Big East Conference 2007-08 Preview
by Pat DiSalvo and Zach Smart
Even before its expansion to 16 teams, the Big East was a powerhouse conference. Since the growth of the league, it has blossomed into quite possibly the nation’s finest ensemble of talent. This year should be no different. It appears as if the Big East will again be one of the best conferences in the country.
The league boasts incredible talent, from top to bottom. It’s fair to say, even in the preseason, that nine or ten Big East teams are legitimate contenders to make the NCAA tournament. It would also be reasonable to say that the league may boast six or even seven top-25 teams, including two or three top-ten squads. Big East competition is yet again going to be a grueling haul for all teams involved. And although none will emerge unscathed, it’s likely at least one Big East team will make noise in the tournament, as five Big East teams have reached the Final Four since 2003.
While some teams lost many players to the NBA draft or graduation, the league has an abundance of young talent. Additionally, top recruits have landed at Georgetown, Villanova and Syracuse. While youth will rule some teams, others, like Georgetown, Louisville and Marquette, return many of the key pieces that led them to the top of the league in 2006-2007. Those three teams will be the favorites to win the Big East crown. Connecticut, Syracuse, Pittsburgh, Villanova and Notre Dame will also be in the running to finish in the upper echelon of the league.
This season, the Big East will yet again be a physical league. But following the trend of the past few years, there is a wealth of backcourt skills. Both Marquette and Villanova will start three extremely talented guards. Georgetown, Syracuse, Louisville and Providence also have deep backcourts. The result will be a league full of high scoring, up-tempo games that will most definitely entertain. Because of the depth of the conference, no teams will thoroughly dominate, but following is our prediction on how the 16 teams will finish.
All-Big East Team
PG: Dominic James (Jr., Marquette)
SG: Scottie Reynolds (So., Villanova)
SF: Jeff Adrien (Jr., Connecticut)
PF: Terrence Williams (Jr., Louisville)
C: Roy Hibbert (Sr., Georgetown)
Conference MVP: Roy Hibbert, Sr., Georgetown
Freshman of the Year: Donte’ Greene, Syracuse
1. Georgetown Hoyas (30-7, 13-3, 1st in Big East)
The Hoya faithful, elated after a Final Four appearance last season, were still biting their nails well after the tournament had ended. With two stars, Jeff Green and Roy Hibbert, contemplating the NBA, their decisions would greatly affect the upcoming season. While the versatile Green opted to go pro and was selected fifth in the NBA draft, Hibbert decided to return for his senior year.
The decision makes the Hoyas a legit contender to again return to the Final Four. Hibbert will lead an imposing frontcourt, joined by two 6’8 forwards, Patrick Ewing Jr. and DaJuan Summers. Georgetown also has the perimeter players to punish the opposition with shooting guard Jesse Sapp and point guard Jonathan Wallace. Wallace, who played phenomenal ball late last season, will be leaned upon as the general of the Hoya offense. John Thompson III, fresh off signing a six-year coaching extension, will also incorporate some youth, with highly-heralded shooting guard Austin Freeman coming to Hoyaville.
Georgetown should yet again be a tough defensive team with such big bodies down low. The Hoyas face an easy home non-conference schedule, but are chalked up for some tough road games, including contests at Alabama and a consensus top-5 Memphis squad.
The question is how will the team replace Green? Summers is poised to do so, entering his second season after earning All-Big East rookie honors. Hibbert should be a first team All-American selection, and Wallace could make a second or third team. Look for the Hoyas, despite a stacked Big East, to finish at or near the top of the conference, and make another charge at the Final Four.
2. Louisville Cardinals (24-10, 12-4, 3rd in Big East)
After going off for a season-high 31 points – albeit coughing up two crucial free throws and faltering during the game’s final moments – sophomore guard Edgar Sosa (11.4 PPG, 2.6 APG) showed he’s ready to shoulder the role of a prolific scorer in the Cardinals’ season-ending loss in the NCAA Tournament.
The sharp-shooting Bronx native, who was mentored by Louisville great Francisco Garcia, will need more consistency and maturity out of classmate Derrick Caracter this season. Caracter, a 6-foot-8, 256-pound forward, had plenty of run-ins with coach Rick Pitino throughout his freshman year. After arriving on campus with his name etched in hyperbolic lure, Caracter underachieved the first handful of games before being sent home for disciplinary reasons. But he came back, responding to his coach by dropping over 30 pounds, and carved a niche for himself in the paint. Caracter (8.1 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 55.8% FG) will be counted on to step into a big role this season.
