PRESEASON NOTES
October 02, 2007 03:47 PM | General
By John Antonik for MSNsportsNET.com
October 12, 2007
West Virginia was just 8-7 after its first 15 games but won 12 of its last 14 regular season games to earn a bid into the NCAA tournament for just the fourth time in school history. The Mountaineers have all five starters returning.
The Big East has more than 150 players are returning from last year and six teams were ranked during the preseason by ESPN.com’s Mechelle Voepel: Connecticut, Rutgers, Pitt, Louisville, West Virginia and Notre Dame.
Athlon’s Magazine has six Big East teams ranked in its preseason Top 25: No. 1 Connecticut, No. 4 Rutgers, No. 14 West Virginia, No. 17 DePaul, No. 21 Pitt and No. 25 Louisville. Lindy’s Magazine has Connecticut No. 2, Rutgers No. 3, Pitt No. 18, Notre Dame No. 19, Louisville No. 21 and West Virginia No. 24.
Eight Big East players made the Preseason Margaret Wade Trophy List presented to the top college women’s basketball player. Rutgers had three players make the list in Matee Ajavon, Essence Carson and Kia Vaughn. Connecticut’s Tina Charles and Renee Montgomery were included, as was Notre Dame’s Charel Allen, Louisville’s Angel McCoughtry and Pitt’s Marcedes Walker.
The Big East has two new coaches in Louisville’s Jeff Walz and Cincinnati’s J. Kelley Hall. Walz was the associate head coach at Maryland while Hall was Louisiana-Lafayette’s head coach for the last five years.
The Big East has had at least one Sweet 16 participant each year since 1993 and at least one team in the Elite Eight every year since 1994. The Big East has the best all-time winning percentage in the NCAA tournament play at .667. The last eight years the conference’s NCAA tournament winning percentage is .674.
Last year the league tied a record by sending eight teams to NCAA tournament play. It was the most of any basketball conference last year followed by six bids each from the ACC and the Big 12.
The Final NCAA RPI had nine Big East teams ranked among the nation’s Top 65 including No. 3 Connecticut and No. 5 Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights won the Big East tournament championship last year and advanced to the NCAA Finals where they lost to Tennessee. Rutgers has all five starters returning from a year ago.
October 12, 2007
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| West Virginia senior forward Chakhia Cole has made 97 career starts in three seasons.
All-Pro Photography/Dale Sparks |
All but two of last year’s all-Big East first team and 19 of the conference’s top 21 players are returning for 2008.
RETURN TO MAIN
Andrew Powdrell | April 15
Thursday, April 16
Coach Pat Kirkland | April 15
Thursday, April 16
Coach Rich Rodriguez | April 15
Thursday, April 16
Alumni Series | Louisa Morgan Hoogduin
Wednesday, April 15
