Big East favorite UConn has new look as it chases third straight national championship

UConn coach Danny Hurley takes issue with the notion that winning the last two national titles puts more pressure on the third-ranked Huskies as they seek a third straight championship.

“I don’t think so,” Hurley told reporters during the offseason. “It should put more pressure on everybody else. I think we have more confidence. I think deep down inside we know we can do it here.”

UConn must replace four starters from the team that won the Big East regular-season and tournament titles before capturing a second straight national championship last season. The departures include two of the top seven picks in this year’s NBA draft: Stephon Castle and Donovan Clingan.

Even so, UConn’s track record the last couple of years makes the Huskies clear favorites to win the Big East again.

The other Big East teams in the preseason AP Top 25 are No. 15 Creighton and No. 18 Marquette. Both teams reached the Sweet 16 last season.

Creighton returns 7-foot-1 center Ryan Kalkbrenner, a three-time Big East defensive player of the year who earned second-team all-conference honors. Other returning starters include Steven Ashworth and Mason Miller.

Marquette must replace second-round draft picks Tyler Kolek – the 2023 Big East player of the year and a 2024 Associated Press All-America second-team selection – and Oso Ighodaro. But the Golden Eagles bring back Kam Jones, David Joplin and Stevie Mitchell.

The Big East believed it had one of the nation’s best conferences last season but got only three NCAA Tournament bids – its lowest total since 1993. Seton Hall, St. John’s and Providence all got left out despite winning at least 20 games and going .500 or better in conference play.

The fact that all three Big East teams to make the tournament got at least as far as the regional semifinals and one won the whole thing makes the league confident it will get better news when the bracket is revealed next March.

Who’s back

F Pierre Brooks, Butler, 6-6, 240, Sr.: Brooks scored 14.8 points per game last season at Butler after playing two years at Michigan State.

F Eric Dixon, Villanova, 6-8, 265, Graduate student: Dixon was an A ssociated Press second-team all-Big East pick last season. He led Villanova in scoring (16.6) and rebounding (6.5).

G/F Bryce Hopkins, Providence, 6-7, 220, Sr.: Hopkins had 15.8 points per game in 2022-23 and was averaging 15.5 points in 14 games last season before he tore his ACL. Hopkins won’t be ready for the start of the season as he recovers from that injury.

G Kam Jones, Marquette, 6-5, 205, Sr.: Jones heads into his senior year with 1,391 career points. He averaged 15.1 points in 2022-23 and 17.2 points last season. He has made 38.3% (251 of 655) of his career 3-pointers.

C Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton, 7-1, 270, Sr.: Kalkbrenner will attempt to join Patrick Ewing as the only four-time Big East defensive players of the year in conference history. Kalkbrenner, Ewing and Alonzo Mourning are the only players to win that honor three times.

F Alex Karaban, UConn, 6-8, 225, Jr.: Karaban returns after starting at power forward for UConn’s national championship team last season. He averaged 13.3 points and 5.1 rebounds.

Top transfers

G Jhamir Brickus, Villanova, 5-11, 188, Graduate student: Brickus was a four-year starter at La Salle who earned third-team all-Atlantic 10 honors last season with 13.9 points and 4.8 assists per game.

G Pop Isaacs, Creighton, 6-2, 180, Jr.: Isaacs ranked sixth in the Big 12 in scoring last season as he tallied 15.8 points per game for Texas Tech.

G Chaunce Jenkins, Seton Hall, 6-4, 185, Graduate student: Jenkins averaged 15.9 last season and 13.5 in 2022-23 at Old Dominion. He was a second-team all-Sun Belt pick last season.

G Bensley Joseph, Providence, 6-2, 188, Sr.: After coming off the bench for Miami’s 2023 Final Four team, Joseph moved into the Hurricanes’ starting lineup last season and had 9.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game.

G Malik Mack, Georgetown, 6-2, 175, Soph.: Mack was the Ivy League’s rookie of the year at Harvard last season. He collected 17.2 points, 4.8 assists and 4 rebounds per game.

G Aidan Mahaney, UConn, 6-3, 185, Jr.: Mahaney scored 13.9 points per game in each of his two seasons at Saint Mary’s.

G Wooga Poplar, Villanova, 6-5, 197, Sr.: Poplar started at Miami each of the last two seasons and helped the Hurricanes reach the Final Four in 2023. He had 13.1 points and 4.8 rebounds per game last season.

G Kadary Richmond, St. John’s, 6-6, 205, Graduate student: Richmond transferred to St. John’s after earning second-team AP all-Big East honors with Seton Hall last season. He had 13.8 points, 9.4 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game with the Pirates a year ago.

Top freshman

F Liam McNeeley, UConn: 6-7, 210: McNeeley was the nation’s No. 17 overall prospect in his class according to composite rankings of recruiting sites compiled by 247Sports. He’s from Texas but finished his high school career at Montverde (Florida) Academy.

On the coaching front

The Big East’s lone new coach is DePaul’s Chris Holtmann, who owns a 251-171 career record at Gardner-Webb (2010-13), Butler (2014-17) and Ohio State (2017-24). He will try to turn around a program that hasn’t earned an NCAA bid since 2004 and had its last winning season in 2018-19.

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