The vote perhaps shows as much respect for the abilities of WVU head coach Bob Huggins as it does for the Mountaineer roster. Huggins has a long track record of success in blending new talent into his lineup, but even he admits that this year's challenge will be one of the biggest of his career.
In announcing the league selections, the Big East official release noted, "The Mountaineers figure to be led by senior
forward Kevin Jones who made the Preseason All-Big East First Team. Last
season, WVU compiled its seventh straight 20-win season, finishing 21-12."
Jones was one of six players on the league's preseason first team.
Jones has been a three-year contributor as
a scorer and rebounder. The 6-8 senior forward averaged 13.1 points and led the
Mountaineers in rebounding with a 7.5 mark. Entering the 2011-12 season, Jones
leads all league players with 612 points and 364 rebounds in conference games.
| 2011-12 PRESEASON COACHES RANKINGS |
| RANK |
TEAM |
PTS |
| 1 |
Connecticut (7) |
209 |
| 2 |
Syracuse (5) |
209 |
| 3 |
Louisville (3) |
201 |
| 4 |
Pitt (1) |
188 |
| 5 |
Cincinnati |
169 |
| 6 |
Marquette |
155 |
| 7 |
West Virginia |
132 |
| 8 |
Villanova |
127 |
| 9 |
Notre Dame |
114 |
| 10 |
Georgetown |
104 |
| 11 |
Rutgers |
75 |
| 12 |
St. John's |
71 |
| 13 |
Seton Hall |
56 |
| 14 |
USF |
43 |
| 15 |
Providence |
40 |
| 16 |
DePaul |
27 |
First Place Votes in Parentheses