ILLUSTRATION BY: JASMINE CRIQUI/ THE HOYA
All five players on the Hoyas’ starting lineup this season, including three notable transfers, were not on the roster during Georgetown’s dismal 2021 campaign.
The Hoyas needed help. Last year, Georgetown finished winless in the Big East, ended out the season with 21 consecutive losses for a final record of 6-25, and closed the book on its worst season since the 1970s. In Georgetown’s search for a resurgence, the program turned to the transfer portal, and retooled with the No. 4 transfer class in college basketball.
This group is headlined by sophomore guard Brandon Murray from Louisiana State University, high-energy junior forward Akok Akok from conference rival University of Connecticut and reunited with a familiar face in senior center Qudus Wahab.
This busy offseason was much-needed. The team lost ten players, including four of its top five scorers, either to the NBA draft or to the transfer portal. Now, Georgetown will pair its seven transfers with three incoming first-years to fill the hole.
Murray will immediately step in as the Hoyas’ first option after the departure of Aminu Mohammed, who spent one season on the Hilltop before declaring for the NBA draft. At Louisiana State University, Murray averaged 10 points per game and earned a nod to the South Eastern Conference’s All-Freshman Team.
The Hoyas were able to lure Murray to Georgetown largely because they hired assistant coach Kevin Nickelberry from LSU. According to Head Coach Patrick Ewing (CAS ’85), Nickelberry will handle the defensive schemes.
MurraysaidNickelberryplayedaninstrumental role in his transition to Georgetown.
“That’s my guy, he’s real important to me,” Murray said during media day. “Having a familiar face around has definitely made me more comfortable.”
But Murray says his desire to become a Hoya goes deeper than reuniting with Nickelberry — he also wants to return Georgetown to its glory days.
“Coming back home,” said Murray, the Maryland native, when asked why he came to Georgetown. “Seeing a program that I just feel like needs to be brought back up.”
In order to achieve this goal, the Hoyas need to become effective leaders to restore the program, Akok said.
“The history of the program, the players that used to come from this program, we’ve got to lead the right way and also lead for the future
guys that are coming here as well,” Akok said in an interview with The Hoya.
The 6-foot-10 forward has been plagued by injuries during his career, but he says he is now healthy.
“I’m 100 percent,” Akok said. “I’ve been 100 percent since really March.”
At UConn, Akok developed a reputation as a high-energy player; he says he hopes to have a similar impact here.
“I give my maximum effort every time I hit the floor,” Akok said. “I love to run in transition, get lobs, block shots, it’s really my game.”
Though Murray and Akok are newcomers to the Hilltop, Hoya fans should recognize one name: Qudus Wahab. The 6-foot-11 center spent two seasons at Georgetown, where he helped lead the team to a Big East tournament title in his sophomore year.
After making the shocking decision to transfer to the University of Maryland last year, Wahab said he has already seen a cultural shift within the program.
“The culture is changing and the mentality is changing,” Wahab said. “We want to bring Georgetown back to the top.”
Murray said the team is proactively trying to get everyone in sync.
“New coaching staff, new players and everything, I feel as though we’ve really done well gelling together,” Murray said.
Wahab echoed Murray’s sentiment and discussed how the coaches have been trying to get players to develop chemistry.
“The coaches have been doing a great job getting us together, I remember in the first few weeks we went to Top Golf,” Wahab added. “The chemistry is getting there.”
Murray, Akok and Wahab are joined by four other transfers. Sharpshooter junior shooting guard Jay Heath came from Arizona State University and sophomore point guard Primo Spears led Duquesne University in scoring last season with 12.7 points per game.
Finally, sophomore center Bradley Ezewiro followed Murray from LSU and graduate student forward Bryson Mozone scored 15.7 points per game on 39% 3-point shooting in his senior season at The University of South Carolina Upstate.
Murray, Akok, Wahab, Spears and Mozone all started in the Hoyas’ season opener against Coppin State and led the team to its first win in 328 days. Georgetown will continue depending heavily on them to avoid spending a second season as the laughingstock of the Big East.
Anyone watching a Georgetown University women’s basketball game is bound to fixate on junior guard Kelsey Ransom.
The South River, N.J. native said she is as eager as ever to hit the ground running. While this season will be Ransom’s third with the Hoyas, it should be the first without COVID-19 disruptions.
