2026-27 Big East preview: Conference title contenders

UConn men’s basketball is the preseason favorite to win the Big East this season, with the Huskies earning the top spot in the preseason coaches’ poll. With the regular season just days away, it’s time to take a look at the entirety of the Big East, starting from the bottom, the middle and now the top teams in the conference aside from UConn — St. John’s, Villanova and Marquette. Teams are in order of their ranking in the Big East coaches’ poll, and each team’s respective preseason KenPom rankings are in parentheses.

St. John’s (23)

Rick Pitino’s mercenaries enter the season expecting to be the top contender for the Big East crown with UConn. Winners of the regular season and tournament in each of the last two seasons, the Red Storm have reloaded with a crew of experienced transfers, including some who had questionable eligibility situations, though all of them have been approved to play this season.

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The former pros on St. John’s are: wing Babacar Sane, a former G League and Exhibit 10 signee, Keyshawn Hall, a scoring wing who has played at Auburn and in the NBA Summer League, and Quinn Ellis, a British point guard from an Italian pro league.

Their best addition may be Tounde Yessoufou, a 6-foot-5 former McDonald’s All-American who was a prolific scorer for Baylor. Reed Bailey, a fifth-year transfer from Indiana by way of Davidson, will be a useful part of their big-man rotation.

Two returning players are expected to start: Ian Jackson, another former McDonald’s All-American, stands 6-foot-5 and started his career at North Carolina, and big man Ruben Prey (10.9 minutes per game last year) looks like the new starter at the 5 for them.

They have a talented roster with good size and some depth. Donnie Freeman, a transfer from Syracuse who was expected to be an impact player, suffered a season-ending injury over the summer, but they still have enough quality for a deep rotation. Another former pro, Zsombor Maronka, will bring helpful size and experience to the…

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Publish date : 2026-10-30 12:00:00

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