Mat Mlodzinski gives his Big East basketball power rankings heading into week 15 of the 2023-24 season.
Matchup of the week: Marquette at UConn (Feb. 17 – 3 p.m.)
Sneaky good matchup of the week: Xavier at Seton Hall (Feb. 14 – 7 p.m.)
All games listed are EST
1. UConn Huskies
Last week’s ranking: 1 (-)
Record: 22-2 (12-1)
Last week: W vs. Butler (71-62), W at Georgetown (89-64)
Next week: at DePaul (Feb. 14 – 9 p.m.), vs. #4 Marquette (Feb. 17 – 3 p.m.)
Quality wins: North Carolina, Creighton, Texas, Butler, Providence, GonzagaSt. John’s (x2), at Villanova
Bad losses: N/A
Another week with no blemishes for the UConn Huskies who have now won 12 games in a row. No team has repeated as national champions since Florida in 2006-07, but the Huskies are giving every reason to believe they can break the curse. With a home game against Marquette this weekend, UConn can prove any remaining critics wrong, or it will prove to be a bigger race to the top than previously thought.
2. Marquette Golden Eagles
Last week’s ranking: 2 (-)
Record: 18-5 (9-3)
Last two weeks: W vs. St. John’s (86-75)
Next week: at Butler (Feb. 13 – 6:30 p.m.), at #1 UConn (Feb. 17 – 3 p.m.)
Quality wins: at Illinois, Kansas, Creighton, St. John’s (x2), at Villanova, Texas, Seton Hall
Bad losses: N/A
If it weren’t for UConn, we may be talking a lot more about Marquette. The Golden Eagles have quietly won seven straight, including a sweep of St. John’s. Tyler Kolek might run it back as Big East Player of the Year, after a 27-point, 13-assist outing against the Red Storm. This week, he’ll be tasked with leading Marquette to wins on the road at Butler and UConn. Of course, no one will fault them for a 1-1 week, but I’m sure the UConn game can give Marquette some surefire Final Four bandwagons. I think they’re capable, but that’s a game where they can show the country.
3. Butler Bulldogs
Last week’s ranking: 4 (+1)
Record: 16-8 (7-6)
Last two weeks: L at #1 UConn (71-62), W vs. Providence (75-72)
Next week: vs. #4 Marquette (Feb. 13 – 6:30 p.m.), vs. #17 Creighton (Feb. 17 – 12:30 p.m.)
Quality wins: at Marquette, at Creighton, Texas Tech, Boise State, Providence
Bad losses: N/A
Butler’s still on the bubble but they’re playing like a tournament team with wins over Marquette and Creighton and taking down Providence last week. This week, the Bulldogs can cement themselves as a top-three team in the conference. They can go for the sweeps of the Golden Eagles and Bluejays with both games at home. I doubted Thad Matta in year one, but I’m starting to think it was one of the biggest steals hiring him. This program is seeing a resurgence right before our eyes.
4. Creighton Bluejays
Last week’s ranking: 3 (-1)
Record: 17-7 (8-5)
Last week: L at Providence (91-87), W at Xavier (78-71)
Next week: vs. Georgetown (Feb. 13 – 8:30 p.m.), at Butler (Feb. 17 – 12:30 p.m.)
Quality wins: Alabama, at Nebraska, at Seton Hall, at Xavier, Providence, St. John’s
Bad losses: UNLV
Why did Creighton drop below Butler when both teams had a 1-1 week? Simple – the Bluejays lost to Providence while the Bulldogs beat them. But it’s also the same story with Creighton. Giving up far too many points and ultimately losing this one. It’s mid-February and the defense still isn’t figured out. Remember last year when the Jays were not only a great offensive team but could shut teams down? It isn’t translating to this year’s squad, even though it’s a lot of the same guys. The loss of Arthur Kaluma might be even bigger than we initially thought. Still, this week gives Creighton an excellent chance to rebound at Butler.
5. Xavier Musketeers
Last week’s ranking: 6 (+1)
Record: 13-11 (7-6)
Last week: W vs. Villanova (56-53), L vs. #19 Creighton (78-71)
Next week: at Seton Hall (Feb. 14 – 7 p.m.)
Quality wins: Saint Mary’s, at Providence, Seton Hall, Cincinnati, St. John’s, Villanova
Bad losses: Oakland, Delaware
I teased ahead to it last week and Xavier accomplished it. With two home games, they took advantage like they had to, adding a quality win over Villanova. The Musketeers hung in there with Creighton, but still, are starting to position themselves for a late bubble run. The 11 losses still sting, but with just one game this week at a struggling Seton Hall team, Xavier has a chance to avoid an additional loss for the time being.
