As we enter the month of December, the members of the Big East have had to go up against opponents from one of the best conferences as the Big East-Big 12 Battle began on Thursday.
With big wins over West Virginia and Texas Tech, the Big East thrived and struggled this past week as Kansas and Houston picked up wins over UConn and Xavier.
Player of the Week: Tristen Newton, G, UConn (24 PPG, 8 RPG, 4.5 APG, 1 SPG, 46.8 FG%, 42.8 3P% in 2 games)
Despite the loss to Kansas on Friday night, Newton has gotten the nation’s attention as a potential All-American guard, being the star of the past three games for the Huskies. On last Monday’s 84-64 win, the Texas native nearly had his second consecutive triple-double with 17 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. When UConn’s offense needed someone to step up against Kansas, Newton had a career game with 31 points and six 3-pointers made.
Freshman of the Week: Isaiah Coleman, G, Seton Hall (vs. Northeastern: 11 pts, 3 reb, 3 stl, 66.7 FG%)
Coleman is back as the Big East Freshman of the Week after his second-career game in double figures, the other being against UAlbany. The Fredericksburg, Va. native shoots 50% from the floor on just over five attempts per game. Coleman hasn’t started for Seton Hall yet, but he continues to help the Pirates off the bench.
Top Games (doesn’t include the blockbuster showdown of UConn-Kansas. Click here to view the recap!)
Butler takes down Texas Tech in overtime, 103-95
Thanks to guards Jahmyl Telfort, DJ Davis and Posh Alexander, Butler held off Texas Tech at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Thursday night. Telfort came up clutch with 28.6 seconds remaining in regulation, drilling a 3-pointer from the top of the key to go up 83-81. The senior guard finished with a game-high 26 points and seven assists. Davis also had a prolific night on offense, scoring 25 points on 6-12 shooting. For the first time since Roosevelt Jones in 2016, Butler had a player with a triple-double. Alexander, a transfer from St. John’s, had 10 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds.
Soriano, St. John’s get past West Virginia in first road test, 79-73
It was a battle between two teams in the Big East before the 2013 conference realignment, facing off for the second time since 2012. Joel Soriano, named to the Big East Weekly Honor Roll on Monday, scored a career-high 24 points. Transfers Chris Ledlum, Nahiem Alleyne and Jordan Dingle each put up double figures to support Soriano’s stellar performance. Ledlum, a transfer from Harvard, had a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds on 8-16 shooting. Alleyne, a transfer from UConn, had 14 points, with 12 coming in the second half. West Virginia forward Quinn Slazinski, who played under St. John’s head coach Rick Pitino at Iona, scored 19 points. Syracuse transfer Jesse Edwards added 15 points, along with Kobe Johnson’s 14 points, as the Mountaineers had four of their five scorers score at least 10 points.
TCU controversially beats Georgetown at the buzzer, 84-83
There are a lot of news stories each year that originate from the nation’s capital that create controversy, but TCU’s win over Georgetown is one of the few this year that have to do with sports. Forward Emanuel Miller had a terrific performance on Saturday, finishing with 29 points and the game-winning buzzer-beating 3-point shot that gave the Horned Frogs a one-point win. However, the replay showed that Miller’s left foot stepped on the right sideline, but the officials missed it live. By rule, they could not overturn the basket because the officials missed it in real time. Georgetown guard Jayden Epps has not slowed down his scoring, finishing the game with 24 points and five assists on 9-14 shooting. Guard Dontrez Styles added 18 points on 5-14 shooting.
Best Games this Week (doesn’t include UConn-North Carolina. Check out our preview for tonight’s game!)
Providence at No. 19 Oklahoma (7 p.m., ESPNU)
Both teams come into their Big East-Big 12 Battle game with a winning streak. Providence beat Georgia after a loss to Kansas State and just picked up a convincing win over in-state rival Rhode Island. Oklahoma is undefeated, with recent wins over Iowa and USC. Guard Otega Oweh will most likely have one of the Big East’s best defensive players, Devin Carter, guarding him. The Sooners will need to find a way to contain Bryce Hopkins, who had 20 points or more in the past three games, including a 25-point, 14-rebound performance against Lehigh.
No. 12 Texas at No. 8 Marquette (Wednesday, 8 p.m., FS1)
Following a tough road loss to in-state rival Wisconsin, Marquette looks to get back in the win column in the final game of this season’s Big East-Big 12 Battle. The matchup will feature two of the best guards in the country: Texas’s Max Abmas and Marquette’s Tyler Kolek. The story to follow on Wednesday’s top-12 matchup is the coaching history of Marquette head coach Shaka Smart. The reigning AP Coach of the Year was the head coach at Texas from 2015 to 2021, where he helped the Longhorns win the 2019 NIT and the 2021 Big 12 Tournament Championship. After being fired following a first-round exit in 2021, Smart has not faced his former school since.
UCLA at Villanova (Saturday, 7 p.m., FOX)
Villanova has struggled lately. With losses to Penn, Saint Joseph’s and Drexel, the Wildcats finished last place in the Big 5, an annual tournament that includes the five Philadelphia schools. On the other hand, they won the Battle 4 Atlantis, including a win over North Carolina. It’s a familiar school for UCLA head coach Mick Cronin, who spent part of his tenure as Cincinnati’s head coach when the Bearcats belonged in the Big East. I’m excited to see the matchup of Villanova’s Eric Dixon and UCLA’s Adem Bona.