There were two Big East teams selected in the initial top 25 of the AP Poll, and Villanova was not one of those teams. Connecticut was selected fourth, while St. John’s was picked 13th by the writers. Villanova received six votes, which essentially has the 38th in the rankings. Marquette was the only other Big East team to receive any votes (3).
Villanova’s omission from the top 25 isn’t overly surprising, but seeing them behind schools like VCU, Saint Louis, Virginia Tech, etc. is. The talent that the Wildcats have on the roster is noticeably greater than those schools. The gap between votes for Villanova and schools such as Auburn, Nevada, Grand Canyon and Santa Clara is far too small, as well.
All of this said, none of this really matters. Especially with the limbo for numerous teams on this list regarding fifth-year eligible players. The Wildcats will have a chance to show how good they are early in the season, as will the Big East as a whole. That will go a long way in establishing an AP Ranking throughout the season. The first opportunity comes in the exhibition game on Thursday, when Villanova faces no. 9 Virginia at the Finneran Pavilion.
Full AP Top-25:
- Florida (47)
- Duke (10)
- Illinois (2)
- UConn
- Arizona
- Michigan State
- Texas
- Tennessee
- Virginia
- Houston
- Louisville
- Arkansas
- St. John’s
- Miami (FL)
- Gonzaga
- Michigan
- Kansas
- Iowa State
- Texas Tech
- Alabama
- USC
- UCLA
- Kentucky
- Vanderbilt
- BYU