As a former assistant coach with the UConn men's basketball team during the program’s glory days, Dave Leitao has a good perspective on the current Huskies and their return to the Big East. 

Leitao, now head coach at DePaul, agrees with his fellow Big East coaches that the league is better with UConn in it.

“Them entering back in the Big East is monumental because of the success that they’ve had as a major force in this league,” Leitao said. “I compliment coach (Dan) Hurley for quickly returning back to a style of play and a physical nature, the things that UConn has stood for he’s quickly returned to as well as having a really good team. 

“There’s an immediate worry from my standpoint about the two games that we’ll have with them.” 

UConn will visit DePaul on Dec. 23 as one of its five Big East games prior to the Christmas break. The Huskies play their Big East opener on Dec. 11 against St. John’s at Gampel Pavilion and 20 league games overall. 

Of course, nothing is set in stone with the coronavirus pandemic’s dark cloud hovering overhead. 

Wednesday’s virtual Big East media day gave the coaches and select players a chance to chat about basketball as well as the uncertainty regarding the season’s future.

“What is in front of us is still unknown,” Leitao said. 

Part of what's known is UConn returning to the Big East after spending seven years in the American Athletic Conference.

Big East coaches showed their respect for UConn and where the program is headed under Hurley by voting the Huskies fourth in the preseason poll. Villanova is ranked first, receiving nine first-place votes, followed by Creighton with two votes and Providence. Seton Hall is right behind UConn in fifth. 

“It should be a fun season,” said Providence coach Ed Cooley, whose Friars host the Huskies on Dec. 17. “Excited to have Connecticut as part of the family again.”

The Huskies placed one player — sophomore James Bouknight earned a spot on the All-Big East second team — on the preseason teams. Creighton junior Marcus Zegarowski was named the league’s Preseason Player of the Year.

Hurley puts little stock in preseason projections. 

“The postseason order of finish and postseason awards, to me, are the only things that matter,” Hurley said. 

Not all the coaches warmly embraced UConn’s return to the Big East. 

Seton Hall’s Kevin Willard poked a stick at the Huskies before praising them. 

“It sucks for us, to be honest with you,” Willard said. “I didn’t vote for it. I voted against it. I’m still really not that happy about it. … For the league in general, I think it’s great. It’s a great program, great tradition and great history. The program where it’s now with Danny, it’s definitely on the rise. … It’s only going to make this league better.” 

Willard didn’t have a vote. The Big East presidents voted, not the coaches. 

What did Hurley, a former player at Seton Hall, think about Willard’s comments? 

“That logic doesn't make a ton of sense to me,” Hurley said. “But again I’m not the coach at Seton Hall. … UConn is going to add one of the most passionate fan bases in the country. Obviously, the last couple of years haven’t been kind to us but you’re adding a recent tradition in the last 20 years, which is top five in the country in terms of national championships and producing lottery picks and first-round picks. 

“I see UConn doing nothing but enhancing the league and adding more as we’ve gotten our act together. Hopefully, we become a perennial top 20, top 15, top 10 program consistently every year. We’re going to be adding an element of excitement to the conference that will allow it to stand up to the ACC and Big Ten and the SEC and Big 12. That’s who we’re competing with as a conference in terms of just how powerful the league is. We want to obviously be considered the best basketball conference in the country. 

“Logically, it would make sense to be excited about a program with UConn’s brand coming back.” 

It will be a college basketball season like no other. 

Coronavirus concerns have prompted the Big East to start its conference schedule earlier than normal and play more league games before the first of the year. 

Big East commissioner Val Ackerman is hopeful the conference season will start as planned but also realistic that there will be disruptions in the upcoming months.

“The challenges that are facing college basketball as we all endeavor to conduct a safe season have been significant and, to be honest, remain very daunting,” Ackerman said. “Our task has been complicated by the continuing uncertainty about the impact of the pandemic and frankly we have a sense of resignation that certain factors will remain beyond our control. 

“ … We intend to persevere in the coming weeks and months and are going to do our level best to stage a season where disruptions are kept to a minimum and a robust number of Big East teams are in position to compete for the NCAA national championship next spring.” 

News and notes

Bouknight on being picked to the All-Big East second team: “I’m just honored that the coaches feel I’m a top 10 player in the league.” … UConn’s Big East schedule in December also includes visiting Georgetown Dec. 13 at McDonough Arena and entertaining Creighton on Dec. 20 at Gampel. Times have not yet been announced. … All-Big East first team members included Villanova’s Collin Gillespie and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Seton Hall’s Sandro Mamukelashvili, Providence’s David Duke and DePaul’s Charlie Moore. Second team honors went to Bouknight, Butler’s Bryce Nze, Creighton’s Mitch Ballock, Providence’s Nate Watson, Villanova’s Justin Moore and Xavier’s Paul Scruggs. … Marquette forward Dawson Garcia was named Big East Preseason Freshman of the Year. 

g.keefe@theday.com