Photo by: Porter Binks
League Coaches Pick Men’s Basketball To Win BIG EAST
10/18/2022 7:20:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Creighton has met or exceeded preseason poll each of first nine seasons in the BIG EAST
NEW YORK, N.Y. – The Creighton men's basketball team has been picked to win the BIG EAST Conference in the annual survey of league coaches, which was unveiled as part of BIG EAST Media Day on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden.
It's the first time since 2012-13 that Creighton has been chosen as a preseason favorite in its league, though that recognition came in CU's final season in the Missouri Valley Conference. The Bluejays also had four players receive recognition on one of the Preseason All-BIG EAST teams, tied with Villanova for the most in the league.
This is the 10th time Creighton has been tabbed as the preseason favorite (also 1989-90, 1990-91, 1998-99, 2000-01, 2002-03, 2006-07, 2008-09, 2011-12 and 2012-13), though the first nine occurrences all happened in the Missouri Valley Conference. Four of those MVC teams finished first (1990-91, 2000-01, 2008-09, 2012-13), while the other five took second place. Six of those nine Bluejay squads went on to win the MVC Tournament (1990-91, 1998-99, 2002-03, 2006-07, 2011-12, 2012-13) and seven of the nine squads played in the NCAA Tournament (1990-91, 1998-99, 2000-01, 2002-03, 2006-07, 2011-12, 2012-13).
The Bluejays collected eight first-place votes and earned 98 points in the poll. Xavier was picked second in the poll with 86 points, including two first-place votes. Villanova, the defending BIG EAST Tournament champion, was one point behind Xavier with 85 points and received one first-place vote from the men's basketball head coaches, who did not vote for their own teams. Connecticut was picked fourth with 77 points and Providence was fifth with 62 points. St. John's and Seton Hall finished sixth and seventh with 62 and 52 points, respectively. Butler was eighth with 36 points, four points ahead of ninth-place Marquette with 32 points. Georgetown was 10th with 21 points and DePaul 11th with 12 points.
Creighton, the only league team to return three double-figure scorers from last season, finished 23-12 overall and 12-7 in BIG EAST play. The Bluejays advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. For 2022-23, they will be led by junior center Ryan Kalkbrenner, who is a Preseason All-BIG EAST selection. Guard Ryan Nembhard, the BIG EAST Freshman of the Year, and forward Arthur Kaluma earned Preseason All-BIG EAST Second Team recognition. Transfer Baylor Scheierman, who was the Summit League Player of the Year, made Preseason All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention.
This year marks the first time that Creighton has had more than two players land on the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team, and comes 12 months after Creighton had no one selected prior to the 2021-22 campaign.
Connecticut's Adama Sanogo was named 2022-23 BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year by a vote of the league's head coaches. Villanova forward Cam Whitmore was chosen BIG EAST Preseason Freshman of the Year. The coaches, who were not permitted to select their own players, also chose an All-BIG EAST First Team, All-BIG EAST Second Team and All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention.
Sanogo, a 6-9 junior, ranked seventh in the BIG EAST last season in scoring with a 15.1 average. He led the league in rebounding with a 9.7 mark and was first in field goal shooting, making 50.9 percent. Sanogo was an All-BIG EAST First Team selection in 2021-22 while helping the Huskies to a 23-10 overall record, a 13-6 BIG EAST mark and an NCAA Tournament bid. As a freshman two seasons ago, the native of Bamako, Mali, made the BIG EAST All-Freshman Team and BIG EAST All-Tournament Team.
Whitmore, a highly rated prep recruit from Odenton, Md., was the Most Outstanding Player of the USA Basketball U18 team that won the FIBA U18 Americas Championship this past summer. The 6-7 forward was a McDonald's All-America selection and the Gatorade Maryland Player of the Year at Archbishop Spalding High School.
Creighton is the only team in the league to match or exceed its preseason projection every season since joining the BIG EAST in 2013-14. The Bluejays seek an eighth straight finish in the top four of the league standings. Last year's team was predicted to finish eighth in the BIG EAST, then ended up in fourth. Three years ago, a team picked seventh in the BIG EAST's preseason poll went 13-5 in league play to share its first league title with Villanova and Seton Hall. That Bluejay team ended the year ranked seventh in the entire nation.
Creighton opens the season with an Oct. 30 exhibition vs. Drury before opening the regular-season on Nov. 7 against St. Thomas. Season and single-game tickets are now available at http://GoCreighton.com/buy.
BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year
Adama Sanogo, Connecticut, F, Jr., 6-9, 245, Bamako, Mali
BIG EAST Preseason Freshman of the Year
Cam Whitmore, Villanova, F, Fr., 6-7, 232, Odenton, Md.
Preseason All-BIG EAST First Team
Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton, C, Jr., 7-1, 260, St. Louis, Mo.
Jared Bynum, Providence, G, Gr., 5-10, 180, Largo, Md.
Posh Alexander, St. John's, G, Jr., 6-0, 200, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Colby Jones, Xavier, G, Jr., 6-6, 207, Birmingham, Ala.
Jack Nunge, Xavier, F, Gr., 7-0, 245, Newburgh, Ind.
Preseason All-BIG EAST Second Team^
Arthur Kaluma, Creighton, F, So., 6-7, 225, Glendale, Ariz.
Ryan Nembhard, Creighton, G, So., 6-0, 170, Aurora, Ont.
Kadary Richmond, Seton Hall, G, Jr., 6-6, 210, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Caleb Daniels, Villanova, G, Gr., 6-4, 210, New Orleans, La.
Eric Dixon, Villanova, F, R-Jr., 6-8, 255, Willow Grove, Pa.
Justin Moore, Villanova, G, Sr., 6-4, 215, Fort Washington, Md.
Preseason All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention
Chuck Harris, Butler, G, Jr., 6-2, 200, Ashburn, Va.
Baylor Scheierman, Creighton, F, Sr., 6-7, 205, Aurora, Neb.
Cam Whitmore, Villanova, F, Fr., 6-7, 232, Odenton, Md.
^Tie in the voting created an extra position on the Second Team.
It's the first time since 2012-13 that Creighton has been chosen as a preseason favorite in its league, though that recognition came in CU's final season in the Missouri Valley Conference. The Bluejays also had four players receive recognition on one of the Preseason All-BIG EAST teams, tied with Villanova for the most in the league.
This is the 10th time Creighton has been tabbed as the preseason favorite (also 1989-90, 1990-91, 1998-99, 2000-01, 2002-03, 2006-07, 2008-09, 2011-12 and 2012-13), though the first nine occurrences all happened in the Missouri Valley Conference. Four of those MVC teams finished first (1990-91, 2000-01, 2008-09, 2012-13), while the other five took second place. Six of those nine Bluejay squads went on to win the MVC Tournament (1990-91, 1998-99, 2002-03, 2006-07, 2011-12, 2012-13) and seven of the nine squads played in the NCAA Tournament (1990-91, 1998-99, 2000-01, 2002-03, 2006-07, 2011-12, 2012-13).
The Bluejays collected eight first-place votes and earned 98 points in the poll. Xavier was picked second in the poll with 86 points, including two first-place votes. Villanova, the defending BIG EAST Tournament champion, was one point behind Xavier with 85 points and received one first-place vote from the men's basketball head coaches, who did not vote for their own teams. Connecticut was picked fourth with 77 points and Providence was fifth with 62 points. St. John's and Seton Hall finished sixth and seventh with 62 and 52 points, respectively. Butler was eighth with 36 points, four points ahead of ninth-place Marquette with 32 points. Georgetown was 10th with 21 points and DePaul 11th with 12 points.
Creighton, the only league team to return three double-figure scorers from last season, finished 23-12 overall and 12-7 in BIG EAST play. The Bluejays advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. For 2022-23, they will be led by junior center Ryan Kalkbrenner, who is a Preseason All-BIG EAST selection. Guard Ryan Nembhard, the BIG EAST Freshman of the Year, and forward Arthur Kaluma earned Preseason All-BIG EAST Second Team recognition. Transfer Baylor Scheierman, who was the Summit League Player of the Year, made Preseason All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention.
This year marks the first time that Creighton has had more than two players land on the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team, and comes 12 months after Creighton had no one selected prior to the 2021-22 campaign.
Connecticut's Adama Sanogo was named 2022-23 BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year by a vote of the league's head coaches. Villanova forward Cam Whitmore was chosen BIG EAST Preseason Freshman of the Year. The coaches, who were not permitted to select their own players, also chose an All-BIG EAST First Team, All-BIG EAST Second Team and All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention.
Sanogo, a 6-9 junior, ranked seventh in the BIG EAST last season in scoring with a 15.1 average. He led the league in rebounding with a 9.7 mark and was first in field goal shooting, making 50.9 percent. Sanogo was an All-BIG EAST First Team selection in 2021-22 while helping the Huskies to a 23-10 overall record, a 13-6 BIG EAST mark and an NCAA Tournament bid. As a freshman two seasons ago, the native of Bamako, Mali, made the BIG EAST All-Freshman Team and BIG EAST All-Tournament Team.
