Here where Big East men's basketball teams rank with conference play on tap. Who's No. 1?
Two teams have finished nonconference play. Seven more will be done with it when the sun rises Monday morning.
It’s that time of year in the Big East. Marquette at Providence gets the real meat of the schedule started Tuesday night, with the Golden Eagles visiting the Friars in a showdown clash.
The defending regular-season and tournament champions will be looking to avenge one of their few defeats prior to the NCAA Tournament in 2022-23. The hosts have the ideal chance to make an early statement about where they might finish when action closes in March.
The two teams hooked up for a classic downtown last December. Providence needed every bit of a career performance from Bryce Hopkins in a 103-98 win, as the dynamic forward logged 47 minutes in a double-overtime epic. Hopkins racked up 29 points and 23 rebounds, the first 20-20 game with the Friars since Greedy Peterson hit both marks in a January 2010 win over Rutgers.
Marquette figures to have its share of backing away from Milwaukee, and this could finally be the time Tyler Kolek tastes some success at home. The Cumberland native is the reigning conference Player of the Year, and he’s off to a quick start in his fourth college season. Kolek could hold the key to souring Providence’s league debut under Kim English.
What’s the state of the league elsewhere? Let’s take a look.
1. Connecticut (9-1)
Last week, 1: Beat Arkansas Pine Bluff
This week: Gonzaga (Seattle), at Seton Hall
What to know: The Huskies have one last showdown meeting against the Bulldogs after their home breather with the Golden Lions. UConn sizzled at 13-for-28 from 3-point range, collected 21 assists and committed just eight turnovers in a 101-63 waxing. Don’t expect too much more of that for Dan Hurley and his crew.
2. Marquette (9-2)
Last week, 2: Beat Notre Dame, St. Thomas
This week: at Providence, Georgetown
What to know: The Golden Eagles dusted the Fighting Irish before staggering through a date with the Tommies. This was a textbook hole in the schedule – a tough nonconference slate in the rearview mirror, the Friars coming up on the road. Oso Ighodaro’s 21 points and eight rebounds were enough to get over the line in an 84-79 triumph.
3. Creighton (8-2)
Last week, 3: Beat Central Michigan, lost to UNLV (Henderson, Nev.)
This week: Alabama, Villanova
What to know: Keep the Bluejays away from the Mountain West in the NCAA Tournament. Creighton has now been thumped by an average of 18 points in two defeats against Colorado State and UNLV. Two worrying trends here – the Bluejays don’t win if Trey Alexander plays poorly and sit last nationally in forced turnover percentage.
4. Providence (8-2)
Last week, 4: Beat Brown
This week: Sacred Heart, Marquette
What to know: The Friars started a five-game homestand by smothering the Bears in the renewal of their rivalry series. Brown shot less than 20% from the field in the opening half while falling into a 24-point deficit. Providence’s eventual 74-54 victory was a nice rebound from a Big East-Big 12 Battle road loss at Oklahoma.
5. Butler (8-2)
Last week, 5: Beat California (2OT)
This week: Saginaw Valley State, Georgetown
What to know: The Bulldogs have won five straight and continue to be a pleasant early surprise. Their latest triumph was a 97-90 thriller against the Golden Bears in double overtime. Posh Alexander finished with 21 points and continued his sharp improvements in assist rate, foul shooting and 2-point shooting.
6. Villanova (7-4)
Last week, 7: Beat UCLA
This week: at Creighton
What to know: The Wildcats are 5-2 against the KenPom.com top 100 and just 2-2 outside it. What to make of that? Perhaps it’s simple inconsistency. Perhaps it’s a focus issue – that would be far more worrisome. For now, Villanova can build on a win over the Bruins in which Tyler Burton hit for 18 points and 10 rebounds.
7. Xavier (5-5)
Last week, 9: Beat Cincinnati
This week: Winthrop, at St. John’s
What to know: The Musketeers snapped a three-game home losing streak in the most satisfying way possible. They outlasted the Bearcats in their annual city classic, and it was a pair of transfer guards— Dayvion McKnight and Quincy Olivari — who combined for 47 points. Xavier was plus-9 from 3-point range and plus-12 at the foul line inside a roaring Cintas Center.
8. St. John’s (6-3)
Last week, 6: Lost to Boston College (Brooklyn)
This week: Fordham, Xavier
What to know: Rick Pitino ripped the Red Storm’s defensive effort in a loss to the Eagles at Barclays Center. Conveniently absent from his critique was the coaching staff and what fault they might have shared in allowing 86 points on a Sunday afternoon. St. John’s will be a double-digit favorite against the Rams before the Musketeers come to town next week.
9. Seton Hall (6-4)
Last week, 8: Lost to Rutgers, beat Monmouth
This week: Missouri (Kansas City), Connecticut
What to know: The Pirates were handled rather easily in an all-New Jersey grudge match against the Scarlet Knights before bouncing back against the Hawks. Seton Hall has one last chance at a reasonable win against the Tigers before starting league play with the Huskies – T-Mobile Arena and an allegedly neutral floor won’t be an easy place to find it.
10. Georgetown (6-4)
Last week, 10: Lost to Syracuse, beat Coppin State
This week: at Notre Dame, at Butler
What to know: Aside from a shocking early home loss to Holy Cross, the Hoyas have done pretty much what you might expect. According to KenPom.com, none of their six wins are against the top 240. Each of their other three defeats came at the hands of the top 100. If that track record continues, expect some success against DePaul and little else.
11. DePaul (2-7)
Last week, 11: Beat Louisville
This week: Northwestern
What to know: There does happen to be a power conference program in worse shape than the Blue Demons. The Cardinals were dismal in a 75-68 road loss and followed with a double-digit home defeat against Arkansas State. DePaul brackets its league opener with Villanova by facing a pair of Chicago foes — Northwestern and Chicago State.
On X: @BillKoch25
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Here where Big East basketball teams rank with conference play on tap
