The 2023-2024 Big East Conference is going to be a BEAR. With arguably three National Championship contenders and another four teams with the ability to make the Tournament, there is no lack of talent and, as always, anything can happen in the Big East. But if there is any group that can parse through information, it’s the fine contributors from Thompson’s Towel, so we asked them to make their picks for the conference this year.
WARNING: This was not edited for brevity.
Projected Order of Finish
Who wins Big East Player of the Year?
Ryan Kalkbrenner
Despite the addition of Steven Ashworth and the existence of Trey Alexander, Creighton’s success will continue to live and die with Kalkbrenner. He is an absolute monster in the paint, and he’s neck and neck with Hunter Dickinson and Donovan Clingan for the best big man in the nation.
— John Kurkjian
The guy is an absolute menace down low and will continue to terrorize the Big East, this time enough to win the conference’s player of the year award. His defensive instincts set him apart from the rest.
— Brendan Cole
Tyler Kolek
Kolek is not just the best player in the Big East, but almost certainly the best player in the country. I won’t go as far as calling him a system player, but he is in the perfect situation to go absolutely balistic once again.
— Armen Haratunian
It has to be Tyler Kolek again. The last nine awards have been won or shared by guards. Not only is Kolek the best guard in the Big East, I believe he is the best in the nation. He should have no problem taking home his second straight POY award.
— Will Philips
No explanation really needed.
— Charlie Philips
Kolek is the best player on the best team in the conference. He is one of the best assist guys in the country, in addition to being a strong scorer.
— Andrew Parry
Tyler Kolek is arguably the best guard in the country this year, and while Ryan Kalkbrenner might be just as impactful in different ways, I see Kolek repeating as Big East Player of the Year as the leader of a contending Marquette team.
— Jack Cudmore
Who is an under-the-radar player you expect to have a breakout season?
Hakim Hart (Villanova)
Villanova’s transfer class was headlined by TJ Bamba and Tyler Burton, but I think it’s the scrappy Maryland forward who will be one of the forces behind Villanova’s success this season. The Wildcats are deep and in my opinion slept on (perhaps due to coaching and not talent), and I think Hart will be a big reason why Neptune turns it around in Year 2.
— John Kurkjian
Posh Alexander (Butler)
Look, I’m generally pretty low on Butler this year, but I’ll give them some credit for bringing Posh Alexander in. If he’s used correctly, he can be a beast — I mean the guy won Big East Defensive Player of the Year and has averaged over 10 points every year. There really won’t be many mouths to feed in Indy this year, but that just means more looks for Posh.
— Armen Haratunian
DJ Davis (Butler)
After transferring from UC Irvine, Davis has huge upside for the Butler squad this year. He shot 40 percent from three his last two seasons, and will have the green light to let it fly. I believe him and Posh Alexander will impress together for Thad Matta’s backcourt.
— Will Philips
Drew Fielder (Georgetown)
On the team with the worst record in the big East last year, he now has an expanded role with Ish hurt. He should be able to score at will against the other teams’ 6th or 7th man.
— Brin Lewis
Cam Spencer (UConn)
Spencer will have a much larger opportunity to break out in Dan Hurley’s offense this season, and by all accounts he’s ready to take a leap.
— Brendan Cole
Solomon Ball (UConn)
I’m not sure Ball even qualifies as under the radar, being such a strong prospect, but the 4-star recruit is a new face, if nothing else. Stephon Castle is also stealing the show in that recruiting class as a likely one-and-done, pulling some of the attention off Ball. UConn will be strong, and has a good group of returners, but look for Ball to make an impact as a freshman.
— Andrew Parry
David Joplin (Marquette)
I hate to pile on the Marquette glazing, but the departure of Olivier-Maxence Prosper to the NBA leaves a big need on the roster for a versatile wing who can shoot and defend multiple positions, and I think David Joplin fills that need for the Golden Eagles. While he might not have the NBA interest of OMax, I wouldn’t be surprised to see his production explode as his role increases in his third year, and an All-Big East Team could be imminent.
— Jack Cudmore
Which Georgetown player will exceed expectations the most?
Jay Heath
After starting last season late due to waiver issues, Heath was for the most part a lone bright spot on yet another dreadful Patrick Ewing-led Hoyas squad. In his first game against Northwestern, despite losing, his presence was immediately felt on the court. He’ll be the team’s primary perimeter shooter, and I think the group of newcomers in this overhauled roster is causing people to overlook Heath, who averaged 12 PPG on 37% shooting from deep.
— John Kurkjian
Supreme Cook
I get it, he’s transferring from the MAAC to the Big East and that’s no easy feat, but if any “up transfer” can be successful I firmly believe it will be him. At Georgetown’s media day, Ed Cooley even said Cook has been one of the Hoyas’ most consistent and surprising player thus far. There will be some growing pains, but let Supreme Cook.
— Armen Haratunian
Dontrez Styles
I think Styles has the potential to break out given the opportunity. His athleticism speaks for itself, and if he can improve his offensive game as the season progresses, I can see him being a big asset for this Hoya squad.
— Will Philips
He is coming from a program with rich history and that isn’t going to let anyone on their team underperform in practice let alone games. He did not get many minutes last year, but should be able to come into a Georgetown team that isn’t that great and make a big impact.
