The Big East conference hosted its annual basketball media day Oct. 18 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, featuring head coaches, assistant directors and players from all 11 of its member schools. The event revealed the conference’s preseason coaches’ poll — which placed Georgetown University in 10th place with Creighton University, Xavier University and Villanova University leading the pack.

Big East Commissioner Val Ackerman kicked off the event with an opening speech that emphasized how the Big East seeks to become a national contender in the modern era.

“Here we are now with the 10th season of what I call, sometimes, the new Big East upon us,” Ackerman said. “I think a lot about the first few years after this group of schools came together back in 2013 and the effort that it took to build on the Big East history — history we’re really proud of — and to try to rebuild a modern identity as a basketball-focused conference ready and able to compete for national championships in our marquee sport.”

Last year, the Big East ended with teams playing in both Final Fours: Villanova on the men’s side and University of Connecticut, who competed in their 12th national title game, on the women’s. Under Head Coach Ed Cooley’s guidance, Providence College reached its first men’s Sweet 16 in 25 years. Creighton, UConn, Marquette University, Providence, Seton Hall University and Villanova all earned NCAA men’s bids. Xavier also brought home the National Invitational Tournament Championship on the same court Ackerman spoke from.

Ackerman said the conference hopes to use sports as a medium to develop student-athletes into responsible leaders.

“Sports are one of the most effective ways in our society to develop young men and women into responsible adults who will become the leaders of tomorrow,” Ackerman said. “We plan to work with our colleagues across Division I in the coming months and beyond to make sure that basketball, both men’s and women’s, has its own growth and management strategies, and that the sport continues to thrive irregardless of whatever governance, membership and legal changes come our way.”

Ackerman extended her thanks to Georgetown President John J. DeGioia (CAS ’79, GRD ’95), who serves as chair of the NCAA Board of Governors, for his efforts in managing an unprecedented sequence of developments in the college sports world brought upon by the pandemic.

Georgetown Head Coach Patrick Ewing, senior center Qudus Wahab and sophomore guard Brandon Murray also attended the event.

Despite going 0-19 in conference play last year, Ewing told The Hoya that he is confident in his team’s game play and is ready to adapt it to any new additions to the team.

“I didn’t make too many changes to the playstyle,” Ewing said. “We’re still going to play the same way we played before: try to play fast. We are a lot different than we were last year. The style may be the same, but the players are definitely different.”

This year, the Hoyas welcome nine new players, with seven transfers and two first-years. Along with the players present at the media day, Ewing also said he expects significant contributions from junior forward Akok Akok, a transfer from UConn, and sophomore guard Primo Spears, a transfer from Duquesne.

“I expect great things of them,” Ewing said. “Brandon Murray is a great defender and can score at multiple levels. Qudus Wahab can score and oppose, he can rebound and can also rim protect. Akok Akok can rim protect, he can shoot the three and he’s a great slasher. Primo Spears is an elite point guard: he can score, he can pass, he can go downhill and he’s a great defender.”

With the season starting in November, every team is preparing to bring its best performance to the court.

“I’m just like everybody else here,” Ewing said. “We all want to win. That’s our goal, but we want to make sure that when our season ends, we’re not where they have us ranked right now.”

In the Big East preseason coaches’ poll released Oct. 18, Georgetown was picked to finish as the second-worst team in the conference.

The Hoyas open their season against Coppin State Nov. 8 at Capital One Arena.