Big East Preseason Top 5

With Kemba Walker gone, who will take over as the jewel of the Big East basketball conference? By Lauren Dellipoali 

(AP Photo/Fred Beckham)

The Big East lost some great players this offseason, most notably Kemba Walker, but these five players are looking primed to have break-out seasons and should be closely watched as the season nears.


1. Jeremy Lamb, SO., Connecticut
Lamb will be one of UCONN’s most valuable players this upcoming season, and he has the tools to help lead UCONN on another championship run. After gaining valuable experience from the miraculous title run last year  and the many lessons he learned from Kemba Walker, Lamb knows what it takes to be in command. He also played overseas this summer in the U-19 games. The often overlooked Lamb only averaged 11.1 points per game, but that number will increase this season, especially with the departure of Walker.

2. Ashton Gibbs, SR., Pittsburgh

One of the many upperclassmen returning to the Big East this year, Gibbs will look to bring Pitt the national title they have fallen short of these past few years. The 6’2” guard averaged 16.8 PPG last season while dishing out 2.8 assists per game. At the rate Gibbs has improved throughout his career at Pitt, it would be no shock to see him lead his team to a title like Nolan Smith did for Duke in 2010.

3. Kris Joseph, SR., Syracuse

Joseph has shown flashes of brilliance mixed in with flashes of ‘what was he thinking’ during his time at SU. But when he is on top of his game, it is tough to stop Joseph on either end of the court, making him one of the more dominate forwards in the game. His 14.3 point and 5.2 rebounds per game will likely increase as he takes on a bigger role for an Orange team which hopes to to return to the Final Four for the first time since 2003.

4. Peyton Siva, JR., Louisville

Siva may not light up the scoreboard, but his 5.2 APG surely helps. Building upon a nice sophomore campaign and the teachings of head coach Rick Pitino, the guard will only improve this season. Once he can hone his skills, the Big East will have a hard time trying to contain him.

5. Alex Oriakhi, JR., Connecticut 

Another Uconn player primed for a breakout year, Oriakhi, was a major player on the defensive end, which greatly helped Uconn win the title last year. Oriakhi showed great skill and ability on both sides of the ball (9.6 PPG and 8.7 RPG), and those skills will only get better. 

News and notes from around the conference:

• Syracuse University Chancellor Nancy Cantor wants to play more games at Madison Square Garden when the school joins the ACC, but wants to play Duke and North Carolina in the Carrier Dome. Picky picky.
• Jeremy Lamb will be not only a star on the UCONN's basketball team, but he will be a star in the Big East. Watch out for this kid. He's already a winner and he's only going to get better. Learn more about Lamb in this video by UCONN's athletic department. 
• While current Georgetown players were playing games and getting into brawls overseas, former Hoyas were being good Americans and helping the less fortunate.
• Rick Pitino doesn't think the Big East will lose a step with the departures of Syracuse and Pitt. Pitino may be the only person to think so. 
• A look at St. John's freshman Sir'Dominic Pointer, who is part of the third best recruiting class in the nation. 
• Villanova guard Ty Johnson is ready to put his best foot forward (ED note: Awesome pun) after dealing with an offseason foot injury.