NEW YORK – The votes are in and the Big East Conference men’s basketball constituency is seeing red.
St. John’s, the defending BIG EAST regular season and tournament champion, has been chosen to finish first in the 2025-26 BIG EAST Preseason Coaches’ Poll. The Red Storm received seven of a possible 10 first-place votes and 97 points from the league’s head coaches who were not permitted to vote for their own teams it was announced at the annual media day in Madison Square Garden.
Last season, the Red Storm claimed the program’s first outright BIG EAST Regular Season Championship since 1984-85 and captured its first BIG EAST Tournament championship at Madison Square Garden since 2000. St. John’s is currently ranked No. 5 on the Associated Press Top 25 poll – the highest preseason national ranking in program history.
St. John’s will be led by a quintet of preseason All-BIG EAST honorees, led by Zuby Ejiofor. The league’s Preseason Player of the Year, Ejiofor averaged 14.7 points and 8.1 rebounds per game and was a First Team All-BIG EAST selection a season ago. He is joined by standout newcomers Bryce Hopkins – a 2022-23 All-BIG EAST First Team honoree while at Providence – as well as Ian Jackson, Dillon Mitchell, and Joson Sanon.
UConn was picked second in the preseason poll, earning four first-place votes and 94 points. The Huskies placed three players on the preseason All-BIG EAST First Team – guard Solo Ball, forward Alex Karaban, and center Tarris Reed Jr. – in addition to the league’s preseason Freshman of the Year Braylon Mullins. UConn is currently ranked No. 4 on the AP Top 25 poll.
Creighton is picked third in the poll with 80 points. The Bluejays – currently ranked No. 23 on the AP Top 25 poll – are one of four teams nationally to win an NCAA Tournament game in each of the last five seasons. A trio of transfers – Josh Dix, Owen Freeman, and Nik Graves – along with returner Jackson McAndrew look to lead the way for Creighton in 2025-26.
Providence was selected to finish fourth. The Friars feature 10 newcomers and five returnees on the 2025-26 roster. Transfer guard Jason Edwards averaged 17.0 points per game at Vanderbilt and was picked to the preseason All-BIG EAST Second Team. Providence also returns a pair of BIG EAST All-Freshman team selections from a season ago in Oswin Erhunmwunse and Ryan Mela.
Marquette is the coaches’ choice for fifth. The Golden Eagles were 23-11 a season ago, advancing to their fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament. Despite losing their top three scorers, Marquette returns 10 players – including a pair of starters in preseason All-BIG EAST guard Chase Ross and Ben Gold. Guard Sean Jones, who missed the 2024-25 campaign due to injury, also returns.
Georgetown was selected sixth. The Hoyas look to build off their 18-win campaign last year and will be led by a pair of guards who received preseason All-BIG EAST accolades – transfer KJ Lewis and returnee Malik Mack. Six transfers join the Georgetown roster for 2025-26, including two from within the league – Isaiah Abraham (UConn) and Vince Iwuchukwu (St. John’s).
Villanova is the choice for seventh. First-year head coach Kevin Willard returns to the BIG EAST with a revamped roster, including eight transfers and three freshmen. The Wildcats should see contributions from transfers Devin Askew and Zion Stanford, as well as highly-touted freshman Acaden Lewis.
Xavier is slated for eighth place. The Musketeers welcome new head coach Richard Pitino for 2025-26, who has also engineered a roster rebuild. Roddie Anderson III, who redshirted last season, is the lone returner for Xavier, which welcomes 11 transfers. Last year, the Musketeers won 22 games and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
DePaul was picked ninth. Senior wing CJ Gunn – a preseason All-BIG EAST Third Team selection – leads the way for the Blue Demons, which saw the nation’s biggest KenPom year-over-year rating improvement, jumping 182 spots from 2024 to 2025. DePaul also returns point guard Layden Blocker and power forward NJ Benson.
Butler was 10th and welcome 10 new faces – five transfers and five freshmen – to the 2025-26 roster. Graduate transfer Jalen Jackson averaged over 19.0 points per game a season ago and was an all-conference performer. Veteran guard Finley Bizjack averaged 10.3 points per game last season and should bolster the Bulldogs’ backcourt.
Seton Hall was picked 11th. The Pirates welcome 10 transfers, including four double-digit scorers with at their previous stops. Leading the charge is point guard Adam “Budd” Clark who averaged nearly 20.0 points to go along with 6.0 assists per game a season ago. The Pirates also welcome highly-touted freshman forward Najai Hines in 2025-26. – Christopher Lawlor
2025-26 BIG EAST Men’s Basketball Preseason Poll
- St. John’s (7) 97
- UConn (4) 94
- Creighton 80
- Providence 64
- Marquette 60
- Georgetown 57
- Villanova 50
- Xavier 33
- DePaul 29
- Butler 26
- Seton Hall 15
First place votes in parentheses
St. John’s Ejiofor Preseason Player of the Year
St. John’s forward Zuby Ejiofor has been named 2025-26 BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year by a unanimous vote of the league’s head coaches. Connecticut guard Braylon Mullins has been selected BIG EAST Preseason Freshman of the Year. The coaches, who were not permitted to choose their own players, also chose an All-BIG EAST First Team, All-BIG EAST Second Team and All-BIG EAST Third Team.
Ejiofor, a 6-9, 245 lb. senior, was an All-BIG EAST First Team selection and the league’s Most Improved Player last year. He averaged 14.7 points and 8.1 rebounds per game, while shooting nearly 58 percent from the floor a season ago.
Mullins, a 6-6 guard from Greenfield, Ind., was a 2025 McDonald’s All-American from Greenfield-Central in Greenfield, Ind. The recipient of the prestigious “Mr. Basketball” award in the state of Indiana, he was a consensus five-star prospect and top 20 ranked recruit.
PRESEASON ALL-BIG EAST FIRST TEAM
Solo Ball, UConn, G, Jr., 6-4, 200, Leesburg, Va.
Alex Karaban, UConn, F, R-Sr., 6-8, 230, Southborough, Mass.
Tarris Reed Jr., UConn, C, Sr., 6-11, 265, St. Louis, Mo.
Owen Freeman, Creighton, F, Jr., 6-10, 240, Moline, Ill.
Chase Ross, Marquette, G, Sr., 6-5, 210, Dallas, Texas
Bryce Hopkins, St. John’s, G-F, Sr., 6-7, 220, Oak Park, Ill.
PRESEASON ALL-BIG EAST SECOND TEAM
Silas Demary, UConn, G, Jr., 6-4, 195, Raleigh, N.C.
Josh Dix, Creighton, G, Sr., 6-6, 205, Council Bluffs, Iowa
KJ Lewis, Georgetown, G, Jr., 6-4, 210, El Paso, Texas
Jason Edwards, Providence, Gr., G, 6-1, 180, Atlanta, Ga.
Ian Jackson, St. John’s, G, So., 6-5, 195, Bronx, N.Y.
PRESEASON ALL-BIG EAST THIRD TEAM
Nik Graves, Creighton, G, Sr., 6-2, 190, Durham, N.C.
Jackson McAndrew, Creighton, F, So., 6-10, 225, Wayzata, Minn.
CJ Gunn, DePaul, G, Sr., 6-7, 200, Indianapolis, Ind.
Malik Mack, Georgetown, G, Jr., 6-2, 175, Oxon Hill, Md.
Oswin Erhunmwunse, Providence, F, So., 6-10, 235, Benin City, Nigeria
Dillon Mitchell, St. John’s, F, Sr. 6-8, 210, Tampa, Fla.
Joson Sanon, St. John’s, G, So., 6-5, 200, Fall River, Mass.
