St. John’s and UConn are on a collision course. Rick Pitino’s roster looks like a high-major All-Star team, and Dan Hurley is reloading with talent that fits his system like a glove. Those two are headed for fireworks.

Shaka Smart? He’s about to face his greatest challenge yet at Marquette. No more Tyler Kolek. No more Oso Ighodaro. This will be a pure coaching job — and it’ll tell us a lot about where the program stands.

And then there’s Villanova and Georgetown. Two of the most storied programs in the Big East — and quite frankly, the league needs them to matter. The Big East is better when the Wildcats and Hoyas are in the mix.

Jon dishes his full preseason power rankings — from St. John’s at No. 1 to Seton Hall at 11 — along with projected starting fives, key newcomers, and a few names you’re going to want to remember come February. Plus, he hands out his preseason awards, including Player of the Year, All-Big East First Team, and his sleeper pick to shake things up.

Jon takes your questions and your takes in the live chat — let’s make this a conversation.

And before we wrap, Rothstein has three nuggets you need to know:

— Bryce Hopkins averaged 17 and 7 in just three games last year. He’s back and healthy.

— It’s been over 1,200 days since Villanova played in an NCAA Tournament game.

— And DePaul? Quietly returns nearly 49% of its scoring from last season. Only UConn returns more.

Let’s talk Big East basketball.

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