NCAAW: With Paige Bueckers back, UConn once again will win the Big East

Let’s face it: This is UConn country.

The Huskies have their sights set on something bigger than Big East dominance; they’re eyeing a national title this year. Last season, they went 18-0 in the Big East. With Paige Bueckers back and transfers like Kaitlyn Chen joining the team, they’ve only gotten better, and no one appears primed to top them. According to the Big East coaches’ poll, the Huskies are favored to win the conference, followed by the Creighton Bluejays. The conference’s top five based on the coaches’ expectations is:

UConn
Creighton
Providence
St. John’s
Georgetown

Let’s breakdown the rest of the Big East into tiers, from most likely to threaten the conference title to the least:

Tier 1—Title contenders: UConn, Creighton, Providence, Georgetown

UConn is the clear favorite and could arguably be in a tier of their own, but in the spirit of competition, let’s just have them in the top tier along with Creighton, Providence and Georgetown.

The Bluejays pose the biggest threat to UConn. They are ranked No. 20 in the AP poll and finished 15-3 in the Big East last year. With Lauren Jensen and Morgan Maly returning for one last dance, Creighton will be as good as ever and should not be taken lightly. Providence didn’t reach the NCAA Tournament last season, but they have many returning players this year and are building on their success. I think they’re due for another positive bump in play. Look out for Olivia Olsen and Grace Efosa; both players were named to the preseason All-Big East Team.

Though St. John’s was picked higher than them, I think Georgetown will surprise and be a top-four team in the Big East. Kelsey Ransom is a walking bucket for the Hoyas, averaging 14.1 points per game. With her returning, I expect a jump in her play and Georgetown to have a historic year.

Tier 2—In the mix: St. John’s, Villanova, Seton Hall, Butler

St. John’s finished 11-8 last year and has had a lot of turnover on its roster. They do have a handful of transfers, and are hoping a guard like Lashae Dwyer (Miami) can have a breakout year. If she does, they could be a Tier 1 team.

Villanova has been a beacon of consistency with three 20-plus win seasons. If they can replicate that this year, they’ll surprise a lot of people. But with all the changes the Wildcats have gone through, I think they’ll miss that mark and lose a bit more in the Big East, putting them closer to the middle of the pack.

When it comes to Seton Hall, Savannah Catalon will be getting a bigger workload. As a freshman, she averaged 7.4 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 31 games. Year two should bring a sophomore jump for her, especially given that their top two scorers from last year are gone.

Butler is an up-and-coming program that will rely on Caroline Strande to push them closer to a .500 record in the Big East. Last year, she averaged a team-high 15.1 points per game. They can be a fun, middle-of-the-pack team to watch if she takes another leap.

Tier 3—The others: Xavier, DePaul, Marquette

The bottom of every conference is where the wins are few and far between, and the Big East is no different. Everyone should be pulling for Xavier to get at least one victory. Last season, they went 0-18 in conference play. The year before that, they also went winless in the Big East.

DePaul is expected to remain near the bottom as well, and Marquette will likely be right there with them. The Golden Eagles have a new coach and look vastly different from the team that won 11 Big East games last year. This will be a rebuild for them, likely involving more losing than winning while head coach Cara Consuegra gets things in order.