The 2009-2010 Big Least

After an epic 2008-2009 season that saw UConn, Louisville and Pitt earn No. 1 seeds in the NCAA tournament and UConn and Villanova make the Final Four, the Big East may take a step back this basketball season. Not that a step back by the Big East is enough to make it a non-factor in college hoops this year, but it is enough to allow the Big 12 and possibly the Big 10 to step into the spotlight as the best two conferences this year.

Last October, it was hard to figure out a better group of teams than North Carolina, Pitt, Louisville and UConn. Sure, teams like Michigan State, Texas, Oklahoma and Duke looked tough, but it was obvious which teams were above the rest of the pack. The season played out as expected, with the four of the preseason top five getting No. 1 seeds and three of the preseason top six making the Final Four.

It was the same in the Big East conference standings, where everyone knew the top three, and the rest had to fight for scraps. But I'm not quite sure that'll happen this year. With only paper versions of teams formed so far, it's clear who the teams with the most potential are: UConn, Villanova, West Virginia and Georgetown. The "rest of the pack," as if these teams aren't heavyweights of their own, includes Syracuse, Louisville, Pitt and Notre Dame. And four teams have a wild-card look to them: Cincinnati, Seton Hall, Providence and Marquette.

But still, nothing is set in stone like it was last year.

First of all, I don't see a top seed out of that group. Not because UConn, Nova or even West Virginia aren't good enough to play their way into a No. 1, but because the pecking order ahead of those three is pretty significant. There's no doubt in my mind that Kansas and Michigan State can be penciled in now for a No. 1 seed. Kentucky, North Carolina, Purdue and Texas will battle it out for the other two slots.

We're essentially left hoping that a weakened ACC bloodies UNC, Kentucky isn't all its cracked up to be, Purdue struggles with injuries again and Texas's young talent doesn't pan out. But all of those things are less likely to happen than (a) UConn not quite finding its groove with Jeff Adrien, AJ Price and Hasheem Thabeet out of the picture, (b) Villanova relying too much on young big men to pick up the slack left by Dante Cunningham and (c) West Virginia not having enough help for its stars to eclipse any of the aforementioned teams.

Of course, on the flip side, it seems like Stanley Robinson, Jerome Dyson and Kemba Walker are primed to break out of the shadows of UConn's Big Three. Villanova is extremely high on Mouphtaou Yarou and Jay Wright has more quality guards and wing players than ever. West Virginia's duo of Da'Sean Butler and Devin Ebanks are top-tier guys, and if a healthy and non-fighting-cops Joe Mazzulla returns to form, he could be one of the top guards in the conference.

With all of this said, let's break down the whole conference, shall we? Even if these teams aren't significant members of the top five, there are still a few that can really do some damage in March.

I've listed the teams in order of how I think they'll finish ...

1. Villanova -- I'm willing to buy into the Villanova staff's love of Yarou enough to say the Wildcats will be the best team in the league this year. Scottie Reynolds has ball-handling and distributing talent around him so he can revert to what he really is -- an undersized 2. This team will have some serious mojo after its Final Four run, and with a roster that's about 37 deep, Jay Wright's team is the one to beat in the Big East.

2. UConn -- I've always thought Stanley Robinson can be a big star. Not just in college hoops, but in the pros, too. Dude's got great size and athleticism for a 3, and at 6-9, he is a matchup problem every time he's on the court. I'd like to see Kemba Walker learn how to use his speed and explosiveness a little better this season. If he can harness his boltiness like Ty Lawson did for UNC, Walker can be one of the best lead guards in the game.

3. West Virginia -- Like I said above, if Mazzulla returns to form, WVU is gonna be tough to beat. But I don't like the roster much after the first three I mentioned.

4. Louisville -- I will probably catch some heat for this but I have this unshakeable feeling that Rick Pitino and his team, despite all the distractions, can still be counted on for 12 conference wins and a fourth-place finish. I think Peyton Siva will be a star. And I like that Siva gets to work with the Edgar Sosa, Jerry Smith and Preston Knowles backcourt. That's a lot of experience. And above all else, Louisville's style will always be a handful for teams of comparable or lesser talent, and everyone below the Cards on this list fits into those two categories.

5. Georgetown -- I've said it for a few years now: Georgetown's playing style prohibits its extraordinarily talented lineup from flourishing. I wish JT3 would open up his offense and run. I'm just not sold on the Hoyas yet. I need to see them do everything that they didn't do last year (post-UConn of course) before I put 'em any higher.

6. Syracuse -- This team is quietly talented enough to sneak into the top four of the conference. Andy Rautins might be the best shooter in the league. We'll see who emerges as a leader, but I like the talent that Jim Boeheim has put together.

7. Pitt -- I don't really think Pitt will be very good this year. Not 30-5 good. Not No. 1-in-the-country good. But you knew that already. This team doesn't have the toughest makeup. Who knows what they'll get from Dante Taylor up front. The reports I read from Pittsburgh's summer league implied that he needed a lot of work despite a ton of raw talent. Jermaine Dixon isn't a go-to guy on offense and he's not a leader, but they're asking him to be both. Gilbert Brown is probably the most frustrating 6-foot-6 wing in hoops, and he won't even play until January. Those are the three best players on Pitt's roster. Nonetheless, I do love Ashton Gibbs and his development. There are a few blue-collar, younger guys who can contribute enough to keep the Panthers tournament-worthy, but nothing more than that.

8. Notre Dame -- It's hard to pick the Irish any higher than this after their 2008-2009 debacle. Looking at the preseason top 25 from last year, where ND was a consensus No. 9, it's amazing how colossally this team sucked. They couldn't defend a broom dribbling a basketball. But the positive from last season is that it's over, and Luke Harangody is back for one more season with Mike Brey and friends. Harangody is always a triple-double threat (you know, double digits in points, rebounds and complaints to the refs). Can Tory Jackson be the leader Brey needs him to be? Who will be the third cog in the offense -- Tyrone Nash maybe?

9. Cincinnati -- This is a team that could surpass both Pitt and Notre Dame and end up in the NCAAs. There's enough talent to finally help Deonta Vaughn, who seems like he's been in the Big East forever. We'll see how the Lance Stephenson Project works out. If Lance lives up to the on-the-court hype and avoids the off-the-court issues, he could be a major stud, but you knew that already.

10. Providence -- I'd like to see the Friars do a few things this year that they didn't do last year. You know, like not give up 80 points a game and absolutely fall apart at critical points. Seriously, how many times did the following happen last year: Opponent scores six unanswered points, PC's guards freak out and either (a) hurl up a 40-footer or (b) turn the ball over on 10 consecutive possessions. Poof, PC's down 10 and has no shot at coming back. I want to see them NOT do that before I put them any higher.

11. Seton Hall -- Not buying the hype. It's Seton Hall.

12. Marquette -- Buzz Williams coaching "his guys" sounds a lot like Buzz Williams coaching his team to a 12th-place finish. Lazar Heyward or no Lazar Heyward.

13. St. John's

14. Rutgers

15. South Florida

16. DePaul