NEW YORK – Coming off a shared regular-season title, DePaul and Marquette are predicted to once again finish atop the BIG EAST women’s basketball standings in 2018-19, based on a vote by the league’s head coaches. The BIG EAST Preseason Coaches’ Poll, unveiled at Media Day on Thursday, saw the Blue Demons and Golden Eagles with five first-place votes and 77 points apiece, while fellow 2018 NCAA Tournament teams Villanova and Creighton were slotted third and fourth, respectively. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams.
BIG EAST Women’s Basketball
Preseason Coaches’ Poll |
| 1. |
DePaul (5) |
77 |
| |
Marquette (5) |
77 |
| 3. |
Villanova |
57 |
| 4. |
Creighton |
53 |
| 5. |
Georgetown |
52 |
| 6. |
St. John’s |
48 |
| 7. |
Butler |
34 |
| 8. |
Seton Hall |
23 |
| 9. |
Providence |
17 |
| 10. |
Xavier |
12 |
The Wildcats edged the Bluejays for third place by just four points, with VU collecting 57 points to CU’s 53. Even tighter, Creighton squeaked by Georgetown which rounded out the top five with 52 points. Coming off a trip to the WNIT Quarterfinals, St. John’s was selected sixth with 48 points, followed by Butler in seventh with 34 and Seton Hall in eighth with 23. Providence (ninth, 17 points) and Xavier (10
th, 12 points) rounded out the poll.
DePaul claimed at least a share of its fifth consecutive BIG EAST regular-season title in 2017-18 after finishing 15-3, and won its third BIG EAST Tournament crown in March. The Blue Demons, who went 27-8 overall, earned their 16
th straight NCAA Tournament berth and were a No. 5 seed, their highest since 2011. DePaul finished with the nation’s sixth-highest scoring offense, averaging nearly 83 points per game, and posted the BIG EAST Tournament’s highest average margin of victory since 2009. The Blue Demons return four starters and seven letterwinners from 2017-18, including their top two scorers in Mart’e Grays (14.4 points per game) and Ashton Millender (13.6 PPG).
Following a 15-3 league finish,
Marquette won a share of its first BIG EAST regular-season title and advanced to the BIG EAST Tournament Final for a second consecutive season. The Golden Eagles, who went 24-10 overall, have had their most wins in any two-year span in program history (49) and earned an NCAA Tournament berth for the second consecutive year, marking the first time since 1999-2000 they’ve made back-to-back trips to the Big Dance. MU is the lone team to return all five starters from a year ago – a squad which averaged a league-high 80.1 points per game over 18 conference contests. Highlighting the group of returners is reigning BIG EAST Player of the Year Allazia Blockton. The rising senior guard led the BIG EAST in scoring both overall and in league play, averaging just over 19 points per contest.
Villanova finished the regular season in third place in the BIG EAST standings and earned its first NCAA Tournament at-large selection since 2013. The Wildcats, who return a trio of starters from 2017-18, including reigning BIG EAST Sixth Woman of the Year Mary Gedaka, went 23-9 overall and posted the nation’s second-fewest turnovers at just 9.7 per contest. After winning its first 10 games, Villanova cracked the Associated Press Top 25 for the first time since 2004-05.
Rounding out the list of four BIG EAST teams to make the 2018 NCAA Tournament,
Creighton was announced as one of the final eight teams under consideration for the Big Dance the night prior to Selection Monday. The Bluejays were the final team announced in the field, marking their first back-to-back NCAA appearances since 2012-13. Creighton upset No. 6 Iowa in the First Round before falling to No. 3 UCLA to finish the year 19-13. The Bluejays finished fourth in the BIG EAST at 11-7 and return a trio of starters from that squad, including their top two scorers in Audrey Faber (14.8 PPG) and Jaylyn Agnew (14.5 PPG).
In its first season under the direction of head coach James Howard,
Georgetown advanced to its first BIG EAST Tournament Semifinal in 18 years, while qualifying for the WNIT for a third consecutive season. The Hoyas went 16-16 overall and 9-9 in BIG EAST play, and return two starters, highlighted by 2018 BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year Dionna White. Also of note, Dorothy Adomako, a three-time All-BIG EAST selection who missed all of last season, is slated to return to the court in 2018-19.
St. John’s qualified for the national postseason for an 11
th consecutive year and advanced to the WNIT Quarterfinals. The Red Storm finished the season 19-15 overall, 9-9 in BIG EAST play, and return four of their top-five scorers from that squad, including reigning BIG EAST Freshman of the Year Qadashah Hoppie. Since conference realignment, St. John’s has finished no lower than fifth in the BIG EAST standings, earning a BIG EAST Tournament First Round by every season.
Butler won a BIG EAST Tournament game for a third consecutive year in 2018, but the Bulldogs aim to avoid the First Round by finishing in the top six in 2019. Butler returns four starters this season, including its top three scorers – Whitney Jennings (16.8 PPG), Tori Schickel (16.4 PPG) and Kristen Spolyar (11.6 PPG) – while also adding a pair of key transfers in Ashanti Thomas (Penn State) and Katherine Strong (VCU). The Bulldogs went 15-17 overall, 6-12 in BIG EAST play last year.
In 2017-18,
Seton Hall went 16-16 overall, including a return to the WNIT, and finished BIG EAST play in seventh place at 7-11. The Pirates return a trio of starters this season, but lose their top three scorers from a year ago. In her first season at Seton Hall, Inja Butina finished in the top 10 in the BIG EAST in assists, steals and assist-turnover ratio, while averaging 8.5 points over 17 conference contests. Butina leads a pack of seven returning letterwinners who will be bolstered by a pair of pivotal transfers – Victoria Cardaci (Clemson) and Diandra DaRosa (Virginia Tech).
Providence went 10-21 overall, 3-15 in BIG EAST play last season, taking Butler into overtime in the BIG EAST Tournament First Round before falling by six to close out the year in heartbreaking fashion. Including leading scorer Jovana Nogic, seven letterwinners and four starters return. Speedy guard Chanell Williams, who was a BIG EAST All-Freshman Team honoree, is also back for the Friars.
The Musketeers will have a new look in 2018-19 as
Xavier returns just one starter from a year ago in Na’Teshia Owens. Owens started 27 games as a sophomore, including 15 in BIG EAST play where she averaged 8.3 points per game. BIG EAST All-Freshman Team honoree Aaliyah Dunham is also back for Xavier. Dunham was among the top three-point threats in the BIG EAST, shooting at a .373 clip.