The Big East season is about to kick into high gear, and several duos have emerged as notable scoring threats. These are the highest-scoring teammates in the Big East, as the conference has two ranked teams. Per the Associated Press Top 25 poll, Marquette is eighth and two-time defending national champion UConn is 11th.
Analyzing The Best Big East Basketball Scoring Duos
High-Scoring Duos Leading The Way For Big East Contenders
No one player is going to lead a team to the promised land in a conference as competitive as the Big East. Whether adding star freshmen or talented transfers, some of the conference’s best players are aided by the arrival of a second scoring option.
Points might be harder to come by now that the Big East season is upon us. Each team has played at least two conference games, with Marquette, Georgetown and UConn still undefeated in conference play.
The Xavier duo of Zach Freemantle and Ryan Conwell would be on the list, with both players averaging more than 16 points per game. However, an injury suffered by Freemantle is sidelining the star indefinitely.
Dixon and Poplar: the Top Big East Scoring Tandem
Eric Dixon has been asked to do it all for the Villanova Wildcats. He has gone from averaging 16.6 points on 46.5% shooting last season to 25.8 points on 53.8 FG%.
Eric Dixon is UNSTOPPABLE! 💥
The @NovaMBB star continues to lead the country in scoring, averaging 25.8 PPG this year 📝💫
Will he become the 4th @BIGEAST player to win our @jerseymikes Naismith Men’s College POY Award? 🏆#JerseyMikesNaismith2025 | #NovaNation pic.twitter.com/bK2d2iZ3mg
— Naismith Awards (@NaismithTrophy) December 23, 2024
Miami transfer Wooga Poplar returned home to Philadelphia. He has at least 18 points in three of his last four games to increase his scoring average to 13.2.
Marquette Is Led by Jones and Joplin
Kameron Jones has been playing like the Big East Player of the Year. He has scored in double figures in every game this season, with seven 20-point games. He went off for 32 points in wins over Stony Brook and Wisconsin. Jones also had a triple-double against Purdue. He’s averaging 20.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 6.6 assists for the Golden Eagles.
David Joplin didn’t start a game in his first two seasons at Marquette. Since then, he has started 50 consecutive games over the last two seasons. Joplin’s scoring average has jumped from 10.8 to 14.4 points to form one of the top Big East scoring duos with Jones.
Seniors Kalkbrenner and Ashford Hope to Soar For The Bluejays
Ryan Kalkbrenner was named the preseason Big East Player of the Year heading into his fifth season at Creighton. His numbers are almost identical to what he put up a season ago.
Today’s @continentaltire Player of the Game goes to Ryan Kalkbrenner!
Work, play, sun, rain, or snow, Continental Tire USA has a tire for you.#GoJays x @RyanKalkbrenner pic.twitter.com/VpFbMSpEJz
— Creighton Men’s Basketball (@BluejayMBB) January 1, 2025
Kalbrenner averaged 17.3 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game during the 2023-24 season. He heads into 2025 with averages of 17.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 1.2 assists for the 9-5 Creighton Bluejays.
Steven Ashworth averaged 11.1 points and 4.2 assists last season after transferring from Utah State. He is contributing 17.1 points and 6.2 assists this season.
Epps Leads the Surprising Georgetown Hoyas
Georgetown coach Ed Cooley was pretty busy in the transfer portal after a difficult first season with the Hoyas. The influx of talent is making an immediate impact.
However, when looking at the Big East’s scoring tandem, one of the holdovers leads the way. Jayden Epps, who transferred from Illinois after the 2022-23 season, isn’t shooting as often with a better supporting cast. Epps is averaging 15.9 points per game. That jumps to 18 PPG in the first two Big East games.
Freshman Thomas Sorber is making quite the impression with averages of 15.7 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists. Sorber had 22 points against Coppin State.
Best Of the Rest
St. John’s, UConn and Butler also have Big East scoring tandems to watch.
Zuby Ejiofor has to be a top contender for the Big East’s Most Improved Player, with his scoring average going from 4.3 to 14.8 points. RJ Luis was held under 10 points for the first time this season when St. John’s fell to Creighton. However, he is still contributing 16.3 points each game.
Alex Karaban, the only returning starter for reigning national champion UConn, missed two games. However, he is averaging 20.5 points in UConn’s first two conference matches.
Freshman Liam McNeeley has 17 and 26 points in the only two games for UConn against ranked teams. He would likely average more than 13.9 points on another team.
Butler’s Jahmyl Telfort and Pierre Brooks have seen a slight jump in production this season. Telfort is averaging 15.5 points per game, with Brooks at 15.
