UConn: Donovan Clingan, 7’2 265 sophomore
Let’s start with the easiest pick.
In the 2021-22 season, Purdue had the best one-two combination at center with senior starter Trevion Williams and sophomore Zach Edey off the bench. Edey’s absurd per-40 numbers that season (30.3p, 16.2r, 2.6b) foreshadowed his Associated Press Player of the Year award this season where he averaged 22.3 points, 12.9 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game.
This season, UConn spoiled its fans with their elite center rotation of All-Big East First Team selection Adama Sanogo and freshman Donovan Clingan, a 7’2 265 native of Bristol, Connecticut whose knowledge of the game, skills, swagger and comfort on the court far exceeded the performance of most highly touted freshman centers, arguably the position with the most patient developmental curve.
Like Edey, Clingan’s per-40 stats behind Sanogo are off the charts: 21.1 points, 17.1 rebounds, 5.5 blocks. Combining that production with Sanogo’s foray to the pros, Clingan has unlimited potential as a prospective All-Big East and All-America First team candidate, as well as a potential lottery pick, especially if he is able to develop the perimeter game he has teased during shootarounds.
Providence: Garwey Dual, 6’5 180 freshman
Originally committing to Providence prior to Ed Cooley’s surprise hire to Georgetown, Garvey Dual’s recommitment following the hiring of new head coach Kim English brought solace to the Friar Faithful as Dual becomes just the seventh top-50 recruit in the program’s history, according to 247’s composite rankings.
At 6’5 with a long wingspan, Dual is a toolsy combo guard who is probable to start at point guard after averaging seven assists-per-game last year at Southern California Academy. A shifty guard who does most of his distributing after attacking the paint, Dual possesses a plethora of on-ball skills to lull his defender off balance. His shot is still a work in progress, but Dual has immediate two-way intrigue and legit NBA aspirations.
Creighton: Mason Miller, 6’9 190 sophomore
With one of the smoothest shots in the Big East, Mason Miller, son of long-time NBA veteran Mike Miller, has a burgeoning profile similar to his dad: a knock-down shooter with size.
During his redshirt freshman season, over three-quarters of Miller’s shot attempts were from beyond the arc, converting at 37%, but in high school, Miller showed an ability to handle the ball and score in a variety of ways.
With Arthur Kaluma both hitting the transfer portal and testing the NBA waters, Miller is Creighton’s most likely candidate to replace Kaluma’s spot in the starting lineup, but he’ll have to fend off Virginia transfer Isaac Traudt, a four-star redshirt freshman, for the spot. However, Greg McDermott loves shooters and Miller should be one of the Big East’s best for next year and beyond.
Villanova: Mark Armstrong, 6’2 189 sophomore
A member of last year’s Big East All-Freshman Team, Mark Armstrong is looking to continue his development to the tune of taking over a vacant starting spot on the backcourt open with versatile guard Caleb Daniels graduating.
Out of St. Peter’s Prep, Armstrong was touted as a fluid combo guard with surprising strength and ability to score through contact, despite his slim frame. On the move, Armstrong was able to keep defenses honest by his hard to read handle, allowing Armstrong to pull-up cleanly or find open shooters on the move.
In addition to his offensive versatility, Armstrong finished last season with strong defensive metrics, finishing the season as Villanova’s highest rated defender, according to Evanmiya.com.
With Justin Moore and Chris Arcidiacono returning for their fifth-years and Washington State transfer TJ Bamba in the fold, plus sophomore Brendan Hausen looking to expand his role, Armstrong will have plenty of competition to increase his impact with Villanova’s backcourt, but his two-way ability and unselfish style of play should continue to endear himself to head coach Kyle Neptune.
Xavier: Desmond Claude, 6’5 195 sophomore
Another fellow member of last year’s Big East All-Freshman Team, Desmond Claude is looking to make his mark on Sean Miller’s rebuilt backcourt. Miller hit portal home runs by adding WKU combo guard Dayvion McKnight and Rice sharpshooter Quincy Olivari, but with Colby Jones chasing his NBA dream, Desmond Claude is one candidate to start alongside Miller’s newly acquired mid-major veterans.
A point guard by trade, Claude’s size, strength and ability to score in a variety of ways makes him a perfect backcourt mate alongside the smaller McKnight (6’1) and Olivari (6’3), providing Xavier with a versatile trio who all have scoring, handle and passing abilities.
Finishing the season as Xavier’s second highest rated defender, according to Evanmiya.com, most of Claude’s minutes were at the 3-guard spot, a role that best suits his strength and size. Although Claude averaged just 4.7 points-per-game in his freshman season, his scoring upside was also teased in March when he reached double-digits in three of the last five games.
