Know your foe: New faces
As we sit in a bit of a lull in the in the summer schedule, now is as good a time as any to get an early look at the newcomers to the conference for this upcoming season. Sun Tzu advised us to know thy enemy, so let’s take some time to get acquainted with some new faces who will look to help their squads prevent Villanova from capturing a fourth-straight Big East championship.
Butler
The Bulldogs add a pair of interesting players in 4-star recruit Joey Brunk and Memphis-transfer Avery Woodson.
Brunk, a 6-10 center, averaged 16.1 points and 8.5 rebounds over his high school career. His biggest asset is his touch around the basket and ability to finish. He also possesses impressive footwork for a player his age. He has displayed solid vision and passing ability, but it remains to be seen if that will transfer to the collegiate level with more athletic players lurking in the passing lanes.
Woodson is a 6-2 guard who averaged 9.6 points last season for Memphis. He shot 43% from behind the arc, and along with Brunk should provide a nice inside-outside combo for the Bulldogs.
Georgetown
Like Butler, Georgetown brings in a pair of new faces, one from the recruiting trail and another by way of transfer.
4-star recruit Jagan Mosley joins the Hoyas via prestigious St. Anthony’s High in New Jersey. Mosley appears to be a pretty complete guard. He can get to the rim and finish with a high degree of difficulty as well as step out and hit a jump shot. He can find teammates and thread the ball through tight windows. He has a knack for finding the ball, and his leaping ability allows him to play bigger than his 6-3 height.
Joining Mosley will be 6-5 Robert Morris transfer Rodney Pryor. Pryor averaged 18 points and 8 boards last season.
Marquette
Marquette adds a pair of 4-star recruits in Markus Howard and Sam Hauser.
Howard was originally a member of the 2017 class, but graduated early and reclassified into the class of 2016. The kid is a scorer. He led the state of Arizona in scoring at Perry High School with 32.2 points per game before spending a year at national power Findlay Prep. He won gold with the USA U16’s in 2015. What he lacks in size (5-11) he makes up for in strength (185 pounds), quickness, tight handles, and a plethora of moves. He possesses a nasty step back, and is comfortable with the crossover and spin moves. He can finish at the rim and knock down a J, and his passing skills are solid. I wouldn’t be surprised to see this kid on the short list of Big East FOY candidates.
Hauser is a versatile kid who can hit jump shots as well as play with his back to the basket. He moves well without the ball, and lets the game come to him. He seems to have a calmness about him that is rare for a player his age.
Providence
The Friars have the daunting task of replacing Kris Dunn and Ben Bentil. They will look to 4-star recruit Alpha Diallo to handle the brunt of that task. The 6-7 forward will look to score the ball first. He has decent touch on his jump shot and the athleticism to get to the rim. He has an ease about his game. He’s also shown the ability to find teammates, seeing the opening before it is readily apparent.
St. John’s
The Red Storm add Brooklyn product Shamorie Ponds. Ponds will look to make an immediate impact. He has great handles and good leaping ability. He is deceptively long despite his 6-0 frame. He has shown an ability to hit from long-range, but will need to develop consistency. He will have every opportunity to impress as he steps right in for a St. John’s team coming off a dreadful 2015-16 campaign.
Xavier
Xavier welcomes a pair of 4-star recruits in PG Quentin Goodin and PF Tyrique Jones.
Goodin projects as a solid all-around point guard. He can spot up and knock down a jump shot as well as break down a defender and get to the basket. He can create his own shot virtually anywhere on the court. He’s got great vision and makes the right play more often than not.
The 6-7 Jones has decent range and handles for a player his size. He can face-up and play with his back to the basket. He has impressive touch around the rim, and can disrupt shots on the defensive end.
Seton Hall
The Hall add Myles Powell, and his job will be clear from the start: Shoot the ball. Many scouts rate Powell’s stroke as the best in the East, and one of the best in the entire country. The Pirates will look to him to fill it up from beyond the arc.
Now we are a bit more acquainted with some notable Big East newcomers. While Villanova continues to be the cream of the crop in the conference, these new guys will be anxious to get their shot at the champs.