Georgetown – Even without Jeff Green, the 2006-07 Big East Player of the Year who moved on to the NBA, the Hoyas return a talented lineup that gained experience during a Final Four run last season. Forward Roy Hibbert, this year's preseason Big East Player of the Year, opted not to enter the draft and returns to lead a squad that went 30-7 a season ago.,”The Contenders:

Georgetown – Even without Jeff Green, the 2006-07 Big East Player of the Year who moved on to the NBA, the Hoyas return a talented lineup that gained experience during a Final Four run last season. Forward Roy Hibbert, this year's preseason Big East Player of the Year, opted not to enter the draft and returns to lead a squad that went 30-7 a season ago.

Louisville – The Cardinals return their top seven scorers from a squad that advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament. Terrence Williams, the team's leading scorer last season with 12.4 points per game, will need to take on more of the offensive load if his team hopes to advance further this year. If senior forward David Padgett finally plays a full season healthy, he may be able to help Williams in the scoring department.

Marquette – Everyone knows the Golden Eagles' plan of attack (high pressure defense and transition offense), but will conference foes be able to stop it? The junior trio of Dominic James, Jerel McNeal and Wesley Matthews once again will lead the squad. Whether they get any significant help may determine if Marquette can advance past the opening round of the NCAA tournament.

The Potentials:

Pittsburgh – Space-eater Aaron Gray will no longer fill up the lane, but the Panthers should remain strong regardless. Levance Fields and Mike Cook will lead the squad, but if he can remain more consistent, look for sharpshooter Ronald Ramon to have a breakout year. Lack of experienced, proven frontcourt players may harm Pittsburgh's chances as the conference season wears on.

Connecticut – For the first time in two decades, the Huskies did not advance to a postseason tournament. Their 2006-07 campaign concluded with a loss in the title game of the Big East tournament. This year, Connecticut looks to charge back into the postseason picture behind the efforts of forward Jeff Adrien, who averaged 13.1 points and 9.7 rebounds last season en route to earning All-Big East second team honors.

Syracuse – With juniors Eric Devendorf and Andy Rautins at the helm, the Orange may have been in better position for a conference run. One problem: Rautins injured an ACL while playing for the Canadian National Team in August, sidelining him for the entire coming season. Devendorf is a capable playmaker in his own right (14.8 points per game in 2006-07), but he's not good enough to carry the team for an entire year.

Villanova – Sophomore Scottie Reynolds will score a lot of points this season, but it won't matter if the Wildcats cannot form a relevant supporting cast around him. Last year, Reynolds averaged 15.0 points per game and earned Big East Rookie of the Year honors while leading the team to an NCAA tournament bid. But that squad also consisted of a trio of talented seniors – Curtis Sumpter, Mike Nardi and Will Sheridan – who won't be there to help ease the load off Reynolds this time around.

Providence -Providence was one of the surprise teams in the conference a year ago, compiling an 8-8 Big East record en route to an NIT appearance. In order for the Friars to build on last season's performance, 2006-07 All-Big East Honorable Mention selection Sharaud Curry will need to replace last year's conference scoring champ, Herbert Hill (19.9 points per game), as the team's go-to guy.

The Pretenders:

Notre Dame – Head coach Mike Brey earned Big East Coach of the Year honors last season for turning a squad that was picked to finish 11th in the conference into an NCAA tournament team. He'll stand a good chance of earning the award a second straight year if he can lead the Fighting Irish back to the Field of 64. The team lost two All-Big East first team selections – Colin Falls and Russell Carter – to graduation.

West Virginia – New head coach Bob Huggins inherits a team that won the NIT postseason tournament last season. But that team was led by All-Big East first team selection Frank Young and an entirely different system of play. No matter how quickly Huggins can incorporate his style of play into the team, he'll still be without a go-to scorer.

Cincinnati – Deonta Vaughn and John Williamson will lead a Bearcats squad that contains six freshmen and a gaping hole in the frontcourt. Williamson pulled down 7.3 rebounds per game, but he was the only Cincinnati player to average more than five boards a contest. Vaughn averaged 14.5 points per game and was selected to the Big East All-Rookie team.

DePaul – Senior guard Draelon Burns is in charge of resuscitating a squad that lost its top two scorers and rebounders from last season. Wilson Chandler and Sammy Mejia, who combined for 28.6 points per game and 12.8 rebounds per game – graduated and left Burns to deal with the aftershock. He averaged 11.6 points per game last year but will need to increase that number this time around.

St. John's – They're into baby steps at St. John's. Last year, the RedStorm posted a winning season and qualified for its first Big East tournament appearance in four years. Look for junior forward Anthony Mason Jr. to have a big year if St. John's hopes to continue its push up the Big East ranks.

Seton Hall – The Pirates will play their home games in the new Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., but that might be the only excitement the team creates all season. Seton Hall returns three players who averaged double-digits in scoring last year, but its porous defense – worst in the Big East last season – will more than make up for however many points its offense puts on the board.

The Punching Bags:

Rutgers – The Scarlet Knights A) finished last in the conference in scoring last season, B) finished in the bottom half of the conference in defense and C) offer JR Inman as their main attraction this season. Pick one of the three, and that's why Rutgers will remain in the Big East cellar again this year.

South Florida – Stan Heath spent the last two seasons leading Arkansas to 20-win seasons and NCAA tournament appearances. Now, he's the head coach at South Florida, the place where NCAA tournament hopes go to die. On the bright side, senior Kentrell Gransberry was the only Big East player to average a double-double last year.

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