Jones, Xavier
7.0 ppg – 4.5 rpg – 0.5 apg – 0.6 bpg – 62.7% FG – 58.9% FT
Jones has crazy athleticism for a 6-foot-9, 243-lb big man, as evidenced here. With frontcourt minutes available (Jones will likely share duties with D-II grad transfer Zach Hankins), Jones finally has the opportunity to show some consistency on both ends of the floor. He will be a major threat down low if he can maintain his defensive intensity from possession to possession, something that has been an issue during his first two years in Cincinnati. If new Xavier head coach Travis Steele can get the best from his budding big man, the Musketeers will be tourney-bound for the sixth straight season.
3. RS JR Martin Krampelj, Creighton
11.9 ppg – 8.1 rpg – 1.2 apg – 67.1% FG – 26.1% 3PT – 62.3% FT
Krampelj was in the midst of a career year when he tore his ACL in January for the third time in his basketball life (second ACL tear at Creighton, one ACL tear prior to coming to the U.S.).
When healthy, Krampelj can do almost anything on the floor. The 6-foot-9 Slovenian has soft hands around the basket and a silky stroke from deep. If he can speed up his three-point shooting motion, Creighton will have a true stretch five to bend opposing defenses. It’s tempting to play Krampelj more than the 23 minutes per game he received last season because of his offensive prowess and defensive rebounding, but with his extensive injury history and Epperson emerging behind him, it’s probably wise for Greg McDermott to platoon the two players in 2018-19.
2. RS SO Taurean Thompson, Seton Hall
(2016-17 stats) 9.2 ppg – 3.8 rpg – 0.6 apg – 54.6% FG – 18.8% 3PT – 64.5% FT
Thompson transferred to Seton Hall after one season with Syracuse, where he provided instant offense in 18 minutes per game. He is adept at making plays off the bounce and finishing in traffic, as well as working in the fast break. Now fresh off his redshirt year, Thompson should easily top his playing time totals from his Syracuse days.
Thompson was a bit of a black hole with the ball as a freshman; he only tallied more than two assists in a game once. His first instinct is to score the ball, which isn’t inherently bad, but it could cause problems within the Pirates’ offense. In their most recent seasons on the court, Powell, Thompson, and Sacred Heart transfer McKnight totaled just 204 assists in over 2,700 minutes played. That equals one assist every 13.4 minutes; Seton Hall’s assist leader last year, Carrington, averaged an assist every 7.5 minutes. Someone is going to need to step up and pass the ball for the Pirates.
1. SR Jessie Govan, Georgetown
17.9 ppg – 10.0 rpg – 2.0 apg – 50.8% FG – 34.8% 3PT – 76.1% FT
Govan’s return to campus was a huge sigh of relief for Patrick Ewing and the Hoyas after frontcourt mate Derrickson surprisingly entered the NBA Draft. Govan has already proved to be a smooth scoring threat down low; look for him to stretch his shooting range this season in an effort to improve his draft stock, whether he has worked on those shots or not. He shot nearly 35 percent from deep last year, but on just 1.5 attempts per game.
Georgetown has a bevy of young, intriguing wings, but the Hoyas need Govan to be a double-double machine nearly every night. His ability to avoid fouls and stay on the court bodes well for the upstarts in blue and gray.