2025-26 College Basketball Conference Preview: Big East Fantasy Outlook

The Big East sent five teams to March Madness last season (St. John's, Marquette, UConn, Creighton and Xavier), yet none of those teams made it to the Sweet 16. After a disappointing postseason, the majority of the conference will look very different in the 2025-26 season than it did just a few months ago.

Of the Top 10 Players ranked in last season's conference preview, only two players are back for another season in the Big East (Alex Karaban & Bryce Hopkins), and Hopkins transferred from Providence to St. John's. Long-time Big East stars Ryan Kalkbrenner, Zach Freemantle, Kam Jones, Kadary Richmond and Eric Dixon graduated. Jayden Epps and Pop Isaacs found new homes in the transfer portal, and RJ Luis and Liam McNeely left for the NBA. Needless to say, there are a lot of gaps to fill across the conference.

In a conference well known for elite coaching, two programs have new faces on the sidelines. Villanova stole Kevin Willard away from Maryland to replace a struggling Kyle Neptune, and Xavier saw Sean Miller walk away for Texas and replaced him with Richard Pitino, the son of St. John's head coach Rick Pitino.

With UConn and St. John's having a legitimate shot at a National Championship, and the likes of Georgetown, Butler, Providence, DePaul and Seton Hall fighting to get back to relevancy, the Big East will be as interesting as ever in the 2025/26 season. Here's a look at some of the top players to watch in this new era of Big East basketball.

For up-to-the-minute updates on injuries, roles and overall player performance, head to RotoWire's latest college basketball news page or follow @RotoWireCBB on X.

Top Big East Players:

Overall: Alex Karaban, F, Connecticut

While there are multiple players in consideration for this spot, including his teammate Solo Ball, there is no safer bet than Alex Karaban. Heading into his fourth collegiate season, the two-time National Champion is perhaps the most experienced player in the country. Across the last three seasons he has started every single game but three and has improved across each campaign. He set career highs in points, rebounds, assists and blocks last season while playing nearly 36 minutes per game, and there's no reason to believe that usage will not continue in the 2025-26 season. His shooting splits took a slight dip last season (43.8/34.7/82.8), however he proved in past seasons that he is capable of very high efficiency. He also added muscle to his upper body in the offseason, so the 6-foot-8 forward could be even more of a force in the paint and on the defensive end. With an ability to lead the conference in scoring and fill up the rest of the box score, Karaban has a great chance to finish as the Big East's top player.

Also Considered: Solo Ball, G, Connecticut; Bryce Hopkins, F, St. John's; Zuby Ejiofor, F/C, St. John's; Jason Edwards, G, Providence; Malik Mack, G, Georgetown

Scoring: Solo Ball, G, Connecticut

One would be hard pressed to find a more consistent scorer than Husky guard Solo Ball. He started all 35 games last season and failed to score double digit points just three times, and in two of those games he scored eight. He ranked 15th in the conference in scoring with 14.4 points per game, but every single player ahead of him with the exception of Zuby Ejiofor (14.7 points per game) either graduated or transferred out of the Big East, leaving Ball as the frontrunner to lead the conference in scoring. He took nearly seven three-pointers per game last season and hit them at a 41 percent clip, and with so much talent on the floor around him he will continue to get good looks.

Also Considered: Jason Edwards, G, Providence; Owen Freeman, F, Creighton; Alex Karaban, F, Connecticut; Bryce Hopkins, F, St. John's; Malik Mack, G, Georgetown; Chase Ross, G, Marquette; Zuby Ejiofor, F/C, St. John's

Rebounds: Tarris Reed, F/C, Connecticut

Reed ranked third in the conference in rebounding last season behind Ryan Kalkbrenner and Zuby Ejiofor despite making just one start across 35 appearances and averaging 19.9 minutes per game. With last season's starter Samson Johnson gone, Reed is set to be the Huskies starting center and figures to see an increase in production as a result. He's already proven to be an elite rebounder as a starter for Michigan during the 2023/24 season, as well as with Connecticut last season where he logged double digit rebounds in nine games and recorded eight double-doubles. Four-star freshman center Eric Reibe will likely see some playing time and could eat into Reed's minutes, but Reed has already proven he can compete with the best of the best while playing just half of the game.

Also Considered: Zuby Ejiofor, F/C, St. John's; Bryce Hopkins, F, St. John's; N.J. Benson, F, DePaul; Duke Brennan, F, Villanova; Oswin Erhunmwunse, F/C, Providence

Assists: Malik Mack, G, Georgetown

The first non-Husky joins the party, and it's Georgetown point guard Malik Mack. Mack ranked seventh in the Big East last season with 4.3 assists per game, and each of the six players above him graduated or went to the NBA. Following the departure of shooting guard Jayden Epps to Mississippi State, Mack will be the clear focal point of the Hoyas' offense during the 2025/26 season, and should see a jump in usage as a result. The additions of KJ Lewis, Langston Love and Vince Iwuchukwu from the transfer portal gives Mack some weapons to help him run the offense and makes him the clear favorite to lead the conference in assists.

