Big East team previews: Connecticut on top

Pitt Panthers (No. 5 AP, No. 6 USA Today/ESPN) Coach: Jamie Dixon Key Returners: Sam Young,… Pitt Panthers (No. 5 AP, No. 6 USA Today/ESPN) Coach: Jamie Dixon Key Returners: Sam Young, DeJuan Blair, Levance Fields and Gilbert Brown Key Newcomers: Nasir Robinson, Ashton Gibbs and Travon Woodall Player to Watch: Brown The Story: Pitt looks to break past the Sweet 16 for the first time, after four appearances there in the past seven years. Young returned to the team after nearly entering the NBA Draft and is the team’s best scoring option. Fields’ health is key, as he is currently nursing an injured foot. With Mike Cook and Ronald Ramon gone, Brown could break through as the team’s most athletic player, if he is healthy as well. -Zack Chakan Connecticut Huskies (No. 2 AP, No. 2 USA Today/ESPN) Coach: Jim Calhoun Key Returners: Jeff Adrien, A.J. Price, Hasheem Thabeet and Jerome Dyson Key Newcomers: Charles Okwandu and Scottie Haralson Player to Watch: Kemba Walker The Story: There might not be a more talented team in the Big East conference, and that’s saying something in a league that has seven teams in the preseason AP top 25. Even with swingman Stanley Robinson suspended at least until January, the Huskies weigh in at No. 2 in both preseason polls and are predicted by the Big East coaches to capture the conference. -Tony Ferraiolo Louisville Cardinals (No. 3 AP, USA Today/ESPN) Coach: Rick Pitino Key Returners: Terrence Williams, Earl Clark, Jerry Smith and Andre McGee Key Newcomers: Samardo Samuels and Jared Swopshire Player to Watch: Williams The Story: The Cardinals reached the Elite Eight last year, only to lose to North Carolina. They lost senior David Padgett, but that’s not stopping anyone from picking the Cardinals to go to the Final Four. Williams and Clark could both end up on the All-Big East team at the end of the season, and Samuels and Swopshire figure to be two of the top freshmen in the conference. -Adam Littman Notre Dame Fighting Irish (No. 9 AP, No. 9 USA Today/ESPN) Coach: Mike Brey Key Returners: Luke Harangody, Kyle McAlarney and Tory Jackson Key Newcomers: None Player to Watch: Harangody The Story: The Irish enter the season ranked in the preseason top 10 for the first time since 1980 as hope for the team continues to rise. After exceeding expectations last season, Notre Dame will look to build on that this upcoming season behind reigning Big East Coach of the Year Mike Brey. Brey, who is entering his eighth season with the Irish, will possess a nice one-two punch in forward Harangody, last year’s Big East Player of the Year, and guard McAlarney. -Jay Huerbin Marquette Golden Eagles (No. 16 AP, No. 17 USA Today/ESPN) Coach: Buzz Williams Key Returners: Jerel McNeal, Dominic James, Wesley Matthews and Lazar Hayward Key Newcomer: Chris Otule Player to Watch: McNeal’ The Story: The Golden Eagles were ousted from the NCAA Tournament in the second round by Stanford. They also lost coach Tom Crean to Indiana, but Williams is set up for success in his first year with the fantastic trio of guards in McNeal, James and Matthews. -Adam Littman Georgetown Hoyas (No. 22 AP, No. 18 USA Today/ESPN) Coach: John Thompson III Key Returners: DaJuan Summers and Jessie Sapp Key Newcomers: Julian Vaughn, Greg Monroe, Henry Sims and Jason Clark Player to Watch: Austin Freeman The Story: There’s no question the Hoyas have enough talent to make up for the loss of three key seniors (Roy Hibbert, Jeremiah Rivers and Jonathan Wallace), but the question is, can the Hoyas’ talent thrive in Georgetown’s Princeton-style offense? One thing is for sure: Everyone will find out what kind of player DaJuan Summers is. So far his attitude has been poor, and his play has been inconsistent. -Tony Ferraiolo Villanova Wildcats (No. 23 AP, No. 25 USA Today/ESPN) Coach: Jay Wright Key Returners: Scottie Reynolds and Dante Cunningham’ Key Newcomers: Maurice Sutton Player to Watch: Corey Fisher The Story: Depth in the frontcourt will be an issue for the Wildcats, but that hasn’t hampered them in the past. Last year, Villanova surprised a lot of people and made it to the Sweet 16. This year, everyone is back for the Wildcats, and their guard play will be phenomenal as usual. It’s scary to think what Scottie Reynolds will be capable of this year as an upperclassman. -Tony Ferraiolo West Virginia Mountaineers Coach: Bob Huggins Key Returners: Joe Mazzulla, Alex Ruoff and Da’Sean Butler Key Newcomers:’ David Ebanks, Dee Proby and Kevin Jones Player to Watch: Ebanks The Story: Last year, West Virginia’s offense was predicated on Joe