2020 BIG EAST Women's Basketball Virtual Media Day
Oct. 29 - Zoom
For Zoom password, please contact Pam Flenke (pflenke@bigeast.com)
 

Time	Panelists	Format
9 a.m. ET	BIG EAST Awards/Poll Announced	Press Release/Social Media
10 a.m.	Val Ackerman, BIG EAST Commissioner	Opening Remarks
10:20 a.m.	Kurt Godlevske, Butler Jim Flanery Creighton Denise Dillon, Villanova	Media Q&A
10:50 a.m.	James Howard, Georgetown Jim Crowley, Providence Megan Duffy, Marquette Mel Moore, Xavier	Media Q&A
11:20  a.m.	Val Ackerman, BIG EAST Commissioner Amber Cox, VP of Sports at Mohegan Sun	Media Q&A
Noon	Doug Bruno, DePaul Anthony Bozzella, Seton Hall Joe Tartamella, St. John’s	Media Q&A
12:30 p.m.	Geno Auriemma, Connecticut BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year – TBA BIG EAST Preseason Freshman of the Year - TBA	Media Q&A

Team: Butler
Head Coach: Kurt Godlevske (7th season)
2019-20 Overall Record: 19-11
2019-20 BIG EAST Record/Finish: 11-7/T-3rd
Top Returner: Oumou Toure
Notable Graduation/Departures: Kristen Spolyar, Kat Strong
Noteworthy Newcomer: Okako Adika
Outlook: Butler once again exceeded expectations in 2019-20, finishing in the five-way tie for third place at 11-7 after being picked seventh in the preseason poll. The Bulldogs, who went 19-11 overall, will look to excel once again this year, welcoming back two of their top three scorers in Oumou Toure (9.1 ppg) and Genesis Parker (9.0). In total, Butler returns seven letterwinners, while adding pivotal pieces in NJCAA All-American Okako Adika and Tenley Dowell, who played just one game for Butler in ’19-20 before suffering a season-ending injury. Butler has become synonymous with hard-nosed defense, and the anchor of that defense the last four-plus years has been Kristen Spolyar. Spolyar graduated this spring as the Bulldogs look to replace the floor general.
 


Team: Connecticut
Head Coach: Geno Auriemma (36th season)
2019-20 Overall Record: 29-3
2019-20 AAC Record/Finish: 16-0/1st
Top Returner: Christyn Williams
Notable Graduation/Departures: Crystal Dangerfield, Megan Walker
Noteworthy Newcomers: Paige Bueckers, Evina Westbrook
Outlook: The Huskies enter their first season of BIG EAST play since 2012-13 with a target on their backs. History is on their side with 19 regular-season titles and 18 tourney crowns, along with 11 national championships. The Huskies feature a relatively young roster, including no seniors, three juniors, two sophomores and six freshmen. Among those is Christyn Williams and top-ranked incoming freshman Paige Bueckers. UConn also gets a boost from Tennessee transfer Evina Westbrook. The Huskies played two BIG EAST team in non-league action a season ago, with both DePaul and Seton Hall challenging UConn until the final buzzer. Connecticut’s projected non-conference schedule is challenging as expected, with the likes of Baylor, South Carolina, Louisville, Tennessee and Mississippi State in the mix. The Huskies completed a 118-0 stretch seven years of AAC play, winning all seven conference postseason crowns. In their last season of BIG EAST play (2012-13), UConn went 14-2 and was runner-up in the BIG EAST Tournament.
 


Team: Creighton
Head Coach: Jim Flanery
2019-20 Overall Record: 19-11
2019-20 BIG EAST Record/Finish: 11-7/T-3rd
Top Returner: Temi Carda
Notable Graduation/Departures: Jaylyn Agnew
Noteworthy Newcomer: Mallory Brake
Outlook: The Bluejays return three starters and a total of nine letterwinners from a season ago, but will look to replace BIG EAST Player of the Year Jaylyn Agnew, who claimed the conference scoring crown after averaging 23.1 points in league play. Agnew became Creighton’s first ever WNBA Draft selection this past April, and went on to compete in the WNBA Bubble this past summer. All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention selection Temi Carda is Creighton’s top returner after ranking second on the team in scoring (12.9) last year. The Bluejays will also look to newcomer Mallory Brake, a 6-0 forward out of Hastings, Minn., who averaged 26.7 points and 14.7 rebounds in high school, scoring over 2,600 career points. Standout perimeter play has been a staple for Creighton, with the Bluejays leading the conference in 3-point shooting (.363) and assist-turnover ratio (1.4) in BIG EAST play a year ago.