Also Considered: Malachi Smith, G, Connecticut; Dylan Darling, G, St. John's; Adam Clark, G, Seton Hall; Layden Blocker, G, DePaul; Finley Bizjack, G, Butler

Center: Zuby Ejiofor, F/C, St. John's

Now that Ryan Kalkbrenner's reign has ended, it's time for a new center to emerge as the cream of the crop in the Big East. Although he is technically listed as a forward, Ejiofor will play center this season following the addition of power forward Bryce Hopkins in the transfer portal. Ejiofor is coming off a great season with the Johnnies where he averaged 14.7 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.9 steals and 1.4 blocks across 31.7 minutes per game. He logged 10 double-doubles and had another eight games where he was just one rebound away. It's unclear yet how the addition of Hopkins will impact Ejiofor's statistical output, but it will almost surely make him more efficient. A frontcourt of Ejiofor and Hopkins is set to give opponents nightmares, and in theory it should make it even easier for Ejiofor to score. He will be competing for the Big East scoring title, rebounding title and blocks title, making him an easy choice in this spot.

Also Considered: Tarris Reed, F/C, Connecticut; Vince Iwuchukwu, C, Georgetown; Owen Freeman, F/C, Creighton; Oswin Erhunmwunse, F/C, Providence; Godswill Erheriene, C, Seton Hall

Freshman: Acaden Lewis, G, Villanova

Lewis, a four-star recruit who ranked as the fifth-best point guard prospect in the country, is set to lead the Wildcats into a new era under head coach Kevin Willard. Lewis was initially committed to Kentucky, but flipped his commitment to Villanova in May once Willard was officially in town. The 6-foot-2 lefty is praised for his handle, long-range shooting and passing. There's plenty of talent around him now so he should have space to shoot a high volume of threes as well as find teammates for open looks. No other Big East freshman is set to have as big of a role as Acaden, especially from the start of the season, so he is a relatively easy choice in this spot.

Also Considered: Braylon Mullins, G, Connecticut; Matthew Hodge, F, Villanova; Nigel James, G, Marquette; Jack McCaffery, F, Butler

Top Big East Transfers:

Bryce Hopkins, F, St. John's

After three seasons with Providence, Hopkins hopped over to St. John's in the transfer portal and now forms the best frontcourt in the conference alongside Zuby Ejiofor. Across 50 games with the Friars, he averaged 16.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.3 blocks, making him one of the most feared players in the conference over that stretch. The concern for him is his health though, as he only played 17 games over the last two seasons including just three during the 2024/25 campaign. He is guaranteed to produce when healthy and he seems to be at the moment, so he will easily be one of the most impactful transfers as long as he's on the court.

Jason Edwards, G, Providence

Edwards is now on his fifth collegiate team in as many years and has produced at every stop he's made. He started 24 games (33 appearances) for Vanderbilt last season and scored 17.0 points per game on his way to a third team All-SEC selection. He is a pure and efficient scorer and proved last season that he's able to produce against the best competition in the country. Over the last two seasons he has shot over 35 percent from beyond the arc on over six attempts per game, and he gets to the line over five times per game and converts free throws at an 82 percent clip. He is set to be the focal point of the Friars' offense and could very well lead the Big East in scoring this season.

Dylan Darling, G, St. John's

Darling is coming off an excellent campaign with Idaho, one where he averaged 19.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.7 steals in over 34 minutes per game. It is undeniably a jump in talent from the Big Sky to the Big East, but Darling is in a great position to succeed. With the best frontcourt in the conference consisting of Bryce Hopkins and Zuby Ejiofor, Darling will have plenty of space to operate on the perimeter and will always have an outlet ready in the paint. While he will not take nearly as many shots as he did with Idaho, he's an efficient scorer and has proven to be an elite playmaker as well. He will likely be among the conference leaders in assists, and his outside scoring ability will be very welcome on a team that desperately needs it.

Owen Freeman, F, Creighton

Freeman was one of the best players in the Big Ten last season with Iowa, that is until a finger surgery forced him to miss the second half of the season. He averaged 16.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in 26.5 minutes per game last season prior to his injury. He transferred to Creighton in the offseason and is now set to be the heir to Ryan Kalkbrenner's throne. There is not much to worry about when Freeman is on the floor, however it's unclear if he'll be there when the season starts. He is currently dealing with a knee injury that will keep him out through most of October and could bleed into the start of the regular season if he suffers any setbacks. If he can get healthy and stay healthy, he will be one of the best front court players in the conference.

