NEWPORT, R.I. (AP) — West Virginia has been picked to win the Big East, with Pittsburgh and South Florida also receiving first place-votes in the conference’s preseason media poll.
The Mountaineers have won or shared the Big East title five times in eight years and received 21 of the 24 first-place votes and 188 points.
West Virginia will be led by first-year coach Dana Holgorsen.
Pitt also has a new coach in Todd Graham. The Panthers received two first-place votes and USF received one. Syracuse is picked to finish fourth and Cincinnati fifth.
Defending Big East champion Connecticut is picked to finish sixth, with Louisville and Rutgers rounding out the selections.
