Busting Brackets
Fansided

Big East Basketball: 11 dark-horse candidates for 2019-20 Player of the Year

By Brian Foley

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - NOVEMBER 16: Kamar Baldwin #3 of the Butler Bulldogs dribbles the ball around Terence Davis #3 of the Mississippi Rebels at Hinkle Fieldhouse on November 16, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - NOVEMBER 16: Kamar Baldwin #3 of the Butler Bulldogs dribbles the ball around Terence Davis #3 of the Mississippi Rebels at Hinkle Fieldhouse on November 16, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 4
Next
VILLANOVA, PA – NOVEMBER 06: Saddiq Bey #15 of the Villanova Wildcats dribbles the ball against the Morgan State Bears at Finneran Pavilion on November 6, 2018 in Villanova, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
VILLANOVA, PA – NOVEMBER 06: Saddiq Bey #15 of the Villanova Wildcats dribbles the ball against the Morgan State Bears at Finneran Pavilion on November 6, 2018 in Villanova, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

Steady Wings

Alpha Diallo, Providence

Why he’ll win: Diallo is the definition of a stat-stuffer. Last year, he averaged 16 ppg, 8 rpg, 3 apg, 1.5 spg, and 0.5 bpg, making him just the 21st player – and 2nd Big Easter – to hit those marks in a season since 1992-93. Providence’s roster appears to be a bit more guard-heavy in 2019-20, freeing up space for Diallo to operate offensively and hoard rebounds.

The Friars’ projections are fairly optimistic entering the season, so if Diallo averages something like 19/10/4 with sturdy defense for a top-two team in the Big East, he may have a case over the flashy highlights of the Howard and Powell.

Why he won’t: It will be tough for Diallo to win the narrative points. Nationally, Howard and Powell are already grabbing headlines; once Twitter videos start circulating of Howard hitting four step-back threes in a row or Powell nailing a game-winner from 28 feet, the race is all but over. What can Diallo counter with? A turnaround jumper from the elbow? A clutch offensive rebound? Diallo’s numbers are incredibly consistent, but he may not garner the attention necessary to win this award.

Naji Marshall, Xavier

Why he’ll win: Xavier is a trendy pick after the Musketeers finished 7-3 over their final 10 games to cap off the 2018-19 campaign. If they are able to take that next step in the Big East, it will be on the back of Marshall, who averaged 15/7/3 last year without even playing all that well. If he can put together his remarkable talent for a full season, he can certainly post a stat line that is worthy of POY consideration.

Why he won’t: Just like Akinjo, Marshall has no shot at the award if he doesn’t improve his efficiency. After hitting 53 percent of his attempts and 35 percent of his threes as a freshman, those marks fell to 39 percent and 28 percent during his sophomore year. He’ll need to finish much closer to those first-year percentages to compete with Howard and Powell and push Xavier over the top.

Saddiq Bey, Villanova

Why he’ll win: Villanova is once again the favorite in the Big East, and is being picked as a top-10 team nationally. That feels like more of a nod to Jay Wright than an actual referendum on the Wildcats’ existing talent, but if VU does win another conference title, than the “best player on the best team” certainly has a shot at capturing the award. Bey quickly earned Wright’s trust, starting 29 contests and soaking up nearly 30 minutes per game last season. He could be in for a massive breakout as Villanova hunts for more scoring in 2019-20.

Why he won’t: Phil Booth (19/4/4) and Eric Paschall (17/6/2) both posted excellent seasons for the Big East champion Wildcats last year, and neither was really ever in consideration for Player of the Year. Bey will be hard-pressed to match Booth and Paschall’s offensive totals, much less surpass them, so even if VU is hoisting the trophy at the end of the year, the individual awards are likely headed somewhere else.

Home/Big East