I return to a conference for the first time in the Big East, which has gotten off to an entertaining start. There really hasn't been anyone to pull away from the pack yet, and it still feels as if most of the teams have a real shot to win just about every game. If you'd like quick game reactions, be sure to follow me on Twitter @ThreePointRange, and feel free to let me know your own thoughts on the Big East. Also, if you have any questions you'd like me to answer, feel free to ask and I will be sure to answer them in my next go round.
Power Rankings
1. St. John's (3)
Record: 13-1, 1-1
My Thoughts: I was really impressed with how well St. John's is able to force steals. They are getting 9.14 a game, and they had 12 against Seton Hall. They got 6 against Marquette as well, and it seems they are able to take the ball from basically any player on the court. I knew Shamorie Ponds, who is 11th in the nation with 2.64 steals a game, was going to be picking pockets, but I wasn't ready for his 5 takeaways against Seton Hall. I also wasn't expecting the bigs to be so good at poking the ball away. LJ Figueroa and Marvin Clark each average a steal or more a game, and those turnovers are big, no pun intended, at getting the Johnnies out and running. With all five starters averaging over a steal per contest you're never safe with the ball against the Red Storm.
2. Villanova (2)
Record: 10-4, 1-0
My Thoughts: I honestly didn't get a chance to watch the Villanova DePaul game, so I have no real updated thoughts on the Wildcats. They struggled a little more in the game than I would've liked, but they pulled out the win in a game they should've. I have been impressed with Saddiq Bey so far thus season. He scored 15 in this one, and his defense is earning him a lot of minutes. He's been a lot better than I thought, as he was a late riser and considered a raw prospect, but he has quickly proven his worth.
3. Seton Hall (6)
Record: 11-3, 2-0
My Thoughts: I don't know if there is a team I've been more impressed by than Seton Hall over the course of this season. The Pirates were a team I thought would be alright this year, maybe be on the bubble, but they are currently playing like a top 25 team. Myles Powell will draw a lot of headlines, and rightfully so, he's amazing, but I think a lot of the credit has to go to role players who are playing their role really well. Quincy McKnight has willingly gone from high scoring standout at Sacred Heart to a facilitator and tough defender here with the Pirates. He's done an excellent job at the point and really allowed Powell to just go out and score. Myles Cale has consistently shown potential, and he is continually growing as a scorer. The front court pairing of Sandro Mamukelashvili, who is averaging 10.6 points and 7.6 rebounds, has really blossomed as a sophomore, and Michael Nzei is a real grinder type who battles on the glass and defense. They have all just really played well, and I don't think it's going to stop anytime soon.
4. Creighton (4)
Record: 10-4, 1-0
My Thoughts: Creighton is the anti-Texas. I've said before that the Longhorns almost make an effort to recruit people who can't shoot the ball from deep in any sort of consistent way. Creighton pumps out deadeyes from three. They currently rank fourth in three point percentage in the nation at 43.2%, and of the six players who play 50% of the minutes for the Blue Jays, 5 of them shoot over 39.5% from deep, and the other, Martin Krampelj, is still trying to regain his stroke after coming back from his ACL injury, but shot 55% over his last three games. It's not as if they are shooting well in limited attempts either, as nearly half of their shots come from behind the arc. They are going to outgun teams all year, and they show no signs of slowing down as the year progresses.
5. Marquette (1)
Record: 11-3, 0-1
My Thoughts: I wanted to write my main thought about Marquette in the 3 Questions section since I think it is something that will plague the Golden Eagles all season. I will say, they fell mostly due to how well everyone else has been playing than any fault of their own, although they didn't exactly look great against St. John's. They should still be good and are going to compete at the top of the league, but I've cooled a little bit from last week.
