Big East Conference 2004-05 Preview
The vintage throwbacks of Kerry Kittles, Allen Iverson and Ray Allen set a standard for the youth movement, more than they may now realize. Last year the Big East won its second consecutive national championship, matching the ACC as the only other conference in history to accomplish that feat. Eight players this season will grace the elite list of candidates for the pre-season Wooden Award. Even with Miami and Virginia Tech departing for, ah, “greener pastures”, anticipation is as high as ever with UConn, Syracuse, Providence and Pittsburgh your usual suspects.
Yes the defending champion Huskies lost Emeka Okafor and Ben Gordon. Yes they lost their best recruiter to off-season legal issues and yes their best recruit has newly discovered health issues but to insinuate that a sub-par performance should be expected in 2004 by the Huskies would be ludicrous. With the second best recruiting class in the country (next to Kentucky), the Huskies return four players with starting experience plus juco transfer and ACC Rookie of the Year Ed Nelson.
Ever so hard did Pittsburgh try to attain No. One last season but they were unsuccessful in doing so and as a result are now terrifyingly determined. Chris Taft returns with Chevon Troutman and Torin Francis to lead the charge. Another combination in Hakim Warrick and Gerry McNamara are back for the Orange, trying to exceed last year’s sweet sixteen appearance. The pairings of these players are enjoyable and fun, however, just two players in the nation return as All-Americans and Providence has one of them. Senior forward Ryan Gomes carries the solo show in the Big East in 04-05 after turning down the NBA life. St. John’s (a.k.a. last year’s rendition of Big Apple Circus) looks to start anew with Norm Roberts guiding the ship. It could be a very foggy ride with inexperienced players and coaching. Chris Thomas, the 2002 Big East Rookie of the Year, is expected to be at full strength as Notre Dame tries to improve on a seventh place finish last season.
Boston College will play in its final season in the Big East. Senior forward Craig Smith will head the campaign while trying to improve on a second round NCAA tournament finish last year. Georgetown has a new coach in John Thompson III, and by the way John, we’re all wondering: is the “white towel over the shoulder” thing genetic?
On paper Villanova looks to be at the top of the heap but the Wildcats are injury prone and suspensions linger from last season. Seton Hall will be without departed senior Andre Barrett while Rutgers returns the sophomore surprise of Quincy Douby. And even though West Virginia rounds out this short summary, they may surprise many with the nation’s third leading shot blocker returning.
The baker’s dozen has depth and an unusual abundance of senior talent. A late run deep into the heart of March will be expected from a number of these schools as they try to one up each other. Nearly five months from now we’ll have it all figured out but where’s the fun in waiting? The following is a look at what to expect.
Hoopville’s Pre-Season All-Big East
Hakim Warrick, Syracuse (MVP)
Ryan Gomes, Providence
Chris Thomas, Notre Dame
Carl Krauser, Pittsburgh
Charlie Villanueva, Connecticut
Honorable mentions: Craig Smith, Chris Taft, Gerry McNamara, Torin Francis
Syracuse Orange
2003-04 record: 11-5, 23-8, 4th Place
Projected starting five:
G: Gerry McNamara
G: Billy Edelin
F: Josh Pace
F: Hakim Warrick
C: Craig Forth
Hakim Warrick and Gerry McNamara may be the most lethal combo in all of college basketball this season. After contemplating a jump to the pros, Warrick has decided to return for his senior season. The Orange will try to build off a sweet sixteen appearance last season and have the firepower returning to do so. McNamara led the conference in three pointers made. Billy Edelin rejoins the team after a lapse into poor-grades syndrome. The NCAA reinstated Edelin, last year’s third best scorer for the Orange, and depending upon coach Jim Boeheim, Edelin or Demetris Nichols will start. Sophomore guard Louie McCroskey, Josh Pace and the highly anticipated arrival of freshman guard Josh Wright will anchor the backcourt. Hakim Warrick, Craig Forth and Demetris Nichols all have NCAA championship experience and intend on sharing the wealth. Anchored by Warrick, the Syracuse strength this season will be down low in the paint being bullish with opponents. 6’9″ Terrence Roberts and 6’11” Darryl Watkins will come off the bench again this season while junior forward Matt Gorman will look to steal minutes at forward. The Syracuse starting five is concrete barring injuries and the Orange have arguably the deepest bench in the Big East. Expect a big season again in northern New York.
