2023-11-21 13:00:47
Feast Week is upon us, which means some high-profile nonconference matchups in men’s college basketball.
The majority of Big East programs have been or will be on the road taking part in Thanksgiving invitational events. Marquette, Connecticut and Providence were the beneficiaries of such trips. Creighton, Villanova and Seton Hall will have their chance this week. St. John’s performed to mixed reviews both in the Gavitt Games and during the Charleston Classic.
How to separate the top teams? Good question. Not much of a sample size so far — we might consult the AP Poll, KenPom.com or any number of analytical measures. Let’s just go with basic wins and losses, caliber of opponents and how satisfied you might be at this early point in 2023-24.
More: Big East Power Rankings: No big surprises in the opening week of college basketball
Wishing everyone who reads a safe and happy holiday Thursday. Hope it’s filled with family, great food and a bit of sport to keep you entertained. With that, on to the rankings.
1. Marquette (4-0)
Last week: 1; Beat Illinois, UCLA
This week: Kansas (Maui Invitational), Purdue/Tennessee (Maui Invitational)
What to know: The Golden Eagles erased a 12-point deficit in the second half to clip the Bruins in the opening round of the Maui Invitational. Sean Jones was just 1-for-5 from the field before he nailed the game-winning 3-pointer. That sort of confidence is common on a roster that swept league and conference tournament titles in 2022-23 – and will make Marquette tough to dethrone.
More: Mohegan Sun wasn’t a good bet for Rhode Island basketball, who dropped both games in Conn.
2. Connecticut (5-0)
Last week: 3; Beat Mississippi Valley State, Indiana, Texas
This week: Manhattan
What to know: The Huskies lifted a first trophy of the season Monday night – the Empire Classic title at Madison Square Garden. They dusted the Hoosiers and held off the Longhorns over two nights, running their streak of consecutive nonconference victories by double digits to 22. Dan Hurley is currently at the helm of a confident wagon in Storrs.
3. Creighton (4-0)
Last week: 2; Beat Iowa, Texas Southern
This week: Loyola Chicago (Hall of Fame Classic), Boston College/Colorado State (Hall of Fame Classic)
What to know: Trey Alexander is playing at an elite level and was rewarded with Big East Player of the Week honors on Monday. He came an assist shy of a triple-double in a win over Iowa and flirted with another in a blowout of Texas Southern. The Bluejays have a capable quarterback at the controls.
4. Providence (4-1)
Last week: 5; Beat Wisconsin, lost to Kansas State, beat Georgia
This week: Lehigh
What to know: A pretty solid week overall for the Friars. They outclassed the Badgers and lost an overtime game to the Wildcats that might have gone either way. Providence closed its Bahamas trip in style by holding off the Bulldogs, banking a quality win without Jayden Pierre (hamstring) and Garwey Dual (suspension).
5. Villanova (3-1)
Last week: 4; Lost to Penn, beat Maryland
This week: Texas Tech (Battle 4 Atlantis), North Carolina/Northern Illinois (Battle 4 Atlantis), TBD (Battle 4 Atlantis)
What to know: The Wildcats allowed 1.15 points per possession and managed just six assists while suffering a Big 5 upset once morest the Quakers. They rallied to lock up the struggling Terrapins, holding them to just 24% from the field. Which is the real Villanova? We’re not sure just yet.
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6. Seton Hall (4-0)
Last week: 8; Beat Albany, Wagner
This week: USC (San Diego), Oklahoma/Iowa (San Diego)
What to know: Shaheen Holloway’s chippy postgame interaction with Seahawks head coach Donald Copeland – his former assistant with the Pirates – shouldn’t obscure the fact that his team has played well early. Seton Hall has won all of its games by double figures but now faces a major step up in class once morest the Trojans and either the Sooners or Hawkeyes at the Rady Children’s Invitational.
7. St. John’s (3-2)
Last week: 6; Lost to Michigan, beat North Texas, lost to Dayton, beat Utah
This week: Holy Cross
What to know: The Wolverines breezed to victory in the Gavitt Games, sending the Red Storm to the Charleston Classic on a low. St. John’s went 2-1 at the event, sandwiching a one-point win once morest the Mean Green and a consolation prize once morest the Utes around a loss to the Flyers. Rotation and role questions persist through the opening two weeks.
8. Xavier (3-2)
Last week: 7; Lost at Purdue, lost to Washington, beat Saint Mary’s
This week: Bryant
What to know: Zach Edey bullied the Musketeers while leading the Boilermakers to a Gavitt Games win and the Huskies forced 18 turnovers while edging their way to victory at the Continental Tire Main Event. Xavier salvaged something from Las Vegas by shelling the Gaels, with Dayvion McKnight popping for 14 points, five rebounds and four assists to lead a balanced attack.
9.Butler (3-1)
Last week: 9; Beat Tennessee State, lost at Michigan State
This week: Florida Atlantic (Orlando), Penn State/Texas A&M (Orlando), TBD (Orlando)
What to know: The Bulldogs won their first three games before the schedule ramped up considerably. The Spartans gradually pulled away in the Gavitt Games and it will be an angry bunch of Owls in the first round of the ESPN Events Invitational following a home loss to Bryant. Butler will learn something regarding where it currently stands over those next three games in Orlando.
10. Georgetown (3-2)
Last week: 10; Lost at Rutgers, beat Mount St. Mary’s, beat American
This week: Jackson State
What to know: The loss at the Scarlet Knights finished with a strange media lecture from Ed Cooley during his postgame press conference. It certainly came across as deflecting the narrative, and with good reason. The Hoyas grinded past the Mountaineers and needed overtime to survive what would have been a stinging loss to the Eagles in the finals of their own tournament.
11. DePaul (1-4)
Last week: 11; Beat South Dakota, lost to South Carolina, lost to San Francisco
This week: Northern Illinois
What to know: More of the same from the Blue Demons – a win over a team ranked in the 280s according to KenPom.com and a pair of losses once morest real competition. The Gamecocks shot 63.3% from 2-point range and the Dons held DePaul to 17 field goals while forcing 18 turnovers. This program is a schedule landmine on any conference foe’s potential NCAA Tournament resumé.
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