While it will be difficult for this year’s Big East to match the number of teams they put in last season, they are still one of the best conferences in basketball with four of the top ten teams in the country. UConn, Syracuse, Louisville, and Pittsburgh all return enough to challenge for a National Championship. And, Cincinnati, Marquette, and Villanova will also likely earn bids.

The following is a list of the top professional prospects in one of the nation’s best conferences.

Ashton Gibbs: Gibbs is probably the best returning player in the Big East. Last season, he was the 17^th most efficient player in the nation. (and 2^nd in the Big East) This is due in large part to the fact that he shot a scorching 64.3% TS%, while connecting on 49% of his three point attempts. Gibbs must distribute the ball more this season, as he attempts to shift over to the point guard slot. This will mean that he also has to attack the basket more often. A season ago, he did not slash enough and failed to draw a significant amount of fouls. If he can change this aspect of his game, he could actually increase his scoring output, as he shoots 89% at the charity stripe.

Tim Abromaitis: This sweet shooting big man is one of the most efficient returning players in the conference. He ranked 8^th in the Big East in Offensive Rating and was 7^th in the conference with a 56.1% Effective Field Goal %. Not only is he capable of spotting up on the block, but Abromaitis was particularly proficient from behind the three point arc, where he connected on 42.9% of his attempts. With that said, Abromaitis is a weak rebounder for a player his size, finishing 25^th in Defensive Rebounding % and 56^th in Offensive Rebounding %. He will need to improve these numbers and develop more of a defensive presence in his final season if he hopes to receive any looks from NBA scouts.

Dante Taylor: Taylor is looking to have a breakout year after suffering through knee injuries in 2010-2011. With his clean bill of health, Taylor should play more fluidly on the block. He has some nice post moves in his arsenal, including a jump hook shot that is very tough to defend. Look for him to have a big year on both ends of the floor.

Talib Zanna: Zanna is the other returning big man for Pitt that is poised for a good year. He also suffered some injuries, which slowed him down towards the end of the year, but is prepared for a productive season. Zanna is fairly explosive and will function as a solid defensive option, playing sound positional defense and also blocking shots when necessary.

Khem Birch: Birch is Pittsburgh’s prized freshman. He is a raw athlete that can finish with the best of them. Offensively, he has to hone his post moves before he can move on to the next level. With that said, few players share his combination of size and explosive leaping ability. Not only will he be fun to watch, but he should get some looks from scouts on potential alone.

Andre Drummond: Drummond is the top recruit entering the Big East season who reclassified to play this year. Not only is he physically ready for Big East play- which is saying something- but he will likely establish himself as a dominant presence inside from day 1. Scouts love his physicality, and it has been said that he is the best big man prospect since Greg Oden. Not only does Drummond have the mobility and size that makes scouts drool, but he also has the basketball IQ to finish plays. Look for him to have a remarkable season in the Big East and lead UConn to another Final Four appearance. 

Jeremy Lamb: Lamb is the unquestioned leader of his Huskies squad. After a notable freshman year in which he finished 13^th in the Big East in Offensive Efficiency, Lamb played for Team USA’s U-19 squad in the World Championships. There he led Team USA in scoring despite their poor showing in that tournament.  Offensively, Lamb is a capable jump shooter who finished 10^th in the Big East with an Effective Field Goal % of 54.8%. On the opposite end, Lamb has solid defensive tools, with exceptional length and quickness. If he can assert himself on this end like he showed in NCAA tournament play, UConn will thrive.

Maalik Wayns: After having an up and down year in 2010-2011, Wayns has been given the reigns as Villanova’s lead guard for this season. A year ago, he struggled at times with poor decision making and would disappear in big games. He also split time at point guard with Corey Fisher, which was not beneficial because they both share a similar style of play. Wayns will likely improve his offensive efficiency from the field this season by looking to attack the basket, which is his greatest strength. He finished 8^th in the Big East in Fouls Drawn last season. Finally, Wayns will likely be effective at running the Villanova offense and distributing the basketball, as evinced by his Assist Rate, which was the 3^rd highest in the Big East last season.  

Mouphtao Yarou: Coming off of a shortened freshman season, Yarou made noticeable strides on both ends of the floor last year.  Yarou was one of the best offensive rebounders in the conference, finishing 5^th in the Big East in Offensive Rebounding %. Further, he was aggressive on the defensive glass and ranked 7^th in the conference by the season’s end. In terms of offensive development, Yarou must demonstrate improved footwork on the block, as he relied predominantly on jump hooks and basket cuts as his main source of offense.  He did show flashes of this last year, but was never consistent as a post scoring option. On the defensive end, Yarou is a work in progress, but does show some good positional defensive fundamentals. Look for him to breakout this season and to establish himself as a legitimate low block scorer.

