Villanova men picked third, women second in preseason Big East polls; several players make all-conference team
Both teams are right where they were at the end of last season — at least on paper.

NEW YORK — The finishing point from the end of last season is where the Villanova men’s basketball team starts — at least on paper — to begin the 2026-27 basketball season.
The Wildcats landed as expected in the third spot behind Connecticut and St. John’s in the preseason Big East coaches poll announced Thursday morning in New York at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square.
St. John’s went 18-2 in Big East play last season, UConn went 17-3, and third-place Villanova was 15-5. Fourth-place Seton Hall, meanwhile, was 10-10. Villanova’s offseason was spent reloading a roster in the hopes that the Wildcats, who reached the NCAA Tournament in Kevin Willard’s first season, close the gap between themselves and the top two teams in the conference.
The roster looks a lot different. Only two players returned, including senior Tyler Perkins, who was selected preseason first-team all-conference. Matthew Hodge, the other returning player, is recovering from ACL surgery.
Villanova will begin its season in Rome vs. Notre Dame on Nov. 1. Its new-look starting lineup is projected to feature Perkins and four new players: point guard Elijah Crawford, forwards Kwame Evans Jr. and Devin Royal, and Italian big man Luigi Suigo, a 7-foot-3 center who is projected to be a first-round pick in next year’s NBA draft. Evans and Royal were both named to the all-Big East second-team announced Thursday.
UConn received eight first-place votes while St. John’s received two and Marquette got one. Coaches cannot vote for their own team.
Wildcats women picked second
Like the men, Denise Dillon’s Villanova women’s team also is where it was at the end of last season: staring up at powerhouse UConn from the No. 2 spot.
The Wildcats received one first-place vote, which had to be from UConn coach Geno Auriemma, considering the rest of the first-place votes went to the Huskies.
Villanova had its fifth consecutive 20-win season last year. The Wildcats finished 25-8 on the year and 16-4 in Big East play. They reached the NCAA Tournament and lost a first-round game to Texas Tech.
Leading scorer Jasmine Bascoe, a junior guard, is back after averaging 18.9 points and 4.0 rebounds. She was a unanimous first-team all-conference player last season and landed on the preseason all-Big East team Thursday morning alongside sophomore guard Kennedy Henry.
The full men’s and women’s preseason polls are below:
(Points in parentheses)
Men
UConn (98)
St. John’s (90)
Villanova (81)
Marquette (73)
Providence (59)
Xavier (54)
Creighton (47)
DePaul (32)
Seton Hall (31)
Georgetown (27)
Butler (13)
Women
UConn (100)
Villanova (90)
Creighton (78)
St. John’s (68)
Seton Hall (67)
Marquette (60)
Providence (38)
Georgetown (36)
Xavier (29)
Butler (21)
DePaul (18)
























