Football season is over, and all eyes are on the road to March Madness. Marquette, the preseason favorite to win the Big East, will face No. 1 UConn on Saturday in a massive battle in Hartford. Creighton and Providence battled in the Ocean State on Wednesday night in what turned out to be one of the most thrilling games of the season in the Big East.
As we reach the second full week of February and the Big East Tournament gets closer by the second, let’s recap the last week with another edition of Big East Baller Update.
Player of the Week: Tyler Kolek, G, Marquette (vs. St. John’s: 27 pts, 13 ast, 7 reb, 2 stl, 11-17 FG, 5-8 3pt)
In Saturday’s win over St. John’s, the reigning Big East Player of the Year became the third Division I player in the past 20 years to finish a game with at least 27 points, 13 assists and seven rebounds. Kolek turned it up in the second half against the Red Storm. The Cumberland, R.I. native scored 22 points to rally the Golden Eagles after trailing by nine at halftime.
Freshman of the Week: Stephon Castle, G, UConn (11 PPG, 3 RPG, 58 FG%, 1-1 FT)
Castle looks like he will run away with the Big East Freshman of the Year award, earning his seventh weekly honor with more weeks to play. The five-star freshman passed teammate Alex Karaban as the Huskies’ all-time leader in the honor, as Karaban earned the award six times last year. Castle has scored at least 17 points in the past three games, with a 17-point performance against Georgetown on Saturday. He shot 8-11 from the floor against the Hoyas as UConn continues to have the longest winning streak in the nation.
Top Games
Providence knocks off No. 19 Creighton in OT behind Oduro and Carter, 91-87
Following an 18-point loss at Villanova the week before, Providence head coach Kim English called his team’s effort the worst of the season. On Wednesday night, the Friars looked the opposite in the Amica Mutual Pavilion, with two double-double performances from Josh Oduro and Devin Carter leading Providence to an upset victory over the Bluejays. Oduro led all scorers with 32 points in addition to his 12 rebounds, while Carter continued his candidacy for Big East Player of the Year with 28 points and 11 rebounds. The former South Carolina Gamecock made five 3-pointers, including one with less than two minutes to play in overtime, followed by a reverse layup by Jayden Pierre, to give Providence an 86-83 lead over Creighton. A traveling violation by Creighton center Ryan Kalkbrenner sealed the win for the Friars, breaking a two-game skid.
Xavier defeats Villanova in battle of bubble teams, 56-53
According to ESPN, Villanova and Xavier are in the “Work to do” category of the Bubble Watch. In a battle of two bubble teams, one was bound to improve its resumé. That team was Xavier, as they led the rest of the 4:18 left in the game following a Dailyn Swain dunk to break a tie at 50. Quincy Olivari led the way with 14 points and eight rebounds in a low-scoring affair. Desmond Claude contributed 11 points, six rebounds and six assists in a crucial win for the Musketeers.
Butler gets past Providence, 75-72
It was a thrilling game at historic Hinkle Fieldhouse on Saturday afternoon, as Providence and Butler aimed to improve their NCAA Tournament resumés. The game went down to the wire, with Butler’s Pierre Brooks knocking down a jump shot with 19 seconds remaining to secure the win for the Bulldogs. DJ Davis led Thad Matta’s team with 20 points and eight rebounds, while Brooks finished with 12 points and seven boards. Former UConn guard Corey Floyd Jr. led the Friars with 20 points, while Carter, the leading scorer in the Big East, put up 18 points.
Upcoming Games (excluding a MASSIVE top-5 showdown between UConn and Marquette. Check out the preview for that game this Friday!)
No. 4 Marquette at Butler (6:30 p.m., FS1)
Both teams are in the top half of the Big East standings and aim to improve their tournament resumes. Marquette looks to be a lock but can improve their seeding. Butler is on the bubble. A Butler win would greatly improve the Bulldogs’ tournament hopes. Playing at home has helped Matta’s team a lot this season, with a record of 11-2 in home games. There are many reasons to fear the Golden Eagles, with a dangerous trio of Kolek, forward Oso Ighodaro and guard Kam Jones. Ighodaro has been terrific in the past ten games for Marquette, averaging 15 points per game.
No. 17 Creighton at Butler (Saturday, 12:30 p.m., FOX)
If one of the top teams in the Big East this week was enough for Butler fans, the Bulldogs also host Creighton on Saturday afternoon. With an impressive starting lineup that includes Kalkbrenner, Baylor Scheierman, Trey Alexander and Steven Ashworth, the Bluejays are not to be trifled with. Ashworth has come up big lately for Creighton, including a 26-point effort against the Bulldogs. Butler wants to claim the season sweep over Greg McDermott’s squad after winning by one point in Omaha 11 days ago.
Seton Hall at St. John’s (Sunday, 5 p.m., FS1)
It’s a battle of the Hudson River as Seton Hall crosses the George Washington Bridge and heads over to Elmont, N.Y. to take on St. John’s at the UBS Arena on Sunday evening. Two of the most exciting players in the Big East face off as Seton Hall guard Kadary Richmond looks to continue an All-Big East caliber season against preseason All-Big East center Joel Soriano and the Red Storm. It’s a big test for both teams, each with spots on the bubble. It could determine tournament seedings, as two games separate the two schools.