College basketball is heating up, with eight of the teams in the AP Top 10 losing in the past week, including Houston going 0-2 in the past week. Those teams losing has helped UConn, who earned its first AP No. 1 ranking since 2009 following wins at Xavier and home against Georgetown. Creighton kept itself in the AP Top 25 following an exhilarating victory over St. John’s on Saturday. Marquette, the preseason No. 1 team in the conference, saw its home winning streak end on Wednesday as Butler stunned the Golden Eagles. We’ll recap everything around Big East basketball in the past week on Big East Baller Update’s first edition of 2024.
Player of the Week: Kadary Richmond, G, Seton Hall (22 PPG, 10 RPG, 6.5 APG in two games)
UConn fans may hate this pick, as Kadary Richmond and Alex Karaban have been neck-and-neck the past two weeks for the Big East Player of the Week honor. However, Richmond is having the best season of his career up to this point, becoming my frontrunner for the Big East Player of the Year so far. Despite Karaban’s high shooting percentages, especially from downtown, Richmond has carried Seton Hall in Big East play. In the Pirates’ 78-72 win over Butler, the Syracuse transfer finished with 24 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and five steals. He’s been impressive, to say the least.
Freshman of the Week: Stephon Castle, G, UConn (13 PPG, 6 APG, 5 RPG in two games)
Castle doesn’t look like a freshman on the floor for the Huskies, becoming a massive contributor on both ends of the floor for the top team in the country. He’s been unselfish with the ball, becoming one of the best passers on the team. In Connecticut’s 80-75 win over Xavier, the future first-round pick dropped 12 points, eight assists and six rebounds.
Top Games
Butler downs No. 11 Marquette in Milwaukee, 69-62
Butler has looked completely different from last year’s team, with a more efficient team on both ends of the floor and better ball movement from St. John’s transfer guard Posh Alexander. He had seven assists along with 10 points and five steals, helping the Bulldogs top Marquette on Wednesday night. Tyler Kolek, the reigning Big East Player of the Year, did not live up to last season’s award, as he was held to just two points on 1-for-13 shooting. The loss stung even more for the defending Big East champions as key reserve guard Sean Jones was ruled out of the season following a knee injury late in the game.
St. John’s escapes Providence in final seconds, 75-73
St. John’s had been on fire to start Big East play, beginning 4-1, the only loss coming in a close game at UConn. The Friars will be without star forward Bryce Hopkins for the rest of the season, fueling the fire that guard Devin Carter has to his game, finishing with 31 points, 13 rebounds and four steals. Jayden Pierre dropped 17 points and five assists. However, his 3-point play as time expired did not go in as the Red Storm, led by a 16-point, seven-rebound performance from center Joel Soriano, held off Providence in the World’s Most Famous Arena on Wednesday night.
No. 22 Creighton toughs out win vs. red-hot St. Johns, 66-65
Creighton’s offense did not look like what the college basketball world was used to seeing from them as they shot just 36.7% from the floor and 22.2% from 3-point range. Creighton center Ryan Kalkbrenner, a two-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year, led the way with 18 points, nine rebounds and four blocks. One of those blocks became the play of the game, denying St. John’s Daniss Jenkins in the final minute, leading to star guard Trey Alexander’s game-winning free throws.
Top Games this week (excluding Creighton at UConn. Stay tuned for a preview on Wednesday.)
St. Johns at Seton Hall (8:30 p.m., FS1)
Two of the most surprising teams will face off tonight in an old-school Big East showdown at The Rock. Richmond has been the best player in Big East play so far, while Joel Soriano continues to prove he’s one of the best bigs in the conference. The trend in the Big East is winning road games is among the most difficult things to accomplish. Seton Hall has an 8-1 record at home this season, with the only loss being against in-state rival Rutgers. It’s Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino’s first game against the Pirates since the first game of his stint at Iona, where the Gaels lost 86-64 in 2020.
No. 17 Marquette at St. John’s (Saturday, 12 p.m., FOX)
Two of the best coaches in the conference will face off as Pitino hosts reigning AP Coach of the Year Shaka Smart on Saturday. Soriano and Kolek headline the matchup, two players on the preseason All-Big East First Team. The Golden Eagles have won four consecutive games against St. John’s and have not lost at Madison Square Garden since the 2022 Big East Tournament quarterfinal round. It will be a big test for both. Marquette wants to get back on the right path toward defending its Big East crown. St. John’s wants to prove that they’re one of the best teams in the conference.
No. 18 Creighton at Seton Hall (Saturday, 12 p.m., FS1)
The Pirates received votes in Monday’s AP Poll, with Richmond taking the conference by storm. The frontcourt will be tested against Kalkbrenner and big guard Baylor Scheierman. I’m excited to see center Jaden Bediako, Seton Hall’s leading rebounder, go to work against a 7-foot-2 giant who is considered the best defensive player in the Big East. Creighton will be coming off an extremely tough matchup at No. 1 UConn. This is an important game for both of these teams battling in the top half of the standings.