Basketball Preview: The Pitt News’ preseason Big East rankings

The Pitt News polled 10 of its sports writers to create the Preseason Pitt News Poll. The poll, ike the Preseason Big East Coaches’ Poll, ranks all 16… The Pitt News polled 10 of its sports writers to create the Preseason Pitt News Poll. The poll, like the Preseason Big East Coaches’ Poll, ranks all 16 Big East men’s basketball programs based on their expected performances this season.

1. Pittsburgh Panthers (nine first-place votes)

Preseason Big East Coaches’ Poll Rank: 1

The Panthers bring back all but one starter from a team that rose to as high as No. 9 in the AP ranking a year ago. Pitt lacks a superstar, but guard Ashton Gibbs comes close with 15.7 points per game last season. Jamie Dixon’s squad enters the year No. 5 in the national ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll and the favorite to win the Big East.

2. (tie) Syracuse Orange (one first-place vote)

Preseason Big East Coaches’ Poll Rank: 3

The Orange won the Big East regular-season championship in Jim Boeheim’s 34th year as head coach last season . Though Syracuse returns just two starters, there’s no reason to believe the Orange will fall. Junior forward Kris Joseph will start after winning the Big East Sixth Man of the Year award last season, and the Orange also have 7-foot freshman phenom Fab Melo.

2. (tie) Villanova Wildcats

Preseason Big East Coaches’ Poll Rank: 2

The Wildcats feature a strong senior trio of Corey Fisher, Antonio Pena and Corey Stokes. The Preseason First Team All-Big East Fisher leads the group, taking over for the graduated Scottie Reynolds. Villanova tied Pitt and West Virginia for second in the conference last season but struggled in the NCAA Tournament, bowing out in the second round.

4. West Virginia Mountaineers

Preseason Big East Coaches’ Poll Rank: 5

The Mountaineers won their first Big East Championship last season, but Bob Huggins’ team will try to defend the title without Da’Sean Butler, Devin Ebanks and Wellington Smith. But 6-foot-8 junior Kevin Jones returns to keep West Virginia’s defense and rebounding strong. “I can’t imagine [Jones] not being one of the top 50 players in the country,” Huggins said.

5. Georgetown Hoyas

Preseason Big East Coaches’ Poll Rank: 4

With versatile star Greg Monroe off to the NBA, Georgetown becomes a team loaded at guard yet raw underneath the rim. Senior guards Austin Freeman and Chris Wright enter the season as Preseason Big East Player of the Year and All-Big East Second Team, respectively, giving the Hoyas one of the most decorated backcourts in the conference.

6. Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Preseason Big East Coaches’ Poll Rank: 7

Luke Harangody’s knee injury last February prepared Notre Dame for this season. Without Harangody, the Fighting Irish became one of the nation’s hottest teams, beating Pitt, Georgetown and Connecticut consecutively. With Harangody now an alumnus, Notre Dame looks to seniors Tim Abromaitis and Ben Hansbrough to continue where it left off last year.

7. Connecticut Huskies

Preseason Big East Coaches’ Poll Rank: 10

Connecticut came under the NCAA’s microscope over the summer for recruiting violations, and it self-imposed two years’ probation and the loss of a scholarship. Events on the court weren’t much more favorable, as the Huskies lost five of their final six games. Their top scorer in these games was Jerome Dyson, and their top rebounder was Stanley Robinson. Guard Kemba Walker and center Alex Oriakhi are the two returning starters from last year’s Big East leader in field goal defense.

8. Louisville Cardinals

Preseason Big East Coaches’ Poll Rank: 8 (tie)

Four starters, including the top three scorers, bid adieu to Louisville over the summer, so coach Rick Pitino has some work to do with five freshmen and four sophomores on the roster. “Everything from an offensive standpoint is totally new,” Pitino said. “[The players] are grasping it, but it’s going to take some time.”

9. Marquette Golden Eagles

Preseason Big East Coaches’ Poll Rank: 8 (tie)

Marquette led the conference in 3-point shooting last year and returns Darius Johnson-Odom and Jimmy Butler, although leading scorer Lazar Hayward left for the pros. Coach Buzz Williams doesn’t have much time to get his Golden Eagles ready for a Nov. 22 matchup against No. 1 Duke.

10. St. John’s Red Storm

Preseason Big East Coaches’ Poll Rank: 6

St. John’s has experience. The Red Storm’s roster has 10 seniors in coach Steve Lavin’s first year with the program. St. John’s finished 13th in the conference last season, but eight of its 12 Big East losses were by 10 points or less. Senior and Pittsburgh native D.J. Kennedy is back after leading the Red Storm in points, assists, blocks and steals in the 2009-10 season.

11. Seton Hall Pirates

Preseason Big East Coaches’ Poll Rank: 11

Jeremy Hazell dominated the Big East last year, putting up 41 points against West Virginia, 38 against Syracuse and 25 or more against six other conference opponents. Hazell is the only one of last year’s top 10 Big East scorers to return to his team this season. He averaged 20.4 points per game, and Seton Hall finished 9-9 in the conference.

12. Cincinnati Bearcats

Preseason Big East Coaches’ Poll Rank: 12

The Bearcats were the surprise of the 2010 Big East tournament as they advanced to the quarterfinals as a No. 11 seed before falling at the buzzer to eventual champion West Virginia. Cincinnati has five seniors on the roster as well as junior Yancy Gates, who was named an All-Big East Honorable Mention.

13. South Florida Bulls

Preseason Big East Coaches’ Poll Rank: 13

Dominique Jones carried USF to its best Big East record ever last year, but now the Bulls have to carry on without him. They have a strong frontcourt that features 6-foot-10 Augustus Gilchrist, 6-foot-11 Jarrid Famous and 6-foot-8 transfer Ron Anderson.

14. Providence Friars

Preseason Big East Coaches’ Poll Rank: 14

With nine freshmen, senior guard Marshon Brooks will have to have another season like last year’s 14.2 points-per-game performance. The Friars dismissed Jamine Peterson from the roster last spring after a violation of team rules. He had 19.6 points and 10.2 rebounds per game as a sophomore.

15. Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Preseason Big East Coaches’ Poll Rank: 15

Rutgers has just five scholarship players on its roster. Three Scarlet Knights, including Mike Rosario and his 16.7 points per game, transferred after last season’s 5-13 Big East record. In his first year with Rutgers, former Robert Morris head coach Mike Rice has another crack at Villanova on Feb. 9 after last March’s near-upset of the Wildcats in the NCAA Tournament.

16. DePaul Blue Demons

Preseason Big East Coaches’ Poll Rank: 16

With an abysmal 1-35 in-conference record over the last two years, the Blue Demons hired Oliver Purnell to try and turn the program around. Purnell earned NCAA Tournament bids coaching Old Dominion, Dayton and Clemson, but he has a lot of work to do with the sputtering Blue Demons.

Brody Engelhard, Kelly Flanigan, Mike Furlong, Dustin Gabler, Tony Jovenitti, Lauren Kirschman, Alex Oltmanns, Roger Sepich and Torie Wytiaz contributed to this story.