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BIG EAST Conference preview: Marquette the team to beat

By Erica Ayala

MILWAUKEE, WI - MARCH 07: Marquette Golden Eagles guard Allazia Blockton (11) looks inside during the Big East Women's Championship Game between the DePaul Blue Demons and the Marquette Golden Eagles on March 7, 2017 at the Al McGuire Center in Milwaukee, WI. (Photo by Larry Radloff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE, WI - MARCH 07: Marquette Golden Eagles guard Allazia Blockton (11) looks inside during the Big East Women's Championship Game between the DePaul Blue Demons and the Marquette Golden Eagles on March 7, 2017 at the Al McGuire Center in Milwaukee, WI. (Photo by Larry Radloff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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HARTFORD, CONN. – MARCH 2, 2012: Harry Perretta, head coach of the Villanova University Wildcats calls out the play against the Seton Hall Pirates during the first round of the 2012 BIG EAST Conference Women’s Basketball Championships at the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut on March 2, 2012. The Wildcats won 61-60. (Photo by Bob Stowell/BIG EAST Conference/Collegiate Images/Getty Images)
HARTFORD, CONN. – MARCH 2, 2012: Harry Perretta, head coach of the Villanova University Wildcats calls out the play against the Seton Hall Pirates during the first round of the 2012 BIG EAST Conference Women’s Basketball Championships at the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut on March 2, 2012. The Wildcats won 61-60. (Photo by Bob Stowell/BIG EAST Conference/Collegiate Images/Getty Images) /

Villanova

Preseason predicted ranking: 3rd, up one spot from 2016-17 finish

2016-17 Record: 11-7

2016-17 Overall Record: 20-15

Biggest Losses:

The Wildcats lost Samantha Wilkes and Jordan to graduation. Both were regular starters, with Dillard starting all 35 games last season.

Key returners:

The Wildcats top six scorers all return for the 2017-18 campaign. Senior Alex Louin and junior Adrianna Hahn were both named to the preseason all-conference team. Sophmore Mary Gedka saw good minutes as a freshman and should be a reliable asset coming into the new season.

Newcomers:

Villanova has two true freshman—Grace Lange and Emily Esposito—as well as three redshirt freshman.  Forward Brianna Herlihy is a two-time ESPN Boston All-State selection, and Raven James was a Top `150 prospect from the class of 2016.

Head coach:

Harry Perretta enters his  40th season as head coach at Villanova. He posts a 723-454 (.614) record heading into the new season. Nova’s WNIT semifinals appearance was part of Perreta’s sixth consecutive national postseason appearance.

However, Villanova has not finished at the top of the regular season sincethe 1986-87 season.  Nova has three BIG EAST titles, but none since 2003.

Key non-conference games:

Villanova will work the local circuit with games scheduled against Lehigh, St. Joseph’s and Temple. The Wildcats will also travel to Duke (12) next month before opening BIG EAST play at Creighton in late December.

Outlook:

Despite starting the 2016-17 season 4-8, the Wildcats took a 7-1 streak into the BIG EAST Tournament tied for 4th place. The Wildcats continued a streak of five consecutive 20+ wins in a season and advanced all the way to the WNIT semifinals.

The preseason ranking suggests BIG EAST coaches expect Nova to pick up where they left off in the conference. All six of Perreta’s top scorers return to the line up to wreak havoc at the top of the table in the conference this season.

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