— Brin Lewis
Ish Massoud
Though he won’t be in the lineup to start the year, I believe Massoud’s ability to snipe from all over the court will lead to a breakout year from the K-State transfer.
— Brendan Cole
Drew Fielder
The freshman wasn’t expected to play a huge role early on, but the injury to Ish Massoud will force Fielder into a bigger role. He’ll have most of non-conference play to get comfortable, which could be a springboard to a strong first season.
— Andrew Parry
Rowan Brumbaugh
The former 4-star recruit from Massachusetts had no chance to prove himself on a loaded Texas roster last year, but the hype train this offseason has been real. I live for the redemption arc, and I think his role will be big enough on this team that his potential is through the roof and he can live up to his former high school rating.
–Jack Cudmore
Which Georgetown player are you most excited to watch play?
Drew Fielder
He’ll have a larger role than most expected early in the season due to the Massoud injury, and he’s the only scholarship freshman on the roster. Let’s see if there’s any Nate Lubick in this kid.
— John Kurkjian
I got to see Fielder practice on Monday and boy was I impressed. Yes, he’s a true freshman but he has the size and skill be an extremely versatile power forward. Like most of the players on this team there will be growing pains, but I would not be surprised if Fielder gets some Big East Freshman of the Year votes.
— Armen Haratunian
Ish Massoud
After the hand heals up, Massoud should be a super exciting player for the Hoyas. His size and range make him unique within our roster, and it will be interesting to see how Cooley uses him. Watching him clutch up in the tournament last year for Kansas State was awesome, it will be great to have someone who can step up like that in big moments.
— Will Philips
Rowan Brumbaugh
He wants to turn around the Georgetown program and, for that matter, build the legacy. He is willing to step up to make a big play and understands the game really well. I cant wait to see his pick-and-roll play, while stretching the floor out and making good decisions. He should be the reason behind a lot of points this season.
— Brin Lewis
I was high on Rowan coming out of high school and didn’t like how Ewing could only take one of him and Anglin (who I still think will be a 17-20 PPG scorer by the time he graduates). Now with a second chance to play for his hometown team, I’m excited to see what Rowan can do.
— Charlie Philips
Supreme Cook
Cook will be a force to be reckoned with in the post and I am super excited to see how the former Fairfield star’s game translates to the Big East.
— Brendan Cole
Doing my player preview on Supreme Cook made me fall in love with his game even more. In a world where basketball now lives on the perimeter, he makes his money on the low block, and his combination of spin moves, jabs, and pump fakes are a thing of beauty for basketball traditionalists. Although I do think there will be an adjustment period, I expect him to be able to hold his own in the Big East.
— Jack Cudmore
Ryan Mutombo
Mutombo had a down year as a sophomore, which came as a surprise after he appeared to have a strong role carved out as a freshman. With the coaching change comes a new lease on life for Mutombo, who looked good during the Blue vs. Gray scrimmage. Here’s hoping he can find his game and have a better season this time around.
— Andrew Parry
What are realistic expectations for Georgetown this season? How high and how low could they finish?
Highest I could see would be 7th, lowest of course would be 11th. Realistically would expect an 8th or 9th place finish.
— John Kurkjian
High 6, low 10, realistic 9. Personally I have the Hoyas finishing 8th, but a lot of the teams around them are total wildcards. In my opinion, teams like Xavier, Seton Hall, Butler, and even Providence have question marks that could either see them beating the everliving daylights out of Georgetown or struggling to gel and floundering come Big East play.
— Armen Haratunian
Realistically, expectations for this squad should not be very high this year. I can see us finishing in the 7 spot if things go well, but I could also see us landing in the 10 hole. Overall, the 8 or 9 spot seems most fitting for this team, but hopefully they can prove me wrong and exceed expectations.
— Will Philips
I really think the only range of outcomes for Georgetown this season is 8th or 9th place. I can’t see us being worse than Seton Hall or DePaul, but I also can’t see us finishing above Providence or Xavier (but I’d love to be wrong on that last part).
— Charlie Philips
I think we see Georgetown fall between the 6th and the 10th spots in the Big East this season. I’d say 7th seems realistic for year one of the Cooley era.
— Brendan Cole
The top 4 in the Big East might as well be set in stone, and all that’s left to determine is in what order Marquette, Creighton, UConn, and Villanova will finish at the top of the conference. Then, things get a bit interesting. The best case scenario is that Georgetown’s mild non-conference schedule sets them up with more confidence than Xavier’s gauntlet, St. John’s has more growing pains than expected under new coach Rick Pitino, and other dominos fall correctly and Georgetown finishes somewhere 5th-6th in an underachieving conference. The worst case scenario, of course, is that a thin team struggles to stay healthy, the wheels fall off, and the Hoyas finish back in the cellar. Realistically, Georgetown should aim to finish 7th or 8th: outside serious NCAA Tournament conversation, but competitive and respectable in year one of the Ed Cooley era.
— Andrew Parry
If everything broke right, I could see Georgetown finishing 6th, and on the flip side, I could see them finishing 10th (thank you, Depaul). Realistically, I would take them to finish right in the middle at 8th. The tournament seems unlikely, but the Hoyas will have the opportunity to compile some quality wins with how good the top of the conference is this year.
— Jack Cudmore
