Our Tier 1 conference mock drafts roll on as we take a look at the Big East. The one thing that stood out from the rest of mock drafts is how deep the Big East is at the center spot. This was the only draft where everyone seemed to come away with a true center who will contribute. As always, each team picks six players: two guards, two forwards, one center, and one utility player. One of those must be a freshman. Points, rebounds, and assists are our only categories. Let's see how everyone did.
Round 1
1. Lines Open- Tim Abromaitis, F, Notre Dame
2. UAWildcat- Andre Drummond, C, UConn
3. Big Chief- Augustus Gilchrist, C, USF
4. Big5Guy- Jeremy Lamb, F, UConn
5. Asatyss- Ashton Gibbs, G, Pittsburgh
6. Thrash13- Kris Joseph, F, Syracuse
Lines Open selects Tim Abromaitis with the first pick. It's a safe pick, but there is more upside on the board, so I would have went in a different direction. Wildcat grabs the league's best freshmen Andre Drummond. I think 12 points and 6 rebounds per game is a realistic expectation. Perry grabs the number one player on my top ten. A fine choice, but with the different options at center available later in the draft, it wasn't as imperative to grab a center this early as it is in the other leagues' drafts. I was happy Lamb was still there at the fourth spot. After watching him at the U19 World Championships, I think he will be a stud. Gibbs and Joseph are both solid, consistent options to close out the first round.
Round 2
1. Thrash13- Vincent Council, G, Providence
2. Asatyss- Scoop Jardine, G, Syracuse
3. Big5Guy- Mouphtaou Yarou, C, Villanova
4. BigChief- Maalik Wayns, G, Villanova
5. UAWildcat- Darius Johnson-Odom, G, Marquette
6. Lines Open- Alex Oriakhi, F/C, UConn
The second round starts with a run on assists with Council and Jardine. I like Asa's pairing of Gibbs and Jardine. Gibbs is mainly a scorer who usually lacks in assists, so Scoop covers that hole nicely. I grab my center with Mouph Yarou. With Jay Wright's preference to be a more interior oriented team this year, I think this could be a breakout year for him. Perry makes it back to back Villanova picks with Wayns. With the Wildcats' lack of proven depth at guard, Wayns will have the ball in his hands a lot. UAWildcat picks up perhaps the league's best scorer and Lines Open picks up perhaps the league's best rebounder. Nice work.
Round 3
1. Lines Open- Cleveland Melvin, F, DePaul
2. UAWildcat- Yancy Gates, F, Cincinnati
3. Big Chief- Kevin Jones, F, West Virginia
4. Big5Guy- Hollis Thompson, G/F, Georgetown
5. Asatyss- Herb Pope, F, Seton Hall
6. Thrash13- Jae Crowder, Marquette
The third round sees six forwards go off the board. As I mentioned in my Big East predictions, Melvin is a stud. I must say I really like Lines Open's combo of Abromaitis, Melvin, and Oriahki. That's solid. Gates is one of those boring, but still effective picks. Kevin Jones is a boom/bust pick. The Mountaineers don't have much else this year, so I think that's a risk worth taking in round 3 by Perry. My man crush for Hollis Thompson has already been documented. I see a big year for him. Herb Pope had trouble recovering from his heart condition last season. If he's feeling better and not punching guys in the groin, Asa has a great rebounder. Jae Crowder is a nice pick at the end of the round. He should see a bump in production with Jimmy Butler gone.
Round 4
1. Thrash13- Peyton Siva, G, Louisville
2. Asatyss- Norvel Pelle, F/C, St. John's
3. Big5Guy- Brandon Young, G, DePaul
4. Big Chief- Chane Behanan, F, Louisville
5. UAWildcat- Jason Clark, G, Georgetown
6. Lines Open- Michael Carter-Williams, G, Syracuse
Siva can be inconsistent, but should be a good source of assists for Thrash. He gives himself a good chance in that category each week with Siva and Vincent Council. Pelle would be a nice pick, but he is ineligible for the first semester and it is questionable if he ever plays for the Johnnies. I grabbed Brandon Young here and in our first Tier 1 conference mock draft, so needless to say I'm fond of his abilities. Perry grabs the conference's second best freshmen in my opinion with Behanan. With Austin Freeman and Chris Wright gone, Jason Clark is a nice grab at this point of the draft. Syracuse has a crowded backcourt, so I'm not sure how much Michael Carter-Williams will play.
Round 5
1. Lines Open- Jordan Theodore, G, Seton Hall
2. UAWildcat- Dominic Cheek, G, Villanova
3. Big Chief- God's Gift Achiuwa, F, St. John's
4. Big5Guy- Maurice Harkless, F, St. John's
5. Asatyss- Khem Birch, F, Pittsburgh
6. Thrash13- Bilal Dixon, F/C, Providence
Jordan Theodore is an underrated option that will help Lines Open after he went all front court with his first three picks. I'm not thrilled with the Cheek pick. He struggled with his shooting last season, and I think James Bell could cut into his playing time. God's Gift and Harkless should be the beneficiaries of St. John's eligibility issues in the frontcourt. Asa picks up a second freshman with Khem Birch. He is highly touted and the Panthers have to replace Brad Wanamaker, Gary McGhee, and Gilbert Brown. All three were solid rebounders. The Bilal Dixon pick proves my point about center depth in the Big East. Useful centers like Dixon were not available this late in the other mock drafts.
Round 6
1. Thrash13- Malcolm Gilbert, C, Pittsburgh
2. Asatyss- Shabazz Napier, G, UConn
3. Big5Guy- Gilvydas Biruta, F, Rutgers
4. Big Chief- Blake Nash, G, USF
5. UAWildcat- Nate Lubick, F, Georgetown
6. Lines Open- Brandon Triche, G, Syracuse
I'm not sure how much Gilbert will contribute this year, but he's big, and Thrash needs a freshman, so why not? Napier is a nice pick. Asa adds another assist guy to go with the scorer Gibbs. Biruta adds some rebounds and the always important grit factor to my team. I like Perry's pick of Blake Nash. Nash had some impressive high school numbers, and a chance to play with Anthony Crater's dismissal. Lubick is a warm body that I don't really see making a big impact. Lines Open adds his second guard from Syracuse. Triche should put up respectable numbers this year.
Since I'm the Big East guy here at CFHI, I'd like to think I have the best team, but I'm weak in assists with Brandon Young being my only point guard. If I could do it again, I probably would have drafted a guy like Sean Kilpatrick to pair with Young. At the risk of sounding like a brown noser, I think Perry's (Big Chief) team is the best top to bottom. He has a nice blend of experience and upside. As I mentioned before, Lines Open has the best frontcourt with Abromaitis, Oriahki, and Melvin. Asa's team (Asatyss) has the best backcourt trio with Gibbs, Jardine, and Napier. I want to thank everyone who participated. Feel free to email me at hsmall111@gmail.com and let me know what you think of the draft.