The Big East is over midway through the regular season, with most of the league down to nine games left on schedule. The Big East Player of the Year race is heating up, with one player exploding in the two wins for his team last week. Creighton, one of the top teams in the conference, saw themselves fall at home on Friday night.
Enough chit-chat. Let’s get down to business on this edition of Big East Baller Update.
Player of the Week: Quincy Olivari, G, Xavier (33 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 3.5 SPG, 11-20 3PT in two games)
This one was a no-brainer considering how impressive Olivari was last week. The Rice transfer recorded 43 points and brought down ten boards in the Musketeers’ rout over DePaul. 43 points, a career-high for the Big East leading scorer, is the most in a Big East contest since DePaul’s Max Strus put up the same number against St. John’s in 2019. Earlier in the week, the 6-foot-3, 200-pound guard finished with 23 points, seven rebounds and four steals in an 88-77 win at home against St. John’s. Welcome to the Big East Player of the Year conversation.
Freshman of the Week: Stephon Castle, G, UConn (20.5 PPG, 4 RPG, 1 SPG, 53.8 FG%, 4-6 3PT)
UConn fans have been waiting for the team’s five-star freshman to look like a top-5 pick. That is what Castle performed like in the Huskies’ two wins over Providence and St. John’s. In the Huskies’ road win at St. John’s on Saturday, the Covington, Ga. native recorded a career-high 21 points, shooting 58.3% from the field. No player is even remotely close to Castle in the Big East Freshman of the Year race. It is Castle’s to lose.
Top Games
No. 9 Marquette takes down Villanova behind career night from Kolek
Before the teams faced off at the Finneran Pavilion on Tuesday night, Hall of Fame head coach Jay Wright hyped up the crowd, hoping his Wildcats could upset the defending Big East champions. Villanova looked to break their longest losing streak in 13 years, but Marquette had other plans. Tyler Kolek, the reigning Big East Player of the Year, drilled five 3-pointers, scoring a career-high 32 points to extend the Golden Eagles’ win streak to five. Villanova went on a 34-10 run, making its 20-point deficit disappear and instead putting the Wildcats in front, but Kolek’s answers squandered any chance for the three-time national championship program. Forwards TJ Bamba and Eric Dixon had 24 points each to lead Villanova.
Butler upsets No. 13 Creighton in Omaha, 99-98
It was a high-offense battle between the Bulldogs and Bluejays on Friday night. Jahmyl Telfort and DJ Davis combined for 48 points, including a season-high 26 points for Telfort, helping the Bulldogs extend the win streak to four. Butler shot 62.5% in the second half and scored 13 3-pointers against the Big East’s top 3-point defense. Baylor Scheierman and Steven Ashworth had 26 points each for Creighton. Four of the Bluejays’ five starters scored at least 20 points, as Trey Alexander and Ryan Kalkbrenner finished with 22 and 20 points, respectively. Butler freshman Boden Kapke hit two massive free throws to give the Bulldogs a three-point lead. Following two made free throws by Alexander, Butler failed to inbound the ball successfully and turned the ball over following a jump ball. With 0.5 seconds remaining, Alexander’s pass to the hoop was in time, but Kalkbrenner could not tip it in to escape with a victory.
Upcoming Games
No. 19 Creighton at Providence (Wednesday, 8:30 p.m., FS2)
Two 18-point scorers on average face off as Scheierman and Providence guard Devin Carter face off at the Amica Mutual Pavilion on Wednesday night. On Jan. 6, Kalkbrenner recorded a 22-point double-double as the Bluejays held on after nearly blowing an 18-point lead in the second half. Providence only lost by nine in Omaha without star forward Bryce Hopkins, who is out for the season. The Friars tend to upset teams at home, but it will be a game to watch as both teams battle for positions in the Big East standings.
Providence at Butler (Saturday, 2 p.m., FS1)
Butler is on a winning streak right now, with four straight victories, including a road win against Creighton most recently. Butler is statistically the best offensive team in the conference, averaging 81.6 points per game. Statistically, Providence is the second-best defensive team, allowing 66.5 points per game. Expect a close battle at the historic Hinkle Fieldhouse on Saturday afternoon.
St. John’s at No. 7 Marquette (Saturday, 6 p.m., FS1)
Two preseason All-Big East First Team players will face off in Milwaukee as Kolek takes on St. John’s center Joel Soriano, a double-double machine who leads the Big East in rebounds with 9.7 per game. Despite the team’s battles, St. John’s has lost four of the last five games, while Marquette is on a winning streak. St. John’s guard Daniss Jenkins had performed well despite the losses last week, averaging 22 points in the past two games, including an excellent first half against Connecticut on Saturday. With every game being a battle to move in the standings, this one will be on my screen on Saturday.