http://msn.foxsports.com/cbk/story/9902740/Top-10-conferences-in-2009-105. Big East
Unlike last season, it won't be a typical year for the Big East in 2009-10. With the absence of such stars as Hasheem Thabeet, DeJuan Blair, Terrence Williams, Jonny Flynn and Jerel McNeal, the conference certainly won't be sending eight teams to the Big Dance on Selection Sunday next March. There still remains some quality returning talent scattered throughout the league, however. Connecticut lost an imposing frontline that included the 7-foot-3 Thabeet and power forward Jeff Adrien, but Jim Calhoun will welcome back speedy point man Kemba Walker and even more importantly, senior guard Jerome Dyson, who missed the Huskies' Final Four run after tearing his lateral meniscus in February. Stanley Robinson and Gavin Edwards also give UConn a nice one-two punch inside, and if Ater Majok ends up being as good as advertised, the Huskies could be on their way to winning another Big East title. Bob Huggins and West Virginia will be there to make it difficult for UConn to run away with things and highly-touted freshman Lance Stephenson might even show some flashes of greatness at Cincinnati, but Villanova, Pittsburgh, Louisville, Marquette and Syracuse all lost a lot from last year and won't have the firepower to contend with the Huskies or Mountaineers down the stretch in conference play.