Big East Basketball: Key storylines emerging early in 2023-24 season
By John Makuch
1. How good is the middle of the pack? (Seton Hall, Butler, Providence)
When it comes to these teams though, some middle-of-the-pack teams are looking to make their mark and emerge as dark horse contenders in this conference.
The three main teams that people did not talk about much heading into this season were the aforementioned Seton Hall and Providence, along with the Butler Bulldogs who got off to a 3-0 start to their year. Butler ended up falling to Michigan State in a 20-point loss, but there was promise shown for that program.
Thad Matta is looking to get the Bulldogs back on track, and blowing out their precious three nonconference opponents had fans thinking the Bulldogs can compete, not it is unclear after the loss to the Spartans. They have matchups against Florida Atlantic and Texas Tech next, so they have some tough tests going forward where we will see how good they can be.
As for the Friars, if that altercation never happens they could be undefeated with a potential win over a strong Kansas State team. The Friars sit at 4-1 though after a win over Georgia, and English showed he has this team ready again to play competitive basketball despite all the changes after Copley’s departure.
The Friars have played well against quality opponents, so they are closer to the top tier in the Big East than the rest of these middle-of-the-road squads. But, it is up to whether or not they will step up and truly compete with the big players in this conference once Big East play comes by.
For Seton Hall, they are a bit different in the sense that, unlike these other teams, they have not played their first power conference opponent yet. They have a matchup in San Diego against USC on Thanksgiving, which will be their first true test.
The Hall has looked like a tough and gritty defensive team with a star who can do everything in Kadary Richmond, but they have to show out against quality opponents now and not fall victim to what happened to Butler. Playing well against low-tier nonconference teams, and then getting blown out by a ranked opponent. Seton Hall does not have to beat USC to show they belong this year, but they need to keep it close.
Next. 10 teams with most to prove during Feast Week. dark
The conference will still likely be won by one of the four teams currently in the top 25, but come tournament time anything can happen. In terms of their other competition, these are the three teams that have shown promise and have the opportunity to exceed all expectations.