Big East preseason power rankings

It will be a little bit different in the Big East this season. Villanova is still the favorite, but there's a steep drop-off after the Wildcats. There may not be another Big East team in the top 20 to start the season, and there are certainly few teams likely to push the Wildcats at the top of the standings. In fact, the more interesting race might be for player of the year between high-scoring guards Shamorie Ponds and Markus Howard (or a breakout candidate like Eric Paschall).

What won't change, though, is the number of NCAA tournament hopefuls. The league received seven bids two seasons ago, and six last season -- and there appears to be at least six teams with a legitimate chance to hear…