Big East Preseason Poll & All-Conference

NEW YORK – Pittsburgh was chosen to win the BIG EAST regular season crown in the poll of the league's coaches, unveiled at the league's annual media day on Wednesday. The Panthers received 10 first-place votes, which helped them edge Georgetown in total points, 219 to 212, for the top spot in the poll. The Hoyas were picked second and had four first-place votes.  Syracuse was picked for third place with 182 points, just one point ahead of Marquette, and Connecticut was picked for fifth with 173 points. Louisville edged Villanova for sixth place, and the coaches predicted that DePaul will finish eighth, followed by the Red Storm. Providence was picked 10th and Notre Dame was selected 11th, followed by West Virginia, Cincinnati, Rutgers, Seton Hall and USF.

 Pittsburgh center Aaron Gray was named the 2006-07 BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year, while Syracuse freshman forward Paul Harris was tabbed BIG EAST Preseason Rookie of the Year. Georgetown juniors Jeff Green and center Roy Hibbert were unanimous selections to the 10-man All-BIG EAST Team along with Marquette sophomore guard Dominic James. UConn’s Jeff Adrien, DePaul’s Wilson Chandler and Sammy Mejia, Louisville’s Juan Palacios, Syracuse’s Terrence Roberts and Villanova’s Curtis Sumpter joined the Red Storm’s Hamilton and the others on the preseason all-conference team as well.

2006-07 BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll

            School          Pts.

 1.        Pittsburgh (10)             219

 2.        Georgetown (4)            212

 3.        Syracuse (1)                  182

 4.        Marquette (1)               181

 5.        Connecticut                  173

 6.        Louisville                      149

 7.        Villanova                      146

 8.        DePaul                          134

 9.        St. John's                      105

 10.       Providence                  102

11.        Notre Dame                  80

12.        West Virginia              72

13.        Cincinnati                     52

14.        Rutgers                         49

15.        Seton Hall                     42

16.        USF                               22

First-place votes in parentheses

2006-07 BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year
Aaron Gray, Pittsburgh

2006-07 BIG EAST Preseason Rookie of the Year
Paul Harris, Syracuse

2006-07 Preseason All-BIG EAST Team
*Aaron Gray, Pittsburgh (Player of the Year), C, Sr., 7-0, 270, Emmaus, Pa.
Jeff Adrien, Connecticut, F, So., 6-7, 245, Brookline, Mass.
Wilson Chandler, DePaul, F, So., 6-8, 210, Benton Harbor, Mich.
Sammy Mejia, DePaul, G, Sr., 6-6, 195, Bronx, N.Y.
*Jeff Green, Georgetown, F, Jr., 6-9, 235, Hyattsville, Md.
*Roy Hibbert, Georgetown, C, Jr., 7-2, 283, Adelphi, Md.
Juan Palacios, Louisville, F, Jr., 6-8, 245, Medelin, Columbia
*Dominic James, Marquette, G, So., 5-11, 175, Richmond, Ind.
Lamont Hamilton, St. John's, F, Sr., 6-10, 253, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Terrence Roberts, Syracuse, F, Sr., 6-9, 235, Jersey City, N.J.
Curtis Sumpter, Villanova, F, Sr., 6-7, 220, Brooklyn, N.Y.

*unanimous selection

2006-07 Preseason All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention
David Padgett, Louisville, F/C, Jr., 6-11, 250, Reno, Nev.
Colin Falls, Notre Dame, G, Sr., 6-5, 200, Park Ridge, Ill.
Eric Devendorf, Syracuse, G, So., 6-4, 175, Bay City, Mich.