Big East Basketball: 11 dark-horse candidates for 2019-20 Player of the Year
By Brian Foley
Boom-or-Bust Flyers
Paul Reed, DePaul
Why he’ll win: Reed is one of the most physically imposing players in the conference, and he is clearly just scratching the surface of his potential. He captured the Big East’s Most Improved Player award in 2018-19, averaging 12 ppg, 9 rpg, and 1.5 bpg. He played third fiddle offensively to Max Strus and Eli Cain, and was forced to split frontcourt duties with Femi Olujobi. All three of those players have since graduated, leaving Reed as DePaul’s lone focal point.
Reed averaged 18 ppg, 10 rpg, 3 bpg, and 2 spg in five CBI games to close out last season. Could he post those numbers over a full campaign? Dave Leitao should be giving him every opportunity to shine for the rebuilding Blue Demons.
Why he won’t: Reed’s potential makes him as interesting as any player in the Big East, but he still needs to prove he can handle his newfound status as a no. 1 option. Also, DePaul will probably stink again. A Blue Demon has not been won a Player of the Year award since Quentin Richardson was named Conference USA POY in 1998-99.
AJ Reeves, Providence
Why he’ll win: Reeves’ career was off to a roaring start in 2018-19, as he averaged 14 ppg in his first 10 games last year, highlighted by 29 against Siena, 24 at Boston College, and 20 against Iona. But he ultimately missed the next nine games with a foot injury, and when he returned, he clearly was not the same guy. The Friars will feature much stronger guard play this season, and Reeves will be at the center of that movement. He acquitted himself well as a member of Team USA at the Pan-American Games, and is one of the few players in the conference who has the scoring potential to hang with Powell and Howard.
Why he won’t: Diallo is clearly the top dog for Providence entering the season, so it will take quite the start from Reeves to unseat his senior teammate from his perch. There is a narrative element to winning these individual awards, so if Diallo is perceived as PC’s best player – even if it is an incorrect perception – Reeves will not be in the POY discussion.
Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Villanova
Why he’ll win: Robinson-Earl will have the right mix of talent (the 6-foot-8 power forward joins Villanova as the no. 16 recruit in the nation), opportunity (with Paschall moving onto the NBA, there are plenty of frontcourt minutes available), and team success (Villanova will be competing for a conference title). Can he put it all together in year one? No freshmen has ever won Big East Player of the Year, and Robinson-Earl probably isn’t the guy to buck that trend, but he is entering as pristine of a situation as one could ask for.
Why he won’t: Did you see what happened to Villanova’s last five-star recruit? Point guard Jahvon Quinerly averaged nine minutes per game before transferring to Alabama. Jay Wright isn’t averse to playing freshmen – see Bey’s game log for proof – but he isn’t wed to them either. JRE will have to earn Wright’s trust from the outset.
Next. Predicting the Big East's 2019-20 stats leaders. dark
As we sit here a couple months out from the start of the season, it looks unlikely that a non-Howard/Powell player will steal the award. But we aren’t in unprecedented territory. Only 4 of the last 10 Big East preseason Player of the Year selections have actually gone on to win the end-of-season award. Now, if Howard is named the preseason POY, and Powell wins the regular-season honor – or vice versa – that would not register as a surprise. But it’s not uncommon for an under-the-radar player to burst onto the scene and capture the award. This may be the year for someone new to sneak up on the frontrunners.