Big East Basketball: Ranking of 25 best players from last decade (2013-23)
By Joey Loose
1. Jalen Brunson
Big East Basketball has had some really talented players in the last decade, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find a player who can equal what Brunson accomplished in his own career, no matter where you look. A 6’3 point guard from Lincolnshire, Illinois, he was a 5-star prospect who turned star after choosing Villanova. He began that collegiate journey in 2015 and departed three years later as a two-time national champion.
Brunson had decent production as a freshman and had a few nice scoring games in Villanova’s run to the national championship. His scoring numbers rose in the following seasons, up to 14.7 a game as a sophomore and 18.9 in his final season. He had a career-high 31 points several times, including in the championship game of the Big East Basketball Tournament. He spearheaded the Wildcats’ title run, with 27 points against West Virginia in the Sweet Sixteen, putting him in rare air by earning his second national championship.
Next. Options for Big East if UConn were to ever leave. dark
We’re underselling that junior season because Brunson wasn’t just the Big East’s top scorer, he was one of the nation’s top players. He was AP Player of the Year, winning the other national awards like the Naismith, Wooden, and the Bob Cousy Award. Not only did he do remarkable things on the national stage and fill his own trophy case, but he’s got two title rings to his name and quite the college legacy to look back at. Who else can claim multiple championships and national Player of the Year awards?