The Cardinals have a potential go-to-guy in 6-6 F Terrence Williams (12.4 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 3.8 APG), who showed promise against UMass and Providence but was too inconsistent throughout the season. They will need his production this season, as he’s big, strong, and versatile, but needs to alter his shot selection. Expect Williams to be funneled into a leadership position for the fresh-faced Cardinals, who also have David Padgett (9.5 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 59.7% FG) healthy at last. A solid recruiting class will help, but that the leadership void still needs to be filled.
Louisville opens up the 2007-2008 campaign with a butter-soft 11-game schedule before renewing its in-state blood rivalry with Kentucky.
The Cardinals have already been stung with an early-season blow, as forward Juan Palacios (8.9 PPG) suffered an injury to his right knee in just the second day of official practice. He’s projected to miss four to six weeks while a tear in the MCL heals. Pitino and company have continued to blaze the recruiting trail, receiving a verbal commitment from top New York guard Melquan Bolding (Class of 2008) and hoping for a commitment from Aston (PA) American Christian stud guard/forward Tyreke Evans.
3. Marquette Golden Eagles (24-10, 10-6, 5th in Big East)
Marquette has all the pieces in place for a run deep into March. In fact, they’ve got seven. That’s right, the top seven players from the fifth-best Big East team of last season are returning for Tom Crean’s Golden Eagles. The expectations for this team are reaching the level of anticipation when Dwayne Wade wore a Marquette uniform.
The Golden Eagles boast one of the country’s finest perimeter trios. One of the nation’s most exciting players, Dominic James, will be the dynamic playmaker that leads the bunch. Jerel McNeal and Wesley Matthews aren’t second rate either, combining for approximately 27 points per game. The three complement each other perfectly, and will be a nightmarish combination for the rest of the Big East.
The frontcourt has many more questions, but Ousmane Barro is an emerging center that can be the anchor that leads this team to success. Last year he made great progress in defending and rebounding, which are just about all the Golden Eagles will need him to do. Lazar Hayward will provide some inside scoring, as last year he averaged 6.6 points in just 16.3 minutes per game. The team is also sound defensively, as the athletic squad should clamp down on opponents with a tight man-to-man.
So where will the Golden Eagles finish? It depends on the play of the frontcourt. Everyone knows the backcourt will produce. It’s how Hayward and Barro will handle sizeable and physical Big East that will likely dictate where this team ends up.
4. Connecticut Huskies (17-14, 6-10, 12th in Big East)
After eating up a cupcake 10-game slate in large bites, the Huskies faltered in Big East play. A callow core of young guns who failed to mesh together kept UConn out of both the NCAA tournament and NIT for the first time in two decades.
“These kids don’t understand that basketball isn’t what we are, it’s what we do, and we want to do it well,” head coach Jim Calhoun said after a loss at Georgetown in the Huskies’ regular-season finale. “They’re people, they’re human beings. Sometimes you, myself at times, forget that they’re kids. But every one of those kids had the opportunity to take advantage of that, and they didn’t.”
Free throw shooting was the Achilles’ heel for the Huskies throughout the 2006-07 campaign, and it was the deciding factor in several crucial games. A dreadful 15-for-34 from the charity stripe nearly cost them a loss to Northeast Conference foe Quinnipiac in the first game of the year, and self-doubt at the line avalanched from that point on. The key returnee is sophomore swingman Jerome Dyson (13.8 PPG, 2.1 APG). The former Proctor Academy star spearheaded the Huskies offensive attack while emerging as the team’s top defender. Calhoun has already explained he likes the idea of Dyson, a versatile guard/forward who can slash and play 94 feet, running the show. At times, he had trouble co-existing with junior point guard A.J. Price (9.4 PPG, 3.6 APG). Price will need to step it up this season, as he’s now a captain alongside Jeff Adrien (13.1 PPG, 9.7 RPG), an All-Big East first team candidate.
The Huskies need more production out of 7-foot-3 behemoth Hasheem Thabeet, who proved he can be a menacing shot-blocker but is still limited offensively. After escaping from Calhoun’s pre-season doghouse, sharp-shooting Doug Wiggins should provide stability in the backcourt, along with veteran guard Craig Austrie. Guard/forward Stanley Robinson had his coming-out party in a home loss to Indiana, when he hung 21 on the Hoosiers, but was plagued by inconsistency throughout the 2006-2007 campaign.
