The Big East has been exciting to watch to begin 2024, with Marquette falling to Butler last week and Seton Hall’s unexpected rise in head coach Shaheen Holloway’s second season.
There’s a lot to look forward to in these final three months of the college basketball regular season. One month into Big East play makes a good time to look at the resolutions each of the teams have going into this new year.
UConn: A healthy frontcourt
It’s no secret that the defending national champion’s most anticipated player coming into the 2023-24 season was center Donovan Clingan. The 7-foot-2 giant was one of the most efficient players off the bench in the entire country during his freshman year and currently averages 13.9 points per game this season. However, he has been sidelined since the Huskies’ Big East opening loss at Seton Hall. With backup center Samson Johnson getting into foul trouble and the limited playing time freshman Youssouf Singare receives, head coach Dan Hurley has been forced to play small ball at times this season. Clingan’s status is up in the air coming into tonight’s game against No. 18 Creighton and center Ryan Kalkbrenner.
Seton Hall: Taking care of the ball better
Seton Hall has surprised everyone in the Big East, being one of the top teams in the conference standings. Other than inconsistency from the 3-point range, the biggest worry the team has is their turnovers. The Pirates rank dead last in the Big East in turnover percentage (22.6%). Outside of their massive win over Connecticut, Seton Hall has had more turnovers than each of its Big East foes heading into this week and hasn’t turned the ball over fewer than 10 times in conference play. It’s hard to imagine the Pirates getting away with being careless with the ball going forward.
Creighton: Consistent offense in Big East play
Creighton is a threatening team on both ends of the floor, especially offensively. They are an offensive threat due to their tremendous starting lineup that includes Kalkbrenner and guards Trey Alexander and Baylor Scheierman. The Bluejays are coming off their second-worst offensive outing of the season, during which they shot 36.7% from the field and 22.2% from downtown. Head coach Greg McDermott’s squad dropped their first two conference games to Villanova and Marquette, failing to break 70 points in each. If they want to reach their full potential, the offense has to become more consistent.
Villanova: Their star guard being 100% healthy
Justin Moore is two seasons removed from being a second-team All-Big East player, averaging 14.8 points per game and starting in all 36 of Villanova’s games. Since that season’s conclusion, the 6-foot-5 senior has been riddled with injuries, missing a significant amount of time last season and five games so far this season. Forward Eric Dixon has been impressive this season, but the Wildcats could use a healthy star guard moving forward.
St. John’s: Consistency from 3-point range
As of writing, St. John’s is seventh in the Big East in 3-point percentage, shooting a combined 31.7% during Big East play. The common denominator of the Red Storm’s two Big East losses is a poor 3-point percentage. In their loss to Creighton, the Johnnies shot 18.2% from long-range and shot 22.2% against UConn. In only one of their wins in conference play did St. John’s shoot under 35% from downtown. In the team’s 16-point win over Butler, the Red Storm shot 28.6%. If they want to grow as a team in Hall of Fame head coach Rick Pitino’s first season in Queens, they need to improve from the perimeter.
Marquette: Better 3-point shooting
Marquette came into the 2023-24 season predicted to repeat as Big East Champions. However, the Golden Eagles have dropped two of the team’s last three games and have five losses already this season. That’s two less than the team’s magical 2022-23 run. Marquette ranks last in Big East play in 3-point percentage with 27.8%. Only one of the team’s Big East losses saw head coach Shaka Smart’s squad shoot well from 3-point range. The other two losses? Marquette’s best long-range shooting performance was 20% at Providence.
Xavier: Zach Freemantle healthy
One of the best forwards in the Big East last season was Xavier’s Zach Freemantle. Not only was he a threat inside the paint with his 6-foot-9 height, but he could stretch the floor and shot 63.6% from 3-point range in the 22 games he played in. The Musketeers were lethal offensively, which at some points made them the best team in the Big East. Freemantle has yet to play a game this season. That has made head coach Sean Miller’s team more guard-reliant and less balanced in both the backcourt and frontcourt than last season. Xavier finished last season as the fourth-best 3-point shooting team in the country. As of writing, they shoot 34.6% from beyond the arc, which ranks 128th in the country.
Providence: Bryce Hopkins healthy
Providence’s Bryce Hopkins is right up there with some of the best forwards in the conference. Since he suffered an injury in the team’s tough loss at home to Seton Hall, Providence has heavily relied on star guard Devin Carter and has not won a game since Hopkins’ injury. He’s out for the year, so it’s safe to say Providence is looking forward to the junior’s return to the floor next season.
Butler: Pulling away in close games
Butler has looked more impressive this season than they were the past few years, beginning with a 10-2 record. However, they have not fared well in Big East play, posting a 2-4 record so far. Butler had chances to pull away and win in almost each of their four Big East losses. They lost in overtime at Providence and held their own at home against UConn and Seton Hall. That 2-4 start could have easily been 5-1.
Georgetown: Progress towards its return to national relevance
It has been a while since Georgetown was feared in the Big East. Outside their magical Big East Tournament run in 2021, it has nearly been a decade since the Hoyas earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament. That was the last time Georgetown was ranked in the AP Poll. They were as high as No. 21. Since John Thompson III’s departure following the 2016-17 season, the Hoyas have yet to see themselves in the national spotlight. With former Providence head coach Ed Cooley taking over following the end of Patrick Ewing’s stint as head coach last season, Georgetown fans have hopes that the 2022 Naismith College Coach of the Year will bring them back to the program’s glory days.
DePaul: A Big East win
DePaul finished the regular season last year on a 12-game losing streak and has not won a Big East regular season game since January of last year against Xavier. The 3-13 Blue Demons are having yet another forgettable season so far. The team’s only wins have come against South Dakota, Louisville and Chicago State. Here’s to hoping head coach Tony Stubblefield can turn things around.