6. Providence (7)
Record: 10-4, 0-1
My Thoughts: AJ Reeves is currently out for the Friars after suffering a foot injury in early December, and isn't expected back for another 2 weeks or so. I think this team really misses him at the moment. The 6'6" freshman point guard was shooting 50% from the field at the time of his injury scoring 14.2 points a game. In the game against Creighton, it looked like they missed his ability to go get a basket whenever he wanted. He scores in a variety of ways, including from deep, and without him, the Friars struggled from behind the arc, going 7-21 against Creighton. He also takes care of the ball, averaging a turnover less than his replacement, David Duke. He's been one of the best and lesser talked about freshmen in the nation, and the Friars could really use him back as they need some more quality wins to get into the tournament.
7. Butler (5)
Record: 9-6, 0-1
My Thoughts: Like Marquette, the main thing I took away from Butler this week I have written up in the 3 Questions section. I didn't have a chance to watch their game either, there is so much college basketball, but one thing I think they should do is move Jordan Tucker into the starting lineup. The Duke transfer is arguably the most talented player on the roster, and his three point stroke is potent, having made 2 threes in every game he's played more than 10 minutes, and hit one in his first game eligible. He is also a good rebounder, and gives a little more size to the Bulldogs, which they desperately need. It's always hard for mid-year transfer to acclimate, but Tucker is one who is worthy of more minutes.
8. Georgetown (8)
Record: 11-3, 1-0
My Thoughts: As I just mentioned, I didn't get to watch Georgetown play Butler, and I do have a longer thought about them in the 3 Questions section as well. I did want to talk about Greg Malinowski, who is a William & Mary transfer and knockdown shooter. He got the start thanks to the absence of Mac McClung due to injury, and he took advantage, going 6-7 from deep and finishing with 26 points. I remember the game against Syracuse, which was won on this shot by Tyus Battle. I really feel we shouldn't forget about that great shot. But back to Georgetown, Malinowski made all three of his threes in that game and I remember being pissed that the Orange kept leaving him open. He's carved out a nice little role for himself on the Hoyas.
9. Xavier (9)
Record: 9-6, 1-1
My Thoughts: The Musketeers have really struggled on the offensive end. Their two supposed star players, Naji Marshall, and Quentin Goodin, have struggled to get going on the offensive end, and Paul Scruggs has probably been their best player on that end this year. I know they have had some pretty bad defensive issues, but their offense hasn't exactly been great either. Outside of Scruggs and maybe Ryan Welage, I don't really trust anyone to make a shot from deep, and Marshall and Goodin have been wildly inefficient all season. I really haven't been impressed by Xavier, and they seem like an NIT team.
10. DePaul (10)
Record: 8-5, 0-2
My Thoughts: The Blue Demons have blown each of their last three games late. That's insanely bad late game execution. First, they literally threw the game away against Boston College, botching a late game in bounds play that resulted in a turnover and the Eagles getting a 3 point victory. Their next time out, DePaul help a 61-55 lead over Xavier with 5 minutes remaining before the Musketeers went on a 19-4 run to close out the game. Finally, they held a 14 point first half lead over Villanova, led at the half, and the Wildcats wouldn't take the lead for good until after the under 8 timeout. DePaul wasn't projected to be good this season, but these games could changed the narrative. Instead, the Blue Demons have wasted some potentially great chances.
What I Saw
- St. John's 74 @ Seton Hall 76: I think the first thing to take away from this game had to be the ending. Seton Hall was inbounding from the corner of their side of the court with 3.9 seconds left, and trailed by 1. They inbound, and the ball is stolen by St. John's, but there is a whistle on the court. Replays showed that the Johnnies player hadn't stepped out of bounce, so it looked like an inadvertent whistle which would've given the Red Storm the ball. However, the refs ruled a clock issue, and the Pirates kept the ball, and made a buzzer beating and-one three to win the game. Obviously, St. John's got hosed, but they should've never been in that scenario in the first place. They led by 11 with 7:30 left in the game, and missed the front end of two one-and-ones with under a minute left in the game. While that call will get a lot of attention because it was bad, St. John's can't blame anyone but themselves for this one.
