A late January tilt between South Florida and Florida Atlantic had big implications in the American standings — while, six months later, it offered a look at four players headed to Big East schools next season.

Prior to this contest in Tampa, FAU was first in the conference with a 6-1 mark (90th in the NET), while USF came in at 4-2 (65th NET).

Bryan Hodgson’s crew might have felt like they should have been entering with a 6-0 mark. Their two losses came in a 109-106 double OT loss to UAB and an 86-85 defeat in overtime to Wichita State eight days prior to this one.

Little did anyone know it at the time, but South Florida was about to take off. After the Wichita State loss on Jan. 18, they went 14-1 in their final 15 games prior to the NCAA Tournament.

The USF/FAU matchup turned into a statement victory for the Bulls, who trailed by eight late in the first half before outscoring the Owls, 56-39, in the second half. The game was won on the offensive glass, where USF star Izaiyah Nelson set the tone in a 15-point, 12-rebound effort. The Bulls finished with 21 offensive rebounds, highlighting a strength of Hodgson’s club last year (#7 nationally in Offensive Rebound Percentage).

USF was simply more aggressive and quicker to the ball in the second half, and once they started turning offensive into defense there wasn’t much FAU could do to slow them. FAU also had trouble checking South Florida point guard CJ Brown, who finished with 17 points and seven assists as USF lobbed and dunked their way to an 89-75 win.

Here’s a look at how each of the future Big East players fared:

Devin Vanterpool, FAU/Providence (22 points, 4-7 from 3, 9-18 FG, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks): Who could have guessed at the time that Hodgson would coach Vanterpool at Providence next season?

Vanterpool spent last offseason waking up at 5:30 a.m. every day to work out with his father (an NBA assistant coach) and his hard work was on display here in the variety of ways he scored. Vanterpool's biggest highlight was an insane block of a dunk attempt (which you'll see in the video below). He also connected on four three-pointers, and was equally effective scoring from 17 feet and in thanks to his strength.

Devin Williams, FAU/Seton Hall (21 minutes, 2 points, 2 rebounds, 0 blocks): Williams never got on track in this one. He knocked down an early 18 footer from the top of the key, but didn’t show his shot-blocking prowess and was generally kept quiet in a game in which USF was simply the more physical team.

Josiah Parker, FAU/Georgetown (13 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals in 22 minutes off the bench): The freshman showed a lot of toughness. His best play came in the second half, when he tipped a rebound to himself in traffic and threw down a loud slam around multiple defenders. Parker scored a lot of dirty-work buckets in a game that wasn’t for the faint of heart.

Wes Enis, USF/Creighton (19 points on 5-13 from three, 3 assists, 4 rebounds): It was a tale of two halves for Enis, who didn’t attempt a shot for the first 13 minutes of the game. He started 0-6 from the field, but got going late in the first half on a 3-pointer off an offensive rebound — and he carried that momentum into the second half. All 13 of Enis’ shots came from beyond the arc, but there were two plays he made while South Florida was surging that helped blow the game open. The first was an assist after a defensive rebound, and the second came on a steal in the paint that turned into a layup the other way.

Here’s an extended look at each player:

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The biggest question mark facing Georgetown heading into the 2026-27 season centers around its frontcourt — more specifically, will the Hoyas will have enough size to hold up in the Big East?

The center spot was a strength for Georgetown a season ago, as they got more production out of Vince Iwuchukwu and Julius Halaifonua than most expected. Iwuchukwu emerged as a strong defensive presence in the paint, while Halaifonua provided post scoring.

Halaifonua originally announced he would return to Georgetown for a third season before changing course and heading to Oklahoma State. The Hoyas pivoted to Chol Machot, a seven-foot transfer from Charleston, and he’ll need to make a strong transition from the CAA to the Big East for the Hoyas this season.

As things currently stand, Machot figures to be slotted into the starting center spot, and he’ll be backed up by Seal Diouf, a redshirt sophomore who played sparingly last season.

The four spot will be manned by a productive, physical forward in 6’7 rising sophomore Josiah Parker — the type of hybrid forward Cooley had in Alpha Diallo and Rodney Bullock at Providence.

In an era in which everyone is going big, the Hoyas will be smaller outside of Machot — and he was listed at 190 pounds by Charleston last season.

In Machot, Georgetown adds one of the best shot blockers in the country from a season ago. Playing for former Xavier coach Chris Mack, Machot blocked 2.5 shots per game, earning CAA Defensive Player of the Year honors.

He enjoyed six games of 5+ blocks, including a season high of seven in a 15-point, 15-rebound, 7-block effort versus Elon.

In terms of a Big East comparison, think of a longer, more mobile, but leaner Oswin Erhunmwunse. Machot limited opponents to 31.8% shooting a season ago and will serve as a promising weak-side presence at the rim. He moves well laterally for a seven-footer, and while he can get dislodged by stronger post players (like he did against former Cooley recruit Patrick Wessler at UNC Wilmington last season), his length helps compensate.

Cooley will mix in zone defenses, which Machot saw at Charleston last season. Charleston was in zone on 9.5% of their defensive possessions with Machot on the floor, while Georgetown went zone 12.2% of the time (75th most in the country).

The Offensive Profile

Machot shot nearly 60% from the floor, with virtually all his scoring coming at the rim. He attempted 22 three-pointers (making six), but his face-up jumper looks much better from 15 feet and in.

Offensive rebounds made up nearly 17% of his offensive possessions, followed by cuts (16.1%), posting up (15.7%), and rolling off screens (15.3%).

He was at his most effective as a lob threat in the screen-and-roll game (90th percentile):

Machot had 14 double-figure scoring games, with a season high of 18 versus Liberty. He finished with 52 dunks last season, while he had just six assists on the year.

The Final Word

Machot came from the junior college ranks and finished ninth in the country in blocked shots at Charleston last year — a season in which he averaged 8.9 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.

His next jump will be from the CAA to the Big East, where virtually the entire league is revamping its center spot:

• Najai Hines (Seton Hall to UConn) and Oswin Erhunmwunse (PC to Creighton) transferred within the conference.

• Villanova added a potential first round pick in Luigi Suigo.

• Across the league potential impact bigs were added, highlighted by Magoon Gwath (San Diego State to DePaul), Sananda Fru (Louisville to Marquette), Devin Williams (FAU to Seton Hall), Arrinten Page (Northwestern to Providence), and Michael Nwoko (LSU to Xavier)

Machot will be counted on to carry a heavy load at Georgetown. If his shot blocking translates to the Big East, he’ll go a long way toward answering the Hoyas’ biggest question entering the season.

One of the more underreported aspects of the transfer portal era is how quickly players can get written off following a down season or, in the case of Jaland Lowe, a year spent battling through injuries.

Rewinding a year, Lowe was one of the hotter names in the transfer portal market. The point guard wrapped up his sophomore campaign at Pitt after earning All-ACC honors in a season in which he averaged 16.8 points, 5.5 assists, and 4.2 rebounds per game.

The Texas native was central to what was thought to be a stacked Kentucky portal haul — a left-handed playmaker who excelled in the screen-and-roll game. Lowe’s shooting efficiency dropped from his freshman season at Pitt, but Mark Pope thought he had to force some tough shots at Pitt and would thrive playing alongside all of the talent in Lexington.

Problem was, Lowe was never healthy at Kentucky. He injured his shoulder in the Blue-White Scrimmage prior to the season and only appeared in nine games before being shut down.

Lowe had his moments at Kentucky — highlighted by his strong play in a win over Rick Pitino and St. John’s and a 21-point effort at Alabama — but Wildcat fans never got to enjoy a healthy Lowe. They also watched a team that lacked playmakers in the backcourt without Lowe.

Fast forward to this past spring. Lowe’s transfer to Georgetown came with nowhere near the fanfare of his arrival at Kentucky, but he very well could hold the fate of the 2026-27 Hoyas — and, in turn, the tenure of Ed Cooley — in his hands.

Entering year four at Georgetown, Cooley finds himself in an unfamiliar place: potentially facing the hot seat for the first time in his 20-plus-year head coaching career.

Following a 9-23 campaign in his first season at Georgetown, things were trending up after an 18-16 mark in 2025 — a season that included two Hoyas being taken in the NBA Draft in Thomas Sorber and Micah Peavy.

But 2025-26 was a season of regression for the Hoyas, who finished 16-18 overall and 6-14 in the Big East.

While facing questions about his future will be new for Cooley, he’s succeeded in years past by squeezing more out of a point guard than most expected.

Bryce Cotton was thrust into the point guard role after Kris Dunn went down with a shoulder injury of his own in 2014, and the result was a Big East Tournament title.

It goes forgotten now, but Dunn had become a bit of an afterthought nationally after missing much of his first two seasons at Providence due to shoulder surgeries — only to elevate the program further in his final two years in the Big East.

And after Dunn departed for the NBA, the Friars were slotted near the bottom of the league in 2016-17 only for Kyron Cartwright to earn Big East Most Improved Player honors and lead PC to consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances.

Now Cooley will need Lowe to bring back some of that point guard magic he enjoyed during his Providence days — the type of lift he couldn’t seem to recreate with Rowan Brumbaugh, Jayden Epps, or Malik Mack over the past three seasons in the nation’s capital.

The Hoyas are almost completely revamped heading into next season. Gone are KJ Lewis (USC) and Julius Halaifonua (Oklahoma State), and in are Lowe, Josiah Parker (FAU), Chol Machot (Charleston), Vyctorious Miller (Oklahoma State), and Elmarko Jackson (Kansas).

It’s a group that will likely be picked in the bottom three of an improved Big East by most pundits, and Lowe is the player most capable of raising the ceiling of the Hoyas.

He brings the most proven production of anyone on Georgetown's revamped roster. The godson of longtime NBA coach and player John Lucas, Lowe is a traditional point guard who can certainly score, but thrives in making others better. He’s a terrific pick-and-roll point guard who had an extremely high usage rate prior to the injuries (29.2% Usage Rate, over 600 possessions at Pitt).

As a sophomore at Pittsburgh he enjoyed four games of 10+ assists, ten more of 20+ points, and had both a triple double in one game and a game-ender against Duke.

The biggest question mark surrounding Lowe will be his jumper. He was far more efficient on jump shots his freshman year at Pitt (34% on all jump shots, 36% catch-and-shoot).

As a sophomore, Lowe took over 70 more jumpers and his efficiency numbers dropped to 27% on all jump shots and 26% on catch-and-shoot opportunities.

