Despite returning four starters from a team that reached the Women’s National Invitation Tournament semifinals a year ago and adding the No. 6 recruiting class in the country according to ESPN, Syracuse was predicted to finish just seventh in the Big East in the preseason coaches’ poll released Thursday.

Connecticut was tabbed as the favorite to win the conference after reaching the final four and winning the Big East tournament a season ago. The Huskies received 12 of 15 possible first place votes.

Notre Dame, which won the Big East regular season crown and returns star guard Skylar Diggins, was picked to finish second. The Fighting Irish also defeated UConn in the final four in each of the past two seasons. Notre Dame received the other three first place votes and Diggins was picked as Preseason Player of the Year for the second straight season.

Louisville, St. John’s, Rutgers and DePaul followed Connecticut and the Fighting Irish in the third through fifth spots.

The Orange checked in seventh after finishing 6-10 in the conference last year and losing leading scorer Iasia Hemingway to graduation. SU hopes to replace her with a freshman class that includes two McDonald’s All-Americans in Briana Butler and Brittney Sykes.

But neither of those two were named preseason freshman of the year. That distinction went to Syracuse native and Huskies freshman Breanna Stewart, the No. 1 player in the class of 2012.