5. Syracuse Orange (24-11, 10-6, 6th in Big East)
The Syracuse Orange faces many question marks in the upcoming season. The Orange lost three starters to graduation, and then sharp-shooting junior Andy Rautins tore his ACL while playing for Canada in the FIBA Championships in August. With Rautins out for the year and stud guard Demetris Nichols gone from the team, it may suffer from behind the arc. The Orange also lost two pivotal big bodies in Daryl Watkins and Terrence Roberts to graduation. One would think SU is in bad shape for the upcoming season, but thanks to one of the country’s best recruiting classes, the team is chocked full of talent.
With Syracuse’s class ranked as a top-5 class by most recruiting services, youth will be the theme of this year’s Orange. They have one of high school’s best forwards in Donte’ Greene enrolling, as well as an energetic true point guard in Jonny Flynn. Both would be the gems of any school’s recruiting class, but Syracuse was lucky enough to nab both. Joining them are two Philadelphia products that aren’t slouches themselves, power forward Rick Jackson and shooting guard Antonio Jardine. Both should contribute off the bench for Jim Boeheim, while Flynn and Greene will see significant minutes. Flynn may not start right away, but should by the time December rolls around. The team also picked up a junior college transfer in Kristof Ongenaet, who will fill a reserve power forward role for SU.
Boeheim will install more of a run-and-gun offense with his young squad. Without many solid frontcourt players, Boeheim will use his talented and athletic guards and rangy forwards to fly around the court. The Orange will look toward Devendorf for consistent scoring and outside shooting. SU would also like to see further offensive development from Paul Harris, who has been working on his perimeter game this offseason. There are questions surrounding Arinze Onuaku, who missed all of last year with a knee injury. The center has a big body and potential, but needs to be an inside force for a team that is thin in the frontcourt. Defensively the 2-3 zone will make its appearances, but the team has the ability to play man defense with lockdown defenders like Flynn and Harris. Look for a potentially inconsistent but exciting year for the Orange, with the team finishing towards the top of the Big East and earning an NCAA bid.
6. Pittsburgh Panthers (29-8, 12-4, 2nd in the Big East)
Despite the loss of a 7-foot monster of a man in center Aaron Gray, along with the losses of junkyard dog Levon Kendall and a solid on-the-ball defender in Antonio Graves, Pitt has been projected to crack the Top-25 in many pre-season rankings. There is a serious question mark surrounding floor general Levance Fields, a veteran who averaged nine points and five dimes last season. Fields is currently facing aggravated assault charges after a physical encounter with an off-duty police officer at a nightclub. Coach Jamie Dixon says he will determine what disciplinary sanction is necessary after the case goes through the judicial process.
The Panthers return a robust backcourt with sharpshooter Ronald Ramon (8.8 PPG), and they’re deep with backups Bradley Wanamaker and Keith Benjamin. Benjamin, a senior who played sparingly last season, still needs to prove himself after emerging as a top-profile recruit four years ago. Look for Mike Cook (10.5 PPG, 3.4 RPG) to become a fixture in the frontcourt. Cook will have assistance from Sam Young, a freakishly athletic junior who averaged 7.2 points off the bench last season. Tyrell Biggs is also flushed into a bigger role around the basket this season and will start after shedding weight in the off-season.
Dixon plans to make up for the loss of Gray with a recruiting class that features JUCO transfer Cassin Diggs, who along with freshman Gary McGhee, will wrestle for playing time in the paint. But the gem off this year’s class will likely to be DeJuan Blair, a 6-foot-7, 240-pounder who is a workhouse inside.
7. Villanova Wildcats (22-11, 9-7 Big East, 8th in Big East)
If you look at the projected starting five of the Wildcats, the frontcourt isn’t really filled with overwhelming talent or a true center. But like Villanova teams of old, the Wildcats have an abundance of talent at the guard position. Sophomore Scottie Reynolds returns to the team as a dynamic scoring threat. Reynolds averaged 14.8 points per game, including a 40 point explosion as he came on full steam at the end of the year. Although his backcourt mate Mike Nardi has since graduated, Reynolds will be joined by two recruits in Corey Fisher and Corey Stokes who should start right off the bat. If the two stars pan out, which they should, the team may remind some of the Allen Ray, Kyle Lowry and Randy Foye team that advanced to the Elite Eight in the 2005-06 season.
