Coaches' Poll

Wednesday, November 8, 2006

Coaches' Poll

1. Pittsburgh

(10 first-place votes)

Center Aaron Gray considered jumping to the NBA, but ultimately returned, in part because he felt that the Panthers were capable of something special this season. With Gray, they are. Pittsburgh is experienced and deep (eight of its top 10 scorers are back), and its home court (the Peterson Events Center) has become one of the toughest places to play in the conference.

2. Georgetown (4)

Seven Big East players are on the preseason Wooden Award list, and the Hoyas have two of them: multitalented forward Jeff Green and center Roy Hibbert. But Georgetown needs to develop a back court that can complement one of the country's best front lines; junior Jonathan Wallace and sophomore Jessie Sapp are the only guards with any Big East experience.

3. Syracuse (1)

The Orange lost only one starter from last season's Big East tournament championship team, but it was guard Gerry McNamara, the player who essentially willed the team to the title. Talented but volatile guard Eric Devendorf will anchor the back court, which will be bolstered by versatile freshman Paul Harris.

4. Marquette (1)

The Golden Eagles were expected to struggle in their first season in the Big East; instead, they beat Connecticut by 15 in their first conference game and finished a surprising fourth overall. Dominic James is one of the best point guards in the country, and he is flanked by two underrated classmates, Jerel McNeal and Wesley Matthews. The trio averaged 35.4 points and 10.3 assists as freshmen.

5. Connecticut

The Huskies haven't finished lower than second in the conference since 2001, when they were tied for third in the East division. They could be underrated because of their youth; they have three returning players of consequence, and all three are sophomores. Coach Jim Calhoun says that this is the quickest and fastest team he has had in 21 seasons.

6. Louisville

The Cardinals were one of the surprises last season, but not in a good way: picked to finish third, they battled injuries and wound up 11th. This season, they have the depth and athleticism to play the up-tempo style that Coach Rick Pitino favors, plus one of his best recruiting classes at Louisville.

7. Villanova

The Wildcats won 28 games last season with a four-guard look, but three of those guards are now in the NBA. Guard Scottie Reynolds, an All-Met from Herndon, will get a chance to play alongside Mike Nardi, and versatile forward Curtis Sumpter is back after missing last season with a knee injury.

8. DePaul

The Blue Demons improved over the course of their first Big East season -- see: 39-point blowout of Syracuse in the regular season's penultimate game -- and will contend for a spot in the conference tournament. They are the only team in league with four double-digit scorers back, led by guard Sammy Mejia (15.1 ppg).

COACHES' POLL (CONT.)

9. St. John's

Coach Norm Roberts tried to find some scorers to help a team that ranked at the bottom of the conference in most shooting categories. Junior college transfer Avery Patterson, freshman Derwin Kitchen and a healthy Daryll Hill (who led the Big East in scoring as a sophomore but has been bothered by knee injuries ever since) fit the bill.

10. Providence

The Friars did not play in the Big East tournament for the first time in conference history; they finished 13th. C Randall Hanke, a lanky 6-foot-11 junior, led the nation in field-goal percentage (.677).

11. Notre Dame

Have the Irish been snakebit, or just not very good? Over the past two seasons, they've lost 12 games by three points or less. Coach Mike Brey could be on the hot seat after three straight NIT seasons.

12. West Virginia

The nucleus of players that made the Mountaineers one of the darlings of college basketball for two seasons is gone, as is 82 percent of West Virginia's scoring. What's back: one starter (forward Frank Young) and Coach John Beilein's complex offensive system.

13. Cincinnati

Mick Cronin returns to his alma mater to provide some stability following a turbulent 2005-06 season. Only four players from that team are back -- only one of them (forward Cedric McGowan) averaged more than three points per game -- so Cronin loaded up with seven junior college players.

14. Rutgers

Ace recruiter Fred Hill gets his first head coaching job, replacing Gary Waters. His first task: Replacing the scoring of guard Quincy Douby, who left early for the NBA following a season in which he took 35 percent of his team's shots and scored 37 percent of its points.

15. Seton Hall

The Pirates were picked to finish in this spot a year ago, but shocked the conference with a seventh-place finish and an NCAA tournament bid. That wasn't enough to save former coach Louis Orr, and it might be too much to ask in Bobby Gonzalez's first season.

16. South Florida

The Bulls used a walk-on at point guard last season and won one conference game. Guard Chris Howard, an All-Met at Friendly, should provide a boost when he returns in January from his second major knee injury in two years.

TOP 10 PLAYERS

Regardless of position or class

1. Dominic James , Marquette

2. Jeff Green , Georgetown

3. Aaron Gray , Pittsburgh

4. Roy Hibbert , Georgetown

5. Curtis Sumpter , Villanova

6. Jeff Adrien , Connecticut

7. Juan Palacios , Louisville

8. Lamont Hamilton , St. John's

9. Sammy Mejia , DePaul

10. Paul Harris , Syracuse