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A first look at the teams that make up one of the toughest conferences in the nation

BY MIKE VORKUNOV

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

The official start of the college basketball season is November 9, that is when Syracuse tips off against Albany at home in the Dome. That should mark the start of Big East basketball play, but Wednesday was the conference's Media Day in New York and that is as good as any to start talking college hoops.

The conference released their official Preseason Coaches' Poll and that can be found elsewhere on this site, but here is New Jersey Newsroom's very own preseason poll. This season's conference mix is different from last year. Several stars are gone and there is a drop-off after the top three teams. To accurately predict how the rest shakes out would probably include a crystal ball and a 99 cent-per-minute call to your favorite psychic.

This is what we see:

1. Villanova — This team is loaded. They lost two starters from last year but it shouldn't really matter because of who they return and who they bring in. The Wildcats' backcourt goes six deep, led by Scottie Reynolds, the two Coreys and two stud recruits. Finding playing time for all will be hard, but there are worse problems to have. Coach Jay Wright called his rotation a "big gift and a small curse."

2. Connecticut — The Huskies lost the No. 2 pick in the draft, a steady double-double guy, and its floor general from a Final Four team. No problem. Jerome Dyson comes back healthy, Kemba Walker is a year older and Stanley Robinson has grown into a beast. Will they be the same team as last year's version? No, but the dropoff might not be as drastic as you think.

3. West Virginia — The Mountaineers were plenty good last year, but were lost in the scrum. This year they will stand out. Devin Ebanks will probably bolt for the NBA after the year he is going to have this year. Da'Sean Butler should be a 20 point-per-game scorer in the conference and Bob Huggins can coach in the regular season.

4. Louisville — They are here only out of habit. The Cardinals lost a lot from last season- namely Earl Clark and Terrence Williams. This will be a starkly different team from last year, less offense, and an even heavier dependence on their press and attention to defense. Rick Pitino may not be a public darling right now, but he can coach.

5. Syracuse — So can Jim Boeheim. He has 799 career wins to back it up. This year will be as hard as any for him. He lost Jonny Flynn, Paul Harris and Eric Devendorf. But he gains Wesley Johnson, a transfer from Iowa State, who could be one and done for him. Expect a hard-knit group that will put up another 20-win season for Boeheim.

6. Cincinnati — The ultimate wildcard. Yancy Gates and Deonta Vaughn are talented players, redshirt-frosh PG Cashmere Wright will help the backcourt, but the biggest difference maker will be Lance Stephenson. How the super-hyped Brooklyn kid does in the Midwest may determine how far they go. They have the talent to be a top-five team but team chemistry may undo them. For now they're staying middle of the pack.

7. Georgetown — Everything went wrong for them last year. They couldn't score one game, couldn't defend the next. Now say goodbye to DaJaun Summers. It's ok. The Hoyas had no chemistry on the court last year and looked to be mixing signals on offense. This year it all starts with Greg Monroe. The offense should improve. More importantly, they need to get back to their defensive principles. Last year they were actually outscored in Big East play.

8. Seton Hall — This one is all on Bobby Gonzalez's shoulders. He got a new contract, brought in enough players for another lineup and now has to make it work. With possibly a 10-man rotation, depth won't be an issue for him as it was last year when he could only play seven players. He just has to make it work. Jeremy Hazell is gunner, straight out of the 1980s. John Garcia provides a burly presence inside, and a backcourt of Keon Lawrence, Jordan Theodore and Eugene Lawrence is more than enough to be a lightning-quick offensive facilitator. Now it's on Gonzo to make it work.

9. Pittsburgh — The Panthers lost the most from last year — DeJuan Blair, Sam Young and Lavence Fields were the heart and soul of that team. But coach Jamie Dixon is a good one. Expect to see more emphasis on defense and a more methodical offense. Dixon recruited PF Dante Taylor because he knew Blair would leave and needs the No. 5 incoming PF to play well. Freshmen Lamar Patterson and Talib Zanna, redshirt frosh Trevor Woodall and Ashton Gibbs are being counted on to mature and step up their games.

10. Notre Dame — Not even a week into practice and the Fighting Irish have already suffered a loss. Transfer Scott Martin is out for the year. Luke Harangody is still there, and for the second time he is the preseason Player of the Year. Tory Jackson is still there as well, and he is a tremendous all-around point guard. Another transfer in Ben Hansbrough, yes brother of Tyler, will make an impact. Coach Mike Brey is counting on success from a formula of grit, experience and anger at missing the tournament last year.

11. St. John's — Lost in the fray, the Red Storm are slowly resuscitating a program in Queens with incremental progress. They were 6-12 in-conference last season and lose no one important. Snake-bitten F Anthony Mason Jr. is back from injury, although he'll miss 4-6 weeks with a hamstring injury. But SG Omari Lawrence is added to group, one that could move up the Big East ladder.

12. Providence — Yes the Friars lost four starters from last season. But that doesn't matter to coach Keno Davis. Guard Sharaud Curry is still there, the newcomers are a solid group that should contribute quickly, including point guard Vincent Council. Davis said the biggest difference this year will be tempo, he's going for 100 points every time out.

13. Marquette - The Golden Eagles face the same problem Pitt does. They lost three huge contributors, but still have Lazar Haywood left. Add a top-15 recruiting class topped by PG Junior Cadougan and this team could be better than anyone thought.

14. Rutgers — This is a big year for Rutgers, potentially. Gone are several players who didn't agree with coach Fred Hill, in their place is transfer Jonathan Mitchell and an athletic recruiting class. Throw in Mike Rosario and Gregory Echenique after a summer of development abroad, and this could be a team ready to break the 3-Big East win plateau. A lot will depend on how transfer James Beatty adjusts to being the point guard, and more importantly team leader.

15. South Florida — Stan Heath is building something in Tampa. Slow but surely. He made progress alone in being projected to finish 14th in the conference. He adds guards Mike Burwell and Shaun Noriega to a team that desperately needed scoring help last year. Dominque Jones is a good player to build around for now, and Heath predicts a better Augustus Gilchrist. Slowly, but surely, the Bulls are improving.

16. DePaul — Somebody had to be last, who better than the Blue Demons. They were winless last season in the conference, although they followed it up with an upset in the first round of the Big East Tournament. To top that off, they lost Dar Tucker, who probably took too many shots but was still the top scorer. Will Walker and Mac Koshwal are still there, but Tony Freeland is the only major addition. It'll be another frigid winter in Chicago, perhaps the last for Jerry Wainwright.

For more Big East, Rutgers and Seton Hall basketball news, you can find Mike Vorkunov on Twitter at @Mike_Vorkunov