- Creighton 79 @ Providence 68: Creighton just can flat out shoot. They knocked down 44.8% of their shots from behind the arc, going 13-29, and they had every player who took a three make it. They really are fun to watch when the shots are going in, and that was the big difference in this contest. The Blue Jays made 6 more threes than the Friars, who went 33.3% from deep on 7-21 shooting. With so many threats from deep, including big man Martin Krampelj, it is so hard to guard everyone on Creighton especially given their top notch spacing.
- Marquette 69 @ St. John's 89: I was impressed by a few things here. First, St. John's could've very easily come out flat after their disappointing loss to Seton Hall, but instead came out hot, especially Shamorie Ponds who scored 20 of his 26 points before the half. I was also super impressed by how great the offense has been over the last two games. All five starters finished in double digits, and they are really fun to watch in the open court. I think that they might have the best offense in the conference, and when they play fast and are playing in transition, they are very tough to stop. For Marquette, this game really illustrated to me how good the Hauser brothers are. Freshman Joey led the Golden Eagles in this one with 15, and he wasn't doing it from deep, making the only three he attempted. He did an excellent job of posting up and taking a jumper in the lane. It's really underrated that he is 6'9" and Sam is 6'8, so they have excellent size and really are matchup nightmares given that height, ability to shoot, and also drive. Markus Howard is excellent, but they may be the biggest keys to Marquette's offense.
- Seton Hall 80 @ Xavier 70: Seton Hall came out and started slow again, trailing Xavier by 4 at the half. They really have a Nevada-esque ability to come back in the second half. They've done it against Kentucky, Maryland, St. John's, and Xavier, and it's and odd trend to see them continually grow into games. One of the things I noticed in this one was Myles Powell. He does tend to attract a lot of attention, especially from opposing defenses, but what stood out to me in this game was his playmaking. He finished with a career high 8 assists, and he displayed vision which I haven't really seen from him before. If he's able to be a creator for others as well as himself, then the Pirates will have a different level of danger this year.
What To Watch
- The matchup at the Dunkin Donuts Center between Villanova and Providence seems pretty huge for both teams. Starting with Villanova, they are still trying to prove they are back to last season's heights, and wins over UConn and DePaul just don't do that, and picking up an away win against a good Providence team would go a long way in that. Meanwhile, Providence is still on the bubble and is trying to build a tournament resume, and beating the Wildcats would surely be a strong start, and they won't want to start 0-2 in the Big East. I think it comes down to who can make more threes. Providence shoots better from behind the arc on the year, but Nova takes more and neither team is particular good on the defensive end, so if someone can get hot from deep, they should be able to win.
- Villanova will have to turn around right after that one and face St. John's. The Wildcats will be at home, but it'll certainly be tough. It comes down to two things. First off, whoever can control the pace will have a massive advantage. As I mentioned earlier, St. John's is at their best when they are in an up-tempo contest, and they play at the 33rd fastest pace in the nation. Meanwhile, Nova plays at the fifth slowest and really like to have slow, methodical possessions on the offensive end. The easiest way to do this for the Wildcats is to not commit turnovers, which they've been pretty average at, and the real question is the play of Jahvon Quinnerly. The freshman was highly regarded out of high school, but he struggled to find minutes early on. He's been playing more recently, and if he is on the court and playing well, that will go a long way to getting a home win. The other area is getting St. John's in foul trouble. The Johnnies foul at an above average rate, and Villanova is pretty good from the foul line. However, the real advantage here is the Red Storm are not deep, especially after the news that guard Mikey Dixon is transferring. They already gave under 20% of their minutes to the bench, so if they have a starter on the bench for prolonged stretches, they may not have the depth to cover.
- I'm super interested in seeing how Georgetown fares in their trip to Xavier. The Hoyas play host to St. John's before this, and I'm assuming they lose that one given how the Red Storm has been playing recently. That would put Georgetown at 1-1 and going to Cincinnati to play a Xavier team who is likely coming off a loss to Marquette. For each team's postseason hopes, this game is huge. It's against one of the lesser teams in the conference, and it's a must win. Like St. John's and Villanova, it comes down to pace, with Georgetown playing quickly and Xavier preferring to slow things down. I think if Georgetown can speed the game up, it will only exacerbate the Musketeers' turnover issues, and give the Hoyas a big road win.