Cooley has seen his point guards’ shooting numbers jump in years past:

• Dunn was a sub-30% shooter from deep and below 40% from the field before shooting 47% from the field and 35% from distance as a junior.

• Cartwright went from making just 4-33 from three as a freshman to consistently hitting in the mid-30s from long range his final three years.

• Jared Bynum made 5-42 from three as a sophomore before connecting at a 41% clip in his breakout junior year.

Georgetown doesn’t need Lowe to shoot 40% from three, but they almost certainly need a huge season from him if they are to surprise in what should be a much deeper Big East next season.

A Look at the Film

Here’s a five-minute unfiltered look at Lowe from Kentucky last season. These clips include makes, misses, assists, and turnovers.

More from the Big East Film Room

Xavier invested more heavily in the portal this spring, and part of their rebuild is an intriguing new look at the 2-3 spots in Tru Washington (Miami) and Ruben Dominguez (Texas A&M). Dominguez is a big-time shooter from Spain, while Washington brings two-way versatility and familiarity with Richard Pitino. Both provide experience and proven production.

Marquette hit the portal for the first time in five years when they landed Louisville center Sananda Fru. The German big man will bring the physicality they’ve been lacking and could form an outstanding pick-and-roll partner for Big East Player of the Year hopeful Nigel James Jr.

Thanks for reading the Big East Film Room. In the coming weeks we will begin our team previews, continue with transfer deep dives, and keep reporting on high school recruiting.

On Thursday afternoon, Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Chris Wagner granted a preliminary injunction in the case of Borovicanin v. NCAA, temporarily restricting the NCAA from enforcing its revised interpretation of eligibility rules for Division I athletes whose collegiate careers included time at non-NCAA institutions.

The ruling offers additional eligibility to dozens of NCAA athletes who had filed a preliminary injunction on June 24th following the association’s adoption of a new “five-in-five” eligibility model earlier last month. The new NCAA policy replaces the longstanding framework of four seasons of competition within a five-year window with a simpler system: grant athletes up to five seasons of competition over five years, provided they enroll in college no later than the academic year after their 19th birthday. Wagner concluded that the plaintiffs demonstrated a likelihood of success on key aspects of their claims and would have suffered irreparable harm if they were forced to miss a season that could not be restored.

The namesake of the lead plaintiff is that of Filip Borovicanin, a Xavier forward who was born in Belgrade, Serbia, and is considered a class of 2022 high school graduate per United States stipulations.

Now, he’s eligible for a second season with the Musketeers — and the implications are sizable.

At the moment, Richard Pitino’s 2026-27 roster returns one of the Big East’s most unique and productive frontcourt players. While the NCAA has already announced its intention to appeal the ruling and seek a stay pending appeal, Thursday’s injunction gives Borovicanin — as well as dozens of similarly situated athletes — the opportunity to prepare for another collegiate season.

With that being said, the operative phrase is “at the moment.” The injunction itself is not a final ruling. Wagner’s court found that preserving the eligibility of athletes during ongoing legal proceedings best served public interest and opted to do so rather than enforce the NCAA’s revised rulebook before its legal questions are resolved. However, should the NCAA prevail upon appeal, Borovicanin’s eligibility could once again become uncertain before the next season tips off.

Still, for now, Xavier has its point-forward back. And that’s a huge win.

Borovicanin began his collegiate career at Arizona, appearing in 34 games across two seasons with the Wildcats from 2022-24 before transferring to New Mexico. There, he started 29 of 35 contests for a Lobos team that won the Mountain West Tournament and advanced to the second round of the 2025 March Madness field after defeating Marquette in the Round of 64.

His true breakout, however, came after following former New Mexico head coach Richard Pitino to Xavier ahead of the 2025-26 campaign.

Serving as the Musketeers’ starting center, Borovicanin blossomed into one of the conference’s most complete players, averaging 10.8 points, 7.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.2 steals per game while cracking the opening unit in 32 of Xavier’s 33 games. He also posted career highs in three-point percentage (34.9%) and free-throw percentage (87.3%) while shooting 43.3% from the field.

Those numbers only tell part of the story.

Few forwards nationally offered the combination of size and decision-making that Borovicanin brought to Xavier’s offense. His 139 assists ranked seventh in the Big East, and the aforementioned 4.2 assists per game ranked sixth in the conference. All of that came with an assist rate of 23.9% — ninth in the league, and just 59 giveaways all season, good for an outstanding 2.36 assist-to-turnover ratio.

Those are point guard-esque facilitative numbers. Borovicanin’s connectivity — his ability to initiate an offense, work through the pick-and-roll, operate from the high post, and stretch opposing big men beyond the three-point line — was a secret weapon for Xavier last year. It could come in handy once again, assuming he sees the floor.

Perhaps most impressively was how impactful Borovicanin was against conference foes, especially in a league known for its rough-and-tough attitude. Across 20 Big East starts, he averaged 11.4 points, 7.7 rebounds and 4.4 assists while knocking down 37.9% (25-of-66) of his three-point attempts on 3.3 attempts per game.

There aren’t many players in college basketball with such fluidity to their craft. Which is precisely why Thursday’s ruling carries such significance — not only for Xavier, but across Division I athletics.

At the center of the lawsuit is the NCAA’s revised interpretation of how seasons spent competing outside the NCAA count towards eligibility. The plaintiffs argue the NCAA abandoned its longstanding interpretation after athletes had already made enrollment decisions based on their previous understanding of the rules. Judge Wagner agreed that the plaintiffs demonstrated sufficient grounds to warrant temporary relief, hence the preliminary injunction in place while litigation continues.

Naturally, the NCAA was quick to push back. In a statement released via their public relations account (@NCAA_PR) to the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) in the wake of Thursday’s ruling, the association called the decision “wrong” and announced it would “immediately seek all avenues for reversal, including a stay of the court’s order pending appeal.”

The association argued that the ruling disregards longstanding precedent and permits unfair benefits to athletes who have already received the seasons of competition they expected. It also criticized member institutions that supported the litigation while renewing their call for congressional action to provide greater stability in college athletics. Also referenced by the defendants was the possibility of reduced opportunities for other student-athletes to participate.

The next legal steps matter. A successful motion for a stay could temporarily pause Thursday’s injunction while the appeal is heard, potentially placing the eligibility of Borovicanin et al. back into question before the season begins. And of course, the ultimate outcome of the lawsuit will determine whether Thursday’s decision becomes a permanent change or merely a temporary reprieve.

For now, though, the practical implications are straightforward: until the legal process says otherwise, all plaintiffs are eligible.

And for a Xavier program hoping to build on its first season under Richard Pitino, that’s a massive development.

Hodgson reiterated that it's early in the process. He's pleased with the work ethic his group has shown and the way the roster is coming together, but emphasized there's still plenty of work to do.

“If you’ve ever got a head coach that’s thrilled about the way his team looks in the summer, you need to run because we’ve got a lot to learn. That’s just the reality. We’ve got to get better in a lot of different areas, but our attitude, our effort, our consistency, all those things are where they need to be, and when those things are in place you’ve got a shot.”

Hodgson also shared (while knocking on wood) that his team is healthy and fully participating in practice. The lone exception is wing Leonardo Marangon, who is expected to arrive from Italy within the next week.

If one theme emerged Monday, it was that playing time and starting roles remain wide open. Hodgson also lightly deflected questions about early standouts and emerging leaders.

He suggested some newcomers may ultimately outperform what their previous production suggests.

“There are some guys that are better than their film. We think they fit us more than maybe what they did at their previous stop. Sometimes you get so caught up in the numbers and what somebody averaged at their last school, or how many stops they’ve made — there’s fit involved and we’ve got guys who we feel are a better fit than they were at their previous institutions,” he said.

On the leadership front, Hodgson isn't ready to identify anyone just yet. “I’m a firm believer that it’s hard for leaders to emerge until there’s some adversity,” Hodgson shared. “I’m not the type to walk in and name a captain. I want to see a couple guys separate themselves from the group.”

The one player Hodgson did praise was freshman Clyde Walters. The 6’7 wing reclassified from 2027 to the class of 2026 this spring, and he’s impressed the coaching staff with his ability to compete at this early stage of his journey, “Clyde has been phenomenal. Clyde has really stepped in and made a big jump out of the gate.”

As for projecting a starting lineup, Hodgson made it clear the competition is far from settled.

“In the summertime it’s really hard to identify roles because they are still competing on a daily basis. If you see media put out our projected starting five don’t pay it any attention. I’ve been asked that question by different members of the national media on three or four occasions and I’m like, ‘How is any coach giving you their starting five in July?’”

“I want guys breathing down each other’s necks.”

When asked whether this offseason has been easier after taking over programs at Arkansas State and South Florida, Hodgson pointed to the stability at Providence and the importance of the basketball program within the community.

“Moving that much is not something I want to do,” he said. “That’s why we’re trying to find a beautiful home to plant our roots here in Rhode Island. There’s people who talk about me leaving my last two jobs so quickly, but it’s never mentioned that both athletic directors also left. There’s a lot of continuity amongst the staff and administration here at PC, which is phenomenal.”

“It’s really exciting for me to have a media availability on July 6 and have this many people here. That just doesn’t happen at 99% of the other programs in the country.”

Hodgson didn't shy away from the expectations surrounding his first season: “We're coming here with the expectation to win this year. There's no rebuild, there's no year zero. Everybody's got the same opportunity that we do across the college basketball landscape.”

If all goes according to plan, year two under Richard Pitino at Xavier will look a lot different than a season ago — and it will happen behind a transfer portal class that brings proven production to Cincinnati.

More equipped to spend in the portal this spring, Xavier added five players who averaged in double figures a season ago, and a sixth who put up just under ten points a game.

The headliner is point guard Chance Westry, who emerged at UAB last year after battling through injuries at both Auburn and Syracuse. Westry will be flanked by a pair of veterans at the two and three spots in sharpshooter Ruben Dominguez and a two-way piece in Tru Washington.

The 6’6 Dominguez came to Texas A&M with considerable acclaim, highlighted by an MVP performance at the 2019 FIBA World Cup playing for Spain. He wasted little time in making an impact at A&M, scoring 30 points (on 10 made threes) against Manhattan, going for 21 on seven threes versus Florida State, and then burying four more 3-pointers in an 18-point effort against Pittsburgh. Each of those efforts took place in the first month of the season.