Pittsburgh Panthers
2003-04 record: 13-3, 31-5, 1st Place
Projected starting five:
G: Carl Krauser
G: Antonio Graves
F: Chevon Troutman
F: Mark McCarroll
C: Chris Taft
Pittsburgh takes a huge loss in Julius Page and Jaron Brown but the loss is forgotten because Big East Rookie of the Year Chris Taft and All-American candidate Carl Krauser are back. The Brooklyn sophomore Taft is a bruiser nearly averaging a double-double in his inaugural season with Pitt. He will pair with 6’10” senior forward Mark McCarroll and the 6’7″ Troutman while Aaron Gray and Levon Kendall will come off the bench to give Taft and Troutman their necessary breaks. Juco transfer John DeGroat and 2003 redshirt sophomore Dante Milligan are expected to battle for minutes at forward.
Freshmen guard Keith Benjamin and Ron Ramón will adapt quickly under the junior guard Krauser, who had an excellent season last year leading the team in scoring, free throw percentage and assists. Guard Antonio Graves is back to use the interior pass to get the ball down low to Taft. The one problem Pitt may face is depth in the backcourt. Marcus Bowman and Charles Small bring very little experience from last season and Benjamin and Ramón may be too young to throw in the mix immediately. Senior guard Yuri Demetris averaged 8.6 minutes per game last year but never started.
Connecticut Huskies
2003-04 record: 12-4, 33-6, 2nd Place
Projected starting five:
G: Marcus Williams
G: Rashad Anderson
F: Denham Brown
F: Charlie Villanueva
C: Josh Boone
The former “almost-there” team of the Connecticut Huskies have turned into two-time national champions from Storrs. With all of the weight that follows a returning champion, the Huskies will bring back a lot of firepower. Rashad Anderson will again be the long-range target shooter and Villanueva is a Wooden Award candidate for his low post presence. Brown must prove his tendonitis and inconsistency problems have gone away. Where the Huskies will lack is at guard. Marcus Williams, a sophomore who sat last season because of poor grades, will start the season at point. From there it gets messy. Freshman guard AJ Price, a top 20 recruit, may be out for the year with a brain hemorrhage so another newcomer, Antonio Kellogg from California, will play backup to Williams. The coaching staff has been very impressed with Kellogg in practices so far.
Perhaps the most excitement in Storrs will generate around Ed Nelson, former ACC Rookie of the Year and Georgia Tech transfer. He sat out last year battling Emeka Okafor in practice time and gaining valuable experience. He will split ample time with Marcus White. Josh Boone and Hilton Armstrong fill to capacity the void inside. Freshman forward Rudy Gay, an explosive shooting guard, is expected to battle for minutes. The Huskies may have to battle the injury bug this season with Boone, Gay and Brown.
Providence Friars
2003-04 record: 11-5, 20-9, 3rd Place
Projected starting five:
G: Donnie McGrath
G: Dwight Brewington
G- Gerald Brown
F: Ryan Gomes
F: Tuukka Kotti
Once again, Providence returns with yet another assortment of colorful players. Senior All-American Ryan Gomes was spectacular last season carrying this team while averaging 18.9ppg and 94rpg. Marcus Douthit is gone, drafted in the second round by the Los Angeles Lakers this past summer so Gomes loses a bit of help in the post, which may leave one confused regarding the starting lineup. Tuukka Kotti and Herbert Hill will fill in for Douthit. However with more experience invested in their backcourt head coach Tim Welsh may indeed choose to go with a smaller five. You may see a number of different combinations this season.
6’4″ junior guard Donnie McGrath has excellent handle and will start at point for the Friars again this year. The only concern with McGrath is his tendency to play flashy basketball occasionally instead of using his head to play the game. McGrath has endurance and will again average close to 35 minutes per outing. Sophomores Gerald Brown and Dwight Brewington will carry the load as well while freshman Robert McKiver takes notes. “Rob Mckiver,” says assistant coach Steve Demeo, “has looked incredible from what we’ve seen and heard so far.” The coaches are really impressed with this kid and the current situation may allow McKiver to see increased minutes in his rookie season. The rest of the freshmen class includes 6’7″ forward DeSean White from Philadelphia and 6’7″ forward Jeff Parmer from Niagara High. A talented freshman center Randall Hanke and the forward Charlie Burch round out the group of newcomers.
