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Way Too Early: All-Big East Teams
by Jtemplon on JULY 23, 2013 in BIG EAST, ST. JOHN'S
Building an way too early team for a league that’s never played a game is an especially fun challenge. There’s a lot of talent in the new Big East, but what players deserve to get preseason honors?
It really depends on how you think statistics from the Atlantic 10 and Missouri Valley Conference will translate once teams like Creighton, Xavier and Butler join the Catholic Seven. I’ve taken my best guess in this Way Too Early edition of my preseason All-Big East Conference teams. (Note: Surprised we’re doing more Big East content? Don’t be. Big Apple Buckets will be covering the league this season! There’s basketball and no football. So we’re on it.)
First Team:
Doug McDermott (F, Creighton)
Bryce Cotton (G, Providence)
Markel Starks (G, Georgetown)
JayVaughn Pinkston (F, Villanova)
JaKarr Sampson (F, St. John’s)
Once Doug McDermott decided to bypass the NBA and come back for his senior season he became not only the favorite for the preseason Player of the Year in the Big East, but potentially in the entire nation. (Though Marcus Smart and others will obviously challenge him.) McDermott is an incredibly efficient scorer at the collegiate level. His 23.1 points per game were second nationally last season. I don’t think playing in the Big East is going to change much for him either.
Bryce Cotton is another easy choice. The versatile Providence guard gets to the free throw line at an absolutely mind-boggling rate. That helped him average 19.4 points per game last season (22nd nationally) and make 1st Team in the final season of the expanded Big East. He should get some more help around him this season and will get more national recognition if the Friars start competing for an NCAA tournament spot.
The remaining three players on this first team were more difficult. Markel Starks and JayVaughn Pinkston were both 3rd Team selections last season and can do more than just score. Starks is an excellent playmaker inside of Georgetown’s offense and Pinkston can hit the glass. In a league that doesn’t have too many top-tier big men that could be a huge advantage for Villanova.
The final selection, JaKarr Sampson of St. John’s is probably the most controversial. My assumption is that last season’s Big East Rookie of the Year will make “the leap” from his freshman to sophomore season and become a superstar for the Red Storm. Sampson used 27.4% of the team’s possessions when he was on the court, so he’s already got a superstar usage rate. What he needs to improve is his offensive efficiency. If Sampson can shoot 70% from the free throw line and also hit more than half his two-point attempts he’ll be amazingly valuable.
Second Team:
Davante Gardner (F, Marquette)
Fuquan Edwin (G/F, Seton Hall)
Grant Gibbs (G, Creighton)
Semaj Christon (G, Xavier)
Brandon Young (G, DePaul)
If you wanted to take a more proven product than Sampson you might’ve included Davante Gardner on the First Team. The Marquette big man just produces when he’s on the court. The one rub? He only plays about 20 minutes per game. That’s why he won Sixth Man of the Year. Marquette actually has one of the deeper front lines in the Big East, so I don’t know if that will change this season and thus I’m leaving Gardner on the Second Team.
Fuquan Edwin is Seton Hall. Going into his senior season it’ll be up to Edwin to continue to produce in order to keep the Pirates in contention. Last season only 43 players took a higher percentage of their team’s shots when they were on the court. The ball is going to Edwin. Guard him. What elevates Edwin onto the team over some other players that are the focal point of their respective offenses is the fact that Edwin is also a lockdown on-ball defender.
Like his teammate McDermott, when Grant Gibbs got the opportunity to return for a sixth season he immediately earned a spot on this team. Gibbs’ usage might not be that high, but he’s one of the biggest reasons Creighton had the ninth best offense in the country last season. His 5.9 assists per game were 22nd in the nation last season.
The addition of Xavier to the Big East also means a step up in competition for one of last season’s most entertaining freshmen in Semaj Christon. Like Sampson, Christon already has a superstar usage percentage (30.2%), but he needs to become more efficient. For Christon though it’s most about cutting down on turnovers (22.2% of his possessions ended in one last season) while not losing his dynamic playmaking ability. How the 6’3″ sophomore handles the pressure of some of the more talented Big East point guards will be one of this season’s most intriguing story lines.
Brandon Young‘s slot was the hardest to pick. All of the other players have already established themselves in one conference or another. Young has very good tempo-free statistics, but hasn’t garnered nearly the same recognition. That probably has something to do with DePaul’s 2-16 record during Big East play in 2012-13. Hopefully a new conference means a new beginning for the Blue Demons. Oliver Purnell sure has two talented veterans to throw out there in Young and Cleveland Melvin.
Also considered: D’Angelo Harrison (G, St. John’s), Cleveland Melvin (F, DePaul), D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera (G, Georgetown), Jamil Wilson (F, Marquette), Khyle Marshall (F, Butler), Roosevelt Jones (G/F, Butler), Kellen Dunham (G, Butler), Chris Otule (F, Marquette)
Way Too Early: All-Big East Teams
by Jtemplon on JULY 23, 2013 in BIG EAST, ST. JOHN'S
Building an way too early team for a league that’s never played a game is an especially fun challenge. There’s a lot of talent in the new Big East, but what players deserve to get preseason honors?