The 23-year-old wing was a certified sniper for an Aggies team that reached the NCAA Tournament last year. He put up 10.2 points per game and shot 40% from three on 86 makes from long range. Dominguez did all of that while playing 23 minutes a night.

His shooting numbers are impressive:

• A ridiculous 58% shooting on open jump shots

• Ranking in the 100th percentile in shots from hand-offs

• Coming in the 86th percentile on spot-up opportunities (123 possessions)

If last season at A&M is any indicator, Dominguez’s impact will come mainly from beyond the arc. Over 85% of his shots came from three, while 5.5% of his shots came at the rim. He had 48 assists and a very low Turnover Percentage of 4.8% (just 14 turnovers in 34 games, 27 of which he started).

Defensively, Dominguez provided little impact a season ago: 14 steals and 4 blocks on the year. Regardless, he figures to play significant minutes next season thanks to his ability to stretch a defense.

Defensive punch will come from Westry and Washington, the latter ranked in the 96th percentile in Steal Percentage at Miami last year, while averaging 1.8 steals per game. Opponents couldn’t score on him in isolation, shooting just 3-17 when being defended by him in those situations.

And while Dominguez provides little by the way of stress in the paint, the 6’4 Washington made 68% of his shots at the rim.

He averaged 11.9 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game, while enjoying a career year beyond the arc (35%) and at the free throw line (74%). Washington was a 28% shooter beyond the arc as a freshman at New Mexico, and hit 32% from there a year later. He was a sub-70% shooter at the free throw line in each of those seasons.

Washington’s shooting on the right side of the floor was outstanding last year:

Washington brings both experience and a winning pedigree to Xavier. He started 19 games for a Miami team that won 26 times in 2025-26, reaching the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Washington has played in the NCAA Tournament in all three of his collegiate seasons — the first two coming under Pitino at UNM. Pitino hailed Washington as an “elite” defender upon reuniting with him this spring. There was buzz around him joining Pitino last spring, but Xavier wasn’t in as strong a financial position compared to this year.

Washington never broke out for huge scoring nights, but was consistently in the 10-17 point range throughout the season.

While he’s not the pure knockdown shooter that Dominguez is, Washington brings value as both a spot-up scorer as a pick-and-roll ball handler on the offensive end.

Here’s a look at his scoring and playmaking ability in the NCAA Tournament:

If the Muskies start Westry (6’6), Washington (6’4), Dominguez (6’6), Jovan Milicevic (6’10), and LSU transfer Michael Nwoko (6’10), they’ll have great length and three players (Washington/Dominguez/Milicevic) who have been accounted for beyond the arc.

Contrary to 2025, Xavier struck early in the portal, and with a renewed financial commitment they built a roster far more capable of making an NCAA Tournament push in 2027. Washington and Dominguez will be critical pieces if they are to return to the big dance.

St. John’s was dealt a significant blow this week as forward Donnie Freeman tore his Achilles and will miss the 2026-27 season.

Rick Pitino shared the news via X on Wednesday: “Donnie Freeman had successful Achilles tendon surgery performed by Dr. Martin O'Malley. Donnie had a non contact injury in a workout and will miss the season. Donnie is an awesome young man, we will get him back better than ever!”

The Syracuse transfer averaged 16.5 points and 7.2 rebounds as a sophomore and he was expected to help offset the significant losses St. John's was attempting to replace in its frontcourt. Zuby Ejiofor, Dillon Mitchell, and Bryce Hopkins were all taken in last week’s NBA Draft, and the versatile Freeman was a surefire starter.

“He’s a legitimate 6’10,” Pitino said of Freeman this spring. “A very gifted offensive player — quite explosive, as well as with great length.”

“Donnie can play the three, four, and five.”

The Washington, D.C. native was considered a top-ten player in the class of 2024 — a McDonald’s All-American who also represented the Bahamas on their national team (Freeman was born in the Bahamas and came to America at age six) alongside Buddy Hield, Deandre Ayton, Eric Gordon, and VJ Edgecombe.

Freeman looked destined for Kentucky this spring after visiting Lexington, but Pitino and the Johnnies swooped in late and got themselves a forward who had produced from the jump (13.4 ppg, 7.9 rpg as a freshman).

Freeman came with injury concerns, however. He played in just 37 of Syracuse’s 65 games over the past two seasons.

He was expected to carry a heavy rebounding load for St. John’s, while adding scoring punch at the rim. His 22.7% Defensive Rebound Percentage was in the 93rd percentile in the country, while he connected on 72% of his shots at the rim, per CBB Analytics.

As a sophomore, Freeman had eight games of 20+ points, had 10+ rebounds four times, and scored a career-high 28 points against Wake Forest.

What’s next for St. John’s?

Pitino and Co. will likely look toward Senegal native Babacar Sane (6’7, 230) to fill in at the four. Sane averaged 9.9 points and 3.8 rebounds in 16.7 minutes per game in Germany’s most competitive league last season. Pitino noted that he can play all three frontcourt positions.

Make no mistake, this is significant news for both St. John’s and the league. Freeman was arguably their biggest offseason addition to a frontcourt already facing a significant overhaul.

Marquette dipped into the transfer portal for the first time in five years to land a center in Sananda Fru who looks like an ideal fit.

Truth be told, Shaka Smart’s club — a program that prides itself on toughness — felt a little too soft in the middle since the departure of Oso Ighodaro in 2024. In Fru, they are getting size (6’11, 250), experience (four seasons playing for Basketball Löwen Braunschweig in Germany and another in the ACC at Louisville), and a great pairing with rising sophomore point guard Nigel James Jr.

“He brings to us the two most important basketball attributes that we were looking for in that spot, which is rebounding and finishing around the basket,” Smart told the local press this spring. “We felt like those two were areas we really had to get better.”

Fru was one of the most efficient scorers in the country last season — a year in which he started 29 of the 35 games he appeared in. He started the first 29 games before Louisville shifted him to a reserve role late in the season, a move Pat Kelsey later said was not a reflection of Fru's performance or attitude.

Fru averaged 9.0 points and 6.1 rebounds per game, but the number that jumps off the screen is his 75.3% field goal percentage.

There’s potential for Fru and James to be a dominant screen-and-roll pairing. Fru ranked in the 86th percentile in pick-and-roll finishing last year, was in the 91st off cuts, and 79th on put-backs.

If that partnership develops as expected, Fru could help elevate James from Big East Freshman of the Year to a legitimate Player of the Year candidate.

James will benefit from having a mobile big with great hands, but also thanks to Fru’s impressive screening ability as well as his aptitude with the ball in his hands. Fru can handle it, set up Louisville’s guards off hand-offs last year, and has some passing acumen as well.

“We have more frontcourt playmaking than we’ve had since Oso left,” Smart said. “Sunny is very unselfish — to a fault. I’m going to have to fight with him in some games to get 8-10 field goal attempts because he likes to pass it. He’s a great screener, very, very unselfish, but we need him to score as well.”

While Fru will occasionally step beyond the 3-point arc (4-for-8 from three last season), virtually all of his offensive work will come in one of three ways: rolling to the basket, cutting, and crashing the offensive glass, where he is particularly skilled at tipping in shots around the rim. His 14.9% Rebound Percentage ranked in the 97th percentile nationally.

His club in Germany has produced NBA players such as Dennis Schröder and Daniel Theis, and Fru will bring some of that European style of play to Marquette.

Fru is a true modern-day big man. The ball doesn’t stick in his hands. When he’s not tipping in offensive rebounds, he’s seemingly kicking it out as soon as he grabs it. He posted up just 12 times all of last season at Louisville.

Fru scored 7.1 points per game in the paint, and defensively he showed the ability to guard in space (iso scorers shot just 25% against him last year — 0.525 points per possession), while post scorers were more effective (52.9% shooting, 0.932 points per possession).

A Look at the Film

As noted above, Fru is a terrific finisher when rolling to the bucket, with great hands and mobility. On the offensive glass, he has a softer touch on tip-ins than most college bigs. He also gets up the floor well in transition and slips screens to get himself easy dunks inside.

There’s also some ability as a creator here as well. Fru had over 40 assists at Louisville, where he certainly benefited from playing alongside a pair of NBA draft picks in Ryan Conwell and Mikel Brown Jr., as well as a sniper in Isaac McKneely (96 threes on 39.5% shooting). He gets shooters good looks off hands-offs and is comfortable with the ball in his hands at the top of the key:

The Final Word

The Big East is set to look a lot different in the middle next year with Fru at Marquette, a potential lottery pick in Luigi Suigo at Villanova, Xavier’s addition of LSU transfer Michael Nwoko, Oswin Erhunmwunse jumping from Providence to Creighton, Najai Hines taking over in Storrs, Magoon Gwath headlining DePaul’s portal class, Arrinten Page at PC, and so on.

Fru figures to be one of the top three centers in the conference next year — a big man with the upside to flip Marquette from subpar at center to a team whose big man is a strength. Physicality and playmaking should return to Milwaukee next season, and the Golden Eagles have the makings of an NCAA Tournament team, thanks in large part to Fru’s presence in the paint.

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As it turns out, the latest analytics debate that took over social media this weekend wasn’t necessarily about analytics at all.

During an appearance on SiriusXM NBA Radio, ESPN’s Bobby Marks relayed a conversation with an anonymous analytics staffer who viewed Jaylen Brown far less favorably than most basketball observers — going as far as to rate Brown as the seventh-best player on a team.

Soon enough, the quote had been aggregated across social media as evidence that “analytics” considered a recent NBA Finals MVP little more than the seventh-best player on a roster. Lost in the swirl was the context Marks shared in the interview — some believe Brown’s value is through the roof, while his on-off numbers paint a less favorable picture over the past four years.

Marks certainly should have passed on sharing such an absurd claim, but he was punished further due to the current media landscape — where aggregation rules.

In an era of soundbite opinions and the need to have thoughts on every story instantly, statistics are often stripped of context. Conversations become less about understanding a player and more about defending a conclusion.

Which takes us to Georgetown-to-Providence transfer Malik Mack.

Perhaps this won’t be the case come November, but (more than any other player on the roster) Mack may have to win over the hearts and minds of Friar fans this fall.

Of course, there is the Georgetown affiliation, but the more common gripe about Mack is that he was an inefficient shooter last year — 13.6 PPG on 38.1% shooting from the floor and 29.8% shooting from three.

