By: Spencer McCraw

There have been many great players this year in the Big East. The preseason choice for Player of the Year was Creighton’s Ryan Kalkbrenner, then UConn’s Adama Sanogo put his name in the conversation; now, Xavier’s Souley Boum is leading the charge. Let’s take a look at some of the players controlling the Player of the Year race. 

Souley Boum

Souley Boum has been around for a long time. As a matter of fact, this is the third Division 1 team that he has been on. In his five seasons in college, he has been a consistently efficient scorer. This year, though, has been his first opportunity to show it to the country on the biggest stage. Boum has been the leader for Sean Miller’s thirteenth ranked Musketeers, as he has currently averages 16.6 ppg, 5.1 apg, and 4.2 rpg. Boum’s production has been a big reason why Xavier has been able to earn their 16-4 record. 

One of Boum’s biggest games this season came on January 11, 2023, when a desperate Creighton squad tried to steal a game at the Cintas Center. Not wanting to relent while riding a nine game winning streak, Boum was able to win the game for Xavier, as he scored 26 points, dished out eight assists, and grabbed five rebounds. Boum was also able to score the Musketeers last six points en route to their 90-87 victory over the Bluejays. 

Oh, and he also poured in 21 last night in an 82-79 win over UConn in Storrs.

With the level of consistency at which Boum – and Xavier as a whole – has been playing for the whole season, I do not think it is out of the question to say that he is currently the favorite to win Big East Player of the Year. If Xavier ends up winning the regular season title and finishes in the top-ten, then I think Boum has the award locked up. 

Bryce Hopkins

Is there a player that has benefited more from the changing transfer landscape of college basketball than Providence’s Bryce Hopkins? Last season he came to Kentucky as a top-35 recruit, yet he found the floor for only 6.5 minutes per game. Obviously upset with his lack of play with his level of talent, Hopkins decided to take his talents to Rhode Island to play for the reigning National Coach of the Year, Ed Cooley. 

Playing in a brand new system in his sophomore season, Hopkins has been able to increase his output from 2.1 ppg and 1.4 rpg to 16.5 ppg and 9.1 rpg. Hopkins has been the driving factor behind the success of this year’s Friars squad. 

December 20, 2022 was the day that the country took note of Providence. On that day, then-no. 24 Marquette came to the AMP and the Friars took them to two overtimes, ultimately winning, 103-98. In this statement win, Hopkins was able to bring in a monstrous 29 points and 23 rebounds. 

A second massive game for Hopkins came on January 4, 2023, when he poured in 27 points and five rebounds in a 73-61 victory over then-no. 4 UConn. These outputs have been the norm for Hopkins, as he has built one of the most impressive Big East POY resumes.

Currently, his Friars are sitting at no. 23 and looking to rise higher; if they are eventually able to remain at the top, then he will be able to compete with anyone for the award.

Adama Sanogo

For much of this season, UConn’s Adama Sanogo has been the favorite for Big East POY – for good reason. During the Huskies hot 14-0 start, Sanogo was equally as hot – averaging 17.9 ppg and 6.8 rpg. Even with his team dropping five out of their next seven games, Sanogo was able to keep up his pace – keeping his play at a similar level. 

Winning the Phil Knight 85 Tournament in the beginning of the season was what put the Huskies on the map. Arguably the most important game during the tournament (and maybe even one of the best resume wins in the country) came in UConn’s semifinal matchup against Alabama. In this game, Sanogo proved why he deserved to be in the conversation for POY, as he brought home 25 points, four rebounds, and two blocks in UConn’s 82-67 win over the now-no. 2 team in the country. 

Sanogo has been nothing but consistent and dominant throughout UConn’s wild ride this season. He has been the best player on one of the best teams in the country. If he is able to help the Huskies turn their skid around, then he will be in a great position to secure the award.  

Joel Soriano 

St John’s has had a rather volatile season, but the one consistent thing has surely been Joel Soriano. The Johnnies started the season 11-1 and then lost five in a row to start Big East play. Throughout all of this, though, Soriano managed to average 16.5 ppg and 12.1 rpg (having recorded a double-double in all but three games this season). 

After dropping their first five in conference games, the Red Storm were able to pick up two huge wins, including one at then-no. 6 UConn. In this game, Soriano was able to pour in 19 points and 13 rebounds, while also holding Sanogo below his average. All of this contributed to St. John’s handing the Huskies their first and only loss on their home court this season. 

Although Soriano has been one of the more dominant players in the conference, he probably will not win the award because of the Johnnies’ inconsistent play. If St John’s had continued their winning ways during Big East play, then he would be further up in this discussion.

This will be a close race between all of these great players. Sanogo will probably come out as the betting favorite, but I would say that Souley Boum should win this award. Based on his overall body of work – along with what Xavier has accomplished this season – I think he has shown that he is the Player of the Year in the Big East.