Rick Pitino votes for Marquette as Big East favorites over UConn

At Big East Media Day on October 1, 2026, Rick Pitino of St. John's revealed he did not vote for UConn as favorites to win the conference. Instead, he chose Marquette, the only head coach to do so among the league's 11 coaches. Pitino explained his reasoning, highlighting Marquette's strong roster, including two first-team all-league selections. UConn received eight first-place votes, followed by St. John's with two. UConn's Silas Demary Jr. was named preseason Player of the Year. Dan Hurley, UConn's coach, acknowledged the need for motivation despite his team's recognition. The season is anticipated to be competitive, with other strong teams like Xavier mentioned.

• 8:00 PMYahoo Sports — Two Big East coaches didn't vote for UConn to win league. One of them was Rick Pitino.