Top 5 Big East returning players that look scary in 2024-25 college basketball season
The 2024-25 college basketball season got underway on Monday. Eight Big East teams were in action, with each program starting their season with a win. While the conference had three teams — the No. 3-ranked UConn Huskies, No. 15-ranked Creighton Bluejays and No. 18-ranked Marquette Golden Eagles — ranked in the preseason AP Top 25 Poll, the Golden Eagles were the only ones to start their season.
As the season gets underway, here's a look at five returning Big East players that are poised to have a big year.
5 Big East returning players that look scary in 2024-25 college basketball season
#1: Ryan Kalkbrenner
Ryan Kalkbrenner joined the Creighton Bluejays as a four-star prospect in the 2020 recruiting class. He averaged 17.3 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.4 steals and 3.1 blocks per game while shooting 64.6% from the field last season.
Kalkbrenner has been named Big East Defensive Player of the Year in each of the past three seasons.
#2: Kam Jones
Kam Jones joined the Marquette Golden Eagles as a four-star prospect in the 2021 recruiting class. He averaged 17.2 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 2.4 apg, 1.1 spg and 0.1 bpg while shooting 50.1% from the field, 40.6% from three-point range and 72.4% from the free-throw line.
Jones got off to a strong start in Marquette's 102-62 season-opening win over the Story Brook Seawolves. He scored 32 points while shooting 14-16 from the field and 4-6 from three-point range.
#3: Alex Karaban
Alex Karaban joined the UConn Huskies as a four-star prospect in the 2021 recruiting class.
The two-time national champion averaged 13.3 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 1.5 apg, 0.9 spg and 0.8 bpg while shooting 49.5% from the field, 37.9% from three-point range and 88.5% from the free-throw line last season.
#4: Kadary Richmond
Kadary Richmond initially joined the Syracuse Orange as a four-star prospect in the 2020 recruiting class. He joined the Seton Hall Pirates after one season and spent the last three years with the program.
Richmond averaged 15.7 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 5.1 apg, 2.2 spg and 0.6 bpg while shooting 44.1% from the field, 27.0% from three-point range and 80.7% from the free-throw line in 2023-24.
While he joined the St. John's (NY) Red Storm via the transfer portal, Richmond is returning to the Big East on a new team. He picked up where he left off in his program debut, finishing with 16 points, nine rebounds, five assists, one steal and one block while shooting 7-12 from the field and 1-2 from three-point range.
#5: Eric Dixon
Eric Dixon joined the Villanova Wildcats as a four-star prospect in the 2019 recruiting class.
He averaged 16.6 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 1.7 apg, 0.8 spg and 0.4 bpg while shooting 46.5% from the field, 34.6% from three-point range and 86.2% from the free-throw line.