Turn up the heat, turn up the intensity.

The pressure-cooker Big East Conference season is here. Fiercely competitive and highly entertaining neighborhood battles are the norm.

Anything can happen.

Take last season.

Picked to finish ninth in the Big East preseason coaches’ poll, Marquette defied expectations and won the regular season and league tournament titles.

After finishing in fourth place during the regular season, UConn carried the Big East flag in the NCAA tournament, winning the program’s fifth national championship.

Early signs indicate that this has potential to be another banner season for the Big East.

League teams have posted some impressive non-conference wins. Three teams are ranked in the top 25 – No. 5 UConn, No. 6 Marquette, No. 12 Creighton -- as of Monday.

UConn sophomore Donovan Clingan can’t wait for the fun to begin.

“The new season starts Wednesday,” Clingan told reporters after helping UConn beat No. 10 Gonzaga in Seattle on Friday. “We’ve got to give it everything we’ve got every day because the Big East is a battle. …We’re trying to go win the Big East regular season title.”

Let’s take a look at where Big East teams stand heading to the conference schedule.

Marquette

Record: 9-2

Big East preseason coaches’ poll: 1st

Best win: Kansas (73-59)

Top players: Kam Jones (15.6 pts), Tyler Kolek (15.0 pts), Oso Ighodaro (13.7 pts, 6.2 rebs)

Notable: Defending regular season and league tournament champion Marquette is the team to beat. Kolek is attempting to become the first back to back winner of the Big East player of the year since Kris Dunn, who won it in 2016 and shared the award in 2015.

Creighton

Record: 9-2

Big East preseason: 2nd

Best win: at Nebraska (89-60)

Top players: Baylor Scheierman (18.5 pts, 7.2 rebs), Ryan Kalkbrenner (16.1 pts, 6.8 rebs), Trey Alexander (15.6 pts, 6.2 rebs)

Notable: Scheierman, Kalkbrenner and Alexander comprise the highest scoring trio in the league.

UConn

Record: 10-1

Big East preseason: 3rd

Best win: North Carolina (87-76)

Top players: Tristen Newton (16.3 pts, 6.8 rebs), Cam Spencer (15.7 pts), Alex Karaban (15.2 pts, 6 rebs)

Notable: Huskies are highly motivated to try to win its first league regular season title since 2006.

Villanova

Record: 7-4

Big East preseason: 4th

Best win: North Carolina (83-81)

Top players: Eric Dixon (13.6 pts, 7 rebs), Justin Moore (13.3 pts), Tyler Burton (9.8 pts, 7.6 rebs)

Notable: Can coach Kyle Neptune, who’s in his second season, elevate the program after finishing 10-10 in league play last season? To be successful, Villanova can’t afford Moore (sprained right knee) to miss many games.

St. John’s

Record: 7-3

Big East preseason: 5th

Best win: at West Virginia (79-73)

Top players: Joel Soriano (18 pts, 10.5 rebs), Daniss Jenkins (11.2 pts, 6 assists), Chris Ledlum (10.9 pts, 7.9 rebs)

Notable: Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino has revamped the roster and turned the Red Storm into a potentially dangerous team. Soriano, one of few returning players, is playing like an All-Big East player of the year candidate.

Xavier

Record: 6-5

Big East preseason: 6th

Best win: Cincinnati (84-79)

Top players: Quincy Olivari (17.6 pts), Desmond Claude (15.5 pts), Dayvion McKnight (9.2 pts)

Notable: The loss of Zach Freemantle who’s expected to miss the season after undergoing surgery on his left foot, really hurt Xavier. Claude, who’s from New Haven, is enjoying a breakout season, raising his scoring average from 4.5 last season to 15.5.

Providence

Record: 9-2

Big East preseason: 7th

Best win: Wisconsin (72-59)

Top players: Bryce Hopkins (17.2 pts, 8.3 rebs), Devin Carter (15.5 pts, 7.8 rebs), Josh Oduro (14 pts, 6.3 rebs)

Notable: First-year coach Kim English has the Friars off to a strong start. Oduro, a grad transfer from George Mason, is making a big splash. Friars will go as far as Hopkins and Carter carry them.

Georgetown

Record: 7-4

Big East preseason: 8th

Best win: At Notre Dame (72-68 OT)

Top players: Jayden Epps (18.9 pts), Dontrez Styles (15.2 pts, 6.4 rebs), Supreme Cook (10.7 pts, 8.6 rebs)

Notable: Ed Cooley left Providence to rebuild Georgetown, but the Hoyas have a ways to go before becoming respectable. Epps, the Big East’s leading scorer entering league play, is a player to watch.

Seton Hall

Record: 7-4

Big East preseason: 9th

Best win: at Missouri (93-87)

Top players: Kadary Richmond (14.7 pts, 6.1 rebs), Al-Amir Dawes (13 pts), Dre Davis (12.6 pts)

Notable: The Pirates hope to take a step forward in coach Shaheen Holloway’s second season in charge, but early signs aren’t encouraging.

Butler

Record: 9-2

Big East preseason: 10th

Best win: Texas Tech (103-95 OT)

Top players: Pierre Brooks II (16.8 pts), Jahmyl Telfort (15.6 pts), Posh Alexander (10.9 pts, 5.3 assists)

Notable: Butler already has rolled up nine wins, including one in overtime and another in double overtime. Don’t expect the Bulldogs to sustain that level of success in league play.

DePaul

Record: 2-8

Big East preseason: 11th

Best win: Louisville (75-68)

Top players: Chico Carter, Jr. (14 pts), Jeremiah Oden (13 pts), Da’Sean Nelson (9.9 pts)

Notable: Count on DePaul finishing at or near the bottom of the Big East standings once again. The Blue Demons have a brutal start to the league schedule, with four of their first five games vs. Villanova, at UConn, vs. Creighton, at Villanova.

g.keefe@theday.com