The Villanova team will face the same mismatches that it faced in those past seasons under coach Jay Wright. They will be undersized and overmatched in the frontcourt by the physical 16 team Big East. Shane Clark and Dante Cunningham will try and fill the shoes of forwards Curtis Sumpter and Will Sheridan. Replacing Sumpter will mean filling over 17 points and 7 rebounds per game. But Wright boasts a resume that shows success with a three-guard offense and little inside play. Look for the Wildcats to struggle a bit this year as two of the guards are only freshman, but this team will have outbursts that will mirror the Villanova of two years ago.
8. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (24-8, 11-5, 4th in Big East)
The Fighting Irish lost the identity that got them into last year’s NCAA tournament when Russell Carter and Colin Falls graduated. Losing those two means dropping a combined 183 three-pointers. While the team might not be chucking it up from the outside as much, Kyle McAlarney will provide some perimeter play. Tory Jackson is an up-and-coming quick point guard as well. But the frontcourt might be the strength of Mike Brey’s squad. Rob Kurz is a player that can bang down low and also hit the outside shot, and Luke Harangody is a developing young post player that will do the dirty work for the Irish.
So while the Irish teams of past would consistently hoist three-pointers all game long, this season will be a little different. McAlarney and reserve Ryan Ayers will provide Brey with three-point threats, but the offense should allow Kurz and Harangody to flourish. Brey will have his team back up in the pack in the Big East again this year, looking to avenge their first round NCAA tournament loss to Winthrop.
9. West Virginia Mountaineers (20-8, 8-7, 7th in the Big East)
The biggest question surrounding former K-State coach Bobby Huggins is how well will he handle the personel that was waterslid to him from John Beilein, who resurrected an ailing program his past few seasons with the Mountaineers. Huggins inherits a unique core that features crisp ball movement, three-point shooting and quick back-door looks – not exactly the brand of hoops Huggins is accustomed to coaching.
Not to worry, however, as Huggins has already implemented a strict off-season regimen that’s bound to carve them into shape for the run-and-gun, up-tempo style which Huggins loves. He’s also used the off-season workouts to tack on some pounds to some of the ‘Neers spindly frames, hoping to cure the problem in the paint that’s plagued WVU these past couple years. Even with former 6-foot-11 country-boy Kevin Pittsnogle (who was one of the more unique threats in college basketball with his three-point shooting before he took his game to the Puerto Rico pro league), the Mountaineers always had trouble hitting the boards. Huggins won’t tolerate it this season.
Huggins becomes heir to a potent nucleus that will likely feature jumping jack Joe Alexander (10.3 PPG, 4.3 RPG). The athletic junior endured a tough second half of last season and at times seemed limited because of Beilein’s system. But he’s versatile and explosive around the cup. He’ll have help from Da’Sean Butler (10.1 PPG), who turned heads as a freshman last season. The 6-foot-7 forward from New Jersey will take on a bigger role for the defending NIT champs. Alex Ruoff is a heady point guard and one of the conference’s most dangerous from beyond the arc. With the loss of Frank Young, he might get some more touches this year as well.
The Mountaineers will need more out of 7-footer Jamie Smalligan, who was groomed as a ‘B’ team version of Pittsnogle last year. Huggins will need him to be more aggressive and assertive, as WVU will need his help with the board work. He will have help from a super-sized big in newcomer Jacob Green, a 6-foot-9 redshirt freshman from the Washington, D.C. area. The Mountaineers could also use the services of 6-foot-3 guard Johnnie West, a redshirt freshman and son of the legendary Jerry West. Look for Huggins to use West’s pure shooting ability as a momentum changer. It should make for an interesting detour back home for Huggins.
10. Providence Friars (18-13, 8-8, 10th in Big East)
Providence will look to improve on its NIT appearance of last season with four returning starters this year. The problem is that the one missing starter is Herbert Hill, who averaged 18 points and nearly 9 rebounds per game. The Friars still should be able to make a push towards the bubble of the NCAA tournament. The squad boasts a solid backcourt in Sharaud Curry and Weyinmi Efejuku, who combined for nearly 30 points per game last year. Geoff McDermott might be the leader of the Friars, as he does a bit of everything. Last year the guard/forward averaged 9.5 points, 9.1 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game. If McDermott can continue his playmaking ability, the Friars could surprise a few teams this season.