To some, there’s no debating those numbers, but the Providence staff is looking at Mack differently. They saw a player who isn’t a bad shooter, but one who could take better shots in a different system when they added him this spring.

And here’s where analytics came back into play.

Can Mack shoot it at a higher clip at Providence?

When Mack committed to PC in April I’d written:

Can he become a more efficient shooter playing in Hodgson’s fast-paced system? It probably depends on how and where he gets his shots.

This season, Mack shot 39.8% on catch-and-shoot opportunities, ranking in the 83rd percentile nationally, and he was terrific when spotting up (90th percentile).

And this is where the style of play under Bryan Hodgson at Providence could benefit Mack.

• In 2025-26, Mack took 188 jumpers off the dribble — shots he made at a 29.8% clip. Conversely, Mack took just 88 catch-and-shoot jumpers.

• While Mack took 188 dribble jumpers last season, South Florida (under Hodgson) shot 185 as a team.

• Meanwhile, USF shot 826 catch-and-shoot jumpers to the Hoyas’s 526.

• Mack was shooting nearly 44% on catch-and-shoot jumpers before a mini-slump on these attempts (0-8) late in the year.

It’s worth noting that Mack shot 35% from beyond the arc as a sophomore at Georgetown (a number that dipped in Big East play), so a jump back into the mid-30s from three in a system that gets him more shots off catches versus off the bounce seems more than reasonable.

His numbers are also a testament that it can be helpful to dig a step deeper into the analytics when assessing newcomers to a team or system.

The Latest Portal Breakdowns

Looking for a potential sleeper for your Big East fantasy league next spring? Samu Adler might be your guy. At just 18 years old, Adler was named Rookie of the Year, 6th Man of the Year, and Finals MVP in a solid league in Finland.

He’s 6’6, is a knockdown shooter, can navigate screen-and-rolls, and could be a day one starter for new coach Ronald Nored. The Bulldogs return Jalen Jackson and picked up a scorer in transfer Jordan Ellerbee, but Adler has the look of a very good offensive player — one not getting much buzz coming in from Europe and joining a Butler team most have slated near the bottom of the league.

Here’s our feature on him:

Flying under-the-radar is not something Donnie Freeman will enjoy as he transitions from Syracuse to St. John’s. The former McDonald’s All American seemed destined for Kentucky, before making the pivot to Rick Pitino and the Johnnies.

A terrific rebounder with a versatile offensive game at 6’9, Freeman will be counted on to help fill the void left behind by St. John’s trio of frontcourt NBA draft picks. The biggest question mark surrounding Freeman is his ability to stay healthy — he played in just 37 of Syracuse’s 65 games over the past two seasons.

“He’s a legitimate 6’10,” Pitino said of Freeman this spring. “A very gifted offensive player — quite explosive, as well as with great great.”

“Donnie can play the three, four, and five.”

Overshadowed some by UConn’s run to the national title game, Rick Pitino and St. John’s put together a second consecutive stellar season in 2025-26 — winning both the Big East regular season and tournament titles and reaching the Sweet 16 before falling to Duke, 80-75, in a terrific battle.

Pitino’s third group in Queens was powered by its frontcourt trio of Dillon Mitchell, Bryce Hopkins, and of course, Big East Player of the Year Zuby Ejiofor.

With all three off to pursue NBA dreams, Pitino’s frontcourt will certainly look different next season, but he’s optimistic about the length and “explosive” athletic ability of his new group.

At the heart of the frontcourt overhaul will be returning center Ruben Prey, who will be tasked with making the leap from top-notch role player to starter, and a talented transfer in Donnie Freeman.

“He’s a legitimate 6’10,” Pitino said of Freeman this spring. “A very gifted offensive player — quite explosive, as well as with great great.”

“Donnie can play the three, four, and five.”

Freeman certainly has the individual credentials, even if the Syracuse clubs he started for over the past two seasons struggled.

The Washington, D.C. native was considered a top-ten player in the class of 2024 — a McDonalds All-American who also represented the Bahamas on their national team (Freeman was born in the Bahamas and came to American at age six) alongside Buddy Hield, Deandre Ayton, Eric Gordon, and VJ Edgecombe.

Following a sophomore season in which Freeman averaged 16.5 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, he looked destined for Kentucky this spring after visiting Lexington. But Pitino and the Johnies swooped in late and got themselves a forward who has produced from the jump (13.4 ppg, 7.9 rpg as a freshman), despite battling through injuries the past two seasons.

A Closer Look at Donnie Freeman

In Freeman, St. John’s adds an outstanding rebounder who finished at a terrific clip at the rim. His 22.7% Defensive Rebound Percentage is in the 93rd percentile in the country, while he connected on 72% of his shots at the rim, per CBB Analytics.

As a sophomore, Freeman had eight games of 20+ points, had 10+ rebounds four times, and scored a career-high 28 points against Wake Forest.

Syracuse’s Net Rating was +9.4 with Freeman on the court.

Ideally, Pitino will unlock Freeman’s offensive game even further. He can hit threes, but has been relatively inefficient beyond the arc (30% on catch-and-shoot attempts), while he shot just 7-22 on hook shots last season.

Freeman ranked in the 50th percentile when in spot-up situations, 35th as a pick-and-roll roll man, and 22nd when posting up.

Where Freeman can be a matchup problem comes with his ability to put the ball on the deck at his size. He finished in the 62nd percentile in isolation scoring last year and when he’s aggressive and getting downhill he welcomes contact (15 and-1s) and finishes at a high clip at the rim. Freeman shot at a much higher rate off the dribble last year (43% on dribble jumpers) versus catch-and-shoot opportunities.

Defensively, Freeman’s length bothers opponents, who shot 38% when being checked by him last year.

The Biggest Question Mark

Freeman played in just 37 of Syracuse’s 65 games over the past two seasons. The Orange were 10-12 with him in the lineup last year (vs. 5-5 without him), and 6-8 when he played as a freshman (the team went 14-19 on the season).

With Pitino’s relentless focus on conditioning, St. John’s is an ideal fit for Freeman, but the fact remains that he’s missed nearly half of his team’s games through two seasons.

A Look at the Film

To give readers a true feel for Freeman’s game, here is a mix of makes, misses, assists, and turnovers from late in the season:

Meanwhile, here is a look at Freeman at his best — scoring a career high 28 points and putting up 22 more at North Carolina:

The Final Word

The loss of Ejiofor looms large for the Johnnies this season. It’s nearly impossible to replace his statistical production, never mind his defensive prowess as a shot blocker, rebounder, and big who so capably switches onto guards.

Prey will take on a significantly larger role, while newcomer Babacar Sane will be asked to bring some of the brute force and athleticism that Hopkins and Mitchell brought to the 3/4 spots. Beyond Prey, the center options are massive, but young, as both freshman Theo Edema (6’11, 235) and Lazar Stojkovic (7’0, 200) are still teenagers.

Freeman’s play should go a long way in determining the ceiling of this club. His rebounding percentages were down slightly during his sophomore year, but he remained a great presence on the glass, while finishing inside at an elite clip.

If Freeman can stay healthy, the tools are there for him to become one of the Big East's most impactful frontcourt players. St. John's doesn't need him to be Ejiofor, but if Pitino can unlock a more consistent version of the former five-star recruit, Freeman has the talent to give the Johnnies another All-Big East caliber presence in the paint.

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Butler's most intriguing newcomer may be Samu Adler, an 18-year-old guard who arrives after winning Finals MVP in Finland's top professional league. In fact, when looking at a sleeper addition to the Big East next year, Adler is certainly worthy of consideration.

The 6’6 guard from Finland comes in with strong credentials: Rookie of the Year and 6th Man of the Year in the top league in Finland, and a 2026 campaign in which he earned Finals MVP in a thrilling seven-game series.

When his Salon Vilpas team needed him most, Adler was at his best in game seven — finishing with 32 points, eight rebounds, and five assists as his team rallied from a 2-0 hole in the series to take the title.

His 32-point outburst in the finale wasn’t a one-off, as earlier in the series Adler went for 27 points in game 1 and 28 in game 4. He averaged 19.8 points per game in the playoffs at just 18 years old.

While Korisliiga isn't among Europe's top leagues, Adler wasn't producing against junior competition. The league features a number of former Division I and G League players.

When the preseason predictions come out in October, Butler will likely be picked near the bottom of the league, and if they are to surprise in Ronald Nored’s first season at the helm, Adler and fellow import Asim Dulovic figure to be at the heart of it.

The Bulldogs’ backcourt will be unproven, but not without upside.

Jalen Jackson returns after missing virtually all of the last season. He played in just six games for Butler (9.5 points, 3.8 assists, 3.5 rebounds), but shined two seasons ago at Purdue Fort Wayne (19.2 PPG).

Meanwhile, Jordan Ellerbee comes in from Florida Gulf Coast after setting freshman scoring records last season.

Adler’s tape jumps out — especially considering the stakes of the games I watched (all three were in the finals). At 6'6, he'll manipulate pick-and-roll opportunities and is particularly comfortable creating jump shots off the bounce.

Some numbers that stand out:

• Adler is an excellent pick-and-roll scorer, ranking in the 84th percentile

• He shot 17-26 on hand-offs and made 38% of his jump shots off the dribble

• Defensively, opponents shot 32% when being guarded by him last year

Adler had good assist-to-turnover numbers (115 assists, 96 turnovers) as well.

Like many young shooters, there are instances in which he forced his way into some difficult shots, and he dribbled into trouble at times as well. Adler’s numbers as a catch-and-shoot shooter weren’t great last season either (29.9%).

Regardless, it was hard not to think back to watching a similar unknown last summer in Stefan Vaaks. That’s not to say Adler is Vaaks (he’s three years younger), but Vaaks was off the radar of most Big East fans last offseason before he went to work in November.

Where Vaaks popped more in his European tape was as a passer, but Adler is a comparable shooter. Vaaks had terrific numbers when shooting off the dribble in 2024-25 (44.2%), while Adler hit on 38% of his shots off the bounce.

Here’s a look at Adler’s tape from the finals:

The Final Word

There’s much to like about Butler’s addition of Adler — as both a secondary creator at 6’6 and a game-tilting scorer. Despite Jackson’s return and Ellerbee’s big freshman season, Adler has the look of a potential day-one starter. His ability to get his own shots off screen-and-roll action is impressive, while his production in a professional league speaks for itself.

It wouldn’t be surprising to see Adler work his way onto the All-Freshman team next season.