- Marquette and Creighton is going to be so much fun. These are two teams that love to shoot the ball from three and this score could get out of hand fast. Marquette is slightly better defensively this season, but I don't really think that matters against the Blue Jays who are red hot from deep this season. The Blue Jays probably won't be able to stop the Golden Eagles on the other side of the court, and I think Markus Howard could have a 30 point outburst. It's going to come down to who can get a stop when it matters, but honestly this game should have a ton of offensive fireworks and be super fun to watch.
- Butler heads to my home state of New Jersey to take on Seton Hall in a game featuring two teams on opposite trajectories. Seton Hall was considered to be one of the teams near the bottom of the Big East heading into the season, but the Pirates have exceeded expectations thus far and look like a legit top 25 caliber squad. Meanwhile, Butler has struggled of late, as they are on a two game losing streak, and it could be three by the time this game roles around. I think this game will come down to the battle between Myles Powell and Kamar Baldwin. The two alpha dog guards will likely be seeing a lot of each other in this one. Baldwin has been a bit cold lately, and Powell has certainly not been, so if Baldwin getting going early and often is huge for Butler. However, Butler doesn't have a great three point defense, so I think Powell and Seton Hall have an advantage and pull it out at home.
Full Big East Schedule 1/5-1/11
1/5
Creighton @ Butler
St. John's @ Georgetown
Villanova @ Providence
1/6
Xavier @ Marquette
Seton Hall @ DePaul
1/8
St. John's @ Villanova
1/9
Georgetown @ Xavier
Marquette @ Creighton
Butler @ Seton Hall
3 Questions
1. Can Marquette win without Markus Howard?
Marquette really ascended into national attention when Markus Howard scored 45 points, 40 in the second half, in a win over Buffalo. He is an incredible scorer and one of the best shooters and offensive threats in the nation. It led many, including myself, to dub the Golden Eagles a top 25, borderline top 15, team, and I think we all sort of got caught up in that incredible performance. Then they played St. John's, and Howard shot 2-15 from the field and scored 8 points, and the Golden Eagles lost by 20. I am really interested to see how Marquette plays when Howard isn't flaming hot. I think they can still win if one of the Hauser brothers can get hot and they play well defensively, but it is certainly something to monitor.
2. Is Georgetown legit?
The Hoyas went into Hinkle Fieldhouse and knocked off Butler in an impressive start to conference play. It gives the Hoyas a really solid foundation to maybe start building a tournament resume. I'm still skeptical of how good this team really is, however. For one, this win was by far their best of the season, with Liberty being the second best according to KenPom, and their only other Power 6 win game in the Gavitt Games against Illinois. They were also really bolstered in this one by senior transfer Greg Malinowski having a career high, so I'm unsure if their 84 point performance is what we should be expecting throughout conference play. Lastly, the Hoyas are fairly inexperienced in their backcourt, and they have struggled with turnover issues all season, and that could really hold them back throughout the year. We also aren't that far removed from them needing overtime to knock off Arkansas Little Rock at home, so keep that in mind. Their upcoming week, hosting St. John's and traveling to Xavier, will reveal a lot about them. If they can manage a split and go 2-1 during an upcoming home stand, which would feature a win over a top class team in the conference, then this is a team that will have to be taken with respect.
3. Is Butler a tournament team?
The Bulldogs are really not playing well at the moment, and I feel the question needs to be asked: is this a team that is going to make the tournament? Their wins against Mississippi and Florida seem like ages ago, and they feature losses to two A-10 teams, Dayton and Saint Louis, as well as a two game losing streak to Florida in a blowout and at home to Georgetown. They also lost to Indiana, which was a close game that they couldn't pull out at the end. There aren't a ton of opportunities for really huge statement wins in the Big East, so the resume needs to rely on quantity over quality. The best way to do that is by defending home court, which is what makes the loss to Georgetown so problematic. The Hoyas were outside of KenPom's top 100 at the time of the game, and that loss at home is one that will really sting for Butler as time goes on, as their margin for error is already reduced. They host Creighton and then head out on a three game road trip, and while it's still very early, Butler is beginning to play in what feel like must-win games for their at-large tournament hopes.
