Nobody knows who Deonta Vaughn is, but the junior is probably the most dominant player in the Big East. No single player in the Big East with the exception of maybe Luke Harangody takes over more games and single handily wins them. Vaughn averaged 17.3 points per game for a team that couldn't score to save its life.
Vaughn won't receive much help from the remaining returning Bearcats, but it's the incoming JUCO transfers, Division I transfers, and freshmen that will bring new life to the 'Nati basketball team.
Junior Nick Aldridge only averaged 18 points per game for West Carolina two seasons ago. Not too shabby eh? (Ed. Thanks to Jux for pointing out Aldridge recently didn't qualify academically for UC)
Senior Mike Williams enters the Bearcats from the University of Texas and will help provide depth in the frontcourt.
Freshman guard Cashmere Wright and forward Yancy Gates are two of the most over-looked freshmen in the Big East. Wright will prove to be a perfect compliment to Deonta Vaughn because of Wright's ability to drive and finish or drive and pitch.
Yancy Gates is the highest profile prospect to come out of the actual city of Cincinnati in years. Keeping him in town is the biggest success of the short Mick Cronin era.
So where does this leave Cincinnati?
Despite the collection of impressive players, the Bearcats will still be left in the dust wondering how will they catch up to the rest of the top tier Big East teams.
UC will surely regress in the win column from the 2008, but will most likely still improve as a team. A finish higher than tenth in the conference would be shocking.
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The St. John's name used to carry a lot of prestige, and to basketball traditionalists, it still does, but to those new to the game in the 21st Century, Red Storm basketball is a joke.
Mike Jarvis sent this team spiraling downwards in a hurry. Now Norm Roberts has been left to try to pick up the pieces.
It would seem like a school that plays in the Big East conference, that has a rich history, plays in New York City, and plays home games in the most recognizable arena in the world, Madison Square Garden, shouldn't have trouble attracting players.
But a string of poor recruiting classes, busts, and injuries have left St. John's wondering when they'll ever get back to the promise land.
While the current recruiting class is a solid class, it lacks a major superstar that can help Norm Roberts re-brand the program. He needs to be able to keep the best players from New York City in New York City in order to make the Johnnies consistent winners.
The emergence of numerous Big East powerhouses as well as strong Mid-Atlantic and Northeast mid-majors has made it very difficult for St. John's to hand pick the best players from the great New York City area.
What Roberts does have working for him is a core group of players that consists of seven sophomores and one stand-out senior.
Anthony Mason Jr. has struggled through injuries, but if healthy should be primed to make his final year as a Johnnie a memorable one. Mason Jr. played in only 22 games last year, but made a significant impact as the team's leading scorer at 14 points per game.
In 2008, the Red Storm will be fighting it out with South Florida to stay out of the conference's cellar.
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