Big East Basketball: 20 most interesting people of 2019-20 season

By Brian Foley | Oct 15, 2019

JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA - MARCH 21: Myles Powell #13 of the Seton Hall Pirates chases after a loose ball in the first half against the Wofford Terriers during the first round of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena on March 21, 2019 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images) /

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PHILADELPHIA, PA – FEBRUARY 03: Jermaine Samuels #23 of the Villanova Wildcats and James Akinjo #3 of the Georgetown Hoyas fight for possession of the ball in the second half at the Wells Fargo Center on February 3, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Villanova defeated Georgetown 77-65. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

Jermaine Samuels & Saddiq Bey, Villanova

Samuels averaged 2.8 ppg through his first 52 contests. He only cracked double-digit points five times, and was soaking up a little more than 12 minutes per night. But down the stretch in 2018-19, he suddenly turned into a monster, averaging 34.4 mpg, 13.3 ppg, 7.6 rpg, and 38.8 percent three-point shooting on a whopping 6.1 attempts per night. It was, quite possibly, the most shocking individual turnaround of the year. Which Samuels will the rest of the Big East see this year – the attacking 3-and-D version from late in the year or the timid version from the large majority of his career?

Bey, Samuels’ frontcourt mate, was much steadier as a freshman and is a logical candidate to take a step forward in 2019-20. Bey quietly went about his business, posting 8.2 ppg and finishing seventh among high-major freshman in offensive rating (121.2). Now the question is: can Bey maintain his efficiency marks as his responsibility increases? Bey finished second to last in usage rate (14.4 percent) among all VU role players last year. He’ll need to push that number closer to 20 percent if the Wildcats are to defend their Big East crown.

A Bey-Samuels frontcourt could be absolutely lethal, as both are effective pick-and-pop shooters who can also trade lumps inside. But if they fall short, Villanova may not have the backcourt depth or talent to make a run, especially as freshman Bryan Antoine’s shoulder injury continues to linger.

James Akinjo & Mac McClung, Georgetown

Another pair of teammates who can flip the balance of power in the Big East on its head. Akinjo and McClung are two of the most fascinating players to watch in the league, as they are equally capable of dragging the Hoyas to a win or ending their team’s hopes with poor decision-making and ghastly shot selection. Last year, the two combined to tally 26.5 ppg and 7.2 apg (good!) on a 37.4 shooting percentage and 5.0 tpg (bad!). While growing pains are to be expected from a youthful backcourt, those latter marks do raise some red flags for the future.

Some guards are able to shake those mistakes as they age, but others struggle to break those inefficient habits. GU has plenty to build on with Akinjo and McClung, but for a program that expects to win now, another year of late-game gaffes from its backcourt duo will wear on the fan base.

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