Tonight on the show we're going to talk with Matt Norlander about his Big East Preview where he has the Jays picked 5th. Take a look at it and below are this rankings. Thoughts?
http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/eye-on-college-basketball/24751970/-15-college-basketball-conference-preview-big-east
Projected Order of Finish
1.
Villanova
Hard-pressed to find a legitimate reason Villanova won't cruise to the league title. They bring back four of five starters from a team that went 29-5 and was arguably the most surprising club in the country. Their only bugaboo: Creighton, which destroyed Villanova in both games it played. But looking forward, Jay Wright will easily eclipse 300 career wins at Nova this season behind Darrun Hilliard, Ryan Arcidiacono and JayVaughn Pinkston. And then there's Josh Hart, who I think will be one of the best sophomores in the country, plus a true center in Daniel Ochefu. Oh, right, and Dylan Ennis and Kris Jenkins will come off the bench. With a year of experience, this team looks very good. The biggest curiosity: How does this team embrace being a preseason top 25 club in addition to the overwhelming Big East favorite? Can't wait to see what the Wildcats look like as marked men. VCU, Michigan or Oregon (Legends Classic), Syracuse, Saint Joe's, Temple and Illinois highlight the non-conference calendar.
2.
Georgetown
The Hoyas had a bad season (18-15, 8-10 conference). Just not what John Thompson III has come to expect, and the same goes for the fans. G'town's 102.1 defensive rating on KenPom was the worst JT3's had since he was coaching Princeton in 2003. Expect an improvement, led by Mikael Hopkins, who's one of the league's best shot-blockers. The best player is D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera, a junior guard who does just about everything except rebound (updated: G'town fans have let me have it, saying he averaged 5 boards. Fair enough -- I meant he can be the team's best at everything except rebounding). Jabril Trawick is back after a broken jaw, and he's a key to getting the Hoyas to more than 20 wins. And keep an eye on senior swingman Aaron Bowen, who is the type of player who boosts a team in times of need. Josh Smith is still there, the former UCLA big man who didn't get on the right track right away in D.C. If he's able to truly keep his weight in check and stay on course (read: stay in class), then sure, Georgetown could be even more dangerous. But I've given up on expecting anything substantial from Smith. Cool side note: Alonzo Mourning's son is now a member of the team.
3.
Xavier
You might've forgotten Xavier made last year's NCAAs before falling to NC State 74-59. The Musketeers did not have a lot of good chemistry and won in spite of itself at times. It dealt with injuries and inconsistencies, but Chris Mack rallied the group enough to earn a First Four bid. Sophomore Semaj Christon opted out for the NBA, meaning big man Matt Stainbrook will be the team's best player. He's a leader who Mack loves and has the understanding of a point guard -- but in a big man's body. This is going to be a significantly deeper team, one that probably has 10 guys putting up eight minutes or more per game. It's probably among the deepest teams Mack's ever had. Sophomore Myles Davis should take a jump this year, and senior point guard Dee Davis is one of the league's most undervalued players. Jalen Reynolds will probably be the breakout player, so keep an eye, as he and Stainbrook could create the best bigs duo on the conference. Also, X also gets IU transfer Remy Abell on the floor this season, and I suspect he'll be one of the best glue guys in the country. I've also been told freshman Edmund Sumner is a taller/better scoring version of Semaj Christon. I mean, it's Xavier. The Musketeers are almost always good, and deep enough it's unthinkable they won't be in the mix, earning at least 10 league wins.
4.
St. John's
This has to be the year St. John's shows up and reacquaints itself with the nation. It's been ups and downs for Steve Lavin personally and professionally since he arrived in 2010. D'Angelo Harrison is awesome to watch and should score upward of 18 ppg this season on a team that should have no business not averaging more than 70 points. The Johnnies have four starters back from a 20-13 team that didn't resemble an NCAA club, even if Red Storm fans felt otherwise. Behind the best shot-blocker in the country, Chris Obekpa, SJU had the No. 1 shot-blocking rate, too. Obekpa strangely announced he would transfer, then changed his mind, this offseason. Huge for the program to retain him. Phil Greene IV shares backcourt duties with Harrison, and in a lot of ways is the leader by example. Overall, this team has loads of guards, plus Sir'Dominic Pointer, a guy with a great name and the ability to play -- and defend -- the middle three positions. The lone (questionable) departure was Jakarr Sampson, who entered the draft and was promptly undrafted. I think SJU could finish second if everything went right, but nothing always goes right to the fullest with the program.
5.