“I’ve been excited for a regular season for two years,” Ransom said in an interview with The Hoya. “Last year we got a taste, so I’m really excited for the full thing this year and for people to be able to come consistently.”
Ransom backed up her electric play with incredible statistics in her two previous seasons with the Hoyas. Last season, Ransom averaged 12 points per game, trailing only teammate Milan Bolden-Morris (GRD ’22) in scoring. She also anchored Georgetown’s defense with 2.5 steals per game, more than double that of any of her teammates.
Her dominance last year was hardly surprising. Even as a first-year, Ransom led the Hoyas in points, assists and steals en route to being named to the Big East All-Freshman Team. Ransom has been the offensive heartbeat of the team for the past two seasons; she will be expected to assert the same role this season.
This season, although the annual Big East preseason coaches’ poll ranked the Hoyas ninth out of the 11 teams in the conference, Ransom said she is determined to defy expectations.
“You see the rankings and you don’t want to identify yourself with it, especially the place we’re in,” Ransom said. “We’re trying to see it and overcome it because we have high expectations for ourselves. If that’s how people see us, then that is our chance to prove them wrong.”
Competing in one of the most competitive women’s college basketball conferences will be a tough feat, but Ransom is ready to face the challenge head-on.
“I’ve been working on trying to change up my scouting report because everyone knows me as a slasher,” Ransom said. “I’m trying to develop that second level of scoring and I think that will make me very hard to guard.”
Hailed as one of the best defenders in the Big East, Ransom’s defensive
grit will be instrumental in thwarting the offensive onslaught of nationallyranked conference opponents like the No. 6 University of Connecticut Huskies and the No. 21 Creighton University Bluejays. She will take on the challenge of matching up with some of the best guards in the conference.
Ransom said she remains laser focused on delivering consistent defensive performances.
“That’s something I take a lot of pride in and something that doesn’t change based on skill,” Ransom said. “It’s more based on effort. In the games where my shots might not be falling, my defense is going to be something I can rely on.”
Beyond her performance on the court, Ransom takes pride in mentoring the new recruits.
“I definitely think my role is shifting a bit,” Ransom said. “Now I’m starting to see where I can influence the younger girls and help the team out by knowing the team culture and the coaches and having good rapport with everybody. I’m starting to learn the teaching side of things, but I am at the same time learning from the younger girls.”
One of those younger women is first-year guard Modesti McConnell, who Ransom says needs to gain confidence.
“Of course we have a bond,” Ransom said. “Modesti is a real work in progress because she’s a firecracker underneath that little soft persona she has. I’m trying to get her to be confident in taking her shot because when she shoots, it goes in. She needs to know that when I’m on the floor with her, I trust her to take any shot and any pass I give her.”
Ransom’s leadership shines off the court, too. Alongside a few of her teammates, Ransom started an organization for women student-athletes. The group plans to collaborate with Voice in Sport, a women’s sports advocacy organization, to educate fellow student-athletes about their Title IX rights, according to Ransom.
“I felt like female student-athletes need a place here as well,” Ransom said. “So with the help of women’s volleyball, track, field hockey, we’re trying to build a space where all female student-athletes feel safe and welcome outside of their teams. I feel like this shows how our team is incredible on and off the court.”
Following a historically bad season in 2021, Georgetown men’s basketball Head Coach Patrick Ewing (CAS ’85) is looking to rebound in his sixth year with the program. After an electrifying win against Syracuse last December, the Hoyas won just one more game before closing out the season with a 21-game losing streak.
Ewing said the team has made internal changes as a result of the atrocious year.
“When you don’t accomplish the things that you set out for, changes have to be made,” Ewing said at the preseason media day. “Changes were made both on my staff and also with the players.”
Indeed, the personnel on the court saw major overturns, as ten players from last year’s roster will not be returning for the 2022-23 season.
That list is headlined by Georgetown’s 2021 leading scorer, Aminu Mohammed. Mohammed now plays for the Delaware Blue Coats — the G League affiliate of the Philadelphia 76ers — alongside former Hoyas standout Mac McClung.
Beyond Mohammed, three other starters from last season are also gone: former captain Donald Carey transferred to the University of Maryland, Collin Holloway transferred to Tulane University and Kaiden Rice graduated after setting the team’s single-season 3-point record.