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For two nights this week, all eyes in the basketball world turned to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn as the 2026 NBA Draft unfolded on June 23-24. As the next generation of NBA talent heard their names called, the Big East once again reaffirmed its place among college basketball’s premier conferences, producing five draft selections across the two-round event, with three first-round picks.

All five players were seniors who capped off decorated collegiate careers, and each resembled the toughness and winning pedigree seemingly synonymous with Big East basketball. Here’s a look at the league alumni who were drafted, where they landed, and what each brings to the next level:

Zuby Ejiofor, F, St. John’s

Drafted: Round 1, Pick No. 23 by the Atlanta Hawks

Following a freshman campaign at Kansas in which he averaged just 5.1 minutes per game across 25 appearances, Zuby Ejiofor transferred to St. John’s in search of a larger role. The result: a development into one of college basketball’s most complete and productive frontcourt players over the past three seasons. Ejiofor’s developmental leap blossomed into stardom under Rick Pitino, with the forward steadily improving year-to-year as a scorer, defender, and connective piece within a physical, winning system.

In 2025-26, Ejiofor had fully broken out as one of the best players in all the land. He averaged 16.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 2.1 blocks per game while shooting 53.6% from the field, earning Big East Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and All-Big East honors while anchoring a deep St. John’s team that reached the Sweet 16. Across his St. John’s career, he finished as a multi-year All-Big East selection and one of the most statistically versatile bigs in the country, impacting games as a scorer, rebounder, passer, and rim protector, while also added improved perimeter defense on an annual basis

For Atlanta, Ejiofor gels nicely with a rising roster coming off a season in which the Hawks pushed the eventual champion Knicks to six games in the first round of the playoffs (they also held a 2-1 series lead before dropping three in a row). Their elimination proved a need more frontcourt depth and versatility within their rotation, and Ejiofor brings exactly that: a high-motor, multi-positional frontcourt defender who can rebound, protect the rim, and make quick decisions on the floor. While he lacks ideal size for a traditional NBA center, his strength, motor, and 7’2” wingspan give him real small-ball five potential. For a Hawks system that values versatility, it’s great to add an immediate rotation piece whose impact should translate quickly.

Tarris Reed, F, Connecticut

Drafted: Round 1, Pick No. 26 by the Denver Nuggets (rights traded to the San Antonio Spurs)

Reed’s path to the NBA has been a steady climb built on his own evolution. The forward began his college career at Michigan, where over two seasons in Ann Arbor, he showed flashes of what would become his identity: physical finishing around the rim, solid rebounding, and shot-blocking intangibles- before transferring to UConn in search of a larger role and a winning environment.

It was a move which paid massive dividends. Reed finished his college career with 136 total games played, averaging 9.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game on an extremely efficient 59.1% shooting from the field- but in his two seasons with the Huskies, he elevated his game entirely. Across 70 games (36 starts) in Storrs from 2024-26, he became a key piece in one of the nation’s most consistent programs, averaging 12.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.8 rejections, earning Big East Sixth Man of the Year honors in 2024-25 before capping his career with First Team All-Big East and NCAA All-Tournament recognition in his final season.

Reed represents a vital addition to the San Antonio frontcourt. Fresh off their NBA Finals appearance, the Spurs entered this offseason in need of more reliable depth behind Victor Wembanyama, where the bench unit often lacked a consistent interior presence. Luke Kornet had uneven impact in the backup center role, while veterans like Bismack Biyombo, Kelly Olynyk, and Mason Plumlee, being back-end veterans, were used sparingly. Reed was the second big taken by the reigning Western Conference champions in the first round of the draft (Kentucky’s Jayden Quaintance was first with the twentieth overall pick), but Quaintance is likely to redshirt his true rookie season as he’ll require knee surgery, which means the door is wide open for Reed to contribute immediately. In that context, the ex-Connecticut product projects as a ready-made rotation big who can rebound, score on the low block, set solid screens, and be virtually immovable defensively — all of which are traits that should translate quickly in the Spurs’ young, win-now environment.

Alex Karaban, F, Connecticut

Drafted: Round 1, Pick No. 29 by the Cleveland Cavaliers (rights traded to the Sacramento Kings)

Things seemed to be going well in Sacramento in 2022-23, when they posted a 48-34 mark, winning the Western Conference’s Pacific Division for the first time since 2002-03 and making their first playoff appearance since 2006. However, as has been the case throughout the franchise’s history, they haven’t done a lot of winning in recent memory, especially over the last three seasons, where they’ve gone 108-140 (including a 22-60 record this past year).

Why not bring in the ultimate winner to counteract that? Across his four years in Storrs, Karaban built one of the most decorated résumés in college basketball, finishing with a program-record 126 wins against just 25 losses while helping lead Connecticut to back-to-back NCAA Championships in 2023 and 2024, and earned back-to-back All-Big East selections (Second Team in 2024-25; First Team in 2025-26). Karaban appeared in 151 career games (with 150 starts) and missed just three contests over four seasons with the Huskies. He closed his college career as a 1,880-point scorer with 758 rebounds, 309 assists, and 145 blocks, as well as the program’s all-time leader in three-pointers made (292) on high volume (780 career attempts; 37.4% 3PT).

From a statistical standpoint, Karaban is a tremendous value add. The 6’8”, 210-pound forward is a prototypical NBA wing, evident by his career scoring average of 12.5 PPG on 46.8% shooting overall. He’s also a sneaky good rebounder (5 per game for his career), improved as a facilitator as an upperclassman, doling out 186 assists to just 86 turnovers the past two seasons (an AST:TO ratio of a respectable 2.16), and can hold his own defensively. Sacramento’s youth movement needs a player on the wing that can stabilize the group, and Karaban’s collegiate successes make him as much of a veteran-style player as you’ll find in this class.

Dillon Mitchell, F. St. John’s

Drafted: Round 2, Pick No. 40 by the Boston Celtics

For a team whose two best players (at least, if the roster stays together) are a pair of wings in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, Boston sure knows how to pick them. So, it should come as no surprise that the Celtics took a flyer on Mitchell, a former five-star recruit who’s shooting never quite developed at the collegiate level (he finished his career just 11-for-57 from three and was 1-for-15 from beyond the arc in 2025-26).

Mitchell spent his underclassman years at Texas, where he started 71 of his 72 games played for the Longhorns, establishing himself as one of the better defensive forwards in the Big 12 before transferring to Cincinnati for the 2024-25 campaign, and eventually finishing his collegiate career at St. John’s. This past year for the Red Storm, Mitchell embraced a sort of do-it-all complementary role on a veteran, winning roster, averaging eight points, seven rebounds, and three assists per game (with 25 starts across 37 games) as he helped the Red Storm reach the Sweet 16 while showcasing the defensive versatility and energy that made him such a coveted recruit coming out of high school.

What Mitchell lacks as a shooter, he makes up for with elite athleticism, defensive versatility, and a relentless motor. He thrives as a cutter, is quick in transition, and can jump out of the gym. Pitino heavily relied on Mitchell as this past season progressed, often utilizing him as a de-facto point guard (3.5 assists per contest in Big East play) and an oversized defender on the perimeter (1.3 steals per game). For Boston, the fit is fairly straightforward. The Celtics have built their identity around position-less basketball — Mitchell, of course, is the definition of such. His current offensive limitations might be fixable by Boston’s development team, but his greatest value at the next level will be his defensive versatility, rebounding efficiency, and ability to generate extra possessions. At No. 40 overall, it’s a sensible flyer being taken on a player fully capable of outperforming his draft slot.

Bryce Hopkins, F, St. John’s

Drafted: Round 2, Pick No. 49 by the Denver Nuggets

Hopkins has had quite the journey to hearing his name called on Wednesday night. A top recruit in the 2021 high school class, He initially attended the University of Kentucky, where he struggled to see the floor in 2021-22, and transferred to Providence College at season’s end. Hopkins immediately broke out for the Friars, averaging 15.8 points and 8.5 rebounds in 2022-23 while earning First Team All-Big East honors, but a torn ACL in January 2024 and subsequent knee issues thereafter limited him to just 17 games over the following two seasons.

After entering this past year with legitimate questions about whether he still had NBA potential, Hopkins’ revived his stock at St. John’s in 2025-26, starting all 37 games and earning Second-Team All-Big East honors for a Red Storm group which reached the Sweet 16. He registered 13.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game on 46.9% from the field and 36.3% from three while proving to NBA suitors that he could stay healthy, accept a complementary role on a winning team, and operate within Rick Pitino’s uber-big system, oftentimes sharing the floor with both Ejiofor and Mitchell.

It’s a reasonable, upside-based swing for Denver. The Nuggets’ second unit could benefit from a physical, shot-creating forward, and Hopkins’ rebounding, physicality, and scoring capabilities are comparable to those who have historically thrived next to star forward Nikola Jokić. The concern, sans the knee issue, is that Hopkins is somewhat undersized for an NBA power forward with some work to do before he’s a consistent floor spacer. Even still, he’s an offensive-minded energy wing, who, at pick 49, has justifiable value given the talent level is closer to that of a late first-round prospect than a typical late-second rounder.

In addition to its five draftees, the Big East also saw several players quickly earn NBA opportunities as undrafted free agents:

• Michael Ajayi, Forward, Butler: Charlotte Hornets (Two-Way Contract)

• Duke Brennan, Forward, Villanova: Brooklyn Nets (Summer League Contract)

• Jaylin Sellers, Guard, Providence: Chicago Bulls (Two-Way Contract)

• Chase Ross, Guard, Marquette: Los Angeles Lakers (Exhibit 10 Contract)

• Josh Dix, Guard, Creighton: Oklahoma City Thunder (Two-Way Contract)

Whether through hearing their name called on Tuesday/ Wednesday or in being signed afterwards, the 2026 NBA Draft cycle once again demonstrated the Big East’s ability to develop NBA-caliber talent, with players from across the conference taking the next step in their basketball journeys.

Kevin Willard added a versatile piece when Kwame Evans. Jr. announced he was transferring to the Main Line following three years at Oregon. The 6’10 forward has a center’s length, creation skills of a wing, and provides a presence at the rim on the defensive end.

The Baltimore native has seen a bit of everything on his basketball journey — from playing alongside Cooper Flagg and Derik Queen at Montverde Academy to a college career that has spanned the Pac-12, Big Ten, and Big East.

Evans was a McDonald’s on the country’s most dominant team at the time, Montverde Academy. It was there that Evans played alongside Flagg and Queen, as well as Liam McNeeley, Asa Newell, and Dillon Mitchell.