Creighton
I'm probably higher on Creighton than most (the team loses four starters from its third-seeded NCAA group) because Greg McDermott has averaged 19.6 wins the past 13 seasons. Sure, he had average years in the Big 12 at Iowa State, but overall he's done well. I think Creighton will wind up right around McDermott's average, coming in with 19 or 20 wins. With one of the best players in the history of college hoops now gone -- replacing Doug McDermott is impossible -- it will be intriguing to see how the team changes methods. The Bluejays, who led the league in points, assists and fewest turnovers in 2013-14, will turn to Devin Brooks, Austin Chatman, Avery Dingman and Will Artino. That's a quartet of seniors, by the way. CU isn't totally green this season. Key players have experienced some big-time expectations and experiences. So while a comedown is a guarantee, don't assume Life After Doug is going to stink.
6.
Providence
I've gotta admit, I'm a little perplexed by PC and slotting it sixth in part because I think losing a do-it-all guy like Bryce Cotton has aftershock effects. Kadeem Batts is also gone, and Friars fans know he contributed plenty to the team's learned that Rodney Bullock's knee injury could keep him out for awhile, and certainly that will have some impact. PC's offense was solid last year, in part because the team shot a superb 78.2 percent from the line. And when you're involved in 13 games that go to OT or are decided by five points or less, foul shooting of course matters. Outside of Dunn, Providence will rely on seniors named LaDontae Henton and Carson Desrosiers, and a freshman named Jalen Lindsey. At Kentucky is the toughest game; vs. Notre Dame at Mohegan Sun is probably No. 2.
7.
Marquette
You're going to have to learn how to spell it now. W-O-J-C-I-E-C-H-O-W-S-K-I. Just break it down into three parts: Woj / ciec / howski. See -- easy! The longtime Dukie is now leading Marquette in the aftermath of Buzz Williams' shocking departure to Virginia Tech. And Woj is already making waves, having acquired a future NBA draft pick last week. But that will be talk for next season. For this season, expectations are at knee-level. And I've got the Golden Eagles overachieving. Not reaching the NCAAs, but still: I think 15 wins at least are in the cards here. BYU transfer Matt Carlino has one year of eligibility left, and I expect him to be a problem for the league. Deonte Burton is a serious player, and he'll combo with Carlino for one of the Big East's four best backcourts. I think MU will start slow, but when Luke Fischer gets eligible at the semester break, they'll find a groove and win at least six games in league play. The schedule isn't totally daunting, so that should help.
8.
Seton Hall
Kevin Willard, your future at Seton Hall is in the hands of a freshman named Isaiah Whitehead. Ranked as a five-star prospect, Whitehead will have as much pressure on him as any player at Seton Hall ... perhaps ever. The Pirates have been to only three NCAA Tournaments since 1994. Willard enters Year No. 5 in South Orange, N.J., needing to get all he can from Whitehead in large part because four seniors are gone from last year's team. That means it's a fast rebuild, and there's no guarantee this experiment will work. That's why I've opted to put SHU eighth. Sterling Gibbs is back, and he's a good option at point guard. Willard will have Jaren Sina start too. There's just a whole lot of "prove it" here. I think the defense might worse as the offense gets better. Call it another 17 wins overall?
9.
DePaul
Billy Garrett, Jr. is the future. This sophomore was the best freshman in the league last season, averaging 13.8 points, 2.7 assists and shooting 40 percent from deep. He was also an 83-percent foul shooter. DePaul's long needed a bright spot on the court and off of it, and it's gotten that in Garrett. What else is there, though? Oliver Purnell's gotta be facing a win-big-or-be-fired season. To say the Blue Demons are in a rut is to give praise to ruts everywhere. The group has failed to win more than 12 games in eight of the past nine seasons. That changes in 2014-15. DePaul's schedule isn't brutal, though it did put Colorado, Stanford and George Washington on it, plus whatever the Diamond Head Classic (Wichita State and Nebraska are the two good teams involved) offers up in bracket play. Garrett will also have help from classmate Tommy Hamilton IV, who stands 6-11 and could become nearly as good as Cleveland Melvin was (before Melvin got thrown out of school). I'm interested to see if Illinois transfer Myke Henry finds playing time and becomes a piece.
10.
Butler
The forecast for the Bulldogs is in flux because we don't know the long-term status of coach Brandon Miller. The 35-year-old abruptly left the team for undisclosed medical reasons less than two weeks ago. Best wishes to him, and hopefully he can be in good form as soon as possible. Without him, the team moves forward heedfully. Good news? Rosevelt Jones is back. Butler's best player sat all of last season with a broken wrist. He's got a game that defines unorthodox, but boy is he fun to watch. Kellen Dunham is a solid playmaker, and Kameron Woods should continue to be an assurance around the rim. Plus, former Indiana player Austin Etherington is available after a redshirt season, and overall, the Big East is probably going to be better this season, because if the bottom three teams I've listed here do wind up finishing eighth, ninth and 10th, I'm guessing they'll at minimum win 14 games. Not awful in the grand scheme.
http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/eye-on-college-basketball/24751970/-15-college-basketball-conference-preview-big-east
Projected Order of Finish
1.
