It’s so close you can really almost taste the start of UConn men’s basketball. That initial taste came in the form of a second-half surge against Rhode Island in a scrimmage. Though the team didn’t look nearly as polished as the one that won the Big East tournament and the NCAA tournament, they showed potential in a variety of ways, creating ample excitement for the rest of the season. We’ve already reviewed the first 14 opponents the Huskies will play, let's move onto the final seven, all from the Big East.
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GEORGETOWN
Jayden Epps, a high volume, high scoring guard returns for the Hoyas following a first year to forget for Ed Cooley. They went 2-18 in the Big East with the lone pair of wins coming against DePaul, who was horrid. Cooley will likely take this team back to the glory days, not this year though. Epps and Harvard transfer Malik Mack will be a fun backcourt to watch, but they’re too inexperienced up front. This is very much of a grow and try again next year situation for Georgetown as they look to move in the right direction.
2-0 vs Georgetown
MARQUETTE
Marquette was the second best team in the Big East last year, but they couldn’t touch UConn in the slightest. The Huskies won their trio of matches by a combined 46 points, including a 28-point walloping when Marquette was ranked No. 4. They lose Tyler Kolek and Oso Ighodaro, but keep Kam Jones and David Joplin. There’s a lot to like about their returning core, even though their top two players are gone. Projecting a UConn sweep is tough, especially since the Golden Eagles will be out for blood after last year and the Huskies do have a very new team.
1-1 vs Marquette
PROVIDENCE
Devin Carter, last year’s Big East POTY, is out the door, but in his place is returning F Bryce Hopkins. Hopkins tore his ACL during the middle of the season and had the Friars well on their way towards an automatic bid before then. Hopkins won’t have Carter to help, nor will he have Josh Oduro, but Jayden Pierre returns and they also nabbed Christ Essandoko, a big from St. Joe’s that UConn was also targeting. What the Friars will do under Kim English is very dependent on what Hopkins can do, along with the jumps that Pierre and Corey Floyd Jr. will make. Projecting a sweep, but Providence could easily grab a win.
2-0 vs Providence
SETON HALL
The offseason was not kind to Seton Hall, who had a really rough summer. They lost star Kadary Richmond to St. John’s, Dre Davis to Ole Miss and Al-Amir Dawes to graduation. They have some transfers looking for a fresh start, notably Scotty Middleton and Zion Harmon, but there are more questions than answers here. Simply put: this is not the same team that UConn lost to in Newark 10 months ago. Nor will they closely resemble that team. There’s too much ambiguity to even project a split, so I’ll give it to UConn.
2-0 vs Seton Hall
ST. JOHN'S
Yes, Daniss Jenkins, Joel Soriano, Chris Ledlum and Jordan Dingle are all gone. However, the Red Storm absolutely crushed the transfer portal, adding Kadary Richmond from right over the George Washington Bridge and Devion Smith from Utah. Rick Pitino is a proven coach who knows how to put the pieces together, still the coach who came the closest to dethroning Connecticut during last year’s postseason. The rest of the roster is a bit suspect, but there’s a good vibe in Queens. If St. John’s played this game in Queens, I’d pick them to split, but Storrs South is too powerful.
2-0 vs St. John’s
VILLANOVA
Villanova lost a fair bit with TJ Bamba, Justin Moore, Tyler Burton and more all departing and their incoming talent isn’t amazing either. However, they return Eric Dixon, a super senior who has been around forever. Him, along with Wooga Poplar, the only impressive transfer, will look to carry the Wildcats back to relevance. Kyle Neptune has been a disappointment so far with a cumulative 35-33 record, but there’s no time like now to improve. It’s not unheard of for a team with a number of transfers and a few solid freshmen–No. 79 Matthew Hodge and No. 115 Josiah Moseley–to put the pieces together. You just can’t assume it’s going to happen.
2-0 vs Villanova
XAVIER
There’s a feeling that Xavier is back this year after suffering one of their worst seasons in recent memory. The Musketeers went 16-18 and though they’re losing some talent in Quincy Olivari and Desmond Claude, they have a lot of experience. Dayvion McKnight anchors the returning talent, mixing well with Indiana State transfer Ryan Cromwell and Toledo transfer Dante Maddox Jr.. Zach Freemantle didn’t play last year with injury and was badly missed. He’ll look to bounce back this year. With the maturity in the locker room, Xavier should challenge for the top of the Big East, though it’s unlikely they’ll finish No. 1.
1-1 vs Xavier
26-5 OVERALL, 12-2 in this set
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