To be a senior major college basketball player in the 21st century is something of an insult in and of itself. The best and most talented players tend to use the college campus as a 12- or 18-month stepping stone to seven-figure checks and liberal traveling interpretations. The argument that senior stars are the keys to conference champions and long tournament runs is no longer cogent in this era, but that does not mitigate the importance of veteran performers in successful teams.

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I had a strong reaction to something I learned recently, and I figured, hey, I’ve got this space in which to publish my thoughts - might as well use it. The topic that struck a nerve for me was the recent spate of hardship transfers or hardship petitions from players who have been able to or are attempting to waive their red-shirt years and play immediately after changing schools.

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Debilitating injuries damaged the seasons of Big East teams at an alarming rate last season. While some teams — Pittsburgh, for instance — was able to recover from two traumatic injuries, others — like Syracuse and Providence — saw their journey toward achieving preseason goals sidetracked. From Andy Rautins last summer to A.J. Price in the NCAA Tournament, Big East teams just couldn’t avoid getting bit by injuries.

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Part of the problem of few players graduating or declaring for the NBA Draft — as we saw in the Big East this summer — is that fewer minutes open up for players biding their time. Add to that an influx of talented freshmen and a lot of those rising sophomores and juniors who were anticipating an increase in run this winter become disillusioned. That perfect storm has led to an exceptionally high number of transfers from Big East schools this season, and not all of the transfers are end-of-the-bench players.

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Sorry for the long absence, friends, but BigEastCast will be back next week and will continue once each week until the start of the season. Please check back for future posts and updates.

Thanks!