Hard-pressed to find a legitimate reason Villanova won't cruise to the league title. They bring back four of five starters from a team that went 29-5 and was arguably the most surprising club in the country. Their only bugaboo: Creighton, which destroyed Villanova in both games it played. But looking forward, Jay Wright will easily eclipse 300 career wins at Nova this season behind Darrun Hilliard, Ryan Arcidiacono and JayVaughn Pinkston. And then there's Josh Hart, who I think will be one of the best sophomores in the country, plus a true center in Daniel Ochefu. Oh, right, and Dylan Ennis and Kris Jenkins will come off the bench. With a year of experience, this team looks very good. The biggest curiosity: How does this team embrace being a preseason top 25 club in addition to the overwhelming Big East favorite? Can't wait to see what the Wildcats look like as marked men. VCU, Michigan or Oregon (Legends Classic), Syracuse, Saint Joe's, Temple and Illinois highlight the non-conference calendar.
2.
The Hoyas had a bad season (18-15, 8-10 conference). Just not what John Thompson III has come to expect, and the same goes for the fans. G'town's 102.1 defensive rating on KenPom was the worst JT3's had since he was coaching Princeton in 2003. Expect an improvement, led by Mikael Hopkins, who's one of the league's best shot-blockers. The best player is D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera, a junior guard who does just about everything except rebound (updated: G'town fans have let me have it, saying he averaged 5 boards. Fair enough -- I meant he can be the team's best at everything except rebounding). Jabril Trawick is back after a broken jaw, and he's a key to getting the Hoyas to more than 20 wins. And keep an eye on senior swingman Aaron Bowen, who is the type of player who boosts a team in times of need. Josh Smith is still there, the former UCLA big man who didn't get on the right track right away in D.C. If he's able to truly keep his weight in check and stay on course (read: stay in class), then sure, Georgetown could be even more dangerous. But I've given up on expecting anything substantial from Smith. Cool side note: Alonzo Mourning's son is now a member of the team.
3.
You might've forgotten Xavier made last year's NCAAs before falling to NC State 74-59. The Musketeers did not have a lot of good chemistry and won in spite of itself at times. It dealt with injuries and inconsistencies, but Chris Mack rallied the group enough to earn a First Four bid. Sophomore Semaj Christon opted out for the NBA, meaning big man Matt Stainbrook will be the team's best player. He's a leader who Mack loves and has the understanding of a point guard -- but in a big man's body. This is going to be a significantly deeper team, one that probably has 10 guys putting up eight minutes or more per game. It's probably among the deepest teams Mack's ever had. Sophomore Myles Davis should take a jump this year, and senior point guard Dee Davis is one of the league's most undervalued players. Jalen Reynolds will probably be the breakout player, so keep an eye, as he and Stainbrook could create the best bigs duo on the conference. Also, X also gets IU transfer Remy Abell on the floor this season, and I suspect he'll be one of the best glue guys in the country. I've also been told freshman Edmund Sumner is a taller/better scoring version of Semaj Christon. I mean, it's Xavier. The Musketeers are almost always good, and deep enough it's unthinkable they won't be in the mix, earning at least 10 league wins.
4.
This has to be the year St. John's shows up and reacquaints itself with the nation. It's been ups and downs for Steve Lavin personally and professionally since he arrived in 2010. D'Angelo Harrison is awesome to watch and should score upward of 18 ppg this season on a team that should have no business not averaging more than 70 points. The Johnnies have four starters back from a 20-13 team that didn't resemble an NCAA club, even if Red Storm fans felt otherwise. Behind the best shot-blocker in the country, Chris Obekpa, SJU had the No. 1 shot-blocking rate, too. Obekpa strangely announced he would transfer, then changed his mind, this offseason. Huge for the program to retain him. Phil Greene IV shares backcourt duties with Harrison, and in a lot of ways is the leader by example. Overall, this team has loads of guards, plus Sir'Dominic Pointer, a guy with a great name and the ability to play -- and defend -- the middle three positions. The lone (questionable) departure was Jakarr Sampson, who entered the draft and was promptly undrafted. I think SJU could finish second if everything went right, but nothing always goes right to the fullest with the program.
5.