Power Rankings
1. St. John's (3)
Record: 13-1, 1-1
My Thoughts: I was really impressed with how well St. John's is able to force steals. They are getting 9.14 a game, and they had 12 against Seton Hall. They got 6 against Marquette as well, and it seems they are able to take the ball from basically any player on the court. I knew Shamorie Ponds, who is 11th in the nation with 2.64 steals a game, was going to be picking pockets, but I wasn't ready for his 5 takeaways against Seton Hall. I also wasn't expecting the bigs to be so good at poking the ball away. LJ Figueroa and Marvin Clark each average a steal or more a game, and those turnovers are big, no pun intended, at getting the Johnnies out and running. With all five starters averaging over a steal per contest you're never safe with the ball against the Red Storm.
2. Villanova (2)
Record: 10-4, 1-0
My Thoughts: I honestly didn't get a chance to watch the Villanova DePaul game, so I have no real updated thoughts on the Wildcats. They struggled a little more in the game than I would've liked, but they pulled out the win in a game they should've. I have been impressed with Saddiq Bey so far thus season. He scored 15 in this one, and his defense is earning him a lot of minutes. He's been a lot better than I thought, as he was a late riser and considered a raw prospect, but he has quickly proven his worth.
3. Seton Hall (6)
Record: 11-3, 2-0
My Thoughts: I don't know if there is a team I've been more impressed by than Seton Hall over the course of this season. The Pirates were a team I thought would be alright this year, maybe be on the bubble, but they are currently playing like a top 25 team. Myles Powell will draw a lot of headlines, and rightfully so, he's amazing, but I think a lot of the credit has to go to role players who are playing their role really well. Quincy McKnight has willingly gone from high scoring standout at Sacred Heart to a facilitator and tough defender here with the Pirates. He's done an excellent job at the point and really allowed Powell to just go out and score. Myles Cale has consistently shown potential, and he is continually growing as a scorer. The front court pairing of Sandro Mamukelashvili, who is averaging 10.6 points and 7.6 rebounds, has really blossomed as a sophomore, and Michael Nzei is a real grinder type who battles on the glass and defense. They have all just really played well, and I don't think it's going to stop anytime soon.
4. Creighton (4)
Record: 10-4, 1-0
My Thoughts: Creighton is the anti-Texas. I've said before that the Longhorns almost make an effort to recruit people who can't shoot the ball from deep in any sort of consistent way. Creighton pumps out deadeyes from three. They currently rank fourth in three point percentage in the nation at 43.2%, and of the six players who play 50% of the minutes for the Blue Jays, 5 of them shoot over 39.5% from deep, and the other, Martin Krampelj, is still trying to regain his stroke after coming back from his ACL injury, but shot 55% over his last three games. It's not as if they are shooting well in limited attempts either, as nearly half of their shots come from behind the arc. They are going to outgun teams all year, and they show no signs of slowing down as the year progresses.
5. Marquette (1)
Record: 11-3, 0-1
My Thoughts: I wanted to write my main thought about Marquette in the 3 Questions section since I think it is something that will plague the Golden Eagles all season. I will say, they fell mostly due to how well everyone else has been playing than any fault of their own, although they didn't exactly look great against St. John's. They should still be good and are going to compete at the top of the league, but I've cooled a little bit from last week.
6. Providence (7)
Record: 10-4, 0-1
My Thoughts: AJ Reeves is currently out for the Friars after suffering a foot injury in early December, and isn't expected back for another 2 weeks or so. I think this team really misses him at the moment. The 6'6" freshman point guard was shooting 50% from the field at the time of his injury scoring 14.2 points a game. In the game against Creighton, it looked like they missed his ability to go get a basket whenever he wanted. He scores in a variety of ways, including from deep, and without him, the Friars struggled from behind the arc, going 7-21 against Creighton. He also takes care of the ball, averaging a turnover less than his replacement, David Duke. He's been one of the best and lesser talked about freshmen in the nation, and the Friars could really use him back as they need some more quality wins to get into the tournament.
