Last season, the Big East saw a total of five teams reach March Madness. All five of those teams were eliminated in the second round. After this shocking outcome, many have wondered whether or not the conference poses a real threat to the reigning champion, Florida Gators.
As the opposing conferences set way for offseason improvement, the Big East will dial up its biggest offseason in recent years. From St. John’s to UConn, and even Villanova, many programs will seek to wreak havoc in 2025..
Here is what each team needs to return to glory…
St. John’s - Three-Point Scoring
There will be no lost memory of the moment Rick Pitino decided to bench RJ Luis in the second round of March Madness. As a two-seed, some wondered how St. John’s could possibly find their way back. Look no further than Rick Pitino. Sure, he benched his best utility, but he has, and will continue to do damage in the transfer portal and address team needs. St. John’s went on a magical run this past season. The Red Storm managed to win the Big East after merely being recognized in the conference just a couple of years ago. Queens, New York, is buzzing over everything this team has already accomplished. However, the one true flaw, which set St. John’s back the most, was the lack of three-point shooting. St. John’s shot the three-ball at just 30.1% on the season, good for 340th in the country.
To make matters even worse, the Red Storm attempted just 20.4 threes per game (270th nationally) and made only 6.1 on average (322nd nationally). It’s blatantly obvious these numbers fall well below where you expect a contending team to be. Luckily, it’s being addressed as we speak. Pitino has already begun to make up for the losses of crucial players, Kadary Richmond and RJ Luis, by acquiring the likes of Ian Jackson and Bryce Hopkins. Jackson shot the three-ball at a 39.5% clip while Hopkins shot it at 40%. Two 40% shooters are massive, as the Red Storm did not have a player above 38% last season. Safe to say St. John’s is going nowhere.
Creighton - Replacing Star Power (Defense)
This one is a low blow, big time. Unlike St. John’s, Creighton is going to have a hard time finding replacements for what they lost. There is no replacing a guy like Ryan Kalbrenner. As the foundation of everything Creighton did, coach McDermott will have to adapt mightily. Additionally, Creighton is going to lose Steven Ashworth and Jamiya Neal, which hurts even more. So, what's next? Creighton is going to need guys to take the next step forward. Players like Jasen Green and Jackson McAndrew must rise to new heights. Kalkbrenner, Ashworth, and Neal did just about everything offensively and defensively.
Where Creighton will even begin to make up for these losses is unknown. Greg McDermott is not entirely known for his recruiting and portal charisma, but Creighton will have to find a way to improve on both ends of the floor. The team is set to welcome the likes of Austin Swartz (former 4-star) from Miami and Josh Dix from Iowa. These assets will certainly help in filling out the backcourt. The Bluejays will have to find a way to address the defensive end and maybe discover a need for a brand of basketball without a 7-foot tower patrolling the paint. That is the biggest stone of gray area.
UConn - Length
UConn suffered a heartwrenching loss in the second round of March Madness. Following two consecutive National Championships, this program yearns for another championship crack. The return to glory was not set to be easy by any means, and UConn showed that while they could still compete with top programs like Florida, they lacked the crucial necessities of a championship-bound roster.
Needless to say, Dan Hurley has a type. Hurley loves a bigger wing player who can run the point, while also guarding the opposing team’s best player. The closest resemblance to that was Solo Ball. While Ball is set to return with guys like Jaylin Stewart and Jayden Ross, the losses of Liam McNeely and possibly Alex Karaban will leave a mark. At times, UConn looked a bit undersized and got out-physicaled by superior teams. I expect UConn to really attack this in the portal, get someone who can serve as a combo-guard and defend one through five.
Marquette - Star Power
The Golden Eagles are notorious for appearing early as title contenders, then seemingly falling apart down the stretch. Shaka Smart’s team combined another stellar season that held no value whatsoever. There might have been a couple of underlying reasons for yet another letdown; however, in the grand scheme of things, Marquette is only going to set back even more. Marquette finished the season with a 23-11 record but was missing the spark of a real contending team. The Golden Eagles fell in the tournament's first round to the 10-seeded New Mexico Lobos.
The biggest issue is that Marquette already had much to address. The Golden Eagles likely would have needed a true big man, and would’ve had to fill out the backcourt and depth even more. But even with Kam Jones and Stevie Mitchell, it still wasn’t enough. Marquette now has to replace its best players on top of filling the rest of the roster; that’s an incredibly tall task. To make matters even worse, Marquette already has limited roster spots as it is due to redshirts and those returning. Shaka Smart is not an avid portal guy, but he is going to have to find a way to build this roster from the ground up and acquire talent, or Marquette could be in for a rough year.
Xavier - Size, size, and more size
What a season it was for the Xavier Musketeers, who found a way to reach the NCAA Tournament under head coach Sean Miller. It was a souring comeback win in the First Four against Texas, then Miller decided to leave and took some luggage with him. Have no fear, though, because in comes Richard Pitino, the son of St. John’s head coach Rick Pitino. Also, the man who had just beaten Marquette as a 10-seed. However, this all goes without mentioning why Xavier fell short and how they can address it.
Besides Zach Freemantle, who provided a spark for the Musketeers on both ends, Xavier had little to no backcourt depth. It showed big time in the Musketeers’ final game against Illinois, where the team was out-rebounded by a staggering 42-25 margin. Luckily, Pitino has already begun to address this need as Xavier has acquired loads of talent and size. The Musketeers have brought in 7-footer Pape N’Diaye, 6’7” forward Tre Carroll from FAU, 6’5” guard Malik Moore from Montana, and 6’7” forward Gabriel Pozzato from Rome. This is a roster that is improving by the day and is here to stay.
