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

Big Men

5. SR Tyrique Jones, Xavier

11.3 ppg – 7.7 rpg – 0.9 bpg – 62/0/64 percent shooting

This spot could have also gone to Xavier’s Jason Carter – an Ohio grad transfer with two years of eligibility remaining who averaged 16.5 ppg and 6.7 rpg last season – but we’ll keep it within the Musketeer family with Jones.

Jones made a nice leap as a full-time starter last season, and cracked double-digit scoring totals 20 times, including a career-high 22 at Texas in the NIT. Jones rarely steps outside the paint and is not much of a free throw shooter, but he has good hands as a pick-and-roll finisher, and can bully his way to a basket in the post. He is also a tough box-out for opposing bigs; he led all high-major players in offensive rebounding rate in 2018-19, and became the only Big Easter this decade to snare over 100 offensive rebounds while averaging less than 25 minutes per game.

4. JR Theo John, Marquette

5.5 ppg – 4.9 rpg – 2.1 bpg – 60/0/51 percent shooting

As the league’s most fearsome shot blocker with a burgeoning offensive repertoire, describing John’s game is simple. Unfortunately for the Golden Eagles, the scouting report on John reads just as quickly – attack the rim early and often, and John will most likely find himself in debilitating foul trouble. The 6-foot-9 rising junior led all high-major players in foul rate in 2018-19, and finished with at least 4 fouls in 23 of MU’s 34 games.

If John can reign in his whistles though, he may be in the running for Big East Defensive Player of the Year. Despite averaging just 19.7 minutes a night last season, John still led the conference in defensive box plus-minus by a wide margin, something that certainly matched the eye test. His presence as a rim protector and rebounder was a major reason for Marquette’s jump from 182nd to 45th in adjusted defensive efficiency over the past two seasons.

3. JR Nate Watson, Providence

11.7 ppg – 5.2 rpg – 0.7 bpg – 59/0/65 percent shooting

Providence’s Watson has quietly gone about his business during his two years with the Friars, grabbing a Big East All-Freshman honor here and tacking on a double-double there. But with PC’s low-post logjam clearing out for superior guard play this offseason, Watson seems poised for a breakout season.

Last season, Providence had one of the most congested offenses in the nation. For example, take a look at this spacing atrocity:

Watson is not on the court for this play, but this shows the root reason why the Friars missed the tourney for the first time since 2013. All 10 players are packed within 12 feet of the basket; there’s zigging when the rest of the sport is zagging, but this is a bridge too far. How could Watson, a maestro on the low block, ever function in an environment like this?

But in 2019-20, with a healthy AJ Reeves and grad transfer Luwane Pipkins slotting into the backcourt, there should be much more room for Alpha Diallo and Watson to operate inside. Watson can also help his cause by stepping outside the paint more often; he has displayed a decent stroke from the mid-range, though his bricky percentages from the charity stripe do not necessarily portend any budding stretch-5 skills.

2. JR Paul Reed, DePaul

12.3 ppg – 8.5 rpg – 1.5 bpg – 56/41/77 percent shooting

While Watson is a traditional big man in the most literal sense, Reed’s versatility, athleticism, and untapped potential make him one of the league’s most thrilling players. He loves working backdoor cuts for alley oops, can absolutely sky for rebounds, and has shown some touch from outside the paint. Reed only attempted 37 threes last season, but his 41 percent knockdown rate was fortified by his improved stroke at the free throw line.

Reed is still figuring out his game, but he clearly became more comfortable as an offensive force as the year went on, averaging 14.3 ppg once Big East play got underway, including a six-game run in the CBI where he posted 18.3 ppg on 67 percent shooting.

The Blue Demons figure to take a step backwards from their first 19-win season in over a decade as three key starters depart, but DePaul will still be an interesting watch for true college hoops honks. Head coach Dave Leitao will pair Reed with 2 of the 11 best recruits DePaul has fielded this century (Romeo Weems and Markese Jacobs), lining up the Blue Demons for what should be a successful 2020-21 campaign.

1. RS JR Omer Yurtseven, Georgetown

13.5 ppg – 6.7 rpg – 1.8 bpg – 57/50/61 percent shooting (2017-18 stats)

The Hoyas can’t help but occupy the Big East’s top big man spot, something they have been doing for decades with the likes of Patrick Ewing, Alonzo Mourning, Michael Sweetney, Roy Hibbert, Greg Monroe, and Jessie Govan. Yurtseven is just the next man up for the Hoyas’ royal line of big men.

Yurtseven sat out last season after transferring from NC State, but he resembled a pretty impressive Govan facsimile when we last saw him on the floor. The Istanbul native stands at 7-feet, can hold his own in the interior, and will step outside the arc for an occasional three-pointer. Govan upped his long-range attempts to 3.5 per game as a senior, something the Hoyas’ coaching staff will surely push Yurtseven towards as well.

Yurtseven’s presence will allow for Georgetown’s young guards to continue to develop in essentially the same system as last year. He will also be a useful outlet for a quick bucket inside to ease the scoring burden on James Akinjo and Mac McClung.

Five More to Watch: Jason Carter (XU), Josh LeBlanc (GU), Sandro Mamukelashvili (SHU), Ike Obiagu (SHU), Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (VU)

With all 10 programs teeming with intriguing talent, the Big East regular season will be as unpredictable as ever, with as many as six teams realistically chasing the crown. These 15 players – plus the 15 honorable mentions – will ultimately determine the fate of the 2019-20 champion.