Non-conference scheduling studs and duds: The Big East
by Jeff Eisenberg
Since most of this coming season’s non-conference schedules have finally been released, it’s a good time to assess whose slates are the most daunting and who didn’t challenge themselves enough. Yahoo Sports will go league-by-league the next two weeks. Up next: The Big East.
Toughest non-league schedule: Georgetown
Expected to contend in the Big East last season thanks to the presence of star guard D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera and a talented supporting cast, Georgetown instead crumbled in February and March en route to a disappointing 15-18 record. Now the Hoyas will look to rebound in spite of a non-conference slate that is undeniably the Big East’s toughest.
Three marquee rivalry games highlight Georgetown’s schedule: a Nov. 15 rematch of last year’s narrow loss to Maryland, a Dec. 17 visit to hated Syracuse and a Jan. 14 home game against long-time Big East foe UConn. Each of those teams are Top 25 caliber and each are expected to be NCAA tournament participants next spring.
Georgetown also will be part of the Maui Invitational, easily this year’s strongest holiday tournament. The Hoyas will open with potential preseason top-five Oregon and will face either Big Ten contender Wisconsin or Tennessee on day two. Looming on the other side of the bracket are North Carolina, UConn and Oklahoma State.
Those six games alone will certainly test a Georgetown team that should have more depth than last year’s version but lost Smith-Rivera to graduation. The Hoyas will count on Robert Morris transfer Rodney Pryor to provide instant offense, sophomores Marcus Derrickson and Jessie Govan to solidify the frontcourt and guard L.J. Peak and forward Isaac Copeland to more consistently tap into their potential.
Easiest non-league schedule: DePaul
Can anyone really blame DePaul for not loading its non-conference schedule with formidable teams the way some of its Big East peers did? After all, second-year coach Dave Leitao inherits a program that hasn’t produced a winning season since 2007 and has compiled a 25-137 league record in the past nine seasons.
There’s a good chance DePaul will not play an NCAA tournament team before conference play unless Temple proves better than expected. The Blue Demons also host Rutgers, Drake and Milwaukee, visit Northwestern and play in a tournament featuring Wyoming, Missouri State and USC.
All in all, it’s a logical, confidence-boosting schedule for a program that appears no closer to fielding a team capable of being competitive in the BIg East. It’s just also clearly the weakest one in a league where most everyone else scheduled at least two or three top 50-caliber non-conference foes.
Four other notable Big East schedules:
Xavier: The Musketeers may not play another fellow top 15 program before conference play, but they face a handful of quality opponents. Among them: Baylor, Utah, Colorado, Northern Iowa and rival Cincinnati. Xavier also could meet Oklahoma should the Sooners and Musketeers advance to the title game of the Puerto Rico Tip-Off tournament.
Villanova: Two games jazz up an otherwise pedestrian schedule for the reigning national champs. Villanova visits Purdue on Nov. 14 in a matchup of contrasting styles and hosts Virginia on Jan. 29 in a rematch of the Cavaliers’ 86-75 victory last season. Both Purdue and Virginia should begin the season in the top 20.
Seton Hall: Although star guard Isaiah Whitehead declared for the NBA draft last spring, Seton Hall still built a non-conference schedule fit for an NCAA tournament-caliber team. The Pirates visit Iowa, meet Cal on a neutral floor and participate in the Advocare Invitational, where they’ll open with Florida and could see Gonzaga, Iowa State, Miami or Stanford in later rounds.
St. John’s: For a team that lost 24 games last season and is still at least year away from contending in the Big East, St. John’s assembled a pretty difficult non-conference schedule. The Johnnies visit in-state rival Syracuse, rebuilding Minnesota and Tulane, host Penn State and take part in the Battle 4 Atlantis, where they’ll open with Michigan State.
Four Big East non-conference games to watch:
1. Virginia at Villanova, Jan. 29: The last time these two national powers met, Virginia’s London Perrantes scored 15 of his 19 points in the second half last season as the Cavaliers pulled away from the Wildcats. Villanova will have to deal with Perrantes again this January when the two teams meet again, this time in Philadelphia.
2. Butler vs. Indiana, Dec. 17: Four years ago, Alex Barlow sank a go-ahead floater to lead Butler to a stunning upset of top-ranked Indiana. Two years ago, Yogi Ferrell starred and Tom Crean got his 300th career win at the Bulldogs’ expense. In December, Butler and Indiana will square off once again at the Crossroads Classic with in-state bragging rights at stake.
3. Xavier at Cincinnati, Date TBA: Seven times in the past nine years, Xavier has defeated its crosstown rival including last season’s 65-55 home win. Behind guard Edmund Sumner and forward Trevon Bluiett, the Musketeers should once again be favored next season, albeit by a slimmer margin on the road against another solid Bearcats team.
4. Georgetown at Syracuse, Dec. 17: One of the few bright spots in Georgetown’s otherwise deflating 2015-16 season was a 79-71 win over Syracuse in the first matchup between the two longtime rivals since the Orange left the Big East. The rematch will be a big challenge for the Hoyas with Syracuse at home and boasting another formidable top 20-caliber roster.
Game that should have been scheduled but wasn’t: Villanova vs. North Carolina.
One of the classic national title games in college basketball history deserves one thing: A rematch. Yes, Marcus Paige and Brice Johnson graduated from North Carolina last spring. Yes, Daniel Ochefu and Ryan Arcidiacono are both done at Villanova too. But with many of last year’s other stars back and both teams likely to begin the new season in the top 10, it’s a shame that the Tar Heels and Wildcats will not meet unless they draw one-another in the NCAA tournament.
