Oct. 28, 1999

NEWARK, N.J. — The University of Connecticut has been selected by the league’s head women’s basketball coaches to win the 1999-2000 BIG EAST regular season title. Coaches did not place their own teams on their ballots.

Last season Connecticut advanced to the NCAA Mideast Region semifinals and finished with a 29-5 mark and a 17-1 conference record. UConn, which shared the ’98-99 regular season title with Rutgers, received 10 first-place votes and 142 points in the poll. The Huskies won their eighth BIG EAST Championship title last season.

Rutgers earned the remaining three first-place votes and finished second in the poll with 135 points. The Scarlet Knights advanced to the Midwest Region final and compiled a 29-6 record in 1998-99.

Rounding out the top four choices were >99 NCAA Championship participants Notre Dame with 121 points and Boston College with 112 points.

1999-2000 BIG EAST COACHES’ PRESEASON POLL

1. Connecticut (10)  1422. Rutgers (3)       1353. Notre Dame        1214. Boston College    1125. Georgetown         906. Villanova          867. Miami              798. Syracuse           599. St. John's         4610. Pittsburgh        4411. Seton Hall        3912. Providence        3813. West Virginia     23