2022-23 Big East Preview
Tremendous star power highlights the Big East conference for 2022-23
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There’s no shortage of star power in the Big East conference for the 2022-23 season. The race for the conference title will be highlighted by some of the biggest names in the sport.
Of course, UConn and its wealth of talent are a big part of that discussion (more on that shortly), but the two most proven players in the conference entering the 2022-23 season don’t hail from the Huskies.
Among those names is Maddy Siegrist, the reigning Big East Player of the Year and the preseason Player of the Year for 2022-23. The Villanova senior also received votes for the AP All-American preseason team after earning third-team honors last year. Siegrist averaged 25.3 points per game (second in the country) last season to go along with 9.2 rebounds per game. She also ranked in the top 10 in the nation for total win shares despite playing in only 27 games due to an early-season hand injury.
Her offensive dominance, including nine games of 30 or more points last season, led Villanova to a second-place finish in the Big East, an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament and a trip to the second round (behind a 25-point performance from Siegrist). The Wildcats are picked to finish third in the Big East this season and received votes in the AP preseason poll. With a relatively young roster around Siegrist, Villanova could exceed expectations this year.
The 2022 Big East Freshman of the Year, DePaul’s Aneesah Morrow, also had a strong case for conference Player of the Year last season. Morrow’s standout first season in college basketball earned her a spot on the preseason AP All-American team, following a second-team spot last season. She was also, unsurprisingly, a unanimous preseason All-Big East selection.
Morrow was a double-double machine last season, leading the country with 13.8 rebounds per game (despite standing at only 6-foot-1) while averaging 21.9 points per game (11th in the country). Morrow also led the nation in offensive rebounds per game and ranked eighth in offensive rebound rate, a welcome addition to a DePaul squad that tends to rely heavily on a fast pace and 3-point shooting. Her 27 double-doubles ranked second in the country, behind only Aliyah Boston. She also recorded 18 games with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds, the most in Division I last season and tied for the eighth most such games in a single season (since 2009-10) - as only a freshman.
While more impressive numbers in her sophomore season might seem impractical following an incredible freshman year, DePaul will lean even more on Morrow this season after losing many key pieces from last year’s backcourt to graduation or transfers. The Blue Demons, who were picked tied for fourth in the preseason Big East poll and also received votes in the preseason AP poll, success will run through Morrow once again this year.
The final Big East player getting votes as a preseason AP All-American was UConn’s Azzi Fudd. The top-ranked recruit nationally last season had an up-and-down freshman year, complicated by a lingering foot injury. Even so, she’s proven her ability as an elite shooter. She shot 43 percent from beyond the arc in her freshman campaign, which ranked 11th in the nation among players with five or more attempts per game. In the absence of Paige Bueckers, the Huskies will look to Fudd to take a big step forward in her sophomore year and lead this UConn squad.
Even without Bueckers, the Huskies still start the season as unanimous favorites to win the Big East. While Villanova and DePaul can compete with the star power, UConn’s depth of talent is still unmatched in the conference. Sophomore Caroline Ducharme and junior Aaliyah Edwards also appear on the preseason All-Big East team and the national positional award watchlists for the Cheryl Miller and Katrina McClain Awards, respectively. (Note: Morrow and Siegrist also appear on the McClain watchlist). Dorka Juhász was also named an honorable mention for the preseason All-Big East team and listed on the Lisa Leslie Award watch list.
The team picked to finish behind the Huskies in the Big East may not have any preseason All-Americans, but it does have what should be a household name after the 2022 NCAA Tournament. Creighton exploded onto the national scene in March after reaching the Elite Eight following high-profile upsets over Iowa and Iowa State. As a result of their March Madness success last season, the Bluejays enter the 2022-23 campaign ranked 21st in the preseason AP poll. Iowa transfer Lauren Jensen, the star of the tournament for Creighton after dropping 19 points against her former team, earned a spot on the preseason All-Big East team. Jensen shot 43.4 percent from three last year, which ranked ninth among players with five or more attempts from beyond the arc per game.
However, the most notable player on the Bluejays’ roster may be Emma Ronsiek. The junior forward was a unanimous preseason All-Big East selection and became the fourth Big East player this year named to the for the Katrina McClain Award preseason watchlist. Ronsiek averaged 13.9 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists last year. She scored 20 or more points on seven occasions last season in a very balanced offensive system. Ronsiek may be the most important piece as the Bluejays look to build on last year’s success.
One final name from the Big East has gained traction on the national level ahead of the season. Lauren Park-Lane, another unanimous preseason All-Big East selection, earned a spot on the Nancy Lieberman watchlist for the nation’s best point guard. The Seton Hall senior is one of the most explosive point guards in the country, with her incredible speed making up for what she lacks in size at just 5-foot-3. She averaged 18.4 points and 6.7 assists per game last season for Seton Hall. Her 6.7 assists per contest ranked fifth in the nation, her assist rate was in the top one percent and her assist-to-turnover ratio was in the top two percent.
Park-Lane is not the only Seton Hall player with a preseason All-Big East nod; fifth-year player Sidney Cooks also made the cut. Cooks, who averaged 15.3 points and 7.8 rebounds per game last season, creates a great duo alongside Park-Lane and helped Seton Hall earn a tie for the fourth spot in the preseason Big East poll following a run to the 2022 WNIT championship game.
It’s likely that come March a couple more Big East names will emerge onto the national scene. Which players make the leap could be critical in determining how the middle of the conference finishes. Some names to keep an eye on include Marquette’s Jordan King, Providence’s Janai Crooms, and St. John’s Kadaja Bailey - all of whom also appear on the Big East’s preseason all-conference team.
Big East conference play tips off early this year, with an early matchup between Creighton and Xavier on November 25. Conference play begins for the rest of the Big East during the first weekend of December.
Dano Mataya and Ice Young have also previewed the Big East on our Dice It Up podcast. Check out those episodes here:
Mya Bembry, Lauren Park-Lane & Sidney Cooks of Seton Hall | Dice it Up 13
Butler University Head Coach Austin Parkinson on the new era of Bulldog Basketball | Dice it Up 14
Thanks for reading the Her Hoop Stats Newsletter. If you like our work, be sure to check out our stats site, our podcast, and our social media accounts on Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also buy Her Hoop Stats gear, such as laptop stickers, mugs, and shirts!