Big East Basketball: 2022 offseason grades for each team

Marquette Golden Eagles – Grade: D

One big NBA Draft decision that occurred this offseason was star forward Justin Lewis opting to go pro. He led Marquette with 16.8 ppg and 7.9 rpg and with Darryl Morsell also gone, that leaves Kam Jones (7.4 ppg) as the top returning scorer. And to this point, the only veteran newcomer to the roster is D-II transfer Zach Wrightsil.

He very well could be the next Lewis but this leaves a young roster without proven stars. I could very well sell the likes of Tyler Kolek and Olivier-Maxence Prosper as breakout stars but the losses of Lewis and Morsell are big and right now there isn’t much of a plan to replace them outside of hoping the young players improve a ton.

Providence Friars – Grade: A

Head coach Ed Cooley did most of his work in the first couple of weeks in the offseason but he landed five impact transfers that should keep them in the top half of the Big East. Guards Devin Carter and Noah Locke add scoring and shooting on the perimeter, while Clifton Moore is a shot-blocking center from La Salle that’ll replace Nate Watson.

The key is Louisville transfer forward Bryce Hopkins. If he becomes a breakout star for Providence, this becomes an “A+” group and contender for another Big East title. They may not individually be stars but they all fill a void and makes another good 8-man rotation to work with.