                                                                                                                                
Team: DePaul
Head Coach: Doug Bruno
2019-20 Overall Record: 28-5
2019-20 BIG EAST Record/Finish: 15-3/1st
Top Returner: Lexi Held
Notable Graduation/Departures: Chante Stonewall, Kelly Campbell
Noteworthy Newcomer:  Darrione Rogers
DePaul Quick Facts
Outlook: The perennial favorite Blue Demons have compiled a 106-20 BIG EAST record over the last seven seasons, winning at least a share of six regular-season crowns and five tournament titles. DePaul, like the other nine teams, now have a greater challenge with 11-time national champion UConn in the conference. The Blue Demons are up to the task, however, taking the Huskies down to the wire last season when they met in Chicago during non-conference play. A total of 12 letterwinners return for DePaul, including three starters. Among those starters is reigning BIG EAST Tournament Most Outstanding Player Lexi Held, who averaged 21.3 points over three postseason games to lead the Blue Demons to their third consecutive tourney title. DePaul’s run-and-gun style has been key to its success, finishing second nationally in points per game (85.0), three-pointers made (363), assists (664) and turnover margin (8.39) in ’19-20.
 


Team: Georgetown
Head Coach: James Howard
2019-20 Overall Record: 5-25
2019-20 BIG EAST Record/Finish: 2-16/T-9th
Top Returner: Anita Kelava
Notable Graduation/Departures: Taylor Barnes
Noteworthy Newcomer: Taylor Baur
Outlook: The Hoyas return seven letterwinners from a season ago, while Anita Kelava is the lone returning starter. Kelava is among the BIG EAST blocks leader, totaling triple digit denials in just two seasons on the Hilltop. Georgetown boosts its lineup with Princeton grad transfer Taylor Baur, who averaged 6.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and served as co-captain during her senior season with the Tigers. Georgetown will look to improve upon a 2-16 BIG EAST record a year ago, which included single-digit losses in three of its final six games, including a three-point setback in the BIG EAST Tournament First Round.
 


Team: Marquette
Head Coach: Megan Duffy
2019-20 Overall Record: 24-8
2019-20 BIG EAST Record/Finish: 13-5/2nd
Top Returner: Selena Lott
Notable Graduation/Departures: Isabelle Spingola
Noteworthy Newcomer: Liza Karlen
Outlook: Marquette surprised many last year after being picked ninth in the BIG EAST preseason poll only to battle to a second-place finish and advance to a BIG EAST Tournament title game for the fourth straight year. The Golden Eagles won’t sneak up on anyone this year, now in their second season under head coach Megan Duffy, and returning four of their top-five scorers from a year ago. Selena Lott leads an experienced crew after averaging 15.0 points and 5.9 assists, the second-highest clip in the conference. Last year’s lineup featured a number of freshmen playing valuable minutes, and with a year of experience under their belt, sophomores Camryn Taylor and Jordan King are eying a successful second season as well.
 


Team: Providence
Head Coach: Jim Crowley
2019-20 Overall Record: 13-19
2019-20 BIG EAST Record/Finish: 3-15/8th
Top Returner: Mary Baskerville
Notable Graduation/Departures: Kaela Webb (transfer)
Noteworthy Newcomer: Grace Efosa-Aguebor
Outlook: The Friars won a BIG EAST Tournament game for the second straight year for the first time since 1994-95, advancing to the quarterfinals before falling to eventual champion DePaul. PC returns top scorer and rebounder Mary Baskerville, who averaged 11.8 points, 7.6 rebounds over 28 games last season. Providence will look to get a boost from newcomers Grace Efosa-Aguebor, who averaged 24.5 points at Whittier Tech in Haverhill, Mass., last season, and Julia Fabozzi, who averaged a double-double during her senior season at Xaverian in Brooklyn, N.Y.


