One Big East coach picked Notre Dame to finish first in the league this year. No one else did, but the rest of the league’s opinion of the Irish was similarly high.
Notre Dame was picked to finish third in the Big East this season, with Louisville earning 14 of 15 first-place votes — coaches can’t choose their own team, so it was essentially a unanimous pick — and Irish forward Jack Cooley earned preseason All-Big East honors.
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DePaul, meanwhile, was not picked to finish last in the Big East this season by coaches. The Blue Demons were picked 13th, ahead of Seton Hall and Providence. DePaul forward Cleveland Melvin earned second-team preseason All-Big East honors after averaging 17.4 points per game last season.
The Irish return all five starters from a squad that finished 13-5 in league play last year, while adding transfer Garrick Sherman and two top 100 freshmen in Cameron Biedscheid and Zach Auguste.
Cooley, meanwhile, was the league’s most improved player last year, averaging 12.3 points and 8.9 rebounds as a junior. The Glenview native was joined by Irish guard Jerian Grant in preseason plaudits, as Grant earned honorable mention all-league status.
2012-13 Preseason Coaches’ Poll
1. Louisville (14)
2. Syracuse
3. Notre Dame (1)
4. Cincinnati
5. Georgetown
6. Pittsburgh
7. Marquette
8. USF
9. Connecticut
10. St. John’s
11. Rutgers
12. Villanova
13. DePaul
14. Seton Hall
15. Providence
First-place votes in parentheses.
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