Big East Basketball: Way-too-early power rankings for 2021-22 season

2020-21 season record: 18-7 (11-4)

It’s hard to argue a more impactful decision to return for a 5th year than Collin Gillespie of Villanova. Another Co-Big East Player of the Year (yeah, they named 3 guys), Gillespie is one of the best floor generals in the country, capable of going for 20+ points or nearly 10 assists in a game depending on what’s needed.

He wasn’t the only one who decided to come back for an extra year, as forwards Jermaine Samuels Jr. and Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree are back as well. Samuels produced 12.0 ppg and 6.4 rpg last season and is a very good defender. Also back is rising junior guard Justin Moore, who averaged 12.9 ppg and 3.0 apg, Caleb Daniels was a near double-digit contributor who’ll be back too, along with Brandon Slater at the wing.

This core in itself is good enough to have the Wildcats at the top of the Big East. There’s also a group of underclassmen that could break out into stars of their own. Top-100 forward Trey Patterson joined the team midway last season and will get a chance to be part of the rotation this year, while former five-star prospect Bryan Antoine will hopefully have an offseason to be healthy so he can get meaningful minutes next season.

Then there’s a top-20 incoming recruiting class, led by four-star guard Jordan Longino and big man Nnanna Njoku. If Njoku can have an inside from inside and help offset some of Robinson-Earl’s missing production, Villanova will be a top-5 team nationally and have a shot at getting back to the national title game.

The Big East has a couple of nice recruiting classes and many teams got what should be some impact transfers. But as it has been for a while, look for the Villanova Wildcats to be the team to beat in the conference for the 2021-22 season.