There are still six undefeated Big East teams. Will that change when Big East teams visit Paradise for challenging holiday tournaments?
UConn will head to Hawaii with the first of three games in three days in the Maui Invitational coming against Memphis on Monday. St. John’s took Baylor into overtime in the Bahamas with a matchup against either Virginia on Friday. Marquette plays Georgia in the Bahamas on Saturday. It should be a chance for some of the top Big East teams to respond to tough tests away from home. UConn and Creighton were the favorites to win the Big East when the season began. These next few games should speak volumes on where the Huskies and the Bluejays are right now.
Red Storm Gets Things Going As Big East Teams Visit Paradise
After four straight home games, it was fair to wonder how St. John’s would fare in its first game against a ranked team. The answer was that the Red Storm did just final, thank you.
St. John’s had a chance to put away a talented Baylor team in the Baha Mar Hoops opener. However, Zuby Ejiofor missed a pair of free throws with four seconds left in the second overtime. That set the stage for former Duke guard Jeremy Roach to hit the game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer to give Baylor a 99-98 win.
JEREMY ROACH CALLS GAME IN DOUBLE OT
— College Basketball Report (@CBKReport) November 22, 2024
Ejiofor finished with 22 points and 10 rebounds for St. John’s. Aaron Scott added 20 points off the bench.
Huskies Have Challenges Ahead
It was hard to read too much into games against Sacred Heart, New Hampshire, Le Moyne, and East Texas A&M for the reigning national champion UConn Huskies. As Big East teams visit Paradise for holiday tournaments, the degree of difficulty will ramp up for the Huskies. After opening with Memphis, UConn plays either Colorado or Michigan State on Tuesday. The final game in Maui is on Wednesday. Auburn, Dayton, Iowa State, and North Carolina are on the opposite side of the bracket.
Four UConn players are averaging more than 10 points per game this season. Alex Karaban, the only returning starter for the Huskies is putting up 16.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.3 blocked shots per game. UConn is coming off an uninspired effort in a win over East Texas A&M. The Huskies know that a similar performance in Maui could result in the team’s first loss of the season.
No. 2 UConn beat East Texas A&M by 35 points Tuesday night.
Dan Hurley’s first words at the podium postgame:
“Yeah so, um, yeah just comically bad.”
Added later: “I’m happy the game’s over.” pic.twitter.com/MxUmhEZPj6
— Kyle Boone (@kyletheboone) November 20, 2024
Kalkbrenner, Creighton Going to Vegas
Creighton will play Nebraska in Omaha as the Bluejays look to improve to 5-0 at home this season. Matchups with San Diego State and No. 23 Texas A&M await No. 14 Creighton as part of the Players Era Festival – Power Tournament in Las Vegas.
Big East Preseason Player of the Year Ryan Kalkbrenner is off to a tremendous start for Creighton. He had 49 points in a season-opening win over UT Rio Grande. Kalkbrenner ranks in the top five nationally in scoring heading into the weekend. He is one of the Big East stars to land on preseason watch lists. As Big East teams visit Paradise, it is a good time for the Big East to make a statement by winning tough games.
What Will Kam Jones Do for an Encore?
Kam Jones had a triple-double with 17 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists in a win over 2024 national finalist Purdue. After struggling to put away Central Michigan and Maryland in its last two games, the Golden Eagles made quite the statement by rolling to a 76-58 win over Purdue. Marquette faces Georgia on Saturday in the Bahamas. Jones is putting up 22.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 6 assists per game with three other Marquette players averaging more than 12 points per contest.