From the bench, Tyler Beard, Timothy Ighoefe, Jalin Billingsley and Kobe Clark also transferred to other programs. Malcolm Wilson is now a student manager and Chuma Azinge is no longer with the team.
The coaching staff also underwent significant changes. The team brought in former University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Head Coach and Northwestern Assistant Pat Baldwin. As an assistant at Northwestern, Baldwin helped lead his alma mater to its first NCAA tournament berth. Ewing also brought former LSU Head Recruiter and Assistant Coach Kevin Nickelberry back to his hometown, where he had previously served as Howard University’s head coach.
Along with attracting top coaching talent, the Hoyas also put together a solid transfer class to turn things around this season. The No. 4 ranked transfer class is headlined by sophomore guard
Brandon Murray, who earned first team AllFreshman honors in the SEC last season at LSU. Another transfer is familiar to many Georgetown fans, as Maryland senior center Qudus Wahab will return to the Hilltop after transferring out following the Hoyas’ Big East Tournament Championship in 2021.
Ewing offered high praise about his star center during that magical run.
“By the time he leaves here, whenever that is, hopefully in two years, he’s gonna be the best big in the country,” Ewing said after Georgetown beat Marquette University in the first round of the tournament.
Along with the touted transfer class, the Hoyas also brought in two first-years: guard Denver Anglin and forward D’Ante Bass.
Among returning members — few as they may be –– expectations are higher for sophomore guard Jordan Riley after he missed most of last season with a shoulder injury. Junior guard Dante Harris is currently not with the team for personal reasons but will certainly still have a role whenever he returns. Although Harris had an outstanding Big East
Tournament run in 2021, he will likely battle Primo Spears for the starting point guard job this season thanks to a down year in 2022. And then there’s sophomore center Ryan Mutombo, who will come off the bench behind Wahab. Mutombo showed flashes of promise in his first year. There’s also upside junior guard Wayne Bristol Jr., who has been unable to play due to injury and NCAA transfer rules following his standout first year at Howard in the 2019-20 season. Junior forward/center Victor Muresan rounds out the Hoyas’ 2022-23 roster.
Although the schedule features important non-conference games, the Big East will be Georgetown’s biggest problem. The Hoyas will have to be significantly better than last season to make some noise in the conference, which might be a tall task considering the almost brand new roster. Even so, all signs are pointing up from last year, when the Hoyas had their worst season since 1972. If new faces like Murray can gel with familiar ones like Harris and Wahab, there might finally be hope on the Hilltop this season.
Peter Dicioccio Hoya Staff Writer
The Georgetown Hoyas snapped a 21-game losing streak dating back to last season with a 9989 overtime win against the Coppin State Eagles in the opening game of the Hoyas’ 2022 campaign.
Students crowded the buses to Capital One Arena ahead of the 8:30 p.m. tipoff to support the brand-new group of Hoyas (1-0), with every member of the night’s starting five added through the transfer portal in the offseason. The Georgetown faithful gave a particularly warm welcome to senior center Qudus Wahab, a member of the Hoyas’ 2020 Big East Tournament Championship team whose return to the Hilltop comes following a one-year stop at the University of Maryland.
The first half was a frenetic back-and-forth affair with the two sides matching each other every step of the way. After the Hoyas finally managed to open up a modest 5-point lead, Coppin State (0-2) sophomore guard Nendah Tarke sank a 3-pointer with just one second left in the first half. Georgetown went to the locker room clinging to a narrow 36-34 advantage.
The Hoyas’ upper hand quickly evaporated in the game’s second half, as the Eagles powered their way to a 61-54 edge with just over nine minutes left to play. However, Head Coach Patrick Ewing’s (CAS ’85) group rallied, and a jumper and
lay-in off the glass from sophomore guard Primo Spears put Georgetown back in front by 3 points with under 40 seconds remaining.
Forced to foul, Coppin State sent sophomore Hoya guard Brandon Murray to the line with 10 seconds left. Both free throws rattled off the rim, giving Tarke a chance to tie the game with a 3-point heave as time expired. Although his attempt skittered off of the back of the rim, the ball fell into the hands of guard Mike Hood, who swished a 3-pointer to beat the buzzer and force overtime.
Thankfully for the home crowd, Coppin State struggled offensively in the extra period, succumbing to a Hoya onslaught led by Spears. The former Duquesne standout’s 6-point showing in the extra period went towards a team-high 28 on the night, and Georgetown ended up notching its first win in 327 days by a comfortable 10-point margin.