Myles Mack: The gem of Rutger’s solid 2011 recruiting class is a winner, having played for some of the nation’s best high school teams over the years. While he has not exhibited prototypical court vision for a point guard, Mack is a capable offensive weapon who is a willing passer.  Further, Mack is adept at scoring the basketball, and can hit shots off the dribble or off the catch. In time, he should become one of the more coveted small guards in college basketball if he can transition to a role as more of a natural distributor. For now, though, he is one of the elite shooting threats in the Big East. On the defensive end, he has quick feet and should be able to develop into a pesky defender. However, projecting at the next level, he will run into some difficulty against bigger, stronger guards who will be able to shoot over the top of him.

Darius Johnson-Odom: DJO had a decent Junior year, wherein he was able to hit some big shots for his team, while staying aggressive on both ends of the floor. With that said, he is a 6’2 combo guard and this will limit his potential at the next level. While he may be able to distribute the ball (as proven by his above average Assist Rate), DJO still clearly has a scorer’s mentality. However, if he hopes to transition to the point guard role, he has demonstrated decent court vision at times and has a good Turnover Rate given his high usage; he was 31^st in Big East in this category despite ranking 9th in % Shots.  In terms of his shooting touch, DJO took a step back last year, as his Effective Shooting % declined from 56.4% to 51.1%. But, he was able to become more of a threat attacking the basket and finished 15^th in the Big East in Fouls Drawn. This was due in large part to his physical development. On the defensive end, he is extremely aggressive and has the hands and strength to cause problems at the next level.

Chris Otule: Very few in the basketball community are tabbing Chris Otule as a potential breakout candidate in the Big East. However, he has always had the physical tools to be effective. The 6’11 forward redshirted for what would have been his sophomore season after breaking his foot. And, the year before that, he rarely saw the court. Thus, 2010-2011 was the first season in which he received more than 10 minutes per game of playing time. And in those minutes, he was somewhat effective on the offensive glass, finishing 17^th in the Big East in Offensive.  Further, he displayed a rather limited offensive arsenal on the block. This should improve in his second season with increased minutes. Defensively, Otule has excellent size and good athleticism, and this has made him one of the Big East’s most coveted shot blockers. He finished 2^nd in the conference in Blocks % a season ago. Look for him to make significant strides on the offensive end and receive some more attention from scouts.

Hollis Thompson: Thompson had an excellent sophomore campaign for the Hoyas. Now, he appears ready to become the go-to weapon for his club. Last season, he finished 3^rd in the Big East and 38^th in the nation in Offensive Rating. He shot a blistering 63.0% Effective Field Goal % and hit 45.7% of his 3 point attempts. Therein, it appears that he has the tools on the offensive end to transition to the wing at the next level. However, he is not particularly effective creating his shot off the dribble, although it was difficult to evaluate this aspect of the game due to his low usage. (16.1% of Georgetown possessions) He is capable of finishing around the basket, and is a decent scorer inside. On the defensive end, he may not have the lateral quickness to defend NBA small forwards, but he has the length to disrupt the passing lanes and cause some problems. Look for Thompson to have a productive season, but for his efficiency numbers to decline a bit due to an increased role in the offense. 

Dion Dixon: Dixon is the Bearcats’ top backcourt player. He provides the requisite leadership and offensive prowess for his Cincy squad. He was the 20^th most efficient offensive player in the Big East and shot a solid 49.1% Effective Field Goal %. Dixon must improve upon his 35.6% three point % though. If he hopes to play at the next level, he must also look to distribute the basketball more often. He is a capable passer already and is a good decision maker with the ball in his hands, as evinced by his low Turnover Rate.  Defensively, Dixon has good fundamentals and the necessary length to cause problems. He does a good job of not gambling, finishing with 1.88 Fouls Committed per 40 Minutes. (5^th in the Big East) Dixon must look to become more of a facilitator this season if he hopes to reach his potential at the next level.  

