The 2023-24 guide to Big East men's basketball
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Madison Square Garden. Photo: Porter Binks/Getty Images
This year's competition in the Big East promises to be a slugfest, as several teams look to chase the conference crown.
What's happening: As conference play gets ready to kick off, writers from several Axios Local markets break down what to expect from the heavyweights.
Butler Bulldogs
Butler's been "rebuilding" for about a decade now and, with just two returning players left after the postseason transfer portal raid, this year is no different.
Yes, but: Things are looking up, so far.
- In the first few weeks of the season, Butler's offense showed signs of life and the team was the biggest mover in a recent KenPom analysis of Power Six conference schools
- The Bulldogs are outperforming their preseason Big East coaches' poll ranking of (just barely) not last.
What we're watching: The team seems to be clicking better each game.
- If they can keep improving and get an NCAA tournament berth, it may buy head coach Thad Matta more time to truly rebuild the storied program.
Creighton Bluejays
It will be hard to top last season's Elite Eight appearance in the NCAA tournament, but the Bluejays believe they have the firepower to go even further this time.
Context: After finishing third in the Big East, Creighton entered the tournament as the No. 6 seed and defeated Baylor and Princeton, only to be denied the Final Four by San Diego State.
- Three starters return this year, including 7-foot-1 center Ryan Kalkbrenner.
Yes, but: They did lose two starters through the transfer portal, including point guard Ryan Nembhard, who left for Gonzaga.
Connecticut Huskies
Last year's national champs picked up where they left off, starting this season 7-0 and rolling to a record 24 consecutive non-conference wins.
- The No. 4-ranked Huskies lost three starters but brought back star center Donovan Clingan, who lead the team in blocks last year, and guard Tristen Newton, who just recorded his third career triple-double.
- Plus: Transfer Cam Spencer is making an impact early, leading the team in scoring so far.
What we're watching: The Huskies don't get no respect. Despite taking home the national title just six months earlier, the Big East coaches' preseason poll has UConn ranked third in the conference.
- Head coach Dan Hurley called it "a bunch of s--t," so we'll see how that chip on the team's shoulder affects their shooting when they start conference play at Seton Hall Dec. 20.
DePaul Blue Demons
It's been a rough ride for the DePaul Blue Demons since they joined the Big East.
Context: DePaul hasn't been competitive in the conference for years, but last year they showed some spirit, knocking off Seton Hall in the first round of the Big East tournament.
Yes, but: Five of the team's top scorers are gone from last year and, in his third year as coach, Tony Stubblefield is in the midst of a roster rebuild with a flurry of freshman and transfer portal pickups.
The intrigue: Former star Mark Aguirre has been hired as a special assistant to the athletic director.
Georgetown Hoyas
New year, new coach … new Hoyas? Georgetown fandom has some reason for (cautious) holiday cheer heading into men's Big East play, after an exciting overtime victory against American University that won them something called the MTE championship.
- Encouragingly, sophomore and new transfer Jayden Epps has found his groove after early season growing pains.
What's next: Getting over the trauma of finishing last in the Big East two years in a row.
- The squad, under head coach Ed Cooley, opens conference play against Butler on Dec. 19.
"We're just going to build," Cooley said in late October. "We are walking into an organization that has won two Big East games in their last 29."
Marquette Golden Eagles
Things are looking up for the Golden Eagles, who are trying to repeat as Big East champions.
What we're watching: Non-conference play has been impressive so far, as coach Shaka Smart brought back most of the starting unit from last year's impressive run, including Big East Player of the Year Tyler Kolek.
- It's not just Kolek. This team is stacked and looking to avenge their surprising loss in the second round of last season's NCAA tournament.
Yes, but: This is the first season under coach Smart that Marquette has had title aspirations.
Providence Friars
Rev up those friers, 'cause fans are hungry for a third-straight trip to the NCAA tournament.
- Junior Bryce Hopkins returns as one of the conference's best scorers and rebounders.
- The team is led by first-year head coach Kim English, who had a brief NBA playing career for the Detroit Pistons.
Seton Hall Pirates
Seton Hall finished middle of the pack in the Big East last season, losing to Colorado in the NIT during head coach Shaheen Holloway's first year.
- The Pirates aren't expected to do much better in Year 2, as they were picked to finish ninth in the conference in the coaches' preseason poll.
Yes, but: Holloway says he's not a "big talker," he's a "big doer." His team has followed suit, winning their first four games by an average margin of 21 points.
- Point guard Kadary Richmond, described as this team's Myles Powell, has averaged 14 points and 4.5 assists over that stretch.
The intrigue: We'll know pretty quickly whether Holloway's team is for real.
- They face seven major conference teams before Christmas, including reigning NCAA champions UConn on Dec. 20.
St. John's Red Storm
There's rebuilding, and then there's what St. John's is doing this year.
Context: After two decades of nothing much to write home about, the private Catholic school in Queens shook things up in March when it hired Rick Pitino, one of college basketball's most successful and most controversial head coaches.
Driving to the news: The Red Storm brought back last year's leading scorer, Joel Soriano.
Yes, but: That's about it. The roster has a dozen new faces this season.
Villanova Wildcats
Something wasn't Wright with Villanova last season.
- The Wildcats experienced growing pains under first-year head coach Kyle Neptune, who replaced Hall of Famer Jay Wright. But they're still expected to make noise in the stacked Big East.
Flashback: They were without one of their top scorers, Justin Moore, for much of last season while he recovered from a torn achilles.
- The Wildcats lost to Temple for the first time in a decade, en route to a .500 season and sixth-place finish in the Big East.
Yes, but: It's still Villanova basketball.
- The Wildcats still entered the season ranked in the top 25 before dropping out after being upset by Penn.
What we're watching: Moore is back in top shape, averaging 16 points per game for a Wildcats team picked to finish fourth in the conference.
Xavier Musketeers
The Musketeers thrived last season with head coach Sean Miller's return to the program.
Yes, but: The team lost its five best scorers to graduation and the NBA, leaving Miller with a young and talented squad to keep the momentum going.
- Sophomore guard Desmond Claude is the star thus far, averaging 17 points through Xavier's early schedule.