The game was also quite a debut for Georgetown junior forward Akok Akok, who transferred to the program following two seasons at Big East rival UConn. Akok recorded a double-double with 18 points and 12 boards. He also added 5 blocks on defense.
Following the game, Ewing said that although his squad has room for improvement, the team weathered a roller coaster of a season opener.
“It wasn’t the way we wanted to win,
but we got the win,” Ewing said at a postgame press conference. “We made mistakes, we got down, we fought back, we were up, we were supposed to foul at the end and we didn’t, but we were able to come away with
the win.”
The Hoyas will look to defend home court once again Nov. 12 at 11 a.m when they take on Horizon League challenger Wisconsin-Green Bay (0-1).
Notching their first win in 327 days, the Georgetown Hoyas defeated the Coppin State Eagles 99-89 in overtime to kick off their 2022-23 season.
The Salem University Tigers proved to be no match for the Georgetown Universi ty Hoyas on Monday, Nov. 7, as the Hoyas opened their season with an emphatic 7746 win over the Tigers.
Just like last season, the Hoyas (1-0) got off to a hot start and never looked back. A combination of staunch defense and offen sive rebounding allowed the Hoyas to capi talize on the shooting woes of the Tigers (01) and seize a 22-6 lead in the first quarter.
The second quarter trended the same way as the first. The Hoyas more than dou bled the Tigers’ score at the half, walking into the locker room with a 39-15 lead.
Junior guard Kelsey Ransom was a spark plug at both ends of the floor, recording eight points and two offensive rebounds in the first quarter alone, then finishing her outing with a team-high 16 points.
Ransom said her role has evolved, and she now needs to lead the younger players.
“As an upperclassman, I have the two years under my belt, and my role is to teach the underclassmen but also to learn from them, as well, to continue bettering myself as a player,” Ransom said in an in terview with The Hoya
While the team only lost two starters,
both of whom graduated, Georgetown Head Coach James Howard’s strategy of involving the bench allowed him to allot plenty of minutes to new players. Most no tably, first-year Kennedy Fauntleroy, who ESPN ranked No. 75 in her recruiting class, earned a starting spot at point guard.
Howard praised his new players’ performances.
“I was impressed,” Howard said in an in terview with The Hoya. “I think you won’t see the true players in them until the sec ond half of the season because it’s gonna take a lot of work in practices to get them moving and acclimated, and as they do this they’ll be a big part of what we do.”
The second half saw Salem press George town to little avail, with the Hoyas’ guards regularly finding open teammates to create mismatches and fast-transition buckets. The Hoyas’ physical dominance continued all afternoon, as they doubled the Tigers’ 31 rebounds with 62 of their own, 30 of which came at the offensive end. This im balance quickly widened the gap between the teams, allowing the Hoyas to take their largest lead of the night — 35 points — with just over two minutes left to play.
Rebounding proved to be crucial for Georgetown, as the team’s successful after noon was slightly marred by a poor perimeter shooting performance. Georgetown was just 3-for-29 from beyond the arc and converted
an abysmal 56% of its free throw attempts.
Howard said the Hoyas needed to shoot better against Salem’s zone defense.
“They played a zone pretty much all night long and you gotta hit shots against the zone,” Howard said. “I thought we had good looks, if you want to win against bet
ter teams you gotta hit those open looks and you gotta make free throws.”
The Hoyas’ next chance to improve their shooting and extend their hot streak will come this weekend, as Georgetown travels to Temple University on Saturday, Nov. 12 for its second game of the season.
Determined to improve on a poor 2021-22 campaign, the Georgetown Hoyas emphatically defeated the Salem Tigers in their first outing of the season.
Despite being tied for ninth place out of 11 teams in the Big East Women’s Basketball Preseason Coaches’ Poll, the Georgetown University Hoyas entered the 2022-23 season looking to build on the foundations set last season.
The Hoyas are coming off a 10-19 record and first-round loss in the Big East tour nament. However, they retained two of their most dependable scorers, with ju nior guard Kelsey Ransom, who averaged 12 points per game and ranked third in the league for steals per game, expected to lead the backcourt. Graceann Bennett, a senior forward, also adds veteran experience and scoring ability. She averaged 7.1 points and 5.4 rebounds per game last season.
Bennett said she hopes to be a model of dependability for her team.