I'm probably higher on Creighton than most (the team loses four starters from its third-seeded NCAA group) because Greg McDermott has averaged 19.6 wins the past 13 seasons. Sure, he had average years in the Big 12 at Iowa State, but overall he's done well. I think Creighton will wind up right around McDermott's average, coming in with 19 or 20 wins. With one of the best players in the history of college hoops now gone -- replacing Doug McDermott is impossible -- it will be intriguing to see how the team changes methods. The Bluejays, who led the league in points, assists and fewest turnovers in 2013-14, will turn to Devin Brooks, Austin Chatman, Avery Dingman and Will Artino. That's a quartet of seniors, by the way. CU isn't totally green this season. Key players have experienced some big-time expectations and experiences. So while a comedown is a guarantee, don't assume Life After Doug is going to stink.
6.
I've gotta admit, I'm a little perplexed by PC and slotting it sixth in part because I think losing a do-it-all guy like Bryce Cotton has aftershock effects. Kadeem Batts is also gone, and Friars fans know he contributed plenty to the team's learned that Rodney Bullock's knee injury could keep him out for awhile, and certainly that will have some impact. PC's offense was solid last year, in part because the team shot a superb 78.2 percent from the line. And when you're involved in 13 games that go to OT or are decided by five points or less, foul shooting of course matters. Outside of Dunn, Providence will rely on seniors named LaDontae Henton and Carson Desrosiers, and a freshman named Jalen Lindsey. At Kentucky is the toughest game; vs. Notre Dame at Mohegan Sun is probably No. 2.
7.
You're going to have to learn how to spell it now. W-O-J-C-I-E-C-H-O-W-S-K-I. Just break it down into three parts: Woj / ciec / howski. See -- easy! The longtime Dukie is now leading Marquette in the aftermath of Buzz Williams' shocking departure to Virginia Tech. And Woj is already making waves, having acquired a future NBA draft pick last week. But that will be talk for next season. For this season, expectations are at knee-level. And I've got the Golden Eagles overachieving. Not reaching the NCAAs, but still: I think 15 wins at least are in the cards here. BYU transfer Matt Carlino has one year of eligibility left, and I expect him to be a problem for the league. Deonte Burton is a serious player, and he'll combo with Carlino for one of the Big East's four best backcourts. I think MU will start slow, but when Luke Fischer gets eligible at the semester break, they'll find a groove and win at least six games in league play. The schedule isn't totally daunting, so that should help.
8.
Kevin Willard, your future at Seton Hall is in the hands of a freshman named Isaiah Whitehead. Ranked as a five-star prospect, Whitehead will have as much pressure on him as any player at Seton Hall ... perhaps ever. The Pirates have been to only three NCAA Tournaments since 1994. Willard enters Year No. 5 in South Orange, N.J., needing to get all he can from Whitehead in large part because four seniors are gone from last year's team. That means it's a fast rebuild, and there's no guarantee this experiment will work. That's why I've opted to put SHU eighth. Sterling Gibbs is back, and he's a good option at point guard. Willard will have Jaren Sina start too. There's just a whole lot of "prove it" here. I think the defense might worse as the offense gets better. Call it another 17 wins overall?
9.
Billy Garrett, Jr. is the future. This sophomore was the best freshman in the league last season, averaging 13.8 points, 2.7 assists and shooting 40 percent from deep. He was also an 83-percent foul shooter. DePaul's long needed a bright spot on the court and off of it, and it's gotten that in Garrett. What else is there, though? Oliver Purnell's gotta be facing a win-big-or-be-fired season. To say the Blue Demons are in a rut is to give praise to ruts everywhere. The group has failed to win more than 12 games in eight of the past nine seasons. That changes in 2014-15. DePaul's schedule isn't brutal, though it did put Colorado, Stanford and George Washington on it, plus whatever the Diamond Head Classic (Wichita State and Nebraska are the two good teams involved) offers up in bracket play. Garrett will also have help from classmate Tommy Hamilton IV, who stands 6-11 and could become nearly as good as Cleveland Melvin was (before Melvin got thrown out of school). I'm interested to see if Illinois transfer Myke Henry finds playing time and becomes a piece.
10.
The forecast for the Bulldogs is in flux because we don't know the long-term status of coach Brandon Miller. The 35-year-old abruptly left the team for undisclosed medical reasons less than two weeks ago. Best wishes to him, and hopefully he can be in good form as soon as possible. Without him, the team moves forward heedfully. Good news? Rosevelt Jones is back. Butler's best player sat all of last season with a broken wrist. He's got a game that defines unorthodox, but boy is he fun to watch. Kellen Dunham is a solid playmaker, and Kameron Woods should continue to be an assurance around the rim. Plus, former Indiana player Austin Etherington is available after a redshirt season, and overall, the Big East is probably going to be better this season, because if the bottom three teams I've listed here do wind up finishing eighth, ninth and 10th, I'm guessing they'll at minimum win 14 games. Not awful in the grand scheme.