Evans’ college impact was immediate, as he averaged 7.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.2 steals, and 1.0 blocks in 22 minutes per game as a freshman. His first Pac-12 game served as a statement: 22 points, eight rebounds, and five steals in an 82-74 win over a USC team featuring Isaiah Collier, Bronny James, Vince Iwuchukwu, Arrinten Page, and Oziyah Sellers.

The Ducks took out South Carolina in the first round of the NCAA Tournament (Evans finished with 8 points, 6 rebounds, and two blocks), before being eliminated by Creighton in a double overtime thriller.

A year later, Oregon once again won in the first round (81-52 versus Liberty) before falling in the round of 32 (87-83 to Arizona).

Statistically, Evans’ breakout came this season (13.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.3 blocks, 1.0 steals), despite Oregon struggling throughout a brutal year (12-20 overall, 5-15 in the Big Ten).

The Ducks were without point guard Jackson Shelstad (now at Louisville) for all but 12 games, but even when he was available they were a .500 team.

What is Villanova getting in Kwame Evans Jr.?

Let’s start with the versatility. The lefty can post-up and score on hook shots with either hand, is a drive-and-kick option at 6’10, and can serve as either a pick-and-roll or pick-and-pop stretch big. Defensively, he offers protection at the rim, but several of his blocks came out on the perimeter after switches.

Here’s a look at some of his blocks from this past season:

Evans finished the season with five games of 20+ points, four games of 13+ rebounds, and three games of 4+ blocks.

Willard should enjoy taking advantage of Evans’ passing ability. He finds shooters out of the post, from the nail, and he’s dangerous as a spot-up player — knocking down threes if left open, but also driving to the rim and either kicking out for threes and dishing to bigs inside:

As far as how Evans got his offense, 28.8% of his possessions were in spot-up situations — either as a catch-and-shoot option, or drawing defenders and driving. Another 11.6% came as a post option (where Evans shot 70% on hook shots), and 10.9% came from diving to the rim after a pick-and-roll.

While Evans provides spacing, he’s a better shooter than his catch-and-shoot numbers indicate (30.9% in 2025-26).

A Look at the Film

Here is an unfiltered look at Evans from late in the season — including makes, misses, assists, and turnovers. His late four-point play against Washington was one of the highlights of the season for the Ducks.

The Final Word

Evans will be the centerpiece of a retooled Villanova big man rotation.

Willard got a huge year out of Duke Brennan a season ago, while Matthew Hodge was one of the most underrated players in the league before he went down with a torn ACL in late February. Not coincidentally, the Wildcats took a big step back without him.

That was in large part due to how well Hodge was playing, but also spoke to the lack of depth in Villanova’s frontcourt beyond Brennan and Hodge.

Brennan and Braden Pierce (off to Charleston) are both gone from the rotation, but Nico Onyekwere returns as a massive, albeit inexperienced piece, to go along with Evans and a huge piece in 7’3 Luigi Suigo.

Evans’s versatility, combined with his experience, makes him one of the most impactful additions to the Big East next year. This is a player who has started 60 games across the Pac-12 and Big Ten, played in four NCAA Tournament games, and fills the stat sheet in almost every way.

Willard struck gold with another Baltimore native (Evans’ former teammate) in Derik Queen at Maryland two years ago, and he’ll likely lean heavily on Evans next season.

Read more from the Big East Film Room — our recent transfer portal features include a look at Jordan Ellerbee, who broke freshman scoring records at Florida Gulf Coast, and Nils Machowski (17.8 ppg), an outstanding outside shooter who will bring scoring punch to UConn’s backcourt.

When longtime head coach Thad Matta announced his retirement in March following his second stint at Butler, a mass exodus ensued.

Nearly every key contributor from the team departed in the aftermath. Azavier Robinson transferred to UCLA, Evan Haywood landed at Pepperdine, Jackson Keith moved to Davidson, Efeosa Oliogu-Elabor joined George Mason, Finley Bizjack headed to West Virginia, Jaime Kaiser transferred to Richmond, and Jack McCaffery entered the portal. Meanwhile, Michael Ajayi, Drayton Jones, Yohan Traore, Yame Butler, and Jalen Jackson exhausted their eligibility, leaving the program with little continuity entering a new era.

Perhaps the most intriguing dynamic was how the team would replace Bizjack. The rising senior appeared in 98 career games for the Bulldogs, including starts in 61 of 64 contents over the past two years. The high-scoring guard also earned Third Team All-Big East honors this past season, averaging a team-best 17.1 PPG across 34 minutes nightly while being one of the group’s most reliable pieces from both the free-throw (136/160 FT; 85%) and three-point (34.9% 3PT; 68/195) lines.

The departures left first-year head coach Ronald Nored with the daunting task of rebuilding Butler’s roster from the ground up. A university alum (class of 2012) and longtime NBA assistant, he moved aggressively in the portal, landing Eduardo Klafke (Mississippi), Treyson Anderson (North Dakota State), Samis Calderon (Kansas), and Christian Moore (The Citadel), while also adding a strong freshman class headlined by four-star forward/ LSU flip Herly Brutus, local product Baron Walker (Noblesville, Indiana), and international prospects Asim Djulovic (Serbia), Marko Maric (Croatia), and Samu Adler (Finland).

With the roster coming together, there’s one newcomer whose name has yet to be mentioned: Jordan Ellerbee, a Florida Gulf Coast transfer who may have the highest upside of anyone on the roster — potentially all-conference upside.

Before Butler

A 6’4’ guard from Philadelphia, Ellerbee excelled at Saint Joseph’s Prep in his hometown prior to joining the collegiate ranks. He scored over 1,000 points across his four-year high school career and was named the Gatorade Pennsylvania Boys Basketball Player of the Year in 2024-25, averaging 16.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. He led the Hawks to an 18-6 record and the semifinals of the Philadelphia Catholic League Tournament, for which he earned MVP honors.

On the postsecondary front, Ellerbee committed to Florida Gulf Cost University (Ft. Myers, Florida), where he’d emerge as one of the most efficient freshmen in all the land this past year. Across 34 games played, he made 24 starts, finishing second on the team (and 15th in the Atlantic Sun Conference) in points per game (13.1) while grabbing 3.4 rebounds and dishing out 2.1 assists per contest. He also shot an outstanding 46.7% (161/345) from the field and 35.3% (55/156) from deep, even improving to 38.8% (31/80) from three when facing league foes.

Ellerbee’s 446 total points scored last season were a program record for a freshman. He had five games in which he scored 20 or more points, and exploded for 42 in a 102-100 overtime loss to Kennesaw State on November 26:

Player Profile

What stands out the most for Ellerbee is the efficiency. His 46.7% FG split ranked in the 85th percentile of all Division I players, while his 56.1% shooting on two-point tries was also in the 85th percentile. The Eagles relied on the youngster quite a bit as Ellerbee’s usage rate (24.3%) ranked 84th nationwide.

In comparing past to present, the scoring prowess from Bizjack to Ellerbee somewhat differs from what Butler fans have come to expect from their floor general:

• A Free Throw Attempt Rate (FTAr) of 27.2% for Ellerbee in 2025-26 was astonishingly low — further evident by his 3.7 fouls drawn per 40 minutes; he shot just 2.8 free throws per game, converting on 73.4% (69/94 for the year)

• Bizjack, meanwhile, was one of the best foul drawers in the nation last year (4.7 FD/40 minutes), with a FT attempt rate of 41.8%, ranking in the 77th percentile and equating to 5.2 tries per game.

There’s also the matter of serving as a true floor general, for which Ellerbee has some work to do. An assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.22 (72 assists to 59 turnovers this past year) will likely be addressed by Nored (497 career assists with Butler) and his staff while they look for the young guard to improve upon his 1.8% steal rate (just 30 steals in 914 minutes played last year).

In this case, such numbers are comparable to Bizjack, whose AST:TO of 1.46 wasn’t markedly better (79 assists to 54 turnovers), and he had an astonishingly low steal percentage (1.3%; 15th percentile) with just 23 thefts while playing over 1,050 minutes.

Ellerbee excelled as a pick-and-roll scorer as a freshman, ranking in the 95th percentile nationally at 1.101 points per possession, while he knocked down nearly 48% of his jump shots last year (91st percentile).

Final Verdict

Nevertheless, the underlying appeal is easy to understand. Guards with the blend of youth, scoring efficiency, and offensive upside which Ellerbee possesses are rarely available for long in this day and age — and less so for programs ushering in a new era. While there are still areas of his game that require refinement, Butler is betting that those shortcomings can be developed over time, and that the flashes he showed as a freshman are indicative of something much larger ahead.

Ellerbee figures to play a significant role at Butler next season, but the pressure on him will be alleviated some by the return of Jalen Jackson (a 19.2 PPG scorer at Purdue Fort Wayne two years ago, who missed all but six games at Butler) and the addition of the talented Samu Adler (who could bring real offensive punch to the backcourt).

How Butler fares in the Big East next season will depend heavily on how quickly its new pieces come together. But in an era where young, efficient lead guards are among the most coveted assets in college basketball, Nored may have already secured the centerpiece for his rebuild.

In Ellerbee, Butler is betting on a dynamic scorer with the tools to evolve into one of the conference’s premier backcourt players.

Only four incoming Big East transfers averaged more than Nils Machowski’s 17.8 points per game at Wofford last season — and while he projects as a bench player at UConn next season, Machowski could prove to be a critical piece for the Huskies.

Machowski blew up at Wofford last season after two relatively quiet seasons at Central Florida. A native of Germany, he started nine games across two seasons at UCF — averaging 2.0 points as a freshman and 3.7 as a sophomore. Machowski started to come on late in his sophomore campaign, shooting 4-9 from distance in the Big 12 Tournament before going 8-19 from long range in the Crown. He totaled 16 points and 10 rebounds across those two events.

The combo guard exploded at Wofford last season, however, playing alongside another incoming Big East transfer in Kahmare Holmes, who will head to DePaul after putting up nearly 20 points per game (19.8).

The Role and Fit at UConn

Machowski figures to slot in behind star shooting guard Braylon Mullins, offering game-altering shooting and scoring punch off the bench.

• He wasn’t just a shooter at Wofford last season. Machowski grabbed 5.7 rebounds a night, and had five games of 11+ rebounds.