“I am aiming for more consistency in my
role because I know that as a veteran and as a post player on a team where we’re go ing to be looking and playing into the post, I have to be reliable so we can achieve the goals we want to,” Bennett said in an in terview with The Hoya
In addition to Ransom and Bennett, the Hoyas added more veterans via the trans fer portal. Kristina Moore, a graduate guard who previously played at the University of Florida, and Jada Claude, a senior forward who spent time at both Duke University and Morehead State University, will join the rotation this season.
The first-year class of Hoyas also look to show a promising future for the team. In particular, first-year point guard Ken nedy Fauntleroy, a four-star recruit with a scouts grade of 92, will likely see minutes behind Ransom in her first season.
This mix of experience and new talent has already proven to be great for team chemis try, according to Head Coach James Howard.
“We have some great freshmen that we have to work through the growing pains with, but overall we have an experienced group of players to go into the Big East conference with,” Howard said in an interview with The Hoya. “We’re excited about where we are. The stakes are high, but if we stay healthy I think we may be able to surprise some people.”
In early practices, the team — who How ard said has always been strong in defense — has focused on improving the consistency of its offense. The coaches have implemented what they deem the “power start” to each practice, according to Howard. After warming up, the team plays at the pace of a real game for 10 minutes, mimicking a live first quarter.
Howard said this energetic start to prac tice has helped the players improve their scoring abilities.
“We try to get them to understand a sense of urgency and moving and that has been really good because they’ve been com peting,” Howard said. “If we can score at a
more efficient rate like what I’ve been see ing, then teams should watch out for us.”
After struggling the past two seasons with COVID-19 breakouts and unpredict able schedules, the Hoyas are returning to a full schedule with crowds of families, students and fans allowed to fill the stands.
In the 2020-21 season, the Hoyas had a 2-15 record with 12 of their games being either canceled or postponed. In the 202122 season, the team had four consecutive conference games canceled, which Howard said completely disrupted the chemistry the team worked so hard to build.
A consistent schedule and excited crowds will prove essential to the team’s success this year, according to Howard.
“I think you’re gonna see a group of young women that’s playing together for the university, for everyone in the D.C. area, for the alumni and for their families,” Howard said. “I think it’s going to be an ex citing time on the Hilltop.”
Austin Barish
As is tradition the past few years, the Big East Preseason Coaches’ Poll picked the Georgetown University men’s basketball team to finish near the bottom of the conference. For the second straight season, the Hoyas are projected to finish as No. 10 in the conference, beating out DePaul University to avoid the last spot.
We assessed the conference on our own and though Georgetown will likely dwell toward the bottom of the Big East, the season does have potential.
Despite losing two starters, this young up-and-coming squad, led by Head Coach Greg McDermott, is projected to be at the top of the Big East, a group with realistic Final Four aspirations that has the chance to make some noise on the national stage.
After losing in the NCAA Tournament’s round of 32 to Kansas last year, Creighton’s headline transfer addition of sharpshooting guard Baylor Scheierman from South Dakota State along with dynamic sixth-man guard Francisco Farabello from TCU will look to bolster last year’s already deep lineup. They will join a dynamic backcourt of sophomores Ryan Nembhard and Trey Alexander, as well as one of the best frontcourts in the nation with Arthur Kaluma and Ryan Kalkbrenner.
After the Wildcats finished their regular season with the second-best Big East record last year, they went on to tally a secondplace finish in the Big East tournament and a round-of-32 defeat in the NCAA tournament. While the program had a solid season, they now hope to challenge UConn at the top of the conference rather than play for second.
Featuring a lineup that returns a trio of starters, including the reigning Big East Player of the Year Maddy Siegrist, the Wildcats have the best chance of any team in the conference to unseat the Huskies, though we predict they finish just short.
After starting hot but ultimately missing the NCAA Tournament the past two years, Xavier will hope to break that streak this year
under new Head Coach Sean Miller, who was hired after the Xavier Musketeers won the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) last year. They will have roster continuity on their side, as well as promising transfer Souley Boum, an adept scorer who averaged 18 points per game at UTEP. Xavier’s frontcourt, one of the best in the country, was reunited after Zach Freemantle’s suspension was lifted. With a talented and deep roster, Xavier is poised for a national breakout year.
