Busting Brackets Podcast: 2019-20 season preview of Big East Basketball

Big East Basketball is the latest conference to be previewed in the Busting Brackets Podcast series. What should be expected in the league?

As we head into the 2019-20 season, our Busting Brackets Podcast preview series has just one more major conference to go deep in. It’s Big East Basketball, one of the more intriguing leagues to look at overall after all the offseason moves. Joining regular hosts Connor Hope and Brian Rauf is Lukas Harkins, a Butler graduate who’s familiar with everything Big East.

There’s no better place to start than the Villanova Wildcats, who once again have Final Four aspirations this season. A talented recruiting class combined with experienced returning players makes them a formidable team. However, Seton Hall also has star power coming into the year as well. Which of the three guys has the Pirates as a possible Big East champion?

Xavier is another team with top-25 consideration thanks to key returning players as well. The guys question whether or not the Musketeers are closer to the middle of the pack or fighting it out with both Villanova and Seton Hall. Speaking of “middle of the pack”, there are a number of programs that could finish either as an NCAA Tournament team or possibly at the very bottom of the Big East. The group gives their thoughts on Georgetown, Creighton, Providence and Marquette, along with their strengths and weaknesses.

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Butler isn’t considered a part of the group… but should they? Despite being a consensus bottom-tier team this season in Big East Basketball, there is some legit talent on the roster to pose a threat to teams. Lukas makes a case for the Bulldogs being better than expected.

The last two teams to be mentioned are St. John’s and DePaul, a pair of programs who have struggled to get out the bottom half of the conference. The guys take closer looks at each of them to see if there are any hopes of a surprise performance.

So how does Big East Basketball look collectively? The guys give their projections for not only how many teams make the 2020 NCAA Tournament but who has the capability to make a deep run. Player of the Year and All-Conference selections are also made, before making bold predictions for the season.

We’re just days away from the 2019-20 season, and our Busting Brackets Podcast has a giant episode coming soon, looking at the first week of games. Stay tuned for that!