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Big East Basketball 2016: Preview and predictions

By Chris Stone

Mar 26, 2016; Louisville, KY, USA; Villanova Wildcats head coach Jay Wright celebrates after beating the Kansas Jayhawks in the south regional final of the NCAA Tournament at KFC YUM!. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 26, 2016; Louisville, KY, USA; Villanova Wildcats head coach Jay Wright celebrates after beating the Kansas Jayhawks in the south regional final of the NCAA Tournament at KFC YUM!. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jan 31, 2015; Lawrence, KS, USA; Kansas State Wildcats guard Marcus Foster (2) drives to the basket against the Kansas Jayhawks in the first half at Allen Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 31, 2015; Lawrence, KS, USA; Kansas State Wildcats guard Marcus Foster (2) drives to the basket against the Kansas Jayhawks in the first half at Allen Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports /

Newcomer of the Year: Marcus Foster

In most conferences, the Newcomer of the Year award is doled out to a flashy five-star recruit who figures to make an immediate impact for a league contender, but in the Big East, there are no such prospects. Not one team in the conference landed a five-star recruit this season, but there are still a few players who figure to have a big impact on the Big East’s landscape.

Creighton’s Marcus Foster may be set to have the largest one, though. Foster entered college at Kansas State as a three-star recruit who wasn’t even ranked in the top 200 nationally , but exploded onto the scene by averaging 15.5 points per game on a solidly efficient 54.6 true shooting percentage. His scoring ability combined with his potential to develop as a facilitator landed Foster on NBA radars before he faltered as a sophomore.

Perhaps the bright lights got to the young star, but in his second season, Foster regressed significantly, averaging 12.5 points and shooting worse than 40 percent from the field. He was both suspended and bench by his head coach during the regular season and then dismissed at the end of it.

Now, looking for a fresh start with the Blue Jays after sitting out a year, Foster has the potential to impress a new league. The talent is there, but Foster will need to be mentally focused in order to have the kind of impact that he’s capable of.