7. Butler (5)
Record: 9-6, 0-1
My Thoughts: Like Marquette, the main thing I took away from Butler this week I have written up in the 3 Questions section. I didn't have a chance to watch their game either, there is so much college basketball, but one thing I think they should do is move Jordan Tucker into the starting lineup. The Duke transfer is arguably the most talented player on the roster, and his three point stroke is potent, having made 2 threes in every game he's played more than 10 minutes, and hit one in his first game eligible. He is also a good rebounder, and gives a little more size to the Bulldogs, which they desperately need. It's always hard for mid-year transfer to acclimate, but Tucker is one who is worthy of more minutes.
8. Georgetown (8)
Record: 11-3, 1-0
My Thoughts: As I just mentioned, I didn't get to watch Georgetown play Butler, and I do have a longer thought about them in the 3 Questions section as well. I did want to talk about Greg Malinowski, who is a William & Mary transfer and knockdown shooter. He got the start thanks to the absence of Mac McClung due to injury, and he took advantage, going 6-7 from deep and finishing with 26 points. I remember the game against Syracuse, which was won on this shot by Tyus Battle. I really feel we shouldn't forget about that great shot. But back to Georgetown, Malinowski made all three of his threes in that game and I remember being pissed that the Orange kept leaving him open. He's carved out a nice little role for himself on the Hoyas.
9. Xavier (9)
Record: 9-6, 1-1
My Thoughts: The Musketeers have really struggled on the offensive end. Their two supposed star players, Naji Marshall, and Quentin Goodin, have struggled to get going on the offensive end, and Paul Scruggs has probably been their best player on that end this year. I know they have had some pretty bad defensive issues, but their offense hasn't exactly been great either. Outside of Scruggs and maybe Ryan Welage, I don't really trust anyone to make a shot from deep, and Marshall and Goodin have been wildly inefficient all season. I really haven't been impressed by Xavier, and they seem like an NIT team.
10. DePaul (10)
Record: 8-5, 0-2
My Thoughts: The Blue Demons have blown each of their last three games late. That's insanely bad late game execution. First, they literally threw the game away against Boston College, botching a late game in bounds play that resulted in a turnover and the Eagles getting a 3 point victory. Their next time out, DePaul help a 61-55 lead over Xavier with 5 minutes remaining before the Musketeers went on a 19-4 run to close out the game. Finally, they held a 14 point first half lead over Villanova, led at the half, and the Wildcats wouldn't take the lead for good until after the under 8 timeout. DePaul wasn't projected to be good this season, but these games could changed the narrative. Instead, the Blue Demons have wasted some potentially great chances.
What I Saw
- St. John's 74 @ Seton Hall 76: I think the first thing to take away from this game had to be the ending. Seton Hall was inbounding from the corner of their side of the court with 3.9 seconds left, and trailed by 1. They inbound, and the ball is stolen by St. John's, but there is a whistle on the court. Replays showed that the Johnnies player hadn't stepped out of bounce, so it looked like an inadvertent whistle which would've given the Red Storm the ball. However, the refs ruled a clock issue, and the Pirates kept the ball, and made a buzzer beating and-one three to win the game. Obviously, St. John's got hosed, but they should've never been in that scenario in the first place. They led by 11 with 7:30 left in the game, and missed the front end of two one-and-ones with under a minute left in the game. While that call will get a lot of attention because it was bad, St. John's can't blame anyone but themselves for this one.
- Creighton 79 @ Providence 68: Creighton just can flat out shoot. They knocked down 44.8% of their shots from behind the arc, going 13-29, and they had every player who took a three make it. They really are fun to watch when the shots are going in, and that was the big difference in this contest. The Blue Jays made 6 more threes than the Friars, who went 33.3% from deep on 7-21 shooting. With so many threats from deep, including big man Martin Krampelj, it is so hard to guard everyone on Creighton especially given their top notch spacing.