St. John’s: RJ Luis, 6’7 196 sophomore
After four uninspiring seasons under the leadership of Mike Anderson, Rick Pitino surprised the college basketball world by jet setting from Iona to St. John’s, where he quickly assembled a rebuilt roster with eleven new pieces, balanced nicely with grad transfers, former Iona Gaels, high-major veterans, one high school graduate and transfers with multiple years of eligibility.
Of his younger transfers, UMass transfer RJ Luis has the most immediate upside for next season as an exciting, bouncy wing who can score at all three-levels, push the tempo with transition offense and provide length to be a versatile defender.
With injuries abound, UMass coach Frank Martin had to rely more on Luis later in the season, where he averaged 14.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.7 free throw attempts and shot an impressive 54.3 2P%, 37.0 3P% and 85.7 FT% over the last fifteen games.
At the very least, Luis will be an impactful weapon off-the-bench, but with the ability to play both forward positions, Luis could relegate either Oregon State transfer Glenn Taylor or Iona grad transfer Quinn Slazinski to the bench, setting Luis up to be potentially a starring role at St. John’s.
Marquette: David Joplin 6’7 220 junior
Spending last season backing up NBA draft hopeful Olivier-Maxence Prosper, junior David Joplin has a golden opportunity to parlay his strong shooting from last year, like Mason Miller, to a more complete role in Marquette’s starting lineup.
Last year, Joplin converted 40% of his three-point attempts, but his strong frame allows him to impact the game in more ways than a typical stretch forward, most importantly on the boards which happened to be Marquette’s greatest weakness last season. Joplin does not possess the same length and athleticism of Prosper, but his gritty motor will continue Joplin’s growth on the defensive end.
Averaging over nine points-per-game last season, Joplin is the most proficient returning scorer on this list, but with an expected uptick in playing time, don’t be surprised if Joplin finishes the season with a few double-doubles, providing Shaka Smart with a tough, steady shooting forward to go along with his cavalcade of guards.
Seton Hall: Elijah Hutchins-Everett, 6’11 255 junior
Originally from Orange, NJ, Seton Hall transfer pickup Elijah Hutchin-Everett returns home after playing two seasons at Austin Peay prior to finishing his high school career at Putnam Science Academy.
On offense, Hutchins-Everett trunk allows him to do most of his work down low, but has surprisingly quick feet for his strong frame and capable range, hitting 32 threes in his career at 31.7 3P%. With KD Ndefo graduating, Tyrese Samuel transferring to Florida and Trey Jackson to Michigan, Elijah Hutchins-Everett will be competing with Santa Clara grad transfer Jaden Bediako for the starting center role.
Georgetown: Rowan Brumbaugh, 6’4 190 redshirt freshman
Transferring to Georgetown after a redshirt freshman season at Texas, Rowan Brumbaugh will be returning to his hometown of Washington D.C, with many expecting him to be a key cog in Ed Cooley’s rebuilt Hoyas program in his first season at the helm.
With a strong frame for the point guard position, Brumbaugh’s style of play is crafty in his ability to shift gears easily thanks to his incredible ball-handling and threat to score off the bounce. Like most pure point guards, Brumbaugh’s passing is excellent but his perimeter offense still needs improvement, but with his profile of basketball IQ, facilitating and ability to carve the defense inside the arc, Brumbaugh will look to captain the Hoyas’ offense early on.
Butler: Pierre Brooks, 6’6 220 junior
A former Michigan Mr. Basketball winner hailing from Detroit, Michigan State transfer Pierre Brooks is the type of big guard that Tom Izzo loves: physical and strong. Since committing to Michigan State, Brooks has grown from 6’5 180 to an imposing 6’6 220, yet possesses quick footwork and change-of-pace ability to get to the basket.
A two-way contributor who averaged just over 14 minutes per game in his sophomore season, Brooks is one of Butler’s six transfer additions, looking to break out on the starting lineup alongside new backcourt mates Posh Alexander from St. John’s and DJ Davis, a sharpshooter from UC Davis. Posh’s dishing and Davis’ spacing makes for lovely compliments to Brooks’ attacking style of offense.
DePaul: Elijah Fisher, 6’6 190 sophomore
Prior to reclassifying from the Class of 2023, Elijah Fisher was a consensus five-star recruit out of Crestwood Prep in Ontario who committed to Texas Tech, a program known more for their defensive prowess than the offensive freedom Fisher will receive more of at DePaul.
An athletic and physical swingman, Fisher’s appeal comes with his versatility as a capable rim-attacker, active rebounder, creative passer, versatile defender who is also active on hustle plays, the profile that has compared him to former high-end NBA role players like Lance Stephenson.
As one of the youngest players in the Big 12, Fisher was surprisingly efficient inside the arc, scoring on 53.3% of his interior shot attempts, a rate that highlights his surprising strength and hints at his role next season as a valuable interior weapon for DePaul.
With potential impact with or without the ball, expect Fisher to play at both forward positions, nicely complimenting his more ball-dominant teammates Caleb Murphy and Zion Cruz.
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