Alexander’s ability to get whatever he wanted offensively. Alexander left early for the NBA Draft, leaving the Mountaineers with major scoring concerns. West Virginia can defend as well as any team in the Big East, and Joe Mazzulla is a solid all-around point guard, but the Mountaineers will only be successful if their young talent grows up quickly and contributes offensively. -Tony Ferraiolo Syracuse Orange Coach: Jim Boeheim Key Returners: Jonny’ Flynn, Paul’ Harris, Eric Devendorf, Kristof Ongenaet and Arinze Onuaku Key Newcomers: Mookie Jones and Kris Joseph Player to Watch: Flynn The Story: Syracuse, which is coming off a loss in the NIT title game to Massachusetts, should improve this year. The Orange were plagued by injuries last season, losing Devendorf on Dec. 15 for the remainder of the season with a torn ACL, Andy Rautins was out the entire season also with a torn ACL, and senior guard Josh Wright quit the team in early December. Led by Flynn, who was co-Big East Rookie of the Year along with DeJuan Blair, the Orange have a good shot to return to the NCAA Tournament after a two-year absence. -Adam Littman Providence Friars Coach: Keno Davis Key Returners: Jeff Xavier, Weyinmi Efejuku, Brian McKenzie and Geoff McDermott Key Newcomers: Bilal Dixon Player to Watch: Xavier The Story: The Friars enter the new season with another year of experience for the young team. And newly appointed coach Keno Davis hopes to take the team one step farther. Davis, last year’s AP Coach of the Year, has a talented group of players to work with and will most likely look to create a more physical team to match the style of play in the Big East. -Jay Huerbin DePaul Blue Demons Coach: Jerry Wainwright Key Returners: Mac Koshwal, Dar Tucker and Matija Poscic Key Newcomers: Jeremiah Kelly and Devin Hill Player to Watch: Tucker The Story: The Blue Demons finished 11-19 overall and 6-12 in Big East play last season. Coming back are sophomores Koshwal and Tucker, who both had good freshman years. Chances are DePaul isn’t going to win the conference, or much less make a run for it, but the Blue Demons have a few players worth watching out for. -Adam Littman Cincinnati Bearcats Coach: Mick Cronin Key Returners: Deonta Vaughn Key Newcomers: Yancy Gates Player to Watch: Vaughn The Story: With Cronin entering his third season as the Bearcats’ coach, progress is still the goal. But for the team to make significant improvements, all eyes will be on Vaughn. The junior led all guards in the Big East in scoring last year and will need to keep putting up similar numbers if Cincinnati hopes to make strides in the Big East. -Jay Huerbin Rutgers Scarlet Knights Coach: Fred Hill Key Returners: Anthony Farmer, J.R. Inman, Jaron Griffin and Hamady N’Diaye Key Newcomers: Mike Rosario Player to Watch: Corey Chandler The Story: A part-timer last year, sophomore guard Chandler looks to improve a Scarlet Knights offense that ranked 15th in the Big East last year. Rosario is the first McDonald’s All-American to attend Rutgers in school history. The Scarlet Knights won’t make the NCAA Tournament but could reach the NIT. -Randy Lieberman Seton Hall Pirates Coach: Bobby Gonzalez Key Returners: Eugene Harvey, Jeremy Hazell and John Garcia Key Newcomers: Robert Mitchell Player to Watch: Mitchell The Story: Seton Hall is on the outside looking in right now but has the talent to make a run for the NIT. A 6-feet-6-inch junior transfer from Duquesne, Mitchell will look to fill the huge void left by forward Brian Laing (18.6 PPG), who graduated. -Randy Lieberman St. John’s Red Storm Coach: Norm Roberts Returning starters: Anthony Mason Jr., Justin Burrell and D.J. Kennedy Key newcomers: TyShwan Edmondson and Phil Wait Player to Watch: Burrell The Story: Still a young team with only two seniors, St. John’s is hoping to build upon another year and begin winning Big East games. After compiling a 5-13 record in conference play, the Red Storm will have to look to each other to see significant improvement. Anthony Mason Jr., who missed some time with an ankle injury last year, will be the veteran leader on the team while sophomore Justin Burrell will be the producer. -Jay Huerbin South Florida Bulls Coach: Stan Heath Key Returners: Dominique Jones, Jesus Verdejo and Chris Howard Key Newcomers: Gus Gilchrist, Eladio Espinosa and Alex Rivas Sanchez Player to watch: Gilchrist The Story: Unfortunately, the Bulls might hold down the cellar of the Big East again. The team returns only a handful of players, with newcomers Gilchrist, Espinosa and Sanchez all competing for spots in the frontcourt. -Randy Lieberman