- Marquette 69 @ St. John's 89: I was impressed by a few things here. First, St. John's could've very easily come out flat after their disappointing loss to Seton Hall, but instead came out hot, especially Shamorie Ponds who scored 20 of his 26 points before the half. I was also super impressed by how great the offense has been over the last two games. All five starters finished in double digits, and they are really fun to watch in the open court. I think that they might have the best offense in the conference, and when they play fast and are playing in transition, they are very tough to stop. For Marquette, this game really illustrated to me how good the Hauser brothers are. Freshman Joey led the Golden Eagles in this one with 15, and he wasn't doing it from deep, making the only three he attempted. He did an excellent job of posting up and taking a jumper in the lane. It's really underrated that he is 6'9" and Sam is 6'8, so they have excellent size and really are matchup nightmares given that height, ability to shoot, and also drive. Markus Howard is excellent, but they may be the biggest keys to Marquette's offense.
- Seton Hall 80 @ Xavier 70: Seton Hall came out and started slow again, trailing Xavier by 4 at the half. They really have a Nevada-esque ability to come back in the second half. They've done it against Kentucky, Maryland, St. John's, and Xavier, and it's and odd trend to see them continually grow into games. One of the things I noticed in this one was Myles Powell. He does tend to attract a lot of attention, especially from opposing defenses, but what stood out to me in this game was his playmaking. He finished with a career high 8 assists, and he displayed vision which I haven't really seen from him before. If he's able to be a creator for others as well as himself, then the Pirates will have a different level of danger this year.
What To Watch
- The matchup at the Dunkin Donuts Center between Villanova and Providence seems pretty huge for both teams. Starting with Villanova, they are still trying to prove they are back to last season's heights, and wins over UConn and DePaul just don't do that, and picking up an away win against a good Providence team would go a long way in that. Meanwhile, Providence is still on the bubble and is trying to build a tournament resume, and beating the Wildcats would surely be a strong start, and they won't want to start 0-2 in the Big East. I think it comes down to who can make more threes. Providence shoots better from behind the arc on the year, but Nova takes more and neither team is particular good on the defensive end, so if someone can get hot from deep, they should be able to win.
- Villanova will have to turn around right after that one and face St. John's. The Wildcats will be at home, but it'll certainly be tough. It comes down to two things. First off, whoever can control the pace will have a massive advantage. As I mentioned earlier, St. John's is at their best when they are in an up-tempo contest, and they play at the 33rd fastest pace in the nation. Meanwhile, Nova plays at the fifth slowest and really like to have slow, methodical possessions on the offensive end. The easiest way to do this for the Wildcats is to not commit turnovers, which they've been pretty average at, and the real question is the play of Jahvon Quinnerly. The freshman was highly regarded out of high school, but he struggled to find minutes early on. He's been playing more recently, and if he is on the court and playing well, that will go a long way to getting a home win. The other area is getting St. John's in foul trouble. The Johnnies foul at an above average rate, and Villanova is pretty good from the foul line. However, the real advantage here is the Red Storm are not deep, especially after the news that guard Mikey Dixon is transferring. They already gave under 20% of their minutes to the bench, so if they have a starter on the bench for prolonged stretches, they may not have the depth to cover.
- I'm super interested in seeing how Georgetown fares in their trip to Xavier. The Hoyas play host to St. John's before this, and I'm assuming they lose that one given how the Red Storm has been playing recently. That would put Georgetown at 1-1 and going to Cincinnati to play a Xavier team who is likely coming off a loss to Marquette. For each team's postseason hopes, this game is huge. It's against one of the lesser teams in the conference, and it's a must win. Like St. John's and Villanova, it comes down to pace, with Georgetown playing quickly and Xavier preferring to slow things down. I think if Georgetown can speed the game up, it will only exacerbate the Musketeers' turnover issues, and give the Hoyas a big road win.
