The Big East coaches have ended any talk of a St. John’s three-peat by ranking the Red Storm second in the conference’s preseason poll. UConn topped the poll with eight first-place votes, while St. John’s received only two, signaling a shift in expectations for the 2026-2027 season.
St. John’s has dominated recent Big East campaigns, winning 36 of 40 regular-season games and securing consecutive regular-season and tournament titles for the first time in the program’s history. Yet, the coaches appear confident that UConn will disrupt that streak. The Huskies, led by coach Dan Hurley, bring back their starting backcourt of Silas Demary, Jr., who was named the Big East preseason player of the year, and Braylon Mullins. They also add transfers Nik Khamenia from Duke, Najai Hines from Seton Hall, and highly ranked freshmen Colben Landrew and Junior County.
Rick Pitino, the St. John’s head coach, cast a first-place vote for Marquette, which was ranked fourth behind Villanova. Marquette remains in the coaches’ mix, with Pitino praising them as the Big East favorite in July. Providence, Xavier, Creighton, DePaul, Seton Hall, Georgetown, and Butler completed the poll in that order.
St. John’s faces uncertainty with eligibility rulings pending for Quinn Ellis, Keyshawn Hall, Babacar Sane, and Reed Bailey. Ellis and Hall are expected to start regularly, while Sane could be a candidate for the sixth-man of the year. Until those decisions come through, the Johnnies’ starting lineup is projected to include preseason first-team selection Ian Jackson, Baylor transfer Tounde Yessoufou, and Ruben Prey, who will start for the first time.
The preseason poll results were announced ahead of the Big East Media Day on Tuesday, providing a clear picture of the coaches’ expectations. UConn’s strong returning core and promising new additions have convinced the league’s insiders that the Huskies are primed to end St. John’s recent dominance in the conference. The full preseason poll and All-Big East teams were released by the conference’s official channels on October 1.
According to Yahoo Sports.