It really depends on how you think statistics from the Atlantic 10 and Missouri Valley Conference will translate once teams like Creighton, Xavier and Butler join the Catholic Seven. I’ve taken my best guess in this Way Too Early edition of my preseason All-Big East Conference teams. (Note: Surprised we’re doing more Big East content? Don’t be. Big Apple Buckets will be covering the league this season! There’s basketball and no football. So we’re on it.)
First Team:
Doug McDermott (F, Creighton)
Bryce Cotton (G, Providence)
Markel Starks (G, Georgetown)
JayVaughn Pinkston (F, Villanova)
JaKarr Sampson (F, St. John’s)
Once Doug McDermott decided to bypass the NBA and come back for his senior season he became not only the favorite for the preseason Player of the Year in the Big East, but potentially in the entire nation. (Though Marcus Smart and others will obviously challenge him.) McDermott is an incredibly efficient scorer at the collegiate level. His 23.1 points per game were second nationally last season. I don’t think playing in the Big East is going to change much for him either.
Bryce Cotton is another easy choice. The versatile Providence guard gets to the free throw line at an absolutely mind-boggling rate. That helped him average 19.4 points per game last season (22nd nationally) and make 1st Team in the final season of the expanded Big East. He should get some more help around him this season and will get more national recognition if the Friars start competing for an NCAA tournament spot.
The remaining three players on this first team were more difficult. Markel Starks and JayVaughn Pinkston were both 3rd Team selections last season and can do more than just score. Starks is an excellent playmaker inside of Georgetown’s offense and Pinkston can hit the glass. In a league that doesn’t have too many top-tier big men that could be a huge advantage for Villanova.
The final selection, JaKarr Sampson of St. John’s is probably the most controversial. My assumption is that last season’s Big East Rookie of the Year will make “the leap” from his freshman to sophomore season and become a superstar for the Red Storm. Sampson used 27.4% of the team’s possessions when he was on the court, so he’s already got a superstar usage rate. What he needs to improve is his offensive efficiency. If Sampson can shoot 70% from the free throw line and also hit more than half his two-point attempts he’ll be amazingly valuable.
Second Team:
Davante Gardner (F, Marquette)
Fuquan Edwin (G/F, Seton Hall)
Grant Gibbs (G, Creighton)
Semaj Christon (G, Xavier)
Brandon Young (G, DePaul)
If you wanted to take a more proven product than Sampson you might’ve included Davante Gardner on the First Team. The Marquette big man just produces when he’s on the court. The one rub? He only plays about 20 minutes per game. That’s why he won Sixth Man of the Year. Marquette actually has one of the deeper front lines in the Big East, so I don’t know if that will change this season and thus I’m leaving Gardner on the Second Team.
Fuquan Edwin is Seton Hall. Going into his senior season it’ll be up to Edwin to continue to produce in order to keep the Pirates in contention. Last season only 43 players took a higher percentage of their team’s shots when they were on the court. The ball is going to Edwin. Guard him. What elevates Edwin onto the team over some other players that are the focal point of their respective offenses is the fact that Edwin is also a lockdown on-ball defender.
Like his teammate McDermott, when Grant Gibbs got the opportunity to return for a sixth season he immediately earned a spot on this team. Gibbs’ usage might not be that high, but he’s one of the biggest reasons Creighton had the ninth best offense in the country last season. His 5.9 assists per game were 22nd in the nation last season.
The addition of Xavier to the Big East also means a step up in competition for one of last season’s most entertaining freshmen in Semaj Christon. Like Sampson, Christon already has a superstar usage percentage (30.2%), but he needs to become more efficient. For Christon though it’s most about cutting down on turnovers (22.2% of his possessions ended in one last season) while not losing his dynamic playmaking ability. How the 6’3″ sophomore handles the pressure of some of the more talented Big East point guards will be one of this season’s most intriguing story lines.
Brandon Young‘s slot was the hardest to pick. All of the other players have already established themselves in one conference or another. Young has very good tempo-free statistics, but hasn’t garnered nearly the same recognition. That probably has something to do with DePaul’s 2-16 record during Big East play in 2012-13. Hopefully a new conference means a new beginning for the Blue Demons. Oliver Purnell sure has two talented veterans to throw out there in Young and Cleveland Melvin.
Also considered: D’Angelo Harrison (G, St. John’s), Cleveland Melvin (F, DePaul), D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera (G, Georgetown), Jamil Wilson (F, Marquette), Khyle Marshall (F, Butler), Roosevelt Jones (G/F, Butler), Kellen Dunham (G, Butler), Chris Otule (F, Marquette)