• Machowski didn’t just hit threes at a 38.1% clip last season, he did so on a high volume — making 91 on the year. He attempted 7.6 threes a game.

• He scored 30+ points on three occasions last year, including 37 points on 8-11 shooting from three against Citadel and a 33-point, 5-rebound, 5-assist performance on 8-12 shooting from deep against Mercer, then led by future St. John's transfer Kyle Cuffe.

• Machowski had an outstanding NET Rating of +12.5 last year.

• With a high Usage Rate (25%), his turnover numbers were relatively low (10.6% Turnover Percentage, 75th in the country).

• He had ten games of 20+ points.

The biggest adjustment for Machowski would presumably come on the defensive end. He’s joining a Connecticut program that was top-ten in the nation in Defensive Efficiency in three of the past four seasons and coming in from a Wofford team that was #311 nationally.

It’s worth noting, he was part of a UCF club that ranked 21st in the country on that end during Machowski’s freshman season.

He won’t offer much by the way of steals (22 steals, 7th percentile in steals/40 minutes), but Machowski will hit the glass, could be an elite spot-up shooter in this system, and offers some ability in the screen-and-roll game (94 possessions, 72nd percentile last year).

The son of a professional basketball player and a 2nd Team All-SoCon selection, Machowski’s advanced shooting numbers were terrific last year:

• 41.8% as a spot-up shooter

• 39.3% shooting off the dribble

• 46.6% shooting when scoring off ball screens

• 47.9% on right wing threes

A Look at the Tape:

As we do with all transfers we’re profiling, we are committed to not only showing prospects at their best, but gathering 3-4 minutes of unfiltered plays to give fans a true sense of what they can expect next year. Here’s an unfiltered look at Machowski from his strong year at Wofford:

We also show players at their best, so here he is going off against Mercer (33 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 8-12 from three):

The Final Verdict:

In Machowski, Connecticut adds a highly productive player from a season ago in a complementary role. He’ll be playing behind two of the best guards in the country in Mullins and point guard Silas Demary Jr., but his value could come not only from his shooting ability, but also from his capacity to fill in at either guard spot.

While the assumption is that he’ll play mostly off the ball, the long road of a college basketball season offers twists and turns — and UConn has a guard who can conceivably alternate between spots, if called upon.

Machowski also brings experience to a Connecticut backcourt that also includes promising freshman Junior County and Jacksonville State transfer Jaye Nash.

Machowski has the shooting ability to come in and either break games open from beyond the arc, or change the course of a close game.

There will be the inevitable comparisons to Joey Calcaterra, but Machowski’s 82 assists last season far exceeded Calcaterra’s best and also provides more on the glass.

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Providence hosted Gabe Nesmith, one of the most talented scorers in the class of 2027, late this week. The 6’5 guard out of Florida battled through injuries at Overtime Elite this year, but has enjoyed a strong spring on the EYBL Circuit, averaging 18.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game for NightRydas, the defending Peach Jam champions.

For a Providence program that has prioritized landing wings under Bryan Hodgson, Nesmith feels like a no-brainer. He has high school All-American potential and pedigree. He’s ranked in the top-20 by 247Sports and has earned praise for how he gets to his spots and creates off the dribble. Evaluators have also pointed to his feel for the game and ability to make an impact with the ball in his hands.

After the NightRydas started 2-5 in EYBL play, they ripped off a 4-0 mark in Kansas City in late May with Nesmith scoring 19, 21, 21, and 29 points in those four contests. The 29-point outburst marked a season high, and Nesmith added six assists and four boards in that victory. He emerged as one of the biggest stock-risers of the Kansas City session.

Nesmith will visit Vanderbilt and Ole Miss later this month, and is also scheduled to see USC in July.

Regardless of where he ends up, Nesmith likely won’t be star-struck. He spent his freshman season at Montverde Academy, playing alongside Cooper Flagg, Derik Queen, and Liam McNeeley before transferring to Prolific Prep as a sophomore, where he joined a group that featured Darryn Peterson and five-star 2026 big man Obinna Ekezie Jr.

His film from the past two years includes matchups against the likes of AJ Dybantsa and the Boozer twins, while his NightRydas club has five-star wing Ryan Hampton and one of the best shot blockers in the high school ranks in Lewis Uvwo (247Sports’ 7th ranked player in the class of 2027).

Providence faces stiff competition for Nesmith's services, but the Friars have at least positioned themselves firmly in the mix for one of the nation's premier wings in the class of 2027.

Here’s a glimpse of him as a sophomore at Prolific Prep, as well as a few video features from this spring.

No one knew it at the time, but an early-season matchup between San Diego State and Oregon at the Players Era Festival was an opportunity to see four players who figure to be key cogs for Big East teams in 2026-27.

San Diego State featured three potential Big East starters in wing Miles Byrd (Providence), guard BJ Davis (Creighton), and center Magoon Gwath (DePaul), while Oregon’s Kwame Evans Jr. looks to be a central piece at Villanova.

This one turned out to be one-sided, with the Aztecs taking a 94-80 victory behind blistering shooting (80% from two, 47% beyond the 3-point arc) against an Oregon team that was ranked 21st in Defensive Efficiency the year prior. The Ducks looked defensively disinterested in this matchup, however.

A +10 advantage at the free throw line for the Ducks was the only thing that kept the game from getting out of hand in the second half.

San Diego State got contributions up and down the roster, with nine players seeing at least 14 minutes. Reese Dixon-Waters was on a heater, scoring 22 points, while Davis (who figures to start alongside USF transfer Wes Enis at Creighton) added 21.

Here’s an extended look at all four Big East transfers with details on each of their nights below:

BJ Davis, San Diego State: Davis enjoyed his third-highest scoring game of the season in this November showdown, finishing with 21 points on 6-7 shooting from the field, to go along with four assists in just 21 minutes played. His season-high 30 came in a late-season battle with UNLV, while he went for 22 points in a triple overtime win over Boise State. His highly efficient game against Oregon came on a variety of jumpers, and was capped with a steal and big dunk in transition late.

Miles Byrd, San Diego State: A headliner of Providence’s portal haul, Byrd did a bit of everything in this one — two loud blocks at the rim, leading the break and finding bigs at the rim, pulling up in transition, and knocking down a three when the Ducks went zone. In 26 minutes, Byrd scored seven points, grabbed four rebounds, and had three assists.

Magoon Gwath, San Diego State: In just his third game back following an injury that cost him most of the offseason, the DePaul transfer was a force at the rim defensively (4 blocks), and flashed offensive versatility — hitting from beyond the arc, finishing a finger roll in transition, and making 6-8 from the field in scoring 13 points in just 22 minutes. Gwath added two steals and six boards.

Kwame Evans Jr., Oregon: The former McDonald’s All-American finished with a hefty stat line (16 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists), and finished a few and-1s and tough finishes. This is a case where the stat line is a bit misleading, as Evans certainly put up numbers across the board, but no one on Oregon was capable of slowing the Aztecs’ momentum once it got rolling. Still, it’s easy to see what makes him intriguing. Evans takes defenders from the arc to the rim off the bounce, and he’s a willing passer out of the post who can rack up assists when playing alongside shooters.

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It’s only June 14, but no Big East program is likely to have a better day this summer than what Villanova enjoyed on Saturday.

Wildcat fans watched three of their own start for a New York Knicks team that took home its first NBA title in 53 years — which came just hours after Kevin Willard and his staff learned 7’4 center Luigi Suigo withdrew from the NBA Draft and will suit up for Nova next year.

Suigo’s addition is a win on two fronts for Villanova: not only did they fill a gaping hole at center, but they did so by acquiring a player who very well could have snuck into the first round of this June’s draft. Suigo is a massive presence on the interior who has enough range to keep teams honest from beyond the arc.

With Suigo, Villanova now has the look of a top-25 team.

Here’s our breakdown of the significance of this move, including both the impact Suigo could bring, and how the Cats’ revamped roster should slot them in behind only UConn and St. John’s heading into next season.

Tom and I are committed to continuing to bring you the most in-depth breakdowns of the league’s incoming transfers this spring and summer. In these stories you’ll learn more about players’ backgrounds and potential fits at their new schools, and gain insight through advanced data.

And while our articles will include highlights from prospects’ best games, we also want to provide film that balances great makes and passes with misses and turnovers. There’s only so much to learn from seeing a player at his best, so we’re balancing highlights with unfiltered film.

Over the past week, we detailed the additions of three incoming Big East transfers: Devin Williams to Seton Hall, Josiah Parker at Georgetown, and Creighton’s Wes Enis.

Williams, who started his career at UCLA before finding his game at Florida Atlantic as a sophomore, was one of the top shot blockers in the country last year — making him a perfect fit for Shaheen Holloway’s group that seemingly always finds itself among the best in the country in rejections.

From Tom’s preview of Williams:

After barely playing as a freshman at UCLA in 2024-25 (3.2 minutes per game across 10 contests), he found his footing at Florida Atlantic this past season, averaging 7.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks while starting all 33 games for the Owls.

His 85 total rejections led the American Athletic Conference and ranked 7th in the NCAA, and his blocked shot percentage of 11.4% was another conference-best mark (and 4th across the Division I landscape). Meanwhile, the aforementioned per-game blocked shot mark ranked fifth nationally.

Notably, Williams and Josiah Parker were teammates at FAU last season — and with Devin Vanterpool heading to Providence, three starters from the Owls will face off in the Big East next year.

Put simply, Parker seems perfectly suited for Ed Cooley’s system: he plays bigger than 6’7, digs in defensively, hits the glass hard, showed promise as a passer, and looks like the type of player who thrived under Cooley at Providence.

From our preview of him:

Parker should add some physical punch to the Hoya frontcourt, as both he and Caleb Williams are tough enough to match up with fours while standing at 6’7. Opponents shot just 32% when being guarded by Parker last season, and he ranked in the 89th percentile in points per possession against last year.

He also ranked in the 98th percentile in Offensive Rebound Percentage, while he scored 7.1 points per game in the paint (94th percentile).

Here’s a peek at his passing ability:

Our third preview this week was a deep dive on South Florida-to-Creighton transfer Wes Enis. Thought to be a lock for Providence early in the portal, Enis will instead head to Omaha as part of a new-look backcourt alongside San Diego State transfer B.J. Davis.

