Big East basketball stars being honored didn’t stop with Creighton’s Ryan Kalkbrenner and Liam McNeeley of UConn being popular picks among the Big East coaches. The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced the players who made the watch list for each of the individual position awards. That is a sign that the season is right around the corner. Eight Big East teams will be in action on Monday as the 2024-25 college basketball season gets underway. St. John’s is first up with a 6:30 p.m. ET home game against Fordham. The Stony Brook-Marquette wraps up the eight games involving Big East teams.
There are three Big East teams in the top 20 in the national polls. UConn is No. 3, Creighton is ranked 15th and Marquette comes in at No. 18 in The Associated Press Top 25 poll. UConn is third, Creighton is 14th and Marquette is 17th in the Coaches poll. Time will tell how accurate those rankings are. St. John’s, Xavier, and Providence are among the other teams receiving votes in the AP poll. The Red Storm and Musketeers also picked up votes in the Coaches Poll. It won’t take much for St. John’s and Xavier to break into the top 25.
Big East Basketball Stars Land On National Award Watch Lists
The best and the brightest Big East basketball stars will tell you that the awards at the end of the season will matter more than the ones before the season. However, if people want to include them on watch lists for national awards, they will say, “Thank you very much.”
The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced candidates for the five position awards. Players from six Big East programs were named to the watch lists for the awards. UConn is leading the way for four players to be recognized. That is one of the reasons why UConn is the preseason pick to win the Big East title.
Big East Basketball Star Kalkbrenner the Center of Attention
It was not a surprise to see Big East Preseason Player of the Year Kalkbrenner on the list of candidates for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award. That honor goes to the best center in men’s college basketball. He is ready to shine again at Creighton.
The 7-foot-1 Kalkbrenner delayed his professional career and is set for his fifth season at Creighton. Kalkbrenner averaged 17.3 points and 7.6 rebounds for the Bluejays during the 2023-24 season.
Ryan Kalkbrenner named to the @hoophallu Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Preseason Watch List.
🔗: https://t.co/vjwtWs3tVr#GoJays x #KareemAward pic.twitter.com/jMxgrwZHlU
— Creighton Men’s Basketball (@BluejayMBB) November 1, 2024
UConn’s Samson Johnson also made the cut. He is expected to have a bigger role for the Huskies with Donovan Clingan off to the NBA. Johnson averaged 5.4 points and 2.8 rebounds in 16.1 minutes per game last season.
Three Big East Basketball Stars Among Nation’s Top Forwards
Three Big East players made the Karl Malone Award watch list. Providence’s Bryce Hopkins joined UConn’s Alex Karaban and Villanova’s Eric Dixon on the list. Despite being limited to 14 games last season due to injury, Hopkins makes the list of the top power forwards. He was averaging 15.5 points and 8.6 rebounds at the time of his injury. Is the best yet to come?
Karaban is the only returning starter for UConn. Therefore, look for him to increase his numbers after averaging 13.3 points and 5.1 rebounds as a redshirt sophomore. Dixon led Villanova by averaging 16.5 points and 6.5 rebounds last season. Expectations are high as he is embarking on his fifth season with the Wildcats and fourth as a starter.
UConn freshman Liam McNeeley is the only Big East player on the Julius Erving Award watch list. Keep in mind that McNeeley is dealing with a calf injury. However, he is expected to play a key role as UConn tries to win a third straight national title.
UConn men’s basketball star freshman Liam McNeeley could be out for two weeks with calf injury https://t.co/jrSUqEPRdX
— The News-Times (@NewsTimes) October 18, 2024
Four Big East Stars Among Top Guards in College Basketball
The Bob Cousy Award is presented to the best point guard in the country. Georgetown’s Malik Mack is the only Big East player on the watch list. Without a doubt, the former Harvard star is among the key transfers for Georgetown. Consequently, head coach Ed Cooley brought in 14 new players as he prepares for his second season with the Hoyas.
The list of candidates for the Jerry West Award includes three Big East basketball stars. Kam Jones leads the way as Marquette’s top scorer returns for the Golden Eagles. A pair of transfers also made the cut. Kadary Richmond could be primed for a huge season with the Red Storm after transferring from Seton Hall. Former Saint Mary’s guard Aidan Mahaney is among the top newcomers for UConn.
