It’s been a long time since there was this much anticipation for a college basketball season in New Jersey.

With Rutgers and Seton Hall expected to take big steps forward and rosters mostly settled across the sport, here is my analysis of how the Big East and Big Ten stack up heading into 2019-2020. Last year’s overall and conference records are included.

BIG EAST PROJECTIONS

1. Seton Hall (20-14, 9-9): Myles Powell should be a preseason first-team All-American. With three other starters returning from an NCAA Tournament team (look for junior forward Sandro Mamukelashvili to make a big leap), plus a 7-foot shot-blocker in Florida State transfer Ike Obiagu, the Pirates have the firepower, experience and depth to win the regular season for the first time since 1993. The only question mark is how they handle great expectations.

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2. Villanova (26-10, 13-5): All the national publications will pick the Wildcats to reign again, which is understandable. But Phil Booth and Eric Paschall carried a heavy load last season. Are Collin Gillespie and Saddiq Bey ready for the mantle? Given Jay Wright’s history of player development, you wouldn’t bet against it. A loaded incoming class helps, but Ranney star Bryan Antoine’s shoulder surgery should be factored in here. Lots of promise, but less battle-tested than the Hall.

3. Xavier (19-16, 9-9): The top four players are back from a squad that finished red hot and had Villanova on the ropes in the Big East Tournament semifinals. The league’s second-best recruiting class will help. This group has Top 25 potential.

4. Georgetown (19-14, 9-9): The trio of James Akinjo, Mac McClung and Josh LeBlanc rightly sent expectations soaring with superb freshmen campaigns. Postman Jessie Govan’s departure leaves a hole but this group will be fun to watch.

5. Marquette (24-10, 12-6): The Golden Eagles’ late-season crash was a head-scratcher, and then the Hauser brothers bolted. Returning Player of the Year Markus Howard and a respectable supporting cast keeps them in the mix.

6. Creighton (20-15, 9-9): Five of the top six scorers return and Idaho State grad transfer Kelvin Jones adds much-needed size. The rotation is guard-heavy but the Jays should be good enough to beat anyone in the conference.

7. Providence (18-16, 7-11): After a rare down season under Ed Cooley, the key guys return and wing Alpha Diallo is a budding star. It won’t surprise anyone if the Friars finish in the top half of the league and return to the NCAA Tournament.

8. St. John’s (21-13, 8-10): The Johnnies aren’t starting over with guards Mustapha Heron and L.J. Figueroa still on board, and it will be interesting to see what Mike Anderson can get out of sophomore guard Greg Williams. There’s potential here.

9. Butler (16-17, 7-11): There’s a returning standout in Kamar Baldwin and a rotation that will feature plenty of seniors and juniors. Duke transfer Jordan Tucker showed flashes and will have to take the next step.

10. DePaul (19-17, 7-11): It’s hard to see the Blue Demons improving after losing Max Strus and Eli Cain, although big man Paul Reed is a cornerstone. Well-regarded recruits are incoming, but until proven otherwise, the basement is theirs.

BIG TEN PROJECTIONS

1. Michigan State (32-7, 16-4): Point guard Cassius Winston is the best returning player in the country. Anyone who doesn’t vote Sparty No. 1 in the preseason Top 25 is either clueless or taking the contrarian act too far.

2. Maryland (23-11, 13-7): Senior Anthony Cowan is one of the sport’s best point guards and he’ll have a ton of weapons at his disposal, starting with 6-foot-10 sophomore Jalen Smith. This squad is loaded with young talent.

3. Purdue (26-10, 16-4): All-American Carsen Edwards will be impossible to replace, but three starters are back from a team that came oh-so-close to the Final Four. On paper, the Boilers sport the league’s deepest frontcourt.

4. Ohio State (20-15, 8-12): Junior forward Kaleb Wesson is a one-man wrecking crew, and most of the supporting cast is back. Throw in the Big Ten’s highest-ranked recruiting class and this could be a Top 25 team at some point.

5. Wisconsin (23-11, 14-6): Don’t write the Badgers off because All-American postman Ethan Happ is gone. The backcourt should be superb with juniors Brad Davison and D’Mitrik Trice. Keep an eye on junior forward Nate Reuvers.

6. Michigan (30-7, 15-5): The loss of John Beilein cannot be overstated. Like just about every converted NBA coach, Juwan Howard faces a huge learning curve, and he does it with Zavier Simpson and a bunch of role players.

7. Iowa (23-12, 10-10): The sky would have been the limit if the top five players returned, but Tyler Cook turned pro and Isaiah Moss transferred to Kansas. Still, Jordan Bohannon, Luke Garza and Joe Wieskamp form a strong nucleus (this assumes Bohannon returns from hip surgery; if he redshirts, drop the Hawkeyes down a few spots).

8. Illinois (12-21, 7-13): A real intriguing group. Four starters are back including potential stars Trent Frazier, Ayo Dosunmu and Giorgi Bezhanishvili. They haven’t won enough to be projected much higher right now. Big ceiling though.

9. Rutgers (14-17, 7-13): Tying for 10th place was a big step for the Scarlet Knights last season, and three starters return along with rapidly improving center Myles Johnson. Throw in three impact newcomers, including an elite passer in former Gill St. Bernard’s star Paul Mulcahy, and the end of the program’s 14-year postseason drought seems extremely likely.

10. Indiana (19-16, 8-12): Can Indiana improve despite losing mainstay forward Juwan Morgan and frosh phenom Romeo Langford? There’s talent here, but the pieces only meshed in spurts last season.

11. Penn State (14-18, 7-13): Senior forward Lamar Stevens is a proven star, and the Nittany Lions finished last season strong, but Josh Reaves’ intangibles will be missed and a dead home court in a league full of tough venues remains a killer.

12. Nebraska (19-17, 6-14): Reinforcements are coming as Fred Hoiberg did his transfer-mania thing, but so much roster turnover is best viewed with caution.

13. Minnesota (22-14, 9-11): Depleted by attrition, the Gophers will rely on role players, transfers and freshmen. Iffy formula for an underachieving program.

14. Northwestern (13-19, 4-16): When a last-place team loses its top three scorers, including two program mainstays, it’s hard to project much improvement.

Jerry Carino has covered the New Jersey sports scene since 1996 and the college basketball beat since 2003. He is an Associated Press Top 25 voter. Contact him at jcarino@gannettnj.com.