NEW YORK – The reigning national champion UConn men’s basketball team was ranked third in the 2023-24 Big East preseason coaches’ poll, which was released Tuesday. Point guard Stephon Castle was tabbed the conference’s preseason freshman of the year, while sophomore center Donovan Clingan was named to the All-Big East second team and Alex Karaban earned an honorable mention selection.
The Huskies received 79 points in the coaches’ poll, no first-place votes, and came in behind reigning dual conference champions Marquette (96, seven first-place votes) and Creighton (92, four first-place votes). Villanova (76) and Rick Pitino’s St. John’s (59) round out the preseason top five.
Dan Hurley, who decided against wearing his national championship ring to Tuesday’s Big East Media Day, doesn’t care.
“It’s all a bunch of (expletive) anyway so it doesn’t matter,” he said. “You know, Jordan Hawkins was not picked on an all-conference team last year and he led us to a dominant run and was a lottery pick. … And then the order of finish, I mean, we have three teams ranked in the top eight in the AP poll and we have probably three, maybe even four, national championship contenders this year. It’s a great league, it’s hard to be picked first or second.”
Castle, the Huskies’ incoming McDonald’s All-American and a top-10 recruit, is likely to share the backcourt with UConn’s returning point guard, Tristen Newton, this season. He comes to the Huskies after averaging 20.1 points, 9.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists, three steals and two blocks per game while leading his high school team, Newton, to the Class 7A state quarterfinals in Georgia.
“He doesn’t need more hype,” Hurley said. “These kids that come into college basketball, these big-time freshmen, they don’t need hype, they don’t need branding, they need a coach. And (Castle) needs a coach who’s pushing him to reach his potential and making him aware of all the things that he’s doing wrong.”
Most 2024 NBA mock drafts have Castle slotted to go in the top 10 before he’s even played a college game.
“Players are gonna be gunning for him, teams are gonna be gunning for him. So I’m getting him ready. I’m toughening him up, I’m humbling him, while also building his confidence as we get closer to opening night,” Hurley said. “He’s a phenomenal prospect and he’s the most physically ready freshman/young player that I’ve ever had the pleasure to coach. And he’s a great kid and his parents want me to do it. That’s the best part.”
Clingan, another projected lottery pick, is getting closer to returning from the foot strain he suffered at the end of September. Last year, playing just 13.1 minutes per game off the bench, the 7-foot-2 freshman averaged 6.9 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game. Now stepping into Adama Sanogo’s lead role as a sophomore, Clingan has already received preseason All-America honors from The Almanac, CBS Sports and FOX Sports.
“It’s motivation,” Clingan said. “We’re ready, we’re hungry. … This stuff is just fueling the fire to just make us work harder.”
Karaban, a forward, was a unanimous Big East all-freshman selection last season after averaging 9.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and shooting 40.2% from 3-point range. Jumping into the starting lineup after the Huskies’ season-opener, Karaban started in 38 of 39 games and led the team in minutes (28.9).
The Huskies were ranked fourth in the league prior to last season and ended up finishing in the same spot with a 13-7 record against Big East competition. The Huskies did not lose a single game to a nonconference opponent last year.
Still, inside Madison Square Garden Tuesday and in national conversations all offseason, the defending national champions (ranked No. 6 in the AP preseason poll) seem to be flying under the radar.
“That’s why I thought about coming in here and saying some controversial (stuff) or something but I decided not to, just keep it where we are,” Hurley said. “UConn, it’s Storrs, Connecticut, man. We’re all about ball, we’re all about pursuing championships – Storrs, Connecticut is the basketball capital of the world whether we get as much hype as other national brand programs that, in the last 25 years haven’t done as much as us in terms of producing big results.
“We’ll come into the season maybe with more of a chip on our shoulder, or maybe two chips, and maybe that’s why the program’s been as successful as it’s been. Because we don’t carry complacency and we don’t get softened by the branding or the hype.”
2023-24 Preseason Coaches’ Poll
Marquette (7)
Creighton (4)
Connecticut
Villanova
St. John’s
Xavier
Providence
Georgetown
Seton Hall
Butler
DePaul
Big East Preseason Player of the Year
Tyler Kolek, Marquette, G, Sr., 6-3, 190, Cumberland, R.I.
Big East Preseason Freshman of the Year
Stephon Castle, Connecticut, G, Fr., 6-6, 215, Covington, Ga.
Preseason All-Big East First Team
Trey Alexander, Creighton, G, Jr., 6-4, 190, Oklahoma City, Okla.
Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton, C, Jr., 7-1, 260, St. Louis, Mo.
Bryce Hopkins, Providence, F-G, Jr., 6-7, 220, Oak Park, Ill.
Joel Soriano, St. John’s, C, Sr., 6-11, 255, Yonkers, N.Y.
Justin Moore, Villanova, G, Gr., 6-4, 210, Fort Washington, Md.
Preseason All-Big East Second Team
Donovan Clingan, Connecticut, C, So., 7-2, 280, Bristol, Conn.
Baylor Scheierman, Creighton, G, Sr., 6-7, 205, Aurora, Neb.
Oso Ighodaro, Marquette, F, Sr., 6-11, 225, Chandler, Ariz.
Kam Jones, Marquette, G, Jr., 6-5, 200, Memphis, Tenn.
Eric Dixon, Villanova, F, R-Sr., 6-8, 255, Willow Grove, Pa.
Preseason All-Big East Honorable Mention
Alex Karaban, Connecticut, F, R-So., 6-8, 220, Southborough, Mass.
Devin Carter, Providence, G, Jr., 6-3, 195, Miami, Fla.
Zach Freemantle, Xavier, F, Gr., 6-9, 227, Teaneck, N.J.
Commercials Cooperation Advertisements:
(1) IT Teacher IT Freelance
立刻註冊及報名電腦補習課程吧!
电子计算机 -教育 -IT 電腦班” ( IT電腦補習 ) 提供一個方便的电子计算机 教育平台, 為大家配對信息技术, 電腦 老師, IT freelance 和 programming expert. 讓大家方便地就能找到合適的電腦補習, 電腦班, 家教, 私人老師.
We are a education and information platform which you can find a IT private tutorial teacher or freelance.
Also we provide different information about information technology, Computer, programming, mobile, Android, apple, game, movie, anime, animation…
(2) ITSec
www.ITSeceu.uk
Secure Your Computers from Cyber Threats and mitigate risks with professional services to defend Hackers.
ITSec provide IT Security and Compliance Services, including IT Compliance Services, Risk Assessment, IT Audit, Security Assessment and Audit, ISO 27001 Consulting and Certification, GDPR Compliance Services, Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA), Penetration test, Ethical Hacking, Vulnerabilities scan, IT Consulting, Data Privacy Consulting, Data Protection Services, Information Security Consulting, Cyber Security Consulting, Network Security Audit, Security Awareness Training.
Contact us right away.
Email (Prefer using email to contact us):
SalesExecutive@ITSec.vip