New-Look Big East Takes a Beating in First Coaches’ Poll

With the first coaches’ poll out, this much is clear: the new-look Big East took a beating.

Marquette, picked to win the Big East, is the only league team in the Top 25 — at No. 17.

Creighton, Georgetown and Villanova all received votes.

Meantime, former Big East teams are all over the Top 25 — with defending NCAA champion Louisville at No. 3, Syracuse at No. 7, UConn at No. 19 and Notre Dame at No. 22.

Louisville and UConn are now in the AAC, as is No. 13 Memphis.

Syracuse and Notre Dame are now in the ACC, along with No. 4 Duke, No. 11 North Carolina and No. 25 Virginia.

Kentucky became the first team to enter the poll at No. 1 after finishing unranked the previous year.

Michigan State is No. 2.

Last year the Big East sent five teams to the Big Dance and new commissioner Val Ackerman said Wednesday that the goal was to send at least that many this year.

Written by Adam Zagoria

[email protected]

Adam Zagoria is a Basketball Insider who covers basketball at all levels. A contributor to The New York Times and SportsNet New York (SNY), he is also the author of two books and is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker. His articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide. He also won an Emmy award for his work on the SNY mini-documentary on Syracuse guard Tyus Battle. A veteran Ultimate Frisbee player, he has competed in numerous National and World Championships and, perhaps more importantly, his teams won the Westchester Summer League (WSL) championships in 2011 and 2013. He lives in Manhattan with his wife and children.