While this might not be your mom and pop’s Big East, the conference is still loaded with some star studded talent and depth from top to bottom. While Villanova has become the figurehead of the program over the past few years, this season it seems like there will be a lot more programs vying for a top spot in the conference.

Butler, Georgetown, and Xavier all look to have a fine chance to make a deep run in March, while others like Creighton and Marquette look more than ready to bounce back and sit at the big boy’s table. These next few days, we will take a look at each program’s incoming freshmen class and the top newcomer to the program that will be the most important to its success during the 2015-2016 campaign. 

SETON HALL

The Pirates lose some of its perimeter assets from last year’s squad in Jaren Sina and Sterling Gibbs, but they do return five-star recruit and high level scoring guard in Isaiah Whitehead, along with a few other quality role guys in Khadeem Carrington and Angel Delgado in the post. While there definitely will be a lot of opportunities in East Orange for others to step up and produce early on because of some of the transfers and graduations from last year’s group, the freshman class comes to Seton Hall with some talent in the frontcourt. Pieces like Veer Singh, a big time energy giving forward who can develop into a solid, versatile freshman who can play either forward spot down the road, along with Dalton Soffer, a native from California on the wings, should all bring quality contributions to the floor in due time. However, the guy that has my eye for the Pirates is in Myles Carter. The native of the Windy City comes to Jersey and he brings a quality frame, is fairly athletic at the basket, and production from 15-feet and in. He should be able to work very well alongside star sophomore big man Angel Delgado in high-low situations due to his shooting prowess out to the high elbow and decent feel when facing the basket. Delgado is a volume rebounder of the ball but a lot was asked out of him early on at the Big East program last year. Adding another quality asset within the trenches alongside the sophomore big man should only aid in creating further separation for a guy like Isaiah Whitehead on the perimeter, thus leading to a deceptively strong, sleeper team out of the Big East fully loaded with star power atop of its roster.

ST. JOHN’S

Talk about taking over a program from scratch. The Red Storm lost pretty much all of its production from last year’s group and bring in a new regime to Queens as one of the best Big East star’s from the past enter the fold in Chris Mullin. This year might not be the smoothest when it comes to success on the playing floor but thanks to putting together a quality coaching staff with a variety of contacts throughout the globe, the future already looks bright for the bunch. With loads of opportunities to leave an immediate fingerprint, shots to go up, and minutes to be played, St. John’s brings in a six person freshmen class that showcases ballplayers that call home at places like New Jersey, Georgia, Indiana, Spain, Mali, and Italy. All six bring quality talent levels to the floor and all are unique in their own little way. Marcus LoVett is a cat quick lead guard who can score the ball in bunches and comes to the Big East program with a penchant for filling up the stat sheet. Malik Ellison, the son of Pervis Ellison, had a great senior campaign at Life Center Academy and has grown greatly as a ballplayer and in physical stature. Elijah Holifield joins them in the backcourt along with Frederico Mussini, a quality and savvy guard who can play on and off the basketball. Where the intrigue shows its greatest face with the incoming class is in the frontcourt. Quick work was done by the new staff in Queens and the Red Storm were able to swoop in and snag super hard playing and lefty forward Kassoum Yakwe. The 6-foot-7 big man is a bit undersized but his heart isn’t as he is always involved within the miscellaneous and is a quality producer within the interior. However, with the out transfer of Chris Obekpa to UNLV, Yankuba Sima comes to light as the most important freshman on the squad’s roster this winter. A native of Spain, the 6-foot-10 center will help replenish the rim protecting that Obekpa left off. There is tons of talent in the backcourt to be excited about but down low, St. John’s desperately needs a guy that can supplant the middle. While Sima might not be the most skilled of guys on its roster, nor the most polished of ballplayers, he does fill a void and should allow for a guy like Marcus LoVett to really take advantage of his quickness in guarding the basketball and in taking chances out top in that, even if he does miss on the steal attempt, all ballhandlers will be funneled down to Yankuba Sima, a premier rim protector in the lane.