NEW YORK (October 23, 2024) – Connecticut, the defending BIG EAST regular season and tournament champion and the reigning national champion, has been chosen to finish first in the 2024-25 BIG EAST Preseason Coaches’ Poll. The Huskies received all possible 10 first-place votes and 100 points from the league’s head coaches who were not permitted to vote for their own teams.
Last season, UConn claimed first place in the regular season with an 18-2 mark and captured its eighth BIG EAST Tournament championship at Madison Square Garden. Three weeks later, the Huskies won their second straight NCAA title and finished with a 37-3 record.
This season,
UConn can build around forward Alex Karaban, the team’s only returning starter. He averaged 13.3 points, 5.1 rebounds and shot 37.9 percent from 3-point range last season. Guard Hassan Diarra, who won the BIG EAST Sixth Man Award, is back with senior center Samson Johnson. Guard Aidan Mahaney, a transfer from Saint Mary’s, is expected to play a prominent role. Forward Liam McNeeley, a highly-touted freshman, is expected to make immediate contributions.
Creighton is picked second in the poll with 84 points. The Bluejays, who have reached the NCAA Sweet 16 in three of the last four years, again will be buoyed by senior center Ryan Kalkbrenner, who has been the BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year for the past three seasons. Starting guards Steven Ashworth and Mason Miller are back. Transfer guard Pop Isaacs from Texas Tech figures to help right away.
Xavier is the choice for third place, just two points behind Creighton in the poll. The Musketeers will be bolstered by the return of forwards Zach Freemantle and Jerome Hunter. Both missed all of last season. Grad student guard Dayvion McKnight excelled by averaging 12.4 points, 4.8 assists and finishing second in the BIG EAST in assist/turnover ratio at 3.06. Shooting guard Ryan Conwell, a transfer from Indiana State, is expected to fortify the offense.
Marquette is slotted for fourth place. Last year, the Golden Eagles tied Creighton for second with a 14-6 league record and, like the Bluejays, advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16. Marquette lost BIG EAST Player of the Year Tyler Kolek and NBA draft pick Oso Ighodaro, but has standout guard Kam Jones, who ranked fourth in the BIG EAST in scoring with a 17.2 average. Guard Stevie Mitchell and forward David Joplin are quality returning starters.
St. John’s is the coaches’ choice for fifth. The Red Storm backcourt will get a boost from Kadary Richmond, a transfer from Seton Hall. Last season, the all-around performer ranked 11
th in the BIG EAST in scoring with a 15.7 average. He was in the top-10 in rebounding (7.0-8
th), assists (5.1-4
th) and steals (2.2-2
nd). Grad student transfer Deivon Smith was a double-figure scorer at Utah. Sophomore guard Simeon Wilcher showed promise as a freshman.
Providence was selected sixth. The Friars finished 21-14 overall and 10-10 in the league. Standout Bryce Hopkins, who was an All-BIG EAST First Team pick two seasons ago, suffered a season-ending injury after 17 games last year. Hopkins is back and will team with junior Jayden Pierre, who enjoyed a strong season at point guard.
Villanova is the choice for seventh. The Wildcats were 18-16 overall and 10-10 in league play. Their anchor is graduate forward Eric Dixon, who has been an All-BIG EAST Second Team selection in each of the last two seasons. The veteran frontcourt standout averaged 16.6 points and 6.0 rebounds. Transfer guard Wooga Poplar from Miami may offer some immediate contributions.
Butler is slated for eighth place. Last year, the Bulldogs improved to 18-15 overall and 9-11 in the BIG EAST. A pair of forwards, Pierre Brooks and Jahmyl Telfort, impressed in their first seasons with the Bulldogs. Brooks led the team in scoring with a 14.8 average. Telfort was second at 13.9. The newcomer group includes Patrick McCaffery, who was a 1,000-point scorer at Iowa.
Georgetown was picked ninth. The top returnee is guard Jayden Epps, who is the BIG EAST’s leaning top returning scorer after averaging 18.5 points. That mark was third in the league. Epps also ranked eighth in assists with a 4.2 mark. The newcomers include transfers Malik Mack from Harvard and Micah Peavy from TCU along with freshmen Thomas Sorber and Julius Halaifonua.
Seton Hall was 10
th, one point behind Georgetown in the poll. The Pirates won the NIT last year and welcome back two key performers. Graduate guard Dylan Addae-Wusu is a veteran of the BIG EAST battles who averaged 8.6 points and 5.3 rebounds, and sophomore guard Isaiah Coleman made the BIG EAST All-Freshman Team.
DePaul was picked 11
th. New head coach Chris Holtmann has put together a completely new roster. Some of the expected contributors include transfer guards Conor Enright from Drake, Isaiah Rivera from UIC and forward David Skogman from Davidson.
Coaches’ Preseason Poll
1. UConn (10) 100
2. Creighton 84
3. Xavier 82
4. Marquette (1) 74
5. St. John’s 70
6. Providence 54
7. Villanova 44
8. Butler 36
9. Georgetown 25
10. Seton Hall 24
11. DePaul 12
First place votes in parentheses