Also Considered: Devin Askew, G, Villanova; Silas Demary, G, Connecticut; Nik Graves, G, Creighton; Ian Jackson, G, St. John's; Josh Dix, G, Creighton; Joson Sanon, G, St. John's; Michael Ajayi, F, Butler; Gabriel Pozzato, F, Xavier

Top Big East Sleepers:

Langston Love, G, Georgetown

After four years with the successful Baylor program, Love transferred to Georgetown in the offseason. After dealing with injuries during last season he became an important part of the Baylor team down the stretch and finished the season averaging 8.9 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 0.7 steals across 20 appearances (12 starts). As long as he's healthy, he is set to be a mainstay in the Hoyas' starting lineup and a focal point of the team's plans. With an increased role, the 6-foot-5 wing has a chance to be Georgetown's most important player as they look to dig themselves out of mediocrity.

Zaide Lowery, G, Marquette

Lowery came off the bench 31 times for the Golden Eagles last season and massively improved compared to his freshman campaign. His field-goal percentage jumped by nearly 15 points on double the volume, his three-point percentage jumped to 37.5 percent on nearly two attempts per game, and his free-throw percentage jumped by seven points. After that growth he is now set for an even bigger role and has a good chance to be the team's starting shooting guard heading into the 2025/26 season. That projected increase in playing time, along with how much he improved last season, makes him a player worth monitoring as the start of the season closes in.

Kaleb Banks, F, DePaul

Banks started his career with two seasons as a rotational player with Indiana before joining Tulane last season and lighting it up. He started 32 games and averaged 14.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.8 steals and 1.3 blocks while maintaining strong shooting splits (50.6/34.1/73.1) on decent volume. He proved he could perform against high major opponents too, as his best game of the season came at Florida State where he scored 33 points and grabbed 16 boards. He is now set to start for a DePaul team that is flying under the radar and he has a chance to be one of the team's most productive players.

Top-10 Big East Players*

See how these players stack up among other power conference talent in RotoWire's fantasy college basketball rankings.

1. Alex Karaban, F, Connecticut
2. Solo Ball, G, Connecticut
3. Zuby Ejiofor, F/C, St. John's
4. Bryce Hopkins, F, St. John's
5. Jason Edwards, G, Providence  
6. Dylan Darling, G, St. John's
7. Malik Mack, G, Georgetown
8. Chase Ross, G, Marquette
9. CJ Gunn, G, DePaul  
10. Finley Bizjack, G, Butler

*Note: These rankings are at the discretion of the article author, and may not necessarily correspond with RotoWire's official 2025-26 player rankings.

Big East Projected Team Standings:

1. Connecticut
2. St. John's
3. Creighton
4. Marquette
5. Providence
6. Georgetown
7. Villanova
8. Butler
9. DePaul
10. Xavier
11. Seton Hall

As of right now, UConn and St. John's are the only two teams in the Big East with legitimate National Championship hopes. Both programs are loaded with talent and have excellent coaches at the helm, making them the two clear favorites to win the conference.

Creighton has finished in the top four of the Big East in each of the past nine seasons and that's a trend that should continue. The losses of Ryan Kalkbrenner and Steven Ashworth are significant though, and likely caps the ceiling of the program for this season. Marquette is in a similar position with losing Kam Jones, but Shaka Smart is a coach that prides himself on internal development and he's proven his ability to do so over and over again.

Providence, led by elite scorer Jason Edwards, has a lot of talent but there are still some unknowns. Head coach Kim English is easily the least experienced coach in the conference which makes it difficult to rank the Friars any higher. While there isn't a true star on Georgetown's roster, a core consisting of Malik Mack, KJ Lewis, Langston Love, Jeremiah Williams and Vince Iwuchukwu is easily the best Ed Cooley has had since joining the program, so they should continue on their upward trajectory.

After a few seasons of mediocrity, Villanova is back on the rise with the addition of head coach Kevin Willard. There is a good amount of talent on this roster, headlined by freshman Acaden Lewis, but it will take some time for this team to find its footing. The Thad Matta experiment has not worked as well for Butler as many had hoped, and it seems the program does not have the talent or resources to compete at the top of this conference. Finley Bizjack is an exciting player, but expect another mediocre season for the Bulldogs.

Chris Holtmann took on a massive task of rebuilding DePaul ahead of last season and improved the team's record by 11 wins. This is still not a program ready to fully compete in the Big East, but expect another improved campaign from the Blue Demons. After making the NCAA Tournament last season, Xavier lost its head coach and basically the entire roster. Having another Pitino in the conference will be fun, but it's likely going to take some time for the program to bounce back. Rounding out the conference is Seton Hall coming off a 7-25 season. The Pirates are in the throes of a rebuild and there is not enough talent to finish much higher than last.

For up-to-the-minute updates on injuries, roles and overall player performance, head to RotoWire's latest college basketball news page or follow @RotoWireCBB on X.