After being selected as the preseason favorites a year ago, the Marquette Golden Eagles are expected to finish in the bottom half of the Big East in 2014-15.
Marquette and first-year coach Steve Wojciechowski came in tied for seventh in the Big East preseason coaches' poll, tied with Butler and ahead of just Creighton and DePaul. This marks the first time the Golden Eagles have been picked in the bottom half of the Big East since the 2009-10 season, when they were 12th in the preseason poll of the then 16-team league.
With four starters returning from last year's Big East regular-season championship team, Villanova was picked to defend its league crown. The Wildcats received all nine possible first-place votes, as coaches can't vote for their own school.
Villanova's first-place vote went to Georgetown, as the Hoyas edged St. John's for the second spot in the preseason coaches' poll. Xavier came in fourth, while Providence and Seton Hall followed.
Marquette and Butler each received 28 points in the poll, leaving the two schools tied for the seventh spot. After losing All-American Doug McDermott, Creighton was picked ninth, while DePaul rounded out the poll.
The Golden Eagles had no players chosen for preseason all-Big East teams. Creighton is the only other school to have none of its players honored.
Georgetown junior guard D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera was picked as the Big East preseason player of the year, while Seton Hall forward Isaiah Whitehead was named Big East preseason rookie of the year.
Joining Smith-Rivera on the preseason all-Big East first team are Butler junior guard Kellen Dunham, St. John's senior guard D'Angelo Harrison, Villanova senior forward JayVaughn Pinkston and Xavier senior center Matt Stainbrook.
DePaul sophomore guard Billy Garrett Jr., Providence senior forward LaDontae Henton, St. John's sophomore guard Rysheed Jordan, Villanova junior guard Ryan Arcidiacono and Villanova senior guard Darrun Hilliard make up the preseason all-Big East second team.
(first-place votes in parentheses)
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