Big East Basketball: Top 5 players at each position for 2019-20 season

Wings

5. JR Mitch Ballock, Creighton

11.1 ppg – 4.4 rpg – 3.2 apg – 46/42/76 percent shooting

By playing off a pair of elite guards in Marcus Zegarowski and Ty-Shon Alexander, Ballock gets a load of free looks from beyond the arc, from where he is absolutely deadly. The 6-foot-5 junior nailed 42 percent of his treys last season on nearly 7 attempts per game, and he tied Markus Howard’s Big East record of 11 made threes in a game against DePaul.

Ballock is one of only a handful of recent players to average at least 11 ppg with less than a 16 percent usage rate. And while most of the other hoopers to hit those benchmarks were never able to take on a bigger load, Ballock has the look of a player who can assume more responsibility. Ballock’s assist numbers – 3.2 per game – bely some legitimate playmaking skills.

With Creighton’s aforementioned size concerns this year, Greg McDermott’s club is going to need high-level play from each of its perimeter players. It would be easy for Ballock to remain a sweet-shooting spot-up guy, but for the Jays to reach their peak, they will need Ballock to find his calling as a creator too.

4. SO Saddiq Bey, Villanova

8.2 ppg – 5.1 rpg – 1.3 apg – 46/37/64 percent shooting

Bey flew under the radar throughout 2018-19 as the Wildcats’ fourth option behind Phil Booth, Eric Paschall, and Collin Gillespie, but with those top two primary stars moving on, the Sidwell Friends product – à la VU legend Josh Hart – could be in store for a massive sophomore season.

It’s clear Bey’s shot profile already fits neatly into Jay Wright’s system, with nearly 82 percent of his attempts coming either at the rim or from behind the three-point line. Even better was he nailed 68 percent of those looks inside and 37 percent of his three-pointers. Bey doesn’t have the cleanest stroke from deep, further evidenced by his mediocre free throw numbers, but it’s at least a workable shot, and he possesses the necessary frame to launch over smaller wings.

Defensively, he has potential, and while he gets lost in space sometimes, he reads passing lanes well and is pretty nimble at 6-foot-8. Over the last 10 years, only 5 Villanova freshmen have averaged at least 25 minutes per game under Wright: Ryan Arcidiacono (34.0 mpg), Bey (29.6), Omari Spellman (28.1), JayVaughn Pinkston (25.9), and Donte DiVincenzo (25.5). That’s pretty good company to be in, and it underscores the trust Bey quickly earned with Wright. Greatness is seemingly on the horizon for the budding Wildcat.

3. JR LJ Figueroa, St. John’s

14.4 ppg – 6.4 rpg – 1.8 spg – 51/38/63 percent shooting

After one junior college season at Odessa College, Figueroa made the jump to St. John’s, where he immediately became an impact piece. He lived in double figures as a scorer all season long despite sharing the load with guard Shamorie Ponds and thrived as a rebounder, posting six double-doubles on the season.

He is a bit of a streaky shooter, but he thrived at the rim, finishing at a 68 percent clip inside. The big question for Figueroa – and the Johnnies in general – is how will he survive without Ponds initiating much of the offense? It will be a whole new world in Queens, as new head coach Mike Anderson will be mixing and matching a ton of fresh pieces around Figueroa and Mustapha Heron.

One area where Figueroa could help himself out offensively? The free throw line. Figueroa attempted 1 free throw or less in 14 games last season. Ponds lived at the line as he understood the power of slowing down the game for easy points, while also putting his opponent into foul trouble. St. John’s will need Figueroa to play with that same offensive poise this year to have any chance at breaking into the top half of the Big East.

2. JR Naji Marshall, Xavier

14.7 ppg – 7.2 rpg – 3.4 apg – 39/28/72 percent shooting

Slotting Marshall second among Big East wings is more of a talent play than anything else, because Marshall was horrifically inefficient last season. Among the 78 high-major players who soaked up a 25 percent usage rate in 2018-19, Marshall ranked 75th. His true shooting and effective field goal percentages both sat in the bottom quartile among all players. Even when Xavier went on its late season run, Marshall still only hit 38 percent of his shots over those final 10 games.

But here’s betting Marshall surges for an improved Musketeer squad in 2019-20. Last season, he had to adjust to shouldering the offense as a sophomore, especially for a program that was in a massive transition period with a new coach, crucial departures, and a load of transfers. By the end of the season, Marshall’s shot wasn’t necessarily falling, but he was still willing his team to wins.

As with most players, Marshall needs to eliminate some two-point jumpers from his diet (just 15 percent of his shots were from the mid-range as a freshman; that mark leapt to 36 percent as a sophomore). He will never be Mr. Efficiency, but he can shoot the ball better – and more importantly, smarter – than he did a year ago. Expectations are relatively lofty in Cincinnati this season, largely because prognosticators believe Marshall is an all-conference talent. Now is the time for the former top recruit to prove those believers right.

1. SR Alpha Diallo, Providence

16.0 ppg – 8.1 rpg – 3.1 apg – 42/33/67 percent shooting

Very few players are steadier than Diallo. While others vacillate betweens clunkers and crests, Diallo consistently hovers around his season-long stat line every night.

The rising senior tallied 32 double-digit scoring outings last year, 31 games with at least 6 rebounds, and 30 games with at least 2 assists. There’s no wondering which version of Diallo is showing up on a nightly basis; you can practically sharpie 16/8/3 into the box score each night. He may not have a single A-level skill, but he is above average across the board, and is very crafty with his 6-foot-7 frame.

Diallo took a step forward as a three-point shooter, knocking down exactly one-third of his 120 attempts in 2018-19. Providence, perennially light on shooting, needs to him to at least hold steady at that mark to make its offense tick. Diallo still gags up too many two-point jumpers – 36 percent of his shots were from the mid-range, from where he only shot 32 percent – which needs to change for PC to turn into a true contender.

Five More to Watch: Sacar Anim (MU), Myles Cale (SHU), Sean McDermott (BU), AJ Reeves (PC), Jordan Tucker (BU)