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While it’s certainly nice to have a player who can be counted on to score 20 or so points in any particular game, it is just as important to have someone who can hold a player averaging 20 ppg significantly below the individual’s average.

Player of the Year Kevin Durant headlines our stacked preseason All-Rookie teams.

Favorite: Pittsburgh. Player of the Year: Dominic James. Conference Rank: 2nd

Pittsburgh just edged out Georgetown for 1st place in the Big East Preseason Coaches Poll.

Eric Silver projects the Big East All-Conference teams.

Jim Boeheim - Syracuse

Jim Calhoun - UCONN

Billy Donovan - Florida

Ben Howland - UCLA

Coach K - Duke

Lute Olson - Arizona

Rick Pitino - Louisville

Roy Williams - UNC

Other - Discuss Your Choice Below

The Big East welcomes one of its deepest and most talented freshmen classes in recent history. Who will start? Who will sit? Who will star? Eric Silver breaks it all done in his Impact Freshmen Report. Part Two includes All-Rookie predictions and players almost guaranteed to start.

 

Some of the players listed in this section are not true centers. They are really power forwards who are forced to play the 5 on their team, usually alongside another power forward. On some teams it doesn’t matter on the offensive end who is designated the 4 and who the 5 since the roles are pretty much interchangeable. The distinction between the two roles comes into play on the defensive end as one of the two will primarily defend the opponent’s center while the other matches up with the other team’s power forward.  Anyway, here are 12 returning players that I envision as likely starting at the 5 – at least defensively – this season.

Two factors complicate efforts to rank the returning small forwards in the Big East.  One is that some teams use a three-guard lineup in which one of the three guards has to be considered a “3” even if he doesn’t fit the classic image of a small forward and would normally be considered a shooting guard.  Another consideration is that it is sometimes difficult to determine whether certain players would be more accurately designated as a “3” or a “4.” 

 

Additionally, there is also the question that hounds every ranking by position, which is, “Will that individual play that position this season?”  For example, at Notre Dame, will Tory Jackson be good enough to earn the starting point guard position?  If so, then Kyle McAlarney would likely play the “2,” Colin Falls the “3,” and Russell Carter the “4.”  If not, then McAlarney would man the point, Falls would start at off guard, and Carter would start at small forward.

This is the second installment in a series ranking returning players by position. One challenge is that on some teams which individuals will start at what positions are not givens. Consider Louisville.  Brandon Jenkins could start at the 1 or the 2 after he recovers from a broken leg.  Although last year he played primarily at the point, this year he’ll probably play the 2 as I’m betting that Coach Rick Pitino will go with experience in the starting lineup, meaning Andre McGee will get the nod over freshman Edgar Sosa at point and Jenkins will start at off guard over two talented incoming freshmen. This installment focuses on 11 returnees who will likely start at off guard in the 2006-2007 season.