Big East Basketball: Predicting statistical leaders for 2019-20

Steals

Pick: SR Myles Powell, Seton Hall

Dark Horse: RS SR Quincy McKnight, Seton Hall

Last year: Shamorie Ponds (2.6 spg)

After averaging just one steal per game in each of his first two seasons, Powell transitioned into a pilfer last season, averaging 2.0 steals per night, including seven games where he plucked exactly four takeaways. His teammate McKnight typically earns the top defensive assignment, and while the redshirt senior has managed exactly 1.6 steals in all three seasons of his career thus far, his pestering atop the defense pairs perfectly with Powell’s gambles. McKnight forces the opposing guard into a lazy pass, and Powell picks it off for an easy fast break bucket.

Figueroa nabbed 1.8 steals per game last year, and will have the benefit of operating inside the steal-happy defense of new head coach Mike Anderson. Anderson’s Arkansas teams finished inside the top-half of the nation in defensive turnover rate in all eight of his seasons in Fayetteville, including five top-40 finishes. He wants to force the issue defensively, and Figueroa could be the beneficiary of that.

Blocks

Pick: JR Theo John, Marquette

Dark Horse: RS SO Ike Obiagu, Seton Hall

Last year: John (2.1 bpg)

John was in a class of his own as a shot blocker in the Big East last year, but he could have company in 2019-20. Seton Hall’s Obiagu averaged 2.1 blocks in just 10.7 minutes per game as freshman with Florida State in 2017-18. It remains to be seen how much he will factor into the Pirates’ plans now that he is eligible to return to the floor, but if he sees any playing time at all, he will be near the top of the Big East block charts. The 7-foot-1 center posted the highest block rate (20.9 percent) of any player who tallied at least 10 minutes per game this decade.

Still, John appears to be the safer pick at the outset of the season, especially if his minutes continue to tick upwards. Not only is the junior built like a house on trampoline springs, his desire to swat every shot flying towards the rim resulted in a top-10 block rate among high-major rotation players last year. He played noticeably smarter as a sophomore, but there is still another level for him to climb defensively. Even if he is leaping for fewer blocks, John can still increase his block total with better positioning.

Even if none of these statistical projections pan out (again), at the very least, the above 16 names will be headliners for what should be an extremely competitive Big East in 2019-20.