The view from the outside looking in at the BIG EAST going into this season was that it was a conference that would, perhaps, take a step or two back this season while it reloaded after losing a bevy of talent to both graduation and the NBA Draft following last season. A season, you may recall, that saw Villanova win its second NCAA championship in the past three years.
That view was further cemented when the AP preseason poll listed Villanova, at No. 9, as the only BIG EAST team among its Top 25. Then barely two weeks into the season, after the mighty Wildcats stumbled with back-to-back home losses to Michigan and Furman, well, the view was just strengthened even more.