The Big East power rankings certainly change by the week. Well, everything except for UConn at the top. This past week saw plenty of big match-ups for teams in this conference, but most of the Big East failed to take advantage of the other power conference foes. The Pirates of Seton Hall certainly appeared to make a case for themselves.
Let’s take a closer look at how the Big East stands this week.
Big East Power Rankings: Don’t Count out the Pirates
1. UConn (6-1)
The Huskies continue to be at the top of the Big East, even with their four-point loss against Arizona. They added a very impressive win against a top-15-ranked Illinois squad. Not to mention Braylon Mullins finally made his collegiate debut.
Up next: @ Kansas, Tuesday, Dec 2nd, East Texas A&M, Friday, Dec 5th.
2. Seton Hall (7-1)
The Pirates showed they have something to say during the Maui Invitational. In particular, they upset the Wolfpack from NC State in the opening round. The team fell just two points shy against USC in the semifinals. They responded with a 75-61 victory over Washington State in the third-place game. Coach Shaheen Holloway’s team looks like a Big East contender right now.
Up next: Central Connecticut, Wednesday, Dec 3rd, @ Kansas State, Saturday, Dec 6th
3. Butler (6-1)
The Bulldogs had a productive week. They have three straight wins. Beating both South Carolina and Virginia in the Greenbrier Tip-Off were resume wins for sure. Finley Bizjack certainly doesn’t appear to be messing around.
Up next: Eastern Michigan, Tuesday, Dec 2nd, Boise State, Saturday, Dec 6th
4. Villanova (5-1)
It wasn’t bad to be a little skeptical of Kevin Willard in year one with the Wildcats. They have rattled off five straight wins since losing their opener against National Contender BYU. However, can they handle business this month? The schedule only gets harder from here.
Up next: Temple, Tomorrow, 6:30 pm
5. Georgetown (5-2)
All the credibility Georgetown had built went sideways this past week. Specifically, the Hoyas lost back-to-back games against Dayton and the Miami Hurricanes in their holiday tournament in Florida. Hope they are ready for a quick recovery this week. They lost a lot of steam in the Big East power rankings.
Up next: UMBC, Wednesday, Dec 3rd, @ North Carolina, Sunday, Dec 7th
6. DePaul (5-3)
The Big East finds a way to hurt itself down the stretch of the season. That’s no different for this Blue Demons team. Unquestionably, it’s a mixed bag for this group. They started their holiday tournament well with a win against Georgia Tech. However, they couldn’t keep it up in the Emerald Coast Classic Championship Game, as they fell soundly to the LSU Tigers 96-63. On the bright side, Kruz McClure had a heck of a game with 22 points.
Up next: Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Saturday, Dec 6th
7. Xavier (5-3)
The Musketeers looked pretty helpless there for a time. In particular, they have three losses in their first six games. They might have righted the ship with wins against West Virginia and Texas A&M CC. Jovan Milicevic was the leading scorer in both games.
Up next: St. Francis (PA), Tomorrow, 7:00 pm, Cincinnati, Friday, Dec 5th
8. St. John’s (4-3)
Is it time to panic for the Red Storm? Sitting 4-3 after the first seven games isn’t the best showing for the defending Big East Champions. However, the losses they suffered have all come from teams inside the Top 25. They certainly didn’t have the best of showings at the Players Era Festival in Vegas. Losing both to Iowa State and Auburn. But that 96-81 win over Baylor, highlighted by 26 points from Bryce Hopkins, has to be worth something.
Up next: Ole Miss, Saturday, Dec 6th
9. Creighton (4-3)
The Players Era Festival brings together some of the best programs in the country. Creighton might have had the worst draw of the whole event. They had a real opportunity to show what they have, but losing both games against Big 12 teams doesn’t move the needle. They bounced back against Oregon, but the Ducks look far worse than the Blue Jays.
Up next: Nicholls, Tuesday, Dec 2nd, @ Nebraska, Sunday, Dec 7th
10. Marquette (4-4)
Undoubtedly, getting things turned around isn’t going very smoothly for the Golden Eagles. They specifically went 1-1 this past week. Not only that, but the worst part is that they lost a very winnable game against Oklahoma by a point. Marquette could’ve easily moved up the Big East power rankings had they not blown that game. They certainly look outmatched against the other power conferences.
Up next: Valparaiso, Tuesday, Dec 2nd, @ Wisconsin, Saturday, Dec 6th
11. Providence (4-4)
It doesn’t appear to be working for Head Coach Kim English. Specifically, the Friars have lost some tough games as of late. To be sure, they stood no chance against Wisconsin or Florida at the Rady Children’s Invite in San Diego. In fact, they were quite overmatched. Both resulted in double-digit defeats. Those were their last chance to prove themselves against big-time non-conference foes.
Up next: FDU, Tuesday, Dec 2nd, Rhode Island, Saturday, Dec 6th
Featured Image: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
