Preseason basketball is upon us.
The Big East is back, looking for a resurgence after a disappointing finish in last year’s March Madness.
Here is a look at our early power rankings.
11. Seton Hall Pirates
The Pirates finished dead last in the Big East last season with a 7-25 record. The team won just two games in conference play (2-18) and lost all its weapons to the portal, including Isaiah Coleman, who is now with Oklahoma State.
If there is any indication of what to expect this year, it is not a good one. The Pirates’ roster is filled with a boatload of mid to low-major transfers, including Adam “Budd” Clark, who is expected to lead the team after a strong season in the MAAC. Last year, Seton Hall was hard to watch with very limited offensive abilities. I do not see how that will improve this season with an even worse roster.
10. Butler Bulldogs
I believe in Thad Matta, but I do not believe in his roster. Butler finished last season with a 15-20 record, which topped only DePaul and Seton Hall. The team lost its best scorer in Jahmyl Telfort and retained just three players from last season.
Finley Bizjack will be the team’s main source of production. He had a solid year last season, averaging 10.3 points as the team’s fourth option. Now, he is Butler’s first option. Alongside Bizjack, transfer Jalen Johnson will look to continue his steady work of 19.2 points per game in his time with Purdue-Fort Wayne. There are just way too many question marks on this team, with so many unknowns offensively. I would not be surprised if Butler finished last in the Big East.
9. Xavier Musketeers
It’s hard to predict where Xavier will land after a largely successful season last year. After defeating Texas in the First Four, the Musketeers were eliminated in the First Round of March Madness. Coach Sean Miller took the job at Texas, and in came Richard Pitino, the son of Rick Pitino.
It’s a new era in Cincinnati, and the gears should be moving in a good direction. It may take some time, and I expect Xavier to encounter speed bumps along the way, more specifically, within the next few seasons. However, there is a lot to like with the guard duo of transfers All Wright and Malik Messina-Moore. Again, this is a roster filled with many mid to low-major players, but it will be interesting to watch.