Big East basketball has been among the best in college basketball the last few years thanks to an infusion of elite coaches (Rick Pitino, Dan Hurley, Shaka Smart), the success of some elite teams (UConn in 2022-23 and in 2023-24, and St. John’s in 2024-25) and the starpower of some elite talents (Kam Jones, RJ Luis, Eric Dixon, Tristen Newton, Tyler Kolek, among many, many others.)
This season looks as if that standard of excellence will continue.
Two of the top five teams in the preseason AP Top 25 poll (UConn and St. John’s) belong to the league and a third (Creighton) is also ranked. In total, every Big East team but one ranks inside the top-100 at BartTorvik.com entering the 2025-26 season — suggesting it is very possible that a majority of the league will either be NCAA Tournament quality or hovering somewhere close to it.
At the top of the league there are two clear top dogs in our preseason poll from CBS Sports experts, right in line with how AP voters see it: UConn, St. John’s and then everyone else.
The rest of our team’s poll is compiled below along with our panel’s votes on Preseason Player of the Year and Preseason Freshman of the Year.
CBS Sports Big East Preseason Player of the Year
Zuby Ejiofor | St. John’s | F
Ejiofor is the official Big East Preseason Player of the Year and the CBS Sports Big East Preseason Player of the Year. And with good reason. He was the leader in rebounds, blocks and field goal percentage last season for a 31-win St. John’s team, and he is the highest-rated defender at EvanMiya.com from that team who is returning this year.
The Red Storm will again be a force on defense like they were last year when they finished with the No. 2 defensive unit in adjusted efficiency metrics at KenPom.com. Ejiofor will be the driving force behind that unit, and he is among the biggest stars not just in the Big East but in the entire college basketball atmosphere….
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