Boston College Eagles
2003-04 record: 10-6, 24-10, 5th Place
Projected starting lineup:
G: Louis Hinnant
G: Sean Marshall
F: Craig Smith
F: Jared Dudley
F: Nate Doornekamp
Craig Smith, being the only sophomore on the All Big East First Team last season was a crowning achievement while the Eagles finished impressively at 10-6 (24-10). As of now, Smith’s shooting percentage is second best in league history, behind Patrick Ewing, no joke. The emergence of the bulky forward in 03-04 has brought hope to a program that will leave the Big East following the conclusion of 04-05. The junior Smith loses a big piece to the puzzle in Uka Agbai but will team with 6’7″, 220-pound Jared Dudley as his replacement. 6’6″ sophomore guard Sean Marshall will have to learn to play forward because besides him, BC has nowhere else to turn. The Eagles are young this season with four solid freshmen but just two seniors.
Junior guard Louis Hinnant will run the show up top alongside Sean Marshall who should be starting again this season. Steve Hailey and Jermaine Watson will be utility players mostly helping with ball handling duties and perimeter shooting.
Notre Dame Fightin’ Irish
2003-04 record: 9-7, 19-13, 7th Place
Projected starting lineup:
G: Chris Thomas
G: Chris Quinn
F: Jordan Cornette
F: Dennis Latimore
F: Torin Francis
Mike Brey knows what it takes to get the wins. After all, he has Chris Thomas. But Thomas has suffered a long string of injuries and year after year it seems as if a question mark hovers above his head like a halo. Once again his status is unclear. He finished last season with knee problems and underwent arthroscopic surgery this past summer. If healthy, which some people are saying he is finally, the Irish backcourt of Thomas and Chris Quinn will be scary. Quinn spent the entire off-season working on body muscle. He understands his height, or lack of it, cannot undermine his ability and Quinn will be a force this season. Sophomore guard Colin Falls will be the go-to backup for Quinn and Thomas. 6’11” Torin Francis returns for his junior season and will give the likes of Warrick, Gomes and Craig Smith a tough time down low. 6’10” senior forward Jordan Cornette is the only other player returning to the Irish with valuable game experience. Notre Dame has significant size in the paint with three guys in Dennis Lattimore, Rob Kurz and Omari Israel over the height of 6’8″. Kurz is the only player in this year’s recruiting class.
Rutgers Scarlet Knights
2003-04 record: 7-9, 20-13, 9th Place
Projected starting lineup:
G: Ricky Shields
G: Quincy Douby
F: Marquis Webb
F: Adrian Hill
C: Byron Joynes
The Scarlet Knights reached the 20-win plateau last season for the first time in two decades. Senior guard Ricky Shields is the Scarlet Knights leading scorer and offensive threat Quincy Douby should promise after five solid starts last season including an impressive postseason showing. Look for Rutgers to improve on last season’s 7-9 conference record. The Scarlet Knights do not lose at home and they host Connecticut, Providence and Syracuse this season at the RAC. Rutgers have a dilemma though. They are particularly small this season because that is where their better players will be. They may have to choose to go with a smaller starting lineup, which in the long term will hurt them against Big East foes. Marquis Webb and Juel Wiggan will help Shields and Douby in the backcourt. An injured Adrian Hill is the only player returning in the post with valuable playing experience. Sophomore center Byron Joynes will hope to share minutes with two transfers, forwards Jimmie Inglis and Frank Russell. The coaching staff has sophomore Aaron Washington and two freshmen to fall back on for post positions.
Villanova Wildcats
2003-04 record: 6-10, 18-17, 11th Place
Projected starting lineup:
G: Allan Ray
G: Randy Foye
G: Mike Nardi
F: Curtis Sumpter
F: Will Sheridan
The suspension and injury-plagued Wildcats are anxiously awaiting the pieces to fall in place. Head coach Jay Wright enters his fourth year in Philly and again this could be a future-altering season for the Armani-clad coach. People around the country have been impatiently waiting for Wright’s junior class to blossom, however, less than one month before this season’s opener, there’s yet another major setback. Jason Fraser, plagued by injuries and suspensions, underwent possible season-ending knee surgery in mid-October. Fraser was a definitive starter and now the Wildcats are left with a big gap inside. The two other juniors Curtis Sumpter and Randy Foye are expected to produce at full strength. Sumpter spent the summer with USA Basketball playing with the most elite group of college hoopsters in the country. Foye averaged double figures last season and will look to improve. The 7’0″, 220-pound Chris Charles will also fight for minutes. Junior guard Allen Ray led the team in scoring with 17.3ppg last season and should be a force again from the perimeter. He teams with Mike Nardi in the backcourt.
