Robinson-Earl earned Big East Player of the Year honors last season, and he's now gone. They'll need some role players to step up, with Brandon Slater generating some positive preseason buzz. Gillespie should be one of the best point guards in the country and Samuels took a big step forward last season. Jay Wright tends to do his best with guys that have been in his program for multiple years, and he's bringing back an older group with four returning starters from last season. But a 6-foot-8 player with Robinson-Earl's skill set will be difficult to replace.īorzello: In an historical context, it might sound overly ambitious to win three national championships in seven seasons, but it's equally as ambitious to win two national titles in three seasons - so no, I don't think putting the Wildcats in the Monday night discussion is too aggressive. In the NCAA tournament, without Gillespie available, Villanova committed turnovers on 14% of possessions when Robinson-Earl was on the court. Villanova made 54% of its shots inside the arc with Robinson-Earl on the floor last season and also held opponents to 95 points per 100 possessions, per, when he played. But Robinson-Earl had a significant impact on the players around him. The next group always finds a way to fill the voids. At Villanova, Jay Wright lives by the "next man up" principle. My concern is the loss of Jeremiah Robinson-Earl. Now, Villanova returns Gillespie and Jermaine Samuels and the supporting cast to back the forecasts that project Villanova as a Final Four team. Who knows what might have happened in both years, but they had a shot. The Wildcats were 6-1 in their last seven games of the lost 2019-2020 campaign, too. But Villanova was still a second-weekend squad. Those injuries tend to derail most programs. Medcalf: I don't think a national title is too ambitious for a program that made a run to the Sweet 16 weeks after losing starting point guard Collin Gillespie to a torn MCL last season, and lost to the eventual national champion. Is another national title overly ambitious thinking? What's your biggest worry about the Cats? With that in mind, 's writing team of Myron Medcalf, Jeff Borzello, John Gasaway and Joe Lunardi made their predictions and weighed in on all the conference's top issues.īig East 2021-22 writer roundtable Villanova is once again the Big East's team to beat, and possesses the conference's best team again on paper. John's, Seton Hall and Providence are coming in with high expectations after some struggles down the stretch last season. UConn reached the NCAA tournament for the first time in the Dan Hurley era in March, Creighton was a second-weekend team for the first time in school history, and others including St. But the rest of the league may be getting closer. The Villanova Wildcats, whose hopes of a fourth national title were dealt a serious blow when Collin Gillespie suffered a season-ending knee injury late last season, are back with Gillespie in tow, and Jay Wright and Co. After taking a look at Gonzaga and the best teams from the mid-major conferences (Atlantic 10, C-USA, Ivy, MAC, Missouri Valley, Mountain West, SoCon, Sun Belt and WCC), followed by Memphis, Houston and the AAC, we continue this week with the Big East Conference. 9, 's panel of experts is making its predictions for all of the nation's top leagues. John's Red Storm, Georgetown Hoyas, Seton Hall PiratesĪs the countdown continues to the start of the 2021-22 college basketball season on Nov. Men's College Basketball, UConn Huskies, Villanova Wildcats, Butler Bulldogs, DePaul Blue Demons, Xavier Musketeers, Marquette Golden Eagles, Creighton Bluejays, Providence Friars, St. You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browserīig East 2021-22 predictions: Villanova remains the hunted, but look out for UConn
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