Yancy Gates: Gates is a skilled big man with the physical profile of an NBA power forward. While he must work to improve his overall offensive efficiency, Gates did shoot a 51.7% Effective Field Goal % last season and demonstrated that he can step out and hit the occasional perimeter jumper. However, the fact that he took these shots brings to light a rather glaring weakness in his game- namely that he fails to utilize his body properly on the block. Despite his chiseled physique, Gates prefers to avoid contact and rarely uses his body to score, regularly opting for fade away shots instead. With that said, Gates is a good rebounder on the defensive end, finishing 4^th in the Big East in Defensive Rebounding %. He must use his body to clear space and grab more offensive boards though. On the defensive end, Gates is a capable shot blocker, ranking 12^th in the Big East in Blocks %. But, he has historically tended to get into foul trouble at times. However, he has made considerable strides in this area since entering the Big East, committing 0.8 less fouls per 40 minutes.

Peyton Siva: Siva is one of the most electric point guards in the Big East, and some have said that he could be in for a Kemba-like season. While that statement borders on hyperbole, he should be one of the best players in his conference. Siva is an excellent distributor, coming in 2^nd in the Big East in Assist Rate, largely because he is capable of attacking the basket due to his elite quickness. Siva is also able to get to the line once he gets in the lane. On the defensive end, Siva has very quick hands and finished 2^nd in the Big East in % Steals. Overall, look for Peyton Siva to have an All Conference season for the Cardinals and to earn some looks from scouts.

Gorgui Dieng: After a decent freshman year, Dieng has made some noticeable improvements and is poised for a breakout season. The 6’10 forward is first and foremost a solid athlete with the physical tools to play at the next level. He is tough enough to finish through contact and should have a strong season on the glass for Louisville. Additionally, while he is sometimes out of position on the defensive end, Dieng also demonstrates some promise due to his decent length and anticipation. Expect him to have a big season and for Louisville to exceed expectations if they are able to avoid more injuries.

Kris Joseph: While Joseph did not live up to the high expectations last season, he did demonstrate some noticeable improvements which will likely help him succeed at the next level. While he thrives in transition, Joseph also improved as a long range shooter last season, hitting 36.6% of his attempts after connecting on only 22% of them the season before. He shot well overall with a 52.2% Effective Field Goal %. On the defensive end, Joseph has solid fundamentals and is disruptive. He had the 16^th best Steals % in the Big East, while managing to commit only 2.29 fouls per 40 minutes. (good for 22^nd in the conference) Overall, Joseph must continue to make strides shooting the ball and attacking the basket. If he can become more efficient, he will earn a first round selection in next year’s draft.

Brandon Triche: Triche is Syracuse’s starting combo guard who shares time at the point guard slot. He is a solid jump shooter with a 50% Effective Field Goal %. While he also excels as a free throw shooter, Triche struggles getting to the line, finishing towards the bottom half of the Big East in Fouls Drawn. This is because he is fairly limited athletically. With that said, Triche is a strong guard who can finish through contact when he does get to the rim. And, while Triche is a fairly good passer (29^th in Big East in Assist Rate), he plays alongside one of the Big East’s better distributors.  Therein, it will likely be another season before NBA scouts can most accurately gauge Triche’s ability to play as a pro point guard. On the defensive end, Triche is very aggressive and utilizes his strength advantage against smaller guards. However, his limited athleticism and vertical quickness will hurt him at the next level.

Gus Gilchrist: Gilchrist is a strong interior presence who regularly finishes through contact. He was 3^rd in the Big East in Fouls Drawn, and relies heavily on his trips to the line. When he gets there, he connects on 70% of his attempts. If he can improve in this area, he could become significantly more productive. After becoming USF’s unquestioned offensive leader, Gilchrist’s efficiency suffered due to his high usage. (he took almost 30% of his team’s shots) Gilchrist must focus more on his post game in order to convince scouts that he can be effective on the block in the NBA. Further, Gilchrist is a good rebounder (22^nd in the Big East in Offensive and Defensive Rebounding %), but could stand to improve in this area. Defensively, Gilchrist physically challenges his opponents, but has a tendency to gamble. This often gets him into foul trouble.  

Kevin Jones: After a disappointing year in 2010-2011, Jones is looking to bounce back and receive some looks from pro scouts. His shooting numbers declined considerably last year, as his Effective Field Goal % dipped from 57.6% to 48.6%. Further, he was not all that impressive in the post last season either. Instead, he excelled cutting to the basket and finishing plays. While his offensive game can use some polish, Jones excels on defense. He has good post fundamentals and is physical inside. He generally plays more position defense and rarely gambles. This is evinced by the fact that he ranked 19^th in the Big East in Fouls Committed and had a fairly low Blocks % for a big man. His low blocks numbers are also due in large part to the fact that he is not an explosive leaper in the first place. Overall, Jones might be able to earn a spot on an NBA roster as a garbage player who can hit spot up jumpers, but his lack of athleticism will limit his ceiling.