As a power 5 conference, some of the best talent in the country headed to play for Big East basketball schools. But some incoming players are extremely underrated.
Butler: Kolby King
While King is a prized recruit, I get the sense that he’s severely underrated in terms of the top Big East basketball transfers.
A guard who started at St. John’s and played limited minutes, King flourished at Tulane and now finds himself with the chance to hold a pivotal role at Butler. He averaged in double figures in points per game as a member of the Green Wave, while chipping in on the boards and with 1.8 assists per game.
The best thing to like about King? He does everything well. Need a three-pointer? He can hit consistently from downtown. On an important defensive possession? King will look to force a turnover. I’ve got the sense Thad Matta has the most underrated transfer in the conference.
Creighton: Jamiya Neal
Creighton is only bringing in two transfers and one of them is Pop Isaacs, so Jamiya Neal is the only player who fits under this category.
The Arizona State transfer can score the basketball but still needs to develop a better outside shot. It’s interesting Greg McDermott would recruit that type of player to Omaha, but Neal rebounds the basketball well and rarely turns the ball over, which should fit in well with what Creighton wants to do offensively.
Neal is also an undersized forward – someone who can run the floor well but battle with bigger and stronger players. He might not be a three-point sniper, but he plays fast and scrappy – two things Creighton thrives off of. Neal also isn’t afraid to take his chances from behind the arc and in the right situation, could raise his percentage quite a bit.
DePaul: NJ Benson
DePaul completely overhauled its team with a new head coach and a transfer class that is 11 players deep. There are a lot of players who could fit the bill as being “underrated,” but I’m singling out Benson.
THe forward from Missouri State averaged roughly nine points and eight rebounds, and it’s that fight on the glass the Blue Demons desperately need.
Last year, DePaul was nearly dead last in the COUNTRY in RPG, something that needs to change under Chris Holtmann. While Benson won’t be THE answer, he could be a key piece. As someone moving on from Missouri State to the Big East, he’ll likely take that talent and look to make sure it sticks at the next level. If all works out, in a class where DePaul is picking up players from Arkansas, Indiana, and West Virginia, it’s the Missouri State kid that could make the biggest difference.
Georgetown: Jordan Burks
Any time you get a former Kentucky recruit, it screams boom or bust. For Burks, playing for one of the top UK freshman classes of all time hurt his minutes. He only played 20 games and averaged just over seven minutes per game.
Now on Georgetown, Burks will have the freedom to make mistakes and not have a crew of 5-stars waiting to take him out. The former 3-star joins a Hoyas team looking to find any sort of talent, where guys will battle to keep the team competitive, not to just keep themselves on the court.
Marquette: N/A
Believe it or not, in the year 2024, the Marquette Golden Eagles don’t have a SINGLE transfer coming in. Call it crazy, but it hasn’t been the way Shaka Smart has built this program over the last few years. Apparently, if it ain’t broke, he ain’t fixin’ it.
Providence: Wesley Cardet
I’m all in on Cardet, who by all means isn’t necessarily underrated, considering he averaged 18.7 PPG last season. However, most people will begin to focus on former Miami Hurricane Bensley Joseph, Georgia transfer Jabri Abdur-Rahim, or 7-footer Christ Essandoko.
I look at Cardet, who put up some very solid numbers as a freshman at Samford. Two years later, we see just how competitive that locker room must have been, given Samford’s 29-win season.
Cardet saw his scoring average double as a sophomore and last year, led Chicago State to their most wins (albeit 13), since 2013-14. Surrounded by much better players, a scorer like Cardet could thrive in the Providence rotation. Plus, Kim English gets the most out of his players, as we saw on last season’s Friars team.
Seton Hall: Zion Harmon
Pretty much every Seton Hall incoming transfer besides Scotty Middleton is underrated, but I’m going with Harmon because I don’t even think the SHU fanbase thinks he’ll be a top option on this team.
In fairness, Shaheen Holloway has a lot of tough decisions to make with the starting lineup, and it seems like this team could be very interchangeable, but considering Harmon’s a former top recruit and a New Jersey native, he could be at the perfect spot.
Harmon was a scorer in two seasons at Bethune-Cookman, and while his 2-point efficiency left more to be desired, he had the knack of knocking down threes and was virtually unstoppable at the charity stripe, where he went to 4.2 times per game as a sophomore. Plus, he averaged 4.0 APG last season, something else that fits well in Holloway’s system. Sha knows how to find gems, and we might be overlooking this pick-up too much.
St. John’s: Aaron Scott
A lot of attention will go to the Johnnies getting Kadary Richmond from Seton Hall and Deivon Smith from Utah, and rightfully so. But don’t look past Aaron Scott. Like those two, he’s a 6-foot-7 expendable player, who can play guard and gets after the glass. Rick Pitino certainly didn’t mess around with the type of player he wanted at St. John’s.
I also like Scott’s progression. He stayed three years at UNT and got better each season in scoring and playmaking. That shows that he’s willing to learn – and hopefully, take some criticism from a Hall of Fame coach who isn’t afraid to say what’s on his mind. Aaron Scott was destined to play Big East basketball.
UConn: Tarris Reed Jr.
There are only two choices for UConn’s incoming transfer class and most Big East basketball fans would say Aidan Mahaney has the chance to be the best incoming player in the conference. The Saint Mary’s guard will look to start at guard for UConn.
That means Reed Jr., who comes in from Michigan, is our underrated player to watch. He’s a 6-10 forward who has the physicality to excel in the Big East. Last season, Reed’s scoring tripled and his rebounding more than doubled. You put that type of player in a system that has produced Adama Sanogo and Donovan Clingan in the span of a few years and Reed has the potential to improve exponentially yet again.
Villanova: Enoch Boakye
Wooga Poplar is the notable name while Jhamir Brickus and Tyler Perkins are the solid pick-ups. But Boakye might benefit the most from playing alongside Eric Dixon in the frontcourt, who should receive the most attention from opposing big men.
The former Fresno State and Arizona State center won’t be asked to score the ball. He’s going to need to rebound the basketball, something the Wildcats struggled to do last season. Kyle Neptune filled that role, getting the 6-10, 240-pound beast.
Xavier: Roddie Anderson III
It’s a loaded transfer class for the Musketeers who bring in mid-major stars Marcus Foster, Ryan Conwell, Lassina Traore, and Dante Maddox Jr. Oklahoma transfer John Hugley IV also joins Sean Miller’s squad and often injured Cam’Ron Fletcher looks to have a healthy season for once.
But don’t look past Roddie Anderson III. The Boise State transfer looks to be one of the best backup point guards in the entire conference.
While Anderson won’t be called upon to take over games, he will contribute a little bit of everything to the box score. Over two seasons at UC San Diego and with the Broncos, Anderson averaged 9.6 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 2.9 APG, and 1.2 SPG. That’s a good blend of making an impact, especially heading to a Xavier team where if you’re not going to be great at one thing, you better be good at everything. Anderson fits that bill and it’s one reason the Musketeers will be so strong in 2024-25.