Big East 2015 rankings: Power Forwards

The 2015 rankings series rolls on today as we take a look at the power forward position. For many years, big men have dominated the Big East Conference as its cornerstone, and even now as we head into Year 3 of the "new" Big East, there's still plenty of talent to be found at this position, with a few tweeners mixed in as well.

For this list, we considered last year's depth charts as well as projections by our staff as well as those inside the realm of college basketball, as well. If you're looking for the likes of Angel Delgado or, say, Jalen Reynolds, players who may find themselves considered for these positions, you'll see them in our final series of rankings along with the likes of Daniel Ochefu, Geoff Groselle, Luke Fischer, and Tommy Hamilton among others.

On that note, let's rumble onwards as we count down the Top 5 power forwards in the Big East, as voted by our staff.

5. Kris Jenkins (Villanova Wildcats)

Average: 4.69 || Highest Ranking: 2 || Last Year Placed: N/A

Stepping into the shoes of JayVaughn Pinkston for Villanova is 6-foot-7 junior Kris Jenkins of Upper Marlboro, Maryland. Jenkins comes off a season in which he played in all 36 games for the 'Cats on their way to capturing the Big East regular season and tournament titles, and another appearance in the Round of 32. After amassing 18.6 minutes per game in the 2014-15 season, expect Jenkins' minutes totals to elevate with 'Nova's depth at the forward position being rather thin. Kris is a very talented player who has shown flashes throughout his career especially from the 3-point line. He's a career 37.1 percent shooter from beyond the arc and shot 37.2 percent on 129 3-point field goal attempts a season ago. In conference play, Kris shot 39.0 percent, which was good enough for 14th best in the Big East. Coach Jay Wright will likely be creative in how he uses Jenkins' versatility this season, and he should be nothing short of a fun watch.

4. Paul White (Georgetown Hoyas)

Average: 3.77 || Highest Ranking: 3 || Last Year Placed: N/A

Weeeeeeeeell... well it's The Big Show, Paul White! White may not have had as big of an entrance as his homophone wrestler did at St. Valentine's Day Massacre 1999, but the Hoya freshman was impactful nonetheless. White shined as a shot-blocker, collecting a Block% of 3.8 percent which was the third-best mark on the team behind Joshua Smith and Mikael Hopkins whom have both departed Washington D.C. Like Jenkins, White should see more playing time this year with the departures of the men in front of him, but will still likely share playing time with incoming freshmen Marcus Derrickson and Jessie Govan who will be playing down low as well. The Chicagoan will likely look to improve on his efficiency but was still solid from the 3-point line on limited attempts, collecting a 37.7 percent mark on just 61 attempts.

3. James Farr (Xavier Musketeers)

Average: 3.62 || No. 1 Votes: 1 || Last Year Placed: N/A

We had three different players receive at least one number one vote and Xavier's James Farr is one of them. Farr, standing at 6-foot-10, is going to be a brilliant threat down low for X as he'll stand alongside fellow 6-foot-10 stud Jalen Reynolds to put together what is a very strong Musketeer frontcourt. His usage rate was at 18.8 percent last year, but that should see an increase with the departure/graduation of "The Stain Train" Matt Stainbrook. In those minutes, the Evanston, Illinois native averaged 4.2 points and 5.3 rebounds per game and brought his best against the best. Per KenPom.com, against Tier A & B opponents - Top 50-100 teams adjusted for location - Farr amassed an eFG% of 51.9 percent, a TS% of 52.0 percent, a 33.8 percent mark in Defensive Rebounding% and shot 53.6 percent on 2-point opportunities. If he brings his best against the best again this season, there's no telling what kind of production he can get. Our pals at Banners on the Parkway suspect that Farr will be the "sixth man" for X, and what a valuable piece he would be if that's the case.

2. Andrew Chrabascz (Butler Bulldogs)

Average: 1.85 || No. 1 Votes: 4 || Last Year Placed: N/A

The penultimate name on the countdown is Butler junior Andrew Chrabascz. Chrabascz, 6-foot-7, was a very significant contributor for a Bulldogs team that fell by just one possession in the Round of 32 to Notre Dame in the 2015 NCAA Tournament. The Portsmouth, Rhode Island native collected 11.2 points and 3.6 rebounds along with a field goal percentage of 44.6, and excelled at getting to the free throw line. His FTRate of 44.6 percent was second only to Kameron Woods (70.0 percent) and during conference play he only excelled further with a mark of 49.6 percent - though limited with just 66 attempts. Chrabascz will have lots to build upon this coming year and should only shine further on a very talented Butler squad.

1. Henry Ellenson (Marquette Golden Eagles)

Average: 1.54 || No. 1 Votes: 8 || Last Year Placed: N/A

Rice Lake, Wisconsin's Henry Ellenson is Big East Coast Bias' choice as the top power forward in the conference. Receiving no vote lower than fourth, and eight number one votes, the talented MU freshman is thought of very highly by the BECB staff and across the board nationally as well. Henry is already getting a lot of discussion about his pro prospects and is a bona fide contender for Big East Rookie of the Year along with Villanova's Jalen Brunson. This talented athlete may not have played a college game yet, but it's hard to not get enamored with his skills and he should be able to get them to translate to the college game.