Seton Hall Pirates
2003-04 record: 10-6, 21-10, 6th Place
Projected starting lineup:
G: Donald Copeland
G: JR Morris
F: John Allen
F: Andre Sweet
C: Kelly Whitney
The loss of Andre Barrett will cripple the Pirates starting lineup but they still have some forces in Andre Sweet, Kelly Whitney and John Allen. Whitney averaged 13.6ppg and 6.9rpg as a interior force. Whitney will log many minutes but has some backing from sophomore center Grant Billmeier. The role of junior center Alex Gambino will depend on his off-season improvement. He played sparingly last season and can be a force if and when he decides to learn Louis Orr’s system. Seton Hall has young sophomore forward Mani Messy and freshman Marcus Cousin in the middle as backups.
SHU landed a big recruit in point guard Justin Cerasoli from Chicago. He comes with credentials and can play a vital role in the guard rotation. Copeland is 5’10” and injured and may be replaced by Cerasoli while sophomore Jamar Nutter is back after a year of prep school. The guard rotation is suspect. The forward positions will be their strength. Morris averaged double figures coming off the bench last season and Allen is the team’s second best returning scorer. Also freshman forward Brian Laing may have an extended role of the bench in his first season.
West Virginia Mountaineers
2003-04 record: 7-9, 17-14, 10th Place
Projected starting lineup:
G: Jarmon Durisseau-Collins
G: Johannes Herber
F: Tyrone Sally
F: Kevin Pittsnogle
C: D’or Fischer
More than 40 years ago in autumn of 1956, West Virginia introduced a youthful Jerry West onto the court. Any fair comparison to him would be ill conceived however the Mountaineers, because of a splendid recruiting job by John Beilein et al, are more optimistic than they’ve been in a while. With all five starters returning including D’or Fischer and Tyrone Sally, West Virginia is hoping to compete this season with the upper echelon of the Big East conference.
Entering his third year head coach John Beilein accumulated more wins in the postseason last year than WVU has manufactured in the last six. The senior forward Sally came on late in the season to average 10.2ppg and 5.2rpg while Fischer leads all returning players with 10.8ppg and 6.2rpg. Fischer, a transfer from Northwestern State, finished third in the nation last year in blocked shots and spent a week this summer at IMG Academy surrounded by NBA scouts. They told him he must develop a spot-up jump shot and improve his left-handed dribble. Fischer and Sally along with 6’11” Kevin Pittsnogle will be tough to deal with in the post, particularly on defense.
Georgetown Hoyas
2003-04 record: 4-12, 13-5, 12th Place
Projected starting lineup:
G: Ashanti Cook
G: Ray Reed
F: Darrel Owens
F: Brandon Bowman
C: Amadou Kilkenny-Diaw
Remember the days when Villanova and Georgetown and Syracuse were the bullish teams in the Big East? This is obviously not the case anymore. Brandon Bowman returns to lead yet another weak Hoyas team. New head coach John Thompson III will have his hands full with five freshman and, perhaps even worse, just one senior with playing experience in Darrel Owens. Owens is a two-position combo player and will play mostly with Bowman at starting forward. Amadou Kilkenny-Diaw and Serbia & Montenegro native Sead Dizdarevic should see increased playing time.
St. John’s Red Storm
2003-04 record: 1-15, 6-21, 14th Place
Projected starting lineup:
G: Darryl Hill
G: Dexter Gray
F: Lamont Hamilton
F: Rodney Epperson
F: Ryan Williams
Do not rule out Norm Roberts. Not yet. Roberts has gained more credibility in five months than Mike Jarvis had gained in five years from both players and the local city high school coaches. The program was in such disarray and in need of finding closure from last year’s abysmal situation that to say 04-05 will be a “rebuilding season” is understating the situation.
5’11” sophomore guard Daryll Hill returns as the teams leading offensive threat. Hill average 14.8ppg last season. After that quite frankly, the Storm has little to no help at the two or coming off the bench as a backup guard. The other three guards are all freshman. Lincoln’s Eugene Lawrence is an impressive player but he absolutely will not hold up versus Big East talent. Sophomore forward Tyler Jones saw action in 22 games last season with three starts. The assets the Red Storm has are on the wings. Lamont Hamilton brings valuable playing experience at forward/center while Phil Miserre brings senior leadership. Juco transfers Jermaine Maybank, Williams, and Epperson will fight for minutes. It will be a long season in Queens for Roberts and his coaching staff.