There’s a lot to like about what Creighton has built for next year, especially if Jackson McAndrew can return to form after missing all of last season with a foot injury. They bring back a veteran big in Jasen Green, saw flashes from Austin Swartz last season, will hope to get a sophomore bump out of a top-50 prospect in Hudson Greer, and they added Oswin Erhunmwunse to man the middle.

From our article on Enis:

• Enis can heat up in a hurry. He hit eight 3-pointers in the first half alone at Tulsa and made ten 3-pointers in a game twice last year.

• When he was on the floor, USF had a 44.8% Three Point Attempt Rate.

• Enis ranked in the 97th percentile in the country in terms of scoring in the final four seconds of the shot clock. Meanwhile, he ranked in the 84th percentile in spot-up opportunities.

• He made 38% of his catch-and-shoot attempts and buried 47% of his open jumpers.

  

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Historically, Shaheen Holloway’s best teams have been defined by their rough-and-tough style and an analytically-defined dominance attributable to several factors — perhaps none more significant than Block Rate.

In his four years at St. Peter’s, the Peacocks had perhaps the most sustained shot-swatting success in the nation, including:

• A nation-best 17.7% rejection rate during Holloway’s first year in 2018-19

• 20th countrywide a year later (13.6%)

• Then second (16%) and 12th (14.7%) in his final two seasons at St. Peter’s

Those block rates have translated at Seton Hall as well. The Pirates were 43rd in Block Rate during the 2022-23 campaign (11.9%), 14th a year later (14.2%), 56th in 2024-25 (11.9%), and tops nationally a year ago (18.7%).

Those are fantastic numbers, especially given the higher level of competition in the Big East: the Pirates’ average strength of schedule has ranked 50th nationwide in the four years since Holloway’s return to campus, while St. Peter’s placed 268th during his four years there.

In terms of rim protection, Holloway has never lacked a true enforcer. The run started with KC Ndefo, a three-time MAAC Defensive Player of the Year who averaged 2.5 blocks per game across five seasons spent with St. Peter’s (2018-22) and Seton Hall (2022-23).

Jaden Bediako took the mantle during the Hall’s NIT Championship season in 2023-24, finishing third in the Big East with 61 swats (1.6 per game) and second in Block Rate during conference play (8.4%).

It should come as no surprise that Seton Hall’s 7-25 record overall in the 2024-25 season came without a true shot-blocker on the roster (although Garwey Dual and Godswill Erhereiene — two plus-defenders — were respectable swatters in relation to their minutes).

On the flip side, Seton Hall’s resurgence this past year (21-12 overall and a fourth-place finish in the Big East standings after being picked last in the conference’s preseason poll) came thanks in large part to a return to its defensive roots. The trio of Stephon Payne III, Elijah Fisher, and Najai Hines combined to create a dominant force in South Orange, helping the group to a top-15 placement in adjusted Defensive Efficiency (94.7 points allowed per 100 possessions), 17th in two-point defense (opponents shot 46.4% from inside the arc versus the Pirates, well below the national two-point average of 51.7%), and the top shot-blocking team in the nation (18.7% rejection rate in 2025-26; nearly double the national average of 9.5%).

However, this offseason posed a challenge to the Pirates. Payne and Fisher each graduated, while Hines (a local product who averaged 2.2 swats per game as a freshman) left via the transfer portal. To keep the model alive, the Pirates did what any team must do nowadays: leverage the transfer portal.

That’s what brought Devin Williams to town — and it might be what keeps Seton Hall as one of the nation’s best defensive units once again.

From UCLA to FAU: Devin Williams’ College Journey

A former top-100 recruit coming out of high school in 2023, Williams, a 6’10”, 210-pound forward from Riverside, California, gives Holloway another brilliant defensive piece to plug-and-play on the low block. After barely playing as a freshman at UCLA in 2024-25 (3.2 minutes per game across 10 contests), he found his footing at Florida Atlantic this past season, averaging 7.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks while starting all 33 games for the Owls.

His 85 total rejections led the American Athletic Conference and ranked 7th in the NCAA, and his blocked shot percentage of 11.4% was another conference-best mark (and 4th across the Division I landscape). Meanwhile, the aforementioned per-game blocked shot mark ranked fifth nationally.

There’s plenty of room for improvement when it comes to Williams’ defensive rebounding capabilities, however. His 13.4% defensive rebounding rate ranked in the NCAA’s 34th percentile last season; that’s a far cry from the success rates that Payne (21.2%) and Hines (19.9%) experienced last year for the Pirates.

Nevertheless, his shot-blocking capabilities are his best feature, and a common factor worth considering is whether a player’s swats are a product of over-aggression (i.e., coming at risk of frequent fouls) or technical skill. In Williams’ case, his 1.9 personal fouls committed per game feel minuscule, especially given his blocks-to-personal-foul rate of 1.37, which ranks in the 99th percentile of all Division I players. In addition, he fouled out of just two contests last year while recording 25 games in which he was called for two or fewer personals.

Offensively, he’s best within three feet of the rim. Williams nabbed 74 offensive rebounds last year, with an offensive rebound rate of 10.2%, ranking in the 72nd percentile. His 2.2 offensive rebounds per game ranked in the NCAA’s 85th percentile, and 25% of his points last year came on second-chance opportunities. Of further intrigue, Williams can also space the floor a little bit, shooting 15-49 (30.6%) from three last year, which may offer an added dimension to the team’s offense. Seton Hall’s five primary frontcourt options combined for fifteen made threes on 65 attempts last year as a unit.

A Look at the Film: Williams as a Shot Blocker and Offensive Player

Below you’ll get a look at just some of Williams’ 80+ blocks at FAU last year. The second reel offers an unfiltered look at Williams on the offensive end — with three minutes of makes, misses, passes, and turnovers mixed in from late in the season.

The Final Verdict:

Once again facing an offseason with a roster that needed to be retooled, Seton Hall made out well. The Pirates added Simeon Wilcher (Texas), Kareem Thomas (Dartmouth), Del Jones (Radford), Roddie Anderson III (Xavier), and Rodney Brown (Loyola-Marymount) to shore up the backcourt, while Abdulai Fanta Kabba (Western Carolina), Chris Nwuli (Rutgers), Mayar Wol (Bowling Green), and Terry Copeland Jr. (Howard College) will fill out the big man unit in South Orange.

But while a need to replace the likes of Payne and Fisher (both of whom have graduated) was always there for Seton Hall at season’s end, the idea of replacing Hines — a highly skilled and imposing force as just a freshman last year — was a loftier task.

Ironically, Holloway and company didn’t just worry about replacing Hines, they needed to figure out how to counteract him, as he’s now an inter-conference foe having committed to UConn via the portal.

The addition of the sturdy Copeland late in the portal may free Williams up to do what he does best — swat shots and clean up inside. Though lean at 210 pounds, he’s an able-bodied big who can ideally provide Holloway a blend of what he likes in his big men: ruthless down low, imposing as a shot-blocker, and rarely in foul trouble.

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Villanova fans can finally exhale, as word broke on Saturday that 7-foot-4, 289-pound center Luigi Suigo withdrew his name from the NBA Draft and will be a Wildcat next season.

This is massive news on a number of fronts for Kevin Willard’s club, as Nova not only adds a player considered a borderline first round pick, but fills what would have been a significant hole in the middle.

It’s been a productive spring for Willard’s staff, but one that would have felt incomplete without this move. Villanova added five players in the transfer portal who averaged at least 13 points per game at the D1 level last season.

And with Suigo, returning guard Tyler Perkins, and Matt Hodge (rehabbing from a torn ACL late in the season), this has the look of a top-25 club heading into 2026-27:

• Point Guards: Elijah Crawford (14.1 PPG, 4.9 ASP at UIC), Buddy Simmons (16.3 PPG at St. Bonaventure)

• Shooting Guards: Tyler Perkins (team-leading 13.9 PPG last year), Jake Fiegan (17.4 PPG, 5.2 RPG at Cornell)

• Small Forwards: Devin Royal (13.7 PPG,5.7 RPG), Adam Oumiddoch (freshman)

• Power Forwards: Kwame Evans Jr.: 13.3 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 1.3 BPG at Oregon), Matt Hodge (9.2 PPG, 3.6 RPG)

• Centers: Luigi Suigo, Nico Onyekwere (redshirt freshman)

While Simmons is an outstanding scorer and Evans brings a McDonald’s All-American pedigree with defensive versatility, Suigo will be the headliner on most nights. He’s a potential 2027 lottery pick who can stretch the floor beyond the three-point arc, and could serve as a dominating roll presence for the Wildcats.

Here’s what you need to know about Luigi Suigo:

• He averaged 7.9 points and 5.1 rebounds in 18 minutes per game for KK Mega in the Adriatic League last season. This is a club that produced the likes of NBA superstar Nikola Jokic and long-time NBA center Ivica Zubac.

• Suigo shot 34.8% on catch-and-shoot opportunities, 40.7% when left unguarded on jumpers, and made an outstanding 73% of his shots at the rim.

• His 1.105 points per possession last season ranked in the 90th percentile in his league, with nearly 33% of his looks coming as a roll man, and another 21% from the offensive glass.

• Draft Express ranked him as its 28th best player in the 2026 NBA Draft, before he decided to head to college.

• Suigo played alongside Butler commit Asim Djulovic last season.

A Look at the Film:

Suigo will obviously be a massive defensive presence in the paint next year. With players of this size the question becomes what it looks like when teams get him in switches, but he recovered well more than a few times in this shot block reel we pulled together:

Offensively, Suigo didn’t post up a ton last year (22 possessions, 62% shooting), and he did far more damage as a roll man (96 possessions, 65th percentile in points per possession), on the offensive glass (63 possessions, 78th percentile), and spotting up (41 possessions, 46th percentile).

Encouragingly, Suigo’s Turnover Rate was very low for a player of his size and youth (19 years old) at just 11.6% — the best mark of any regular on his team.

Here are roughly two-and-a-half minutes of him on the offensive end last year:

Expectations Rise in Philly

The ceiling for Villanova just rose significantly with this signing. The Wildcats will be must-watch TV early in the season, even from opening night, when they head to Suigo’s native Italy

Expect to see comparisons to Michigan center Aday Mara, the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year from Spain who transformed from a two-year role player at UCLA to a star under Dusty May. It’s worth noting that Suigo is two years younger than Mara, and it didn’t truly click for Mara until his third year of college basketball.

Regardless, Villanova landed the big man it so desperately wanted — and the one they targeted all along this spring — when Suigo announced on Saturday that he was pulling his name from the draft.

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