6. Villanova Wildcats
Last week’s ranking: 7 (+1)
Record: 13-11 (6-7)
Last two weeks: L at Xavier (56-53), W vs. Seton Hall (80-54)
Next week: at Georgetown (Feb. 16 – 7 p.m.)
Quality wins: North Carolina, at Creighton, Texas Tech, Providence, Seton Hall, Memphis
Bad losses: Drexel, Penn
Villanova is in the same position as Xavier, with the number of losses becoming an issue. So how did they respond after losing to the Musketeers? Just a 26-point win over their rival Seton Hall. Everything was clicking in that game and it makes you wonder how this team doesn’t have a better record. Luckily, a game against Georgetown should – knock on wood, Nova nation – make that record look a tad better.
7. Providence Friars
Last week’s ranking: 8 (+1)
Record: 15-9 (6-7)
Last two weeks: W vs. Creighton (91-87), L at Butler (75-72)
Next week: vs. St. John’s (Feb. 13 – 7 p.m.), vs. DePaul (Feb. 17 – 7:30 p.m.)
Quality wins: Marquette, Wisconsin, Creighton, at Seton Hall, Butler, Georgia
Bad losses: N/A
Talk about improving their tournament resume. Providence outlasted Creighton in a high-scoring game and it wasn’t just the Devin Carter show. Josh Oduro matched Carter’s 28 points with 32 of his own. The duo have clicked as well as any guard-big duo in the conference. With games against St. John’s and DePaul, Providence can really cement themselves as a team worthy of being selected for the Big Dance.
8. Seton Hall Pirates
Last week’s ranking: 5 (-3)
Record: 15-9 (8-5)
Last week: W vs. Georgetown (76-70), L at Villanova (80-54)
Next week: vs. Xavier (Feb. 14 – 7 p.m.), at St. John’s (Feb. 18 – 5 p.m.)
Quality wins: UConn, Marquette, at Providence, St. John’s
Bad losses: Rutgers
I’m starting to get very concerned about the Seton Hall Pirates. They haven’t won a quality game in about a month and have missed out on some great opportunities. The loss to Villanova also was son uncompetitive, the Pirates didn’t look like an NCAA Tournament team. Good news! This week screams 2-0 if the Pirates can put two good games together. Home against Xavier and at St. John’s at UBS Arena where the Red Storm shouldn’t have a big home crowd. If there’s any chance to get back on the right side of the bubble, it’s this week for SHU.
9. St. John’s Red Storm
Last week’s ranking: 9 (-)
Record: 14-10 (6-7)
Last week: W vs. DePaul (85-57), L at #7 Marquette (86-75)
Next week: at Providence (Feb. 13 – 7 p.m.)
Quality wins: Utah, Butler, Providence, Villanova (x2)
Bad losses: N/A
For how dominant St. John’s was in the win over DePaul (which means hardly anything), their defense let them down against Marquette, surrendering 86 points on 55.9% shooting and 14-of-27 from downtown. The offense wasn’t the issue for St. John’s, who cooked up 17 assists. But when you allow a team like Marquette to shoot that well, it’s not going to result in many wins. Time is running out for the Red Storm to prove why they should be playing meaningful basketball in March.
10. Georgetown Hoyas
Last week’s ranking: 10 (-)
Record: 8-15 (1-11)
Last week: L at Seton Hall (76-70), L vs. #1 UConn (89-64)
Next week: at Seton Hall (Feb. 7 – 6:30 p.m.), vs. #1 UConn (Feb. 10 – Noon)
Quality wins: N/A
Bad losses: Holy Cross
The UConn game was an exception, but the Seton Hall game marked another instance of Georgetown at least staying competitive in a loss. I’ll say this about the Hoyas – it’s tough to turn around a regular season once your at-large hopes are dashed, but I wouldn’t want to play this team in the Big East Tournament.
11. DePaul Blue Demons
Last week’s ranking: 11 (-)
Record: 3-20 (0-12)
Last week: L at St. John’s (85-57)
Next week: vs. #1 UConn (Feb. 14 – 9 p.m.), at Providence (Feb. 17 – 7:30 p.m.)
Quality wins: N/A
Bad losses: Purdue Fort Wayne, Long Beach State, Northern Illinois, at Georgetown
On the contrary, I would love to play DePaul in the Big East Tournament. If you thought the Blue Demons had previously hit a program worst, you were wrong. Can you kick a team out of a Power conference? It’s worth the discussion.