Our man Kevin McNamara of the Providence Journal took some time away from the golf course this summer to bother to make predictions for the entire Big East and Atlantic 10, and his picks aren’t favorable to the New York-New Jersey teams. In the Big East, he’s got Seton Hall 11th, St. John’s 13th and Rutgers 15th. Louisville and UConn, the two teams I predicted to compete for the title in my recent Big East video interview on SNY, are his top two choices. No surprise there.
McNamara has Sean Miller’s Xavier club finishing No. 1 in the A-10, but Fordham rounding out the bottom at No. 16.
All four locals — Rutgers, St. John’s, Seton Hall and Fordham — have an uphill climb within their leagues, but they’re also bringing in some talented players, including many from the powerhouse schools of St. Anthony, St. Benedict’s and Paterson Catholic. Time will tell on what kind of impact they make.