- Marquette and Creighton is going to be so much fun. These are two teams that love to shoot the ball from three and this score could get out of hand fast. Marquette is slightly better defensively this season, but I don't really think that matters against the Blue Jays who are red hot from deep this season. The Blue Jays probably won't be able to stop the Golden Eagles on the other side of the court, and I think Markus Howard could have a 30 point outburst. It's going to come down to who can get a stop when it matters, but honestly this game should have a ton of offensive fireworks and be super fun to watch.
- Butler heads to my home state of New Jersey to take on Seton Hall in a game featuring two teams on opposite trajectories. Seton Hall was considered to be one of the teams near the bottom of the Big East heading into the season, but the Pirates have exceeded expectations thus far and look like a legit top 25 caliber squad. Meanwhile, Butler has struggled of late, as they are on a two game losing streak, and it could be three by the time this game roles around. I think this game will come down to the battle between Myles Powell and Kamar Baldwin. The two alpha dog guards will likely be seeing a lot of each other in this one. Baldwin has been a bit cold lately, and Powell has certainly not been, so if Baldwin getting going early and often is huge for Butler. However, Butler doesn't have a great three point defense, so I think Powell and Seton Hall have an advantage and pull it out at home.
Full Big East Schedule 1/5-1/11
1/5
Creighton @ Butler
St. John's @ Georgetown
Villanova @ Providence
1/6
Xavier @ Marquette
Seton Hall @ DePaul
1/8
St. John's @ Villanova
1/9
Georgetown @ Xavier
Marquette @ Creighton
Butler @ Seton Hall
3 Questions
1. Can Marquette win without Markus Howard?
Marquette really ascended into national attention when Markus Howard scored 45 points, 40 in the second half, in a win over Buffalo. He is an incredible scorer and one of the best shooters and offensive threats in the nation. It led many, including myself, to dub the Golden Eagles a top 25, borderline top 15, team, and I think we all sort of got caught up in that incredible performance. Then they played St. John's, and Howard shot 2-15 from the field and scored 8 points, and the Golden Eagles lost by 20. I am really interested to see how Marquette plays when Howard isn't flaming hot. I think they can still win if one of the Hauser brothers can get hot and they play well defensively, but it is certainly something to monitor.
2. Is Georgetown legit?
The Hoyas went into Hinkle Fieldhouse and knocked off Butler in an impressive start to conference play. It gives the Hoyas a really solid foundation to maybe start building a tournament resume. I'm still skeptical of how good this team really is, however. For one, this win was by far their best of the season, with Liberty being the second best according to KenPom, and their only other Power 6 win game in the Gavitt Games against Illinois. They were also really bolstered in this one by senior transfer Greg Malinowski having a career high, so I'm unsure if their 84 point performance is what we should be expecting throughout conference play. Lastly, the Hoyas are fairly inexperienced in their backcourt, and they have struggled with turnover issues all season, and that could really hold them back throughout the year. We also aren't that far removed from them needing overtime to knock off Arkansas Little Rock at home, so keep that in mind. Their upcoming week, hosting St. John's and traveling to Xavier, will reveal a lot about them. If they can manage a split and go 2-1 during an upcoming home stand, which would feature a win over a top class team in the conference, then this is a team that will have to be taken with respect.
3. Is Butler a tournament team?
The Bulldogs are really not playing well at the moment, and I feel the question needs to be asked: is this a team that is going to make the tournament? Their wins against Mississippi and Florida seem like ages ago, and they feature losses to two A-10 teams, Dayton and Saint Louis, as well as a two game losing streak to Florida in a blowout and at home to Georgetown. They also lost to Indiana, which was a close game that they couldn't pull out at the end. There aren't a ton of opportunities for really huge statement wins in the Big East, so the resume needs to rely on quantity over quality. The best way to do that is by defending home court, which is what makes the loss to Georgetown so problematic. The Hoyas were outside of KenPom's top 100 at the time of the game, and that loss at home is one that will really sting for Butler as time goes on, as their margin for error is already reduced. They host Creighton and then head out on a three game road trip, and while it's still very early, Butler is beginning to play in what feel like must-win games for their at-large tournament hopes.
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