Upsets are a staple of college basketball. It is a major reason the AP Top 25 moves as frequently as it does. In the Big East, no one is guaranteed a win. According to Bracket Matrix, four teams are consensus picks to make the NCAA Tournament (Marquette, St. John’s, UConn and Creighton). There is a possibility that Xavier could sneak into the NCAA Tournament, thanks to a massive win over UConn on Saturday night.
Best Game: No. 19 UConn sneaks past Butler in overtime, 80-78
UConn has never lost a game to Butler, a series that began in the 2011 NCAA title game. However, on Tuesday night, the Bulldogs had their best chance at beating the conference’s reigning champion. Despite a 25-point effort by Jahmyl Telfort and a fiery second half from Finley Bizjack (17 points), the Huskies were saved from back-to-back home losses thanks to Solo Ball, who hit five 3-pointers for a game-high 23 points.
Weekly Awards
Player of the Week: Ryan Kalkbrenner, C, Creighton (18 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 3.5 bpg, 1 spg, 80 FG%, 80 FT% in two games)
The Big East gave their Player of the Week award to Marquette guard Kam Jones on Monday, and I respectfully disagree. Kalkbrenner has continued to be one of the best centers in college basketball. He was a massive piece to both of Creighton’s wins in the past week. He averaged 25.3 points per 40 minutes and shot an effective field goal percentage of 80%, both of which ranked in the 99th percentile according to CBB Analytics. He was most effective inside the 3-point range, shooting 92.3% (12-13) on 2-pointers (100th per percentile in the country). He averaged 8.5 rebounds per game, but that came on the defensive glass for the most part, where he averaged eight per game. The reigning Big East Defensive Player of the Year scored 23 points, grabbed nine rebounds and blocked three shots in a blowout win over Seton Hall.
Freshman of the Week: Thomas Sorber, F, Georgetown (20 ppg, 13 rpg, 3 apg, 1.5 spg, 1.5 bpg, 41.9 FG%, 50 3P%, 92.3 FT% in two games)
There is a reason that Sorber is getting buzz to be a one-and-done at Georgetown. According to NBADraft.net, Sorber could be drafted as high as in the late lottery. He has been sensational for the Hoyas. He matched his career high with 25 points and set a new career high in rebounds, grabbing 15 in a 10-point loss at Providence. It was his seventh double-double this season. Sorber is averaging 21.3 points per 40 minutes and can score on all three levels. Think Villanova’s Eric Dixon, but a freshman. Georgetown uses Sorber a ton, with a usage percentage of 29.4%, which is in the 98th percentile.
Best games of the week (excluding UConn at Marquette)
No. 15 St. John’s at Georgetown (6:30 p.m., FS1)
Two All-Big East players in Sorber and St. John’s guard Kadary Richmond go head-to-head in a battle of two teams that could find themselves holding up the Big East Tournament trophy in March. The Red Storm have emerged as the second-best team in the conference, eclipsing UConn in the AP Poll. Head coach Rick Pitino has his team with a lot of momentum to do more damage on Tuesday night.
Xavier at Creighton (Wednesday, 8 p.m., FS1)
As mentioned above, both teams are being considered for the NCAA Tournament. Like St. John’s, both squads have a lot of momentum at a critical point in the regular season. The best team at drawing fouls in the league (Xavier) goes up against the best team at avoiding fouls (Creighton). The matchup down low between Kalkbrenner and Xavier forward Zach Freemantle makes this a must-watch game in the Big East.
Creighton at Villanova (Saturday, 1 p.m., FOX)
Creighton has an opportunity to drastically improve their resumé, wrapping up a pivotal week with a Quad 1 opportunity at Villanova. Two of the league’s best big men go head-to-head, with Kalkbrenner against Dixon, the latter being the nation’s leading scorer. The game will be decided when Villanova has the ball. The Wildcats have the No. 13 offense in the country in terms of efficiency while Creighton ranks No. 25 in defensive efficiency.