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. 

MARQUETTE

The first year at the helm in Milwaukee for Steve Wojchiewchowski showed promise down the stretch as some of the newcomers to campus stepped up. With most of its pieces back on board and a pretty wide open Big East, the potential for a successful campaign for the second year head boss and his squad is definitely a lot brighter than it was last season, mainly because of the recruiting class that they lured in. With a four person class heading to the Big East program, each should provide some help, one way or another. The Golden Eagles struck late with a few recruits as they landed Traci Carter and Sacar Anim, both of whom should solidify the backcourt over the long haul. Carter is a tough and physical lead guard who can help out on both sides of the ball while Anim has a deadly stroke from off the perimeter and has the versatility in guarding various spots away from the basket. Next to them, Haanif Cheatham brings his own broad skillset to the floor as the slashing wing does great out on the break and has the chance to turn into a solid 3-and-D type down the road. Within the interior, Matt Heldt enters the fix where the in-state recruit brings a bevy of long-term abilities due to his length and soft touch on scores near the basket. While all four were quality gets, it isn’t too hard to define the most important freshman this season for Marquette when it comes to parlaying further success on the hardwood in 6-foot-9 big man, Henry Ellenson. The inside-out freshman has shades of Kevin Love to him where he can hit the deep ball with his feet set, has a fine feel for the game in making the proper outlet pass off the board, and is a rebounder of the ball within traffic. He can oftentimes settle a little too much for looks away from the basket but in going big, Marquette will look to play Ellenson alongside 6-foot-10 center Luke Fischer, where the duo should play well together in high-low scenarios and if Ellenson can throw in a fine mixture of outside shooting, along with toughness and production down low, chances are the Golden Eagles surpass last year’s 13 win total by a wide margin.

PROVIDENCE

The Friars lost some of its top producers from last year’s squad but it returns the most important player to his team and maybe the most important player to anyone’s respective team this season in Kris Dunn. The do-it-all lead guard is one of the top ballplayers throughout the land and could be looked at as a national player of the year candidate. It will be very important that those around him step up their own games where sophomores like Ben Bentil, Jalen Lindsey, and Rodney Bullock all have the talent within their grasps, but taking that talent and producing is another thing entirely. With a full year under their belt, the Friars welcome in another deep class to Providence this fall where there is a bevy of versatility and shot making with those setting foot on the Big East campus. Guys like Ricky Council and Ryan Fazekas head to the New England program and should provide immediate size and shooting from off the perimeter. Due to the slicing abilities of Dunn, this should allow for easy looks at the basket from behind the arc, thus forcing defensive issues for the opposing bunch primarily because the best returning perimeter asset that the Friars have back in the fold is in Dunn. Placing guys around him that can make shots are very, very important, thus allowing for more spacing down low for a guy like Ben Bentil. However, the guy that may have the largest impact on Providence during his freshman year is Drew Edwards, a 6-foot-3 guard out of Perry Hall, Maryland. The freshman attended Calvert Hall College High School and went throughout a difficult high school schedule going up against some of the very best in the DMV. Like Fazekas and Council, Edwards displays a solid perimeter jumper and good length to him, but also has better ball skills to him that would enable for Dunn to be played off the ball some in using him for his own outside jump shot. Adding another sturdy secondary ball handler to the floor down the stretch would definitely take some of the pressure off the junior standout and if Edwards can pitch in with handling ball pressure, facilitating some, and scoring it off of catch and shoot situations, Providence then has the shot in making another run for the NCAA Tournament this season.