Busting Brackets
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Big East Basketball: 2018-19 breakout candidates from each team

By Lukas Harkins

PHILADELPHIA, PA - FEBRUARY 10: Sean McDermott #22 of the Butler Bulldogs drives to the basket against Collin Gillespie #2 of the Villanova Wildcats at the Wells Fargo Center on February 10, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - FEBRUARY 10: Sean McDermott #22 of the Butler Bulldogs drives to the basket against Collin Gillespie #2 of the Villanova Wildcats at the Wells Fargo Center on February 10, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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PHILADELPHIA, PA – FEBRUARY 10: McDermott drives to the basket against Gillespie. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA – FEBRUARY 10: McDermott drives to the basket against Gillespie. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

Big East basketball looks poised for a down season in 2018-19. However, these potential breakout stars will look to take their teams to greater heights.

Considering the amount of talent that the Big East basketball conference lost this offseason to graduation and the NBA Draft, it is reasonable to expect a down year from the league. In fact, of the 13 players named to the All-Big East teams (including honorable mention) last season, only two of them are returning for this year. Those players, St. John’s Shamorie Ponds and Marquette’s Markus Howard, are clearly two of the frontrunners to win the Big East Player of the Year award heading into 2018-19 but they are not alone.

A few of the other returning stars in the league include Kamar Baldwin (Butler), Jessie Govan (Georgetown), and Myles Powell (Seton Hall). All of these players will be expected to lead their respective teams during this upcoming season. However, this star power is not enough to keep the Big East among the top-tier of conferences in the country. Even though plenty of Big East teams (at least four) in consideration for the NCAA Tournament, it will be very difficult to replicate the successes of the past few years.

This is why it is important that a few players across the league emerge as stars in breakout seasons this year. In this piece, I am going to go team-by-team (in alphabetical order) while picking out an individual on each roster that could develop into something great during 2018-19. While none of the players on this list are guaranteed to become stars during this upcoming season, they have all shown flashes early in their careers that suggest the possibility.

As another note, no incoming freshmen were considered for these spots because we are yet to see them at the college level. The players on this list have all gone somewhat under-the-radar so far in their college career and can take off with more opportunities. Let’s dive in.

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