Way-too-early Big East basketball tiers: St. John's and UConn primed to jostle for supremacy, again
An early look at each Big East team after the NBA Draft stay-or-go deadline and weeks of transfer portal combat
And the games we played without Hines when he had a concussion?Playing butler without Bizjack, Xavier without Carroll, Providence without Jones
We beat prov without him and got smoked by nova when he did play. You’re comparing a bench player to a 1st league all BE, 2nd team all BE, and a player who made the BE Rookie team. Hines didn’t accomplish any of thatAnd the games we played without Hines when he had a concussion?
So reason to hope rather than mope, to borrow a Carino phrase.The roster isn't finalized and will soon get much better.
Nice, suprised we still have money left. Hopefully it was invested in Micron to turn a quick profitThe roster isn't finalized and will soon get much better.
You are probably right. It’s June 5th. The roster should have been finalized weeks ago. I also wouldn’t call a juco center making the team much better.The roster isn't finalized and will soon get much better.
We were fortunate last year on the injury front. Those other teams and examples (didn’t USC’s leading scorer miss time too when we played them?), and outside of Hines, no one missed any time. Obviously Godswill, Suemnick and Felton missed major time, but I don’t remember a SHU team in recent memory that avoided the injury bug with rotation players.And the games we played without Hines when he had a concussion?
He was the best Juco player in the country.You are probably right. It’s June 5th. The roster should have been finalized weeks ago. I also wouldn’t call a juco center making the team much better.
What’s his nameHe was the best Juco player in the country.
Terry Copeland is I believe who they are discussing, went to HS at Bergen Catholic.What’s his name
We SURPRISED last year and we can do it again this year. Aside from UCONN and SJU, there are no other juggernauts.Hard to argue. Second worst roster on paper, going to need great coaching, and luck like last year
That may be true. However you can look at the rosters of all the BE teams and evaluate the players based on their pedigree and past performance and come up with an educated guess. Of course that needs to factor in the coach and his staff and what they can do with the kids on the roster and how well they fit into the coaches plans.I do agree with the top 3 but after that it’s a crap shoot.
Nobody can tell how good any of the other teams and players are. Most of the transfers are stepping up in competition. All will need to be coached up individually and massaged into a team.
Did you expect us to be on the verge of making the NCAA tournament last year? We were right there on the cutting line.Who did we surprise?
St. John’s 0-3
Uconn 0-2
Nova 0-2
Depaul 0-2
Creighton 2-1 maybe?
Come on. We surprised every college basketball fan.Who did we surprise?
St. John’s 0-3
Uconn 0-2
Nova 0-2
Depaul 0-2
Creighton 2-1 maybe?
It will be a good sign for the BE if the team that wins the regular season title has 4-5 losses. That most likely means the depth is back to where it should be.I do agree with the top 3 but after that it’s a crap shoot.
Nobody can tell how good any of the other teams and players are. Most of the transfers are stepping up in competition. All will need to be coached up individually and massaged into a team.
You can’t make the tournament if you don’t beat any tournament teams. Our best win was vs a team that played in the first four, and our second best win was a team that played in the crown lolDid you expect us to be on the verge of making the NCAA tournament last year? We were right there on the cutting line.
At the start of last season all the experts predicted that we would firmly be in last place.
Yes, we VERY POSITIVELY SURPRISED.
The Big East must do better, much better, in the OOC games.Actually it would only be a good sign if the BE was elevated as a conference in terms of overall performance. If the top teams like UConn and St Johns take steps backward and there is more parity that is fine but if the conference as a whole continues to regress against top outside competition then that is not good. Depth and quality of teams go hand in hand.
The OOC didn’t help last year but preseason expectations weren’t there for most of the BE based on the returning players and offseason. You had two really good teams, one solid team just on the right side of the bubble and mediocrity to bad for the rest. How the teams are projected preseason has some impact on where everyone starts from a ranking perspective, I believe. And this year I think most of college basketball will be pretty bullish on the depth of the league based on the offseason.The Big East must do better, much better, in the OOC games.
Except for UCONN, which dominated, the rest of the BE was rather putrid in OOC games last year. This causes us to have a lack of respect in comparison to other conferences and limits the # NCAA bids we get.
We MUST DO BETTER OOC this year.
I might move Marquette to Tier 1 with what they retained and who they brought in the door since Shaka decided not to be allergic to the portal this offseason.IMO
Tier 1
Connecticut
Providence
St John's
Villanova
Tier 2
Creighton
DePaul
Marquette
Seton Hall
Xavier
Tier 3
Butler
Georgetown
Everyone's drinking the Hodgson Kool Aid coupled with all the talent they brought in the door. I think the preseason expectations are probably more likely to match what Dan had as well re: Providence for that reason. And in defense of those who think that, the guy has immediately turned two teams around and taken them to the dance.Providence not Tier 1. Tier 2 with the rest of us.
Do you have season tickets? How do you support the team? We know you're aces with complaining on Saturday night. lolYou can’t make the tournament if you don’t beat any tournament teams. Our best win was vs a team that played in the first four, and our second best win was a team that played in the crown lol
Providence is just not a very good program.Providence not Tier 1. Tier 2 with the rest of us.
Love Sha the player, like Sha the coach, but I don't think him and Hodgson are that different. The Elite 8 run with SPU is always a giant thing on the Sha resume, but outside of that it is crickets when it comes to the NCAA (and yes I count last year as a good season and the BE COY as a noteworthy honor). Hodgson quickly built two NCAA worth teams in two different conferences/levels.Providence is just not a very good program.
Constantly lose and when they arecdecent, they underperform.
Hodgson coach is gonna now go up against really great proven coaches in Hurley, Pitino, Shaka, Sha etc and will get humbled big time.
BTW, I don't see why you don't think Providence is a good program. And I hate everything and anything New England, by and large, from a sports perspective.Providence is just not a very good program.
Constantly lose and when they arecdecent, they underperform.
Hodgson coach is gonna now go up against really great proven coaches in Hurley, Pitino, Shaka, Sha etc and will get humbled big time.
Did they win a tournament 12 years ago because Seton Hall knocked out top-seeded Nova in the first round?BTW, I don't see why you don't think Providence is a good program. And I hate everything and anything New England, by and large, from a sports perspective.
Providence won the conference tourney in 2014, right before our unexpected run. They also won the league outright in 2022.
They made the tourney more often than not under Cooley. They got to a Sweet 16 in 2022 -- when was the last time we did that?
The fan base is legit, as much as I may loathe them. They have one of the best home courts in the Big East and sell out that building with a pretty raucous atmosphere, even when they aren't acting like buffoons inciting nonsense because a former player decided it was better for his basketball future to play for Rick Pitino instead of Kim English (which might be the most obvious choice and decision in the history of choices and decisions).
And they seem to be well-positioned from a NIL perspective.
Like basically every other school in the Big East, including the blue blood Uconn and quasi blue blood in Nova, the success of the program is dictated by the HC and admin and Providence had some missteps there in recent years. But I expect them back towards the top if Hodgson is in fact the real deal.