Whitmore, a highly rated prep recruit from Odenton, Md., was the Most Outstanding Player of the USA Basketball U18 team that won the FIBA U18 Americas Championship this past summer. The 6-7 forward was a McDonald's All-America selection and the Gatorade Maryland Player of the Year at Archbishop Spalding High School.
Creighton is the only team in the league to match or exceed its preseason projection every season since joining the BIG EAST in 2013-14. The Bluejays seek an eighth straight finish in the top four of the league standings. Last year's team was predicted to finish eighth in the BIG EAST, then ended up in fourth. Three years ago, a team picked seventh in the BIG EAST's preseason poll went 13-5 in league play to share its first league title with Villanova and Seton Hall. That Bluejay team ended the year ranked seventh in the entire nation.
Creighton opens the season with an Oct. 30 exhibition vs. Drury before opening the regular-season on Nov. 7 against St. Thomas. Season and single-game tickets are now available at http://GoCreighton.com/buy.
BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year
Adama Sanogo, Connecticut, F, Jr., 6-9, 245, Bamako, Mali
BIG EAST Preseason Freshman of the Year
Cam Whitmore, Villanova, F, Fr., 6-7, 232, Odenton, Md.
Preseason All-BIG EAST First Team
Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton, C, Jr., 7-1, 260, St. Louis, Mo.
Jared Bynum, Providence, G, Gr., 5-10, 180, Largo, Md.
Posh Alexander, St. John's, G, Jr., 6-0, 200, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Colby Jones, Xavier, G, Jr., 6-6, 207, Birmingham, Ala.
Jack Nunge, Xavier, F, Gr., 7-0, 245, Newburgh, Ind.
Preseason All-BIG EAST Second Team^
Arthur Kaluma, Creighton, F, So., 6-7, 225, Glendale, Ariz.
Ryan Nembhard, Creighton, G, So., 6-0, 170, Aurora, Ont.
Kadary Richmond, Seton Hall, G, Jr., 6-6, 210, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Caleb Daniels, Villanova, G, Gr., 6-4, 210, New Orleans, La.
Eric Dixon, Villanova, F, R-Jr., 6-8, 255, Willow Grove, Pa.
Justin Moore, Villanova, G, Sr., 6-4, 215, Fort Washington, Md.
Preseason All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention
Chuck Harris, Butler, G, Jr., 6-2, 200, Ashburn, Va.
Baylor Scheierman, Creighton, F, Sr., 6-7, 205, Aurora, Neb.
Cam Whitmore, Villanova, F, Fr., 6-7, 232, Odenton, Md.
^Tie in the voting created an extra position on the Second Team.
| 2022-23 Preseason BIG EAST Coaches Poll First-place votes in parentheses |
||
| Rank | Team | Points |
| 1. | Creighton (8) | 98 |
| 2. | Xavier (2) | 86 |
| 3. | Villanova (1) | 85 |
| 4. | Connecticut | 77 |
| 5. | Providence | 62 |
| 6. | St. John's | 52 |
| 7. | Seton Hall | 44 |
| 8. | Butler | 36 |
| 9. | Marquette | 32 |
| 10. | Georgetown | 21 |
| 11. | DePaul | 12 |
| Creighton's BIG EAST Preseason Poll History | |||
| Year | Preseason Pick | Actual Finish | Preseason All-BIG EAST Picks |
| 2013-14 | 3rd | 2nd | Doug McDermott (POY; 1st) |
| 2014-15 | 9th | T-9th | None |
| 2015-16 | 9th | 6th | None |
| 2016-17 | 3rd | T-3rd | Maurice Watson Jr. (1st); Marcus Foster (HM) |
| 2017-18 | 5th | T-3rd | Marcus Foster (1st); Khyri Thomas (HM) |
| 2018-19 | 9th | T-3rd | Martin Krampelj ((HM) |
| 2019-20 | 7th | T-1st | Ty-Shon Alexander (1st) |
| 2020-21 | 2nd | 2nd | Marcus Zegarowski (POY, 1st); Mitch Ballock (2nd) |
| 2021-22 | 8th | 4th | None |
| 2022-23 | 1st | TBD | Ryan Kalkbrenner (1st), Arthur Kaluma (2nd), Ryan Nembhard (2nd), Baylor Scheierman (HM) |
Players Mentioned
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