Big East expert picks: 2026-27 projected order of finish, preseason predictions, top players to watch

UConn is the favorite. St. John’s has a crazy set of eligibility cases. And then after that? We wait to see who can shake things up

Welcome to the fifth and final men's basketball power-conference preview for the 2026-27 season here at CBSSports.com. If you'd like to see our predictions for the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten and SEC, just tap those links and enjoy the tour. This is only the start; we've got so much more preview content to come in the three weeks between now and the start of the season. Today we're diving deep into the only basketball-first high-major league in college hoops. I recently wrote about what this year means for the league in a year of transition, including a new commissioner. The Big East could use an injection of some new blood.

It would be beneficial for a team or two to overshoot expectations and upset the apple cart, you know? While Rick Pitino's renaissance has been terrific for the Big East's national marketability the past two years — St. John's is the reigning two-time regular-season and tournament champions; no other school has ever done that in the Big East — the league would profit from another team rising up into the Top 25 on a regular basis and threatening the Johnnies and Huskies. Will we see it in 2026-27, or will the Big East again play out as a league with Connecticut and St. John's separating themselves from the rest