Oct. 25, 2001
The University of Connecticut is the choice of the league’s head women’s basketball coaches to win the 2001-02 BIG EAST regular season title. Coaches did not place their own teams on their ballots.
Connecticut returns four starters from last year’s squad that advanced to the NCAA Final Four for the second consecutive year. The Huskies received 11 first-place votes and 167 points in the preseason voting.
UConn shared the 2000-01 BIG EAST regular season title with Notre Dame, the 2001 NCAA Champion. The Fighting Irish garnered two first-place votes this year and 155 points to finish second in the preseason poll. ND defeated Connecticut in the national semifinals as the BIG EAST became the first conference to have different teams win the national title in consecutive seasons.
Rutgers, a 2001 NCAA Tournament participant finished third in the poll with 143 points. Boston College is picked to finish fourth with 125 points. Villanova and Virginia Tech, NCAA teams a year ago, finished fifth and sixth, respectively with the Wildcats earning the remaining first-place vote.
2001-02 BIG EAST Coaches’ Preseason Poll
1. Connecticut (11) 167
2. Notre Dame (2) 155
3. Rutgers 143
4. Boston College 125
5. Villanova (1) 112
6. Virginia Tech 111
7. Georgetown 102
8. Miami 86
9. Seton Hall 75
10. Syracuse 59
11. Providence 56
12. Pittsburgh 41
13. St. John’s 23
14. West Virginia 19
first-place votes in parentheses