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We have a highly sophisticated system to determine the award predictions. I'd share it with you, but then I'd have to kill you make you watch Wisconsin basketball.
Preseason Player Of The Year: Marissa Janning, Creighton
Janning was the 2013-14 Player of the Year, so even though she's only a junior now, it's hard to not hand it over to her. Obviously, DePaul's Brittney Hrynko, last year's preseason POY is a solid challenger for the crown. Janning overtook her by the end of the season, so we'll stick with the Big East's leading scorer from a year ago. Janning averaged 18.3 points per game last season, and boosted that to just barely short of 20 points during conference action. She also dished 3.9 assists and shot over 41% from behind the arc.
Preseason All-Big East Team
Marissa Janning, Creighton
Brittany Hrynko, DePaul
Aliyaah Handford, St. John's
Ka-Deidre Simmons, Seton Hall
Alexis Harris, Providence
Natalie Butler, Georgetown
Janning earns her spot by being Player of the Year, of course. Like I said, Hrynko is a solid candidate for POY, so she has to be on this list, too. Handford and Simmons return this season after being named to the all-Big East First team last season. Providence finished in last place a year ago, but Harris still found a way to be named to the Weekly Honor Roll five times and landed on the all-Big East Second Team. Butler makes it in as the lone underclassman because only she was one of two players (MU's Katherine Plouffe was the other) that averaged a double-double last season, not to mention her Second Team nod in 2013-14.
Top Five Teams
1. DePaul
2. St. John's
3. Creighton
4. Seton Hall
5. Villanova
With Hrynko and Megan Rogowski back, it's hard to not stick with the defending champions in first place. Handford and Amber Thompson make for a solid pairing for the Red Storm, runners up a year ago. At some point, having the preseason Player of the Year has to mean something, so that gets Creighton to third place. Seton Hall has a great combo of Simmons and junior Tabatha Richardson-Smith, who just barely missed out on a preseason all-conference spot here, plus they have the addition of Daisha Simmons, whom you may have heard of recently. Villanova loses Devon Kane after her senior year, but they still have the Coyer sisters.