Oct. 26, 2006
NEW YORK, N.Y. - As part of the league's annual Media Day on Thursday, the BIG EAST Conference released the results of the preseason head coaches' poll. Villanova received 110 points in the poll and was chosen to finish 10th in the 16-team league. Head coaches are not permitted to include their own teams in the preseason poll.
Villanova returns just five letterwinners from a team that went 21-11 last season and advanced to the quarterfinals of the WNIT. The Wildcats graduated four senior starters and five players overall from last season's team. Villanova will take on a young look this season, as three redshirt freshmen will all be eligible to play. In addition, head coach Harry Perretta brings in three newcomers to the 2006-07 squad.
The leading returnee for the Wildcats is senior forward Jackie Adamshick (Allentown, Pa.). Adamshick averaged 10.7 points and a team-high 6.3 rebounds per game last season, and is the team's top three-point shooting threat.
Entering his 29th season as head coach at Villanova, Perretta claims 528 career victories and has led the Wildcats to the postseason in each of the past seven seasons.
Connecticut received a total of 11 first-place votes and 221 points to finish as the favorite to win the regular season title. The Huskies finished just ahead of Rutgers, which earned the other five first-place votes and 215 points. DePaul (179), Louisville (176) and Pittsburgh (152) rounded out the top five in the poll.
St. John's was picked sixth with 148 points and University of South Florida was seventh with a total of 136 points. Marquette (123) and West Virginia (117) came in eighth and ninth, respectively, ahead of the Wildcats in 10th place.
Chosen 11th was Notre Dame, which came in just behind Villanova with 108 points. Also following the Wildcats was Cincinnati (82), Georgetown (57), Providence (45), Syracuse (30) and Seton Hall (21).
Jessica Dickson from USF was named the Preseason Player of the Year and Connecticut freshman Tina Charles was named the Preseason Rookie of the Year.
Villanova tips off the season at Delaware on November 12 at 1 p.m.
