As we continue our slog through the summer months and await news from the recruiting front while keeping an eye on the AAU and FIBA scenes, let’s continue to examine some of the changes around the Big East. Today we’ll look at backcourts.
Butler
Butler’s backcourt will look very different in 2016-17. Gone will be Kellen Dunham and G/F Roosevelt Jones. With the departure of Dunham and Jones the Bulldogs will lose two of their top three leading scorers, their second leading rebounder, and their leading assist man.
Looking to fill those shoes will be a bevy of transfers and freshmen. Avery Woodson (Memphis), Kethan Savage (George Washington), and Paul Jorgensen (George Washington) join the Bulldogs as transfers, and will team with incoming freshmen Kamar Baldwin and Henry Baddley.
Woodson, Baldwin, and Baddley should be looked upon to pick up most of the slack, with Savage expected to get decent time as well. Woodson will be the main three-point threat, while Baldwin has a nice mid-range pull-up game and Baddley likes to get to the basket. It remains to be seen how impactful Baldwin and Baddley can be as freshmen, and the backcourt will be a question mark for Butler heading into the season.
Creighton
Creighton has a ton of new faces for 2016-17. Their only loss in the backcourt is James Milliken, who averaged 9.7 points last season. The Bluejays add Kansas State transfer Marcus Foster as well as incoming freshmen Davion Mintz, Jordan Scurry, and Kobe Paras.
Foster led Kansas State in scoring as a freshman with 15.5 points per game and followed that up with 12.5 as a sophomore. He had issues with team rules violations and admitted to not practicing/playing hard enough, so he should have a chip on his shoulder as he looks to prove himself with his new team. He, along with Mintz, like to attack the basket and can finish at the rim.
Scurry is strong, packing 200 pounds into his 6-3 frame and has a decent outside shot. Paras has a very nice outside shot, solid handles, and a sneaky vertical. Mintz and Scurry have shown commitment to the defensive end. As a group, they give Creighton a balanced, albeit young, backcourt.
DePaul
DePaul’s only significant loss in the backcourt is Aaron Simpson, and he averaged just 6 points per game in 23 minutes. They return key contributors Eli Cain and Billy Garrett Jr. Joining them will be a pair of three-star freshmen in Brandon Cyrus and Devin Gage.
Cyrus has good size at 6-4 and he is an impressive leaper. He can finish at the rim and isn’t bothered by traffic. He also has a decent stroke from the outside.
Gage is a shooter who also has solid handles. He has shown an ability to hit clutch shots. He’s got good vision and plays with an impressive tenacity.
Both should be able to step in and help bolster DePaul’s backcourt. If they play up to their potential, the backcourt could develop into a strength for a DePaul team still looking to find traction and relevancy in the Big East.
Georgetown
Georgetown faces the glaring departure of leading scorer and assist man D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera. The Hoyas will add four-star recruit Jagan Mosely and Robert Morris transfer Rodney Pryor.
We discussed both Mosely and Pryor in our “New Faces” piece earlier in the month. Pryor averaged 18 points per game last season at Robert Morris, while Mosely is an all-around guard who can score at the rim and with a jump shot, fit the ball into tight windows, and can play bigger than his 6-3 size.
Returning junior L.J. Peak will also look to take on an increased role.
Marquette
Marquette faces no significant backcourt loses, but will make a major addition. Four-star recruit Markus Howard will join the Golden Eagles after reclassifying into the class of 2016. He can score from all levels and possesses a plethora of well-developed moves. He’s got strength and quickness as well as decent vision. Howard is an early contender for Big East FOY. He’ll join Haanif Cheatham, Duane Wilson, and Jajuan Johnson, who all averaged double-figures last season, in what should be a solid Marquette backcourt.
Providence
Providence has the unenviable task of replacing its two best players from last season. Everyone who follows Big East basketball knows what kind of player Kris Dunn is and how much he will be missed at Providence. Looking to help offset those losses will be four-star recruit Maliek White.
White has a decent all-around game. He can score in a variety of ways and has impressive vision. His youth shows at times with his decision-making, in particular his shot selection. He will have to improve in that area to be fully effective at the collegiate level.
Returning guards Jalen Lindsey, Junior Lomomba, and Kyron Cartwright will also look to help fill Dunn’s shoes, but it’s hard to imagine the Friars not taking a step back in 2016-17.
Seton Hall
The Hall will have to replace last season’s leading scorer and assist man Isaiah Whitehead. Khadeen Carrington will be the new backcourt leader for the Pirates, while four-star recruit Myles Powell will be watched with anticipation by Seton Hall fans. Powell is a sharpshooter who will be leaned upon to knock it down from long-range. While Carrington is a nice player and Powell should provide an important dimension to the Hall’s offense, it will be tough for them to replace Whitehead’s all-around game, and a bit of a stumble should be expected from the Pirates this season.
St. John’s
Most of the Red Storm’s losses will come out of the frontcourt, while their main addition is a guard, four-star Shamorie Ponds. Athletically, Ponds has a lot going for him. He is longer than his 6-0 height would suggest and he can jump pretty well. He will need to improve his jump shot consistency. With Federico Mussini the only guard on the roster that contributed last season, Ponds should have an opportunity to step right in and show what he can do.
Xavier
Xavier is another team that isn’t looking at any major backcourt departures. In fact, they return a trio of key contributors from their impressive 2015-16 campaign. That trio, Edmond Sumner, Trevon Bluiett, and Myles Davis, happen to be the Musketeers three leading scorers from last season. Looking to join that triumvirate will be four-star recruit Quentin Goodin.
Goodin shows good decision-making ability and basketball knowledge. He’s got good vision and passing ability, and can score going to the rim or by knocking down a jump shot. It will be interesting to see how his role will develop in a talented backcourt. Guard play will be a strength for Xavier as they look to replicate the success of last season.
Xavier and Marquette will have two of the best backcourts in the conference. It will be interesting to see how the situations in Creighton, DePaul, Butler and Georgetown play out. Providence and Seton Hall likely take a step backwards, with the backcourt being a big reason why. St. John’s simply looks to improve on last season’s disaster.