Tim Welsh boasts effective players at the 1, 2 and 3 spots, but the frontcourt is a big question mark. Jonathan Kale did not put up overly impressive numbers last year, and center Ray Hall only saw limited time. The play of the big men will dictate where Providence will land come season’s end.
11. DePaul Blue Demons (20-14, 9-7, 9th in Big East)
It appears that this season might be a long one for Jerry Wainwright’s Blue Demons. Gone to the NBA are his two best players (and leading scorers) from last year’s NIT tournament team, guard Sammy Mejia and forward Wilson Chandler. Thankfully, DePaul nabbed two standout high school stars, forward Nayal Koshwal out of Chicago and Michigan shooting guard Darquavis Tucker. Koshwal will be a centerpiece of the Blue Demon offense, and Tucker will spark DePaul off the bench.
The team will mix youth with some inexperienced upperclassmen. Look for Draelon Burns and Koshwal to score some points for the Blue Demons. The offense, though, will struggle without a true experienced point guard. As the season progresses, Wainwright will infuse the youth into his squad, setting the table for the next few years. With this roster, DePaul will have trouble mixing it up in the rough Big East. But the team has good, young talent, and with decent upperclassmen finally getting a shot at serious playing time, the Blue Demons may be able to spring an upset on some of the league’s higher ups.
12. Seton Hall Pirates (13-15, 4-11, 13th in Big East)
Bobby Gonzalez returns a squad that’s still a bit rough around the edges and undersized in a conference where, while guard-heavy, the goldfish can’t swim with the sharks. The Hall, however, has the overall talent and skill level to catapult its way out of the Big East’s lower percentile.
Big East All-Rookie selection Eugene Harvey returns to operate Gonzalez’ wild offensive attack. Harvey (16.5 PPG, 4.2 APG) might have a go-to-guy in Brian Laing, who averaged 16 per game last year. The Pirates have stability in the backcourt with Jamar Nutter, the former Seton Hall Prep standout, joining Harvey. They’ll need more consistency out of guard Larry Davis (7.5 PPG), who saw significant minutes as a freshman last season. Davis can play on the wing or come off the bench as an off-guard.
The Hall has energy off the bench with sixth man Paul Gause, a suffocating defender who has the potential to lead the conference in steals this season. Gause, a generously-listed 6-feet, is a former football player and plays a physical brand of ball that the Pirates were sorely lacking overall for much of last season.
John Garcia returns at the five-spot this season, but his meager numbers allowed the skeptics to surface throughout last season and he may have competition for his starting job. If he’s to keep his job in the middle, the injury-prone Garcia must stay healthy and average more than the paltry four boards a game he did last season.
13. Cincinatti Bearcats (11-19, 2-14, 16th in Big East)
Boy, has the program that once served as a pipeline for NBA players such as Kenyon Martin, Ruben Patterson and DerMarr Johnson fallen. Mike Cronin, the third head coach in the past four years, looks to vault the program back into respectability with a thoroughly cleansed roster and revitalized recruiting class.
The Bearcats have already suffered a critical pre-season injury, however, as Texas transfer Mike Williams – a UHaul truck of a man who certainly would have helped the ‘Cats on the boards – blew out an Achilles tendon, an injury that will shelve him for the season.
Leading scorer DeOnta Vaughn (14.5 PPG, 3.5 APG) returns after a solid first season which saw him garner first team Big East All-Rookie accolades. Vaughn is fearless when slashing to the cup and has all the tools to emerge into a prolific scorer. Senior forward John Williamson (13.5 PPG, 7.3 RPG) is another key returnee. At 6-foot-6, however, Williamson will need be tougher against larger opponents. The loss of Williams calls for him to shoulder the role of an interior banger this season.
A lack of depth hampered the ‘Cats throughout last season, but Cronin hopes to change this with the off-season addition of Rashad Bishop, a 6-foot-6 freshman forward from Newark, N.J., and Kenny Bolton, a 6-foot-8 freshman forward from Salem, Va. None of the newcomers should make more of an immediate impact than 6-foot-11 freshman Anthony McClain (Fort Washington, Md.), who was a walking double-double at the prestigious National Christian Academy, where he established himself as a top-10 high school center in the country.
