Big East Basketball: Predicting statistical leaders for 2019-20

Points

Pick: SR Markus Howard, Marquette

Dark Horse: JR LJ Figueroa, St. John’s

Last year: Howard (25.0 ppg)

Just like the Big East Player of the Year award, the scoring title will almost certainly be a two-man race between Howard and Seton Hall’s Myles Powell (23.1 ppg). The Pirates return nearly 85 percent of last year’s minutes – fourth among all high-major programs – which may put a ceiling on Powell’s raw totals. Seton Hall needs to replace Michael Nzei’s 9 ppg, but improvements from rising juniors Myles Cale and Sandro Mamukelashvili, as well as the addition of Florida State transfer big man Ike Obiagu, should make up for the loss of the Pirates’ lone graduating senior.

Meanwhile, Howard is returning to a completely different situation in Milwaukee following the exits of the Golden Eagles’ second- and third-leading scorers from a year ago. Utah State transfer guard Koby McEwen will soak up some the offensive burden left by the Hausers, but I’d put the preseason over/under on 40-point games for Howard at 3.5 (he did just launch 19 threes in a recent game during MU’s trip to Spain). Marquette’s roster is stocked with intriguing pieces, but Howard will be the straw that stirs the drink, and will have as green of a light as any player in the nation.

Powell does not really qualify as the dark horse pick at this point, so Figueroa (14.4 ppg) grabs that moniker as he helms a Red Storm program that is suffering from an incredible amount of roster turnover. STJ ranks dead last among Big East schools in returning minutes by a wide margin; Villanova, ninth in the conference returning minutes, sits at 53 percent, compared to just 36 percent for the Johnnies. Figueroa should put up a nice statistical campaign, but there is a very real chance that Howard and Powell are the only two Big Easters to top 20 ppg this season.

Assists

Pick: SO James Akinjo, Georgetown

Dark Horse: SO Marcus Zegarowski, Creighton

Last year: Akinjo (5.2 apg)

Akinjo became the first freshman to lead the Big East in assists per game since Notre Dame’s Chris Thomas in 2001-02. Thomas then finished first, third, and second in the category over his final three seasons in South Bend, which sets up well for Akinjo going forward, especially as the Hoyas’ young roster grows offensively. Georgetown finished 90th in the country in offensive efficiency last season; T-Rank projects Patrick Ewing’s squad to leap into the top 30 in 2019-20, which will do wonders for Akinjo’s assist marks.

Zegarowski is the under-the-radar pick here, though, as he could be the next Big East guard to pop. Creighton’s guard depth could sap some of his raw stats, but the sophomore should be the lead ball-handler for a potent Bluejays offense.

Rebounds

Pick: JR Paul Reed, DePaul

Dark Horse: SO Josh LeBlanc, Georgetown

Last year: Reed (8.5 rpg)

Reed was an animal on the boards last season, and with nearly 15 rebounds per game exiting DePaul’s starting lineup with the graduations of Max Strus, Femi Olujobi, and Eli Cain, Reed will have even more opportunities to roam for rebounds. And after posting their best offensive showing in over a decade, the Blue Demons are projected to take a step backwards on that end of the floor, meaning there will be even more bricks for Reed to snatch up in 2019-20.

There is a limit to the damage LeBlanc can do on the boards playing alongside seven-footer Omer Yurtseven, but he did still manage to yank down 7.3 rebounds in just 24.4 minutes per night last year next to Jessie Govan. That number jumped to 10.3 rebounds per game when he logged at least 30 minutes, something he was doing with increased regularity as the season progressed.

LeBlanc, Pittsburgh’s Steven Adams, and Seton Hall’s Angel Delgado are the only three Big East freshmen over the past 10 years to hit a 10 percent offensive rebounding rate and a 20 percent defensive rebounding rate in a season, while topping at least 20 minutes per game. Of course, Delgado wrapped up his career as the Big East’s leading rebounder and Adams is one of the NBA’s notorious maulers, so LeBlanc is already in elite company as a board man.