Perennial powerhouse University of Connecticut looks to make its third straight NCAA Tournament this season behind junior forward Adama Sanogo. After a first-team all-Big East season a year ago, Sanogo figures to be a strong contender for Big East Player of the Year as the UConn Huskies’ clear leader after the departure of UConn’s backcourt for the NBA. While a slight degree below the likes of the Villanova Wildcats and Creighton Bluejays, UConn figures to be a formidable opponent for anyone.
Last year was a dream Cinderella run for the Providence Friars, finishing with the best record in the Big East in a dominant regular season and advancing to the Sweet 16. That magical team is gone, however, as only three players are returning. They will have to depend on their strong transfer class, led by University of Kentucky forward Bryce Hopkins, and incoming first-year recruits to bolster the rotation and forge a new identity. This group will experience growing pains, and under Head Coach Ed Cooley, they are unlikely to repeat the unexpected success they found last season. After last year’s run, however, they proved that anything is possible.
Losing two-time first-team all-Big East guard Julian Champagnie will force St. John’s to remake its identity this season. Champagnie was the St. John’s Red Storm’s leading scorer and rebounder, meaning other players will have to make up for his offensive and defensive production. Defensive savant guard Posh Alexander figures to take the leader’s mantle for a St. John’s team that looks to be good but not great, barring a breakout.
New Head Coach Shaheen Holloway returns to his alma mater after coaching Saint Peter’s University to an unexpected run into the Elite
Eight in March. Only five members of his predecessor’s roster remain on the team, but none of them was a star nor a benchwarmer. Such is the story of Seton Hall’s roster — a lot of decent players but no one is exceptional. Seton Hall figures to be competitive, but don’t expect them to make a huge splash in what figures to be a rebuilding year.
After becoming just the third team in Big East history to go winless in conference play, Georgetown tore its roster apart but maintained faith in Head Coach Patrick Ewing (CAS ’85). Ewing managed to bring in the fourth-best transfer class in the country, featuring a familiar face in senior center Qudus Wahab and last year’s SEC Freshman of the Year, guard Brandon Murray. With little continuity, the Hoyas’ success is difficult to forecast and the team could finish just about anywhere in the conference in what will likely be a make-or-break year in Ewing’s tenure.
Under a new but familiar face in Head Coach Thad Matta, the Butler Bulldogs will rely on their transfer class to make up for the loss of several longtime Butler players. After barely losing to Providence in the second round of last year’s Big East Tournament, they will look to the renewed depth of their new roster and North Carolina State transfer center Manny Bates to try and reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2018.
In his first season at Marquette, Head Coach Shaka Smart proved his worth, leading the Marquette Golden Eagles to a No. 6 Big East finish despite a subpar roster. After losing first-team all-Big East selection Justin Lewis to the NBA, Smart will need to work some magic with this mangled roster to succeed. Given the lack of scoring, they will need an unexpected star to break out to escape the bottom of the Big East.
The loss of their two leading scorers puts the DePaul Blue Demons, who struggled last season, in a precarious position this year. Without any headline transfers or recruits, it seems unlikely for DePaul to improve on its performance. While center Nick Ongenda and guard Jalen Terry remain, DePaul may find itself at the bottom of the conference this year.
It’s November, and NCAA women’s collegiate basketball is finally afoot.
In the Big East, teams hope the new season brings as much success as the last. Five teams are coming off NCAA Tournament appearances and three more are fresh off WNIT appearances. Moreover, two teams are ranked in the AP National Poll: No. 6 University of Connecticut and No. 21 Creighton University.
This year, UConn could be a clear favorite. However, there will be no shortage of skilled teams in the conference. Here are The Hoya’s Women’s Basketball Big East Power Rankings.
The standard bearer for women’s collegiate basketball, UConn’s 2021-22 season ended in their 14th straight Final Four appearance and 12th title game.
Paige Bueckers, their star point guard, is out for the season with a torn ACL, but that should not hinder UConn’s dominance thanks to their deep roster. Along with a trio of returning starters, UConn also welcomes back Preseason All-Big East honorees Caroline Ducharme and Aaliyah Edwards. The nation’s No. 4 recruiting class, which features top-five recruits Ayanna Patterson and Ice Brady, will help bolster the already skilled squad.
The Huskies commanded the Big East last season and they should be able to repeat that dominance.