 
Team: St. John’s
Head Coach: Joe Tartamella
2019-20 Overall Record: 19-12
2019-20 BIG EAST Record/Finish: 11-7/T-3rd
Top Returner: Qadashah Hoppie
Notable Graduation/Departures: Tiana England (transfer)
Noteworthy Newcomer: Rayven Peeples
Outlook: The Red Storm offense came alive in 2019-20, averaging 72.3 points for its highest clip since 1994-95. St. John’s returns its top two scorers from that squad in Qadashah Hoppie and Leilani Correa. Hoppie was an All-BIG EAST Second Team performer last year and is the BIG EAST’s active career leader in points with over 1,100. Correa is the reigning BIG EAST Sixth-Woman of the Year and posted the second-most 30-point games among all conference players last year with three. With the departure of Tiana England, Hoppie or sophomore Unique Drake will move into the point guard slot. Drake came off the bench in 28 games last season. Like the rest of the BIG EAST, St. John’s will look to deal UConn its first conference loss in over seven seasons. The Red Storm have a bit of history on that front as the last unranked team to beat the Huskies, snapping the Huskies' 99-game home court winning streak. 


 
Team: Seton Hall
Head Coach: Anthony Bozzella (29th season overall, 8th at Seton Hall)
2019-20 Overall Record: 19-12
2019-20 BIG EAST Record/Finish: 11-7/T-3rd
Top Returner: Desiree Elmore
Notable Graduation/Departures: Shadeen Samuels
Noteworthy Newcomer: Mya Bembry
Outlook: The Hall advanced to the BIG EAST Tournament Semifinals for the first time since 2016 before being edged by eventual champion DePaul. The Pirates graduate their top two scorers from that squad but welcome back Desiree Elmore, who tallied a team-high six double-doubles in 2019-20 and averaged 13.0 points, 7.2 rebounds overall. The Hall also welcomes a pair of talented transfers in NJCAA All-American Curtessia Dean out of Trinity Valley, and Penn State product Mya Bembry, a 6-1 guard/forward from nearby West Orange, N.J. SHU also boasts a talented class of sophomores, including guards Lauren Park-Lane and Mya Jackson.


 
Team: Villanova
Head Coach: Denise Dillion
2019-20 Overall Record: 18-13
2019-20 BIG EAST Record/Finish: 11-7/T-3rd
Top Returner: Maddy Siegrist
Notable Graduation/Departures: Mary Gedaka
Noteworthy Newcomer: Sarah Mortensen
Outlook: After 42 years, Villanova is under the direction of a new head coach as former Wildcat standout Denies Dillon takes the reins from Harry Perretta. Dillon returns to the Main Line after a successful 17-year stint at nearby foe Drexel, where she led the Dragons to national postseason appearances in 10 of the last 11 years. Dillon inherits the reigning BIG EAST Freshman of the Year in Maddy Siegrist. Siegrist is the top returning scorer in the BIG EAST, averaging 18.8 points over 31 games last season. The sophomore forward was part of a one-two punch for the Wildcats last year, as her the other half of the duo, Mary Gedaka, graduated after an impressive four years at Villanova. Gedaka was a workhorse for Nova, leading a roster last year that was riddled with injuries. The Wildcats will benefit from a pair of transfers this year, including Sarah Mortensen from Miami (Fla.) and Noga Peleg Pelc from Rutgers.


 
Team: Xavier
Head Coach: Melanie Moore (2nd season)
2019-20 Overall Record: 3-27
2019-20 BIG EAST Record/Finish: 2-16/T-9th
Top Returner: A’riana Gray
Notable Graduation/Departures: none
Noteworthy Newcomer: Nia Clark
Outlook: The Musketeers enter their second season under head coach Melanie Moore and feature one of the most veteran lineups in the BIG EAST. Highlighting that experienced crew is double-double machine A’riana Gray. The senior forward is the active career leader in the BIG EAST with 750 boards, while listing second among active BIG EAST players with 982 points. Five of Xavier’s last 11 losses of the season were by 10 points or less, including an eight-point overtime setback to Villanova in the BIG EAST Tournament First Round. Despite returning all five starters from 2019-20, Xavier also brings in some talented newcomers, including Miami (Ohio) transfer Nia Clark, who averaged 10.6 points, 2.7 rebounds for the Redhawks in 2018-19.