Villanova - Guard Play
The Villanova Wildcats set off a bomb with the firing of Kyle Neptune and the hiring of former Maryland coach Kevin Willard. Following yet another disappointing season, and the third consecutive season of missing the NCAA Tournament, the Wildcats are now desperate to revitalize the past success from the Jay Wright era. Villanova went 21-15 on the year (11-9 conference) with some very questionable losses. Even with the likes of Eric Dixon, the program’s all-time leading scorer, the ‘Cats still could not figure it out. Unfortunately, even with the addition of Kevin Willard, the climb back up is just as steep.
Villanova has lost almost its entire roster since last season. We are talking about a roster that is as fresh as it gets. The team is losing Dixon, Poplar, Brikus, Dumont, Longino, Boakye, Mosley, Parker, and Njoku to the portal. The team also lost its biggest recruit, Dante Allen. But if one thing is for sure, Mr. Willard will also bring his luggage. Villanova had already made a couple of signings, but the biggest name to keep an eye on is Chris Jeffrey, a four-star recruit formerly committed to Maryland. In Villanova’s prime of winning, point guard play was prominent. Villanova needs to get a stud to run the point if they want another shot at March Madness.
Georgetown - Offense
Georgetown has seen vast improvement in its second season under head coach Ed Cooley. After firing Patrick Ewing just two years ago, the Hoyas have emerged as real threats in the Big East with newfound talent. Georgetown finished with an 18-16 record while sparking an impressive turnaround from its previous 2-18 record. Fortunately enough, Georgetown has a need that shouldn’t be too hard to address. Ed Cooley has established a new level of excitement in D.C. with the talent Georgetown hasn’t seen in quite some time.
The Hoyas’ biggest issue last season was finding consistency on the offensive end. Micah Peavy was awesome, but he is off to the draft. And while some players showed flashes, I’m not sure if Georgetown really has an offensive core to build around. Jayden Epps was set to be a major part of the Hoyas’ next season, and then he entered the portal. But Georgetown will welcome Malik Mack into that starting role. Alongside Mack, Georgetown will need some other players to really step up offensively. This is a team that was very solid on the defensive end, but scoring with efficiency is a must if the Hoyas want to take that next step forward.
Butler - Experience and height
Similarly to Villanova, Butler resides in quicksand with so many key departures. Head coach Thad Matta will certainly have his work cut out for him as he navigates this offseason. Butler finished the regular season with a subpar 15-20 record. Unfortunately, the road gets that much more complicated as the Bulldogs are set to lose four of their top five leading scorers. Butler is set to lose Jahmyl Telfort, Patrick McCaffery, Pierre Brooks, and Andre Screen as they graduate. In addition to this, the Bulldogs will lose Augusto Cassia, Boden Kape, Kolby King, Landon Moore, and Ryder Cate.
At this point, Butler needs to just field a team. With all their graduates, the Bulldogs are set to become a very young and inexperienced team. Aside from that, the Bulldogs are lacking height with the loss of three forwards and a center. It’s going to be a very rocky road for Butle,r and I expect them to take another step back in this rebuild phase.
Providence - Scoring
Let’s face it. Losing Bryce Hopkins to St. John’s is a punch straight to the gut. While Providence is still in its rebuilding phase under head coach Kim English, the Friars are starting to trend in the right direction. However, in order for Providence to get back to being competitive, they will need to address the replacement of Hopkins’ production and fill in the needed holes. I think scoring was Providence’s biggest issue last season, and losing the guy who initiated most of the offense is a killer. Hopkins averaged 17 points and 7.7 rebounds.
Luckily, Providence has retained the likes of freshman center Oswin Essandoko, who will likely take a big leap forward next season. The Friars are set to welcome two top-100 players, with the likes of both Jamier Jones and Jayden Harrell. Both these guys will enroll as true freshmen, wing players, and will instantly play a crucial part in this rebuild.
DePaul - Wing Players
In case you haven’t paid the least bit of attention to DePaul, it might be time to focus your attention on the Blue Demons. This is a team that has suffered years and years of misery, consistently finishing last in the Big East. This is a squad that was projected to go 0-20 in conference. Yes, they finished second-to-last in the conference, but the vast improvements are enough to leave a DePaul fan optimistic. Under head coach Chris Holtmann, the Blue Demons finished with a 15-20 record and have left the door open for even more improvement down the line.
The problem is that DePaul has a bunch of guards and not a lot of forwards. However, coach Holtmann has addressed this issue and has hit the portal hard, making five signings, most notably slamming home on the wing position. DePaul has signed two home run hits with Brandon Maclin from Radford and Amsal Delalic from Pitt. Both these players, while a bit unproven, fit the mold for DePaul to get bigger and stronger, while also possessing the ability to shoot. These players are going to have to prove themselves and find a way to score on a consistent basis, but there is no doubt DePaul’s stock is rising.
Seton Hall - A Little Bit of Everything
And this takes us to Seton Hall. It’s almost hard to believe that the Pirates have landed dead last in conference play, but there’s hope, and the culture Shaheen Holloway is building is encouraging. However, the hope needs to be looked at with the harsh reality. The way things currently stand, Seton Hall stands no chance. The Pirates lost nearly their entire roster to the transfer portal, including their lone star, Isaiah Coleman, who is off to Oklahoma State.
The problem stands glaringly as Seton Hall has landed a total of zero recruits in the class of 2025. This is extremely bad considering the Pirates lost ten players to the portal. Not to mention that Seton Hall doesn’t have much money to spend in the portal. Somehow, someway, Seton Hall will have to field a team. Literally, the Pirates need everything.