After the Wildcats finished their regular season with the second-best Big East record last year, they went on to tally a second-place finish in the Big East tournament and a round-of-32 defeat in the NCAA tournament. While the program had a solid season, they now hope to challenge UConn at the top of the conference rather than play for second.
Featuring a lineup that returns a trio of starters, including the reigning Big East Player of the Year Maddy Siegrist, the Wildcats have the best chance of any team in the conference to unseat the Huskies, though we predict they finish just short.
At the last a cappella showcase February 25 anAfter their Cinderella run in the 2021-22 season, the Creighton Bluejays were last season’s March Madness darling. The question this year will be
whether they can continue this momentum.
Hoping to improve on a 15-5 record in Big East play, the Bluejays are returning four starters and 84% of their scoring from last year. This unit comprises All-Big East First Team forward Emma Ronsiek, Big East Sixth-Woman of the Year Morgan Maly and Big East Most Improved Player Lauren Jensen. Brittany Harshaw, a McDonald’s All-American nominee, hopes to make waves as the Bluejays’ new addition.
DePaul was one of four Big East teams to make the NCAA tournament last year but was the only one that left without a win. However, the Blue Demons only return two of their starters from last year, one of whom is the reigning National Freshman of the Year Aneesah Morrow. A rebounding and scoring machine, Morrow’s ability should keep DePaul in the top half of the conference all season.
This will also be Women’s Basketball Hall of Famer Head Coach Doug Bruno’s 36th season with the Blue Demons, and he doesn’t look to be slowing down anytime soon.
Despite a mediocre 12-8 Big East record, Seton Hall finished the year by winning 16 of its last 19 games. But advancing to the championship game of the WNIT is not enough for the Pirates, as they seek to return to premium billing in March under Head Coach Tony Bozzella, who has qualified for the NCAA tournament in six of his nine years with the school.
Five players from last season return. All-Big East First Team Lauren Park-Lane will be the standout this year, as she already holds the conference single-game record for assists (18).
perfect way to start off this new season while ending the a cappella season on a high note.
Marquette returns three starters from a squad that advanced to the third round of the WNIT last year. The Golden Eagles finished fifth in conference play and had a surprise upset of DePaul in the Big East tournament. However, they lost their two leading scorers in the offseason. Xavier University transfer Nia Clark should help lighten the load for Head Coach Megan Duffy, and Marquette could be a competitive team.
Ranking St. John’s No. 7 in the conference is perhaps a modest take, as the team will be
dramatically improved by the four transfers they received in the offseason. The Red Storm return five of their top-six scorers from last year, a season where they went 12-19 with a Big East record of 7-12. The leaders of the team will be Kadaja Bailey, who averaged 14.2 points per game, and leading rebounder Rayven Peeples. Transfers like Ole Miss transfer Mimi Reid and Georgetown transfer Jillian Archer should also help St. John’s improve its record this season.
Despite going 10-19 overall and only 4-15 in Big East play last season, Georgetown’s team was characterized by resiliency and teamwork. They finished their season on a hopeful note with an upset in the first round of the conference tournament. This year, the Hoyas return a trio of starters, including No. 2 scorer Kelsey Ransom and forward Graceann Bennett. They are also reinforced by two transfers, Duke’s Jada Claude and Florida’s Kristina Moore, who should help the Hoyas continue to improve.
The Friars return Janai Crooms, the leading scorer from last year’s team. Also, Head Coach Jim Crowley was able to secure several transfers including Iowa’s Logan Cook, who should have an immediate impact. Alas, the program has not made it to the NCAA tournament since 1992, and Crowley’s last winning season with the program came in 2018-19. There is little excitement surrounding the team.
Xavier had a somewhat underwhelming 202122 year, going 9-21 overall and 4-16 in Big East play. This season will be a rebuilding one, as they are only returning two starters from the team: No. 3 scorer Aanya Harris and Shaila Beeler. The key to their success will be the energy that new players, such as Ole Miss transfer Taylor Smith and Kent State’s Nila Blackford, bring to the court.
Butler finished last year without a single Big East win, and their only win of the regular season came against the Evansville Aces on Dec. 22, 2021. Butler jettisoned Head Coach Kurt Godlevske and his entire staff this past offseason, and Head Coach Austin Parkinson has his work cut out for him in revitalizing this program. Parkinson added two quality transfers, including Rachel McLimore, but the Bulldogs will surely be outmatched in Big East games this season.
ILLUSTRATION