Pittsburgh picked as overwhelming favorite to win the Big East

Pitt picked to win Big East

NEWPORT, R.I. — Pittsburgh was voted the preseason favorite to win the Big East in the conference’s media poll.

The Panthers received 22 of 24 first-place votes and 190 points in the poll released Tuesday. Pitt was 10-3 last season and returns 12 starters, including star running back Dion Lewis and defensive end Greg Romeus, who was the league’s defensive player of the year in 2009.

Cincinnati, the conference’s two-time defending champion, and West Virginia tied for second in the voting. The Mountaineers received one first-place vote.

Connecticut received the other first-place vote and was picked fourth. Rutgers, South Florida, Syracuse and Louisville round out the rest of the poll.