The Big East has consistently produced top NCAA men’s basketball contenders, with five Big East teams making it to March Madness last season and three teams the previous year.
This year, the Big East continues this trend, with exciting players coming in from the transfer portal and familiar faces returning. As we prepare for the 2025-26 season, here’s how the Big East teams stack up against each other.
1. St. John’s Red Storm
St. John’s University (31-5, 18-2 Big East last season), the reigning Big East champions, haven’t stopped winning since hiring basketball hall of famer Rick Pitino as their head coach in 2023. This past offseason, the Red Storm had arguably the best transfer portal haul in the country, adding forward Bryce Hopkins from Providence and guard Ian Jackson from North Carolina. Hot off a strong season last year, Zuby Ejiofor will be another crucial contributor, winning Big East preseason player of the year. Under Pitino’s leadership, St. John’s looks like a favorite to win the Big East tournament again.
2. University of Connecticut (UConn) Huskies
UConn (24-11, 14-6 Big East last season) remains an elite program despite a loss in the second round of the 2025 NCAA men’s basketball tournament to the University of Florida Gators, the reigning national champions. The Huskies have kept a few core players, including forward Alex Karaban and guard Solo Ball, while adding Dayton transfer guard Malachi Smith and Preseason Big East Freshman of the Year Braylon Mullins. Mullins will miss the first six weeks of the season with an ankle injury, but will make a great impact with his perimeter shooting once he heals. There’s no doubt UConn will be a top contender in the Big East once again.
3. Creighton Bluejays
Creighton University went 25-11 (15-5 Big East last season) but lost three starters, including Big East defensive player of the year Ryan Kalkbrenner and assist leader Steven Ashworth. The Blue Jays had to reload in talent this season, and they did, adding guard Josh Dix and forward Owen Freeman, both from Iowa. Dix and Freeman are expected to make an immediate impact within head coach Greg McDermott’s fast style of play. The duo averaged more than 30 combined points per game last season, and this year, they look to keep the show going.
4. Marquette Golden Eagles
Marquette University (23-11, 13-7 Big East last season) shows confidence in their past recruiting decisions, avoiding the transfer portal this offseason. Even after losing Kam Jones to the NBA draft, the Golden Eagles retained veterans, including guard Chase Ross, forward Ben Gold and guard Zaide Lowery. These players will be stepping into larger roles entering the new season, but with Head Coach Shaka Smart’s experience and fast, physical play style, Marquette should remain competitive at the top of the conference.
5. Georgetown Hoyas
Jumping from 9-23 in 2023 to an impressive 18-16 record last season (8-12 Big East), Head Coach Ed Cooley and the Hoyas look to continue improving this season with some important transfers, including explosive junior guard KJ Lewis, sharpshooter graduate guard Langston Love and role-player junior guard DeShawn Harris-Smith. With Thomas Sorber off to the Oklahoma City Thunder, big men transfers, senior center Vince Iwuchukwu and sophomore forward Isaiah Abraham, have the chance to fill bigger roles than on their previous teams and help propel the Hoyas up the rankings.
6. Providence Friars
Even though the Providence College Friars finished with a 12-20 record and 6-14 conference record last season, they have a chance to improve this year with new additions from the transfer portal. Head Coach Kim English has a lot to prove this season and brought in Vanderbilt star guard Jason Edwards, who averaged 17 PPG last season. With other transfers, including Georgia Tech forward Duncan Powell — who briefly committed to Georgetown this summer — and Florida State transfer guard Daquan Davis, paired with familiar faces like Corey Floyd Jr., Providence looks to make a statement in the conference this year.
7. Villanova Wildcats
After firing Head Coach Kyle Neptune following a disappointing season, the Villanova University Wildcats (21-15, 11-9 Big East last season) look to former University of Maryland Head Coach Kevin Willard for new leadership. Villanova recruited first-year guard Acaden Lewis, who was among the top of his recruiting class and a potential NBA prospect, to lead the team. With only guard Tyler Perkins, forward Matt Hodge and former practice player guard Wade Chiddick who did not see action in the 2024-2025 season returning this season, Willard has work to do if he wants to rebuild the Wildcats to their former heights.
8. DePaul Blue Demons
Coming off a 14-20 record and a 4-16 conference record, DePaul University hopes to improve this year by retaining its core players in guard Layden Blocker, guard C.J. Gunn and forward N.J. Benson. The Blue Demons grabbed combo guard R.J. Smith, who shot about 40% from the arc last season, from the University of Colorado Boulder. If Head Coach Chris Holtmann can adjust for the Blue Demons’ lack of height and physicality in the paint last season, DePaul can certainly become a contender in the conference as they continue to build.
9. Xavier Musketeers
Although Xavier University made the tournament last year with a 22-12 record (13-7 Big East), Head Coach Sean Miller’s departure for the University of Texas at Austin and 10 new players leave the Musketeers with an uncertain season ahead. With Head Coach Richard Pitino, the son of St. John’s Head Coach Rick Pitino, at the helm alongside high-scoring transfer guards All Wright and Malik Messina-Moore, there is still hope for the Musketeers, but maybe not this season.
10. Butler Bulldogs
Finishing third-to-last in the Big East last year with a 15-20 record (6-14 Big East), Butler University will find it difficult to rise in the ranks after losing key scorer Jahmyl Telfort and returning only three players from last year. The Bulldogs’ first option will be returning guard Finley Bizjack, who averaged 10.3 PPG last season. Hopes for Butler remain low, as the team has many unresolved questions offensively.
11. Seton Hall Pirates
Finishing dead last in the Big East last season (7-25, 2-18 Big East last season), Seton Hall University should finish similarly this season after losing their offensive weapons including top scorer and rebounder Isaiah Coleman. The program lost 11 players due to graduation or transfer, replacing them with many mid- to low-major transfers. The Pirates’ future remains unclear as Head Coach Shaheen Holloway struggles to contend with incredibly limited financial resources.