Other top-tier recruits that Cronin expects production from are Darnell Wilks (18 PPG, 11 RPG, 7APG at Pioneer Christian Academy last season) and 6-foot-3 guard Larry Davis from Houston. The team might need some time to develop chemistry, as a number of freshmen will look to play significant roles this season.
14. St. John’s Red Storm (16-15, 7-9, 11th in Big East)
It appears that the 2007-2008 campaign will be another long one for coach Norm Roberts and his Red Storm. The team has a ton of fresh faces arriving, with seven new players. Unfortunately, one of the heralded holdovers from last year’s team, sophomore Qa’rraan Calhoun, decided to leave St. John’s.
The bright spot for the Johnnies is the return of Anthony Mason Jr. The junior swingman has shown a wealth of talent, but needs to consistently put up solid numbers and step up on a team desperate for a leader. There other top returner is Eugene Lawrence, who scored seven points per game last year and added nearly six assists and four rebounds. The team will suffer growing pains as Roberts will try to mix in the vast amount of youth. It’s probable that the Johnnies will start two freshmen in the frontcourt in Justin Burrell and Dele Coker. Burrell is a highly-touted recruit, but is a bit raw. Coker, standing 6-10 and weighing in at 245 pounds will provide Roberts a big body down low. But inserting two freshmen into the frontcourt in one of the nation’s most physical leagues is like feeding them to the wolves. Look for St. John’s to struggle yet again this year as the Red Storm copes with an almost entirely new roster.
15. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (10-19, 3-13, 15th in Big East)
Last season, the beginning of the post-Quincy Douby era was a lot to handle for the Scarlet Knights. Douby, the do-it-all scorer who guided Rutgers to the Big East tournament in 2006, left a leadership and scoring void that few players can step up and fill. A revitalized football team seem to take some of the action and anticipation away from the hardwood, as Rutgers floundered to near the basement last season.
Fred Hill returns an exciting 1-2 punch in point guard Anthony Farmer (7.8 PPG, 3.1 APG) and J.R. Inman (12.0 PPG, 7.3 RPG), who was the leading scorer but never eclipsed 18 points for the low-scoring Scarlet Knights. Farmer is a pass-first maintainer of offense, but he most play with more control this season, as the Knights were turnover-prone last year. Farmer will have help from a burgeoning freshman point guard, 5-foot-11 playmaker Micheal Coburn. Coburn was easily the biggest off-season acquisition, as the Mount Vernon product ate up opponents to the tune of 22.9 points per game while dishing out 154 assists to lead one of the nation’s premier programs. Hill’s recruiting class certainly isn’t short on backcourt players, as Corey Chandler and Earl Pettis will scramble for floor time.
The Scarlet Knights receive a boost with the return of center Byron Joynes, who was sidelined for the entire 2006-07 campaign with a nagging knee injury. He will wrestle for a starting spot with Hamady N’diaye. Jaron Griffin came on late last season and is expected to pick up where he left off.
16. South Florida Bulls (12-18, 3-13, 14th in Big East):
Stan Heath has strong aspirations to get the South Florida program out of the gutter after achieving guiding Arkansas to a pair of NCAA bids. The road to success will not come easy for South Florida, however, as the Bulls were non-existent in the Big East last season and collapsed in games they could have won (i.e., Connecticut). The key returnee is senior center Kentrell Grandsberry (15.6 PPG, 11.4 RPG), a double-double waiting to happen. Gransberry put an exclamation point on his season in the finale against DePaul, when he scored 25 points and grabbed 23 boards.
Heath is confident with point guard Chris Howard (5.9 APG), who recovered from a knee injury that sidelined him for the first half of last season. The Bulls will have stability in the backcourt with Howard and sophomore Solomon Bozeman (9.6 PPG, 3.5 APG, 88% FT), who is fundamentally sound in all aspects of his game. The combination of Howard and Gransberry could form a solid inside-outside tandem, but it will be hard to make their presence felt in the talented Big East.
The centerpiece of this season’s recruiting class is JUCO transfer Mobolaji Ajayi, a 6-9 Nigeria native who averaged nine points and eight boards for Palm Beach (Fla.) Community College last year. Ajayi is regarded as a solid inside presence, glass cleaner, and tough defender. The Bulls also get some help down low with 6-7 freshman forward Orane Chin, a Jamaica native who averaged 25 points and 14 boards at Miramir High in Florida last year.
