College Basketball's 10 Best in the Big East Read Per SI.Com

[CaribouJim]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/1210/cbb-10-best-players-big-east/content.1.html

Not getting the Jack Cooley hype. Four from 'Ville in their top 10 - not so sure about Blackshear. I would put Behanan @ 1.

[Markedman]

I have to say that is a pretty weak top 10 when compared to the talent the BE has had in other years.

[Alan Bykowski, "brewcity77"]

If you aren't getting the Jack Cooley hype, you must not watch any games that don't feature Marquette. I hate the Irish, but Cooley transformed into an absolute beast last year. He posted 13 double-doubles, and his numbers are even more impressive when you look at what he did in Big East play. 14.6 ppg and 10.2 rpg. He is without a doubt the best returning big in the league and he probably should have been #3 in POY voting last year. It was a sham that he wasn't first team all-Big East, I don't care if Kris Joseph was on the team that won the league, Cooley was by far the more dominant player.

Honestly, I don't see how Cooley isn't the preseason Player of the Year. Siva was a fine player last year, but he wasn't close to being as good as Cooley.

[bleedbluegold03]

I'll bounce a statement the other way. I think Peyton Siva is vastly, vastly overrated.

Last year he averaged over 3 TOs a game (though I'd be remiss not to mention a 1.65 A/O ratio) and shoot very pedestrian 40% from the floor and under 25% from behind the arc, and only averaged 9 points on 9 shots a game.

Is he a top quarter pg in the conference? yes. but I guarantee that cat is going no where on this continent after graduation

[Alan Bykowski, "brewcity77"]

Siva is probably the most overrated player in the league. He had a fantastic Big East tournament, but turns the ball over too much and takes way too many fouls for my preference. If I were ranking the league, Cooley would be my preseason POY, and here's my first two teams:

First team: C Jack Cooley, F Otto Porter, F Cleveland Melvin, G D'Angelo Harrison, G Vincent Council
Second Team: C Gorgui Dieng, F Sean Kilpatrick, F Chane Behanan, G Trevon Woodall, G Shabazz Napier

I don't see any way Siva belongs on the first two teams, much less player of the year.