2025-26 Big East Basketball Power Rankings: Week 4

James Stowell gives his Big East basketball power rankings for week 4 of the 2025-26 season.

Week 3 team of the week: Butler Bulldogs

Week 3 game of the week: Xavier over West Virginia

Week 3 player of the week: K.J. Lewis, Georgetown

Week 4 matchup of the week: #5 UConn vs. #13 Illinois (Nov. 28 – 12:30 p.m.)

Week 4 under-the-radar matchup of the week: Seton Hall vs #23 NC State (Nov. 24 – 2:30 p.m.)

These rankings are based on the performances of each team in the previous week.

All games are listed as EST.

1. UConn Huskies

Last week’s ranking: 1 (-)

Record: 4-1

Last week: L vs #4 Arizona (67-71), W vs. Bryant (72-49)

Next week: vs. #13 Illinois (Nov. 28 – 12:30 p.m.)

Quality wins: BYU

Bad losses: N/A

Three consecutive weeks have seen the UConn Huskies on top of the Big East basketball power rankings.

Early on in the game, the score was close. However, in the second half, the Huskies saw themselves down by as much as 13 points. With under four minutes to go, Eric Reibe nailed a clutch three to tie it up 60-60. Later on, with 1:12 left in the game, Arizona would respond after back-and-forth scoring with a mid-range jumper from Motiejus Krivas, giving themselves a 65-64 lead. Silas Demary Jr would convert on a clutch three-pointer of his own with two seconds to go, making the score 67-69, but after a pair of free throws from Tobe Awaka, the game was sealed.

Reibe led the Huskies in scoring with 15 points while shooting 60% from the field and 40% from beyond the arc. The team did not shoot well from downtown (32%), but they held Arizona to their own poor perimeter shooting show (20%). Another crippling problem for UConn was their free-throw shooting, going 9-18 (50%) from the charity stripe is not good enough to get a win over a fellow ranked team.

They then followed it up with a blowout win over Bryant at home. Reibe led the team again with 16 points and 6 rebounds for UConn. He shot 60% from the field and 100% from the line in four attempts. Despite the win, the team did poorly from the perimeter, shooting 5-25 (20%) from downtown. Jaylin Stewart was the only player on the team to convert on more than one three-point attempt (2-3).

2. Georgetown Hoyas

Last week’s ranking: 2 (-)

Record: 5-0

Last week: W vs. Wagner (92-75)

Next week: vs. Dayton (Nov. 27 – 7:30 p.m.), vs. BYU OR Miami-Fla (Nov. 28 – TBD)

Quality wins: Maryland, Clemson

Bad losses: N/A

A short week for the Hoyas with a victory at home against Wagner.

Malik Mack has been a consistent presence for Ed Cooley and Georgetown this season, scoring 18 points and 5 assists. He shot 6-15 (40%) overall and 4-7 (57.1%) from beyond the arc.

The Hoyas had a great shooting performance, converting 47% from the field and 41% from downtown. The team also drew plenty of fouls and got to the line often, going 25-28 (89%).

The team was also a pest on defense, recording 11 steals and forcing 16 turnovers from Wagner, resulting in 26 points off turnovers. They also were unmatched in the paint, outscoring Wanger 40-24 in the paint.

3. St. John’s Red Storm

Last week’s ranking: 3 (-)

Record: 3-1

Last week: W vs Bucknell (97-49)

Next week: vs. #15 Iowa State (Nov. 24 – 4:30 p.m.), vs. Baylor (Nov. 25 – 5 p.m.), vs. TBD (Nov. 26 OR 27 – TBD)

Quality wins: N/A

Bad losses: N/A

Rick Pitino and the Red Storm continue to maintain their dominance in the Big East basketball power rankings in a short week, winning in a big fashion against Bucknell.

Ian Jackson and Bryce Hopkins led the team with 20 points each. Hopkins shot 7-9 (77.8%) overall and 3-4 (75%) from the perimeter. Jackson, meanwhile, took a lot more shots, going 6-13 (46.2%) from the floor and 2-7 (28.6%) from the three.

Another great player for the game was Dillon Mitchell, who had a 10-point, 11-rebound double-double. He was a pest on defense, recording 4 steals and 3 blocks.

St. John’s faces a tough schedule up ahead, with two games in two days against tough Big 12 opponents in Iowa State and Baylor in the Players Era Festival before getting much-needed rest.

4. Villanova Wildcats

Last week’s ranking: 4 (-)

Record: 4-1

Last week: W at La Salle (70-55)

Next week: vs Old Dominion (Nov. 25 – 7 p.m.)

Quality wins: N/A

Bad losses: N/A

Early on for this week’s Big East basketball power rankings, there isn’t a lot of movement. Part of that is due to the limited games for those at the top. For Villanova, it was a short week, much like most of the conference, that saw a great win.

The Wildcats didn’t have the best of performances from the perimeter, converting 32%. Only two players converted on more than one attempt from downtown, those being Matt Hodge (3-5) and Bryce Lindsay (2-4). The former led the team in scoring with 17 points.

Duke Brennan is another name to keep an eye on, nearly recording a double-double with 8 points and 13 rebounds.

Villanova forced 16 turnovers from La Salle, which resulted in 25 points off turnovers.

5. Seton Hall Pirates

Last week’s ranking: 5 (-)

Record: 5-0

Last week: W vs. New Haven (68-45)

Next week: vs. #23 NC State (Nov. 24 – 2:30 p.m.), vs. USC OR Boise State (Nov. 25 – TBD), vs. TBD (Nov. 26 – TBD)

Quality wins: N/A

Bad losses: N/A

Seton Hall maintains a top-five spot in this week’s rankings after a blowout win in a quiet week against New Haven.

Tajuan Simpkins led the team in scoring while coming off the bench with 18 points. He shot 6-8 (75%) overall and 4-5 (80%) from the perimeter, an efficient shooting performance. Watch out for Stephon Payne as well, with a 13 point, 11 rebound double-double.

The Pirates as a unit shot well, going 48% from the field and 40% from downtown. The team also recorded nine steals, maintaining their aggressive defensive form we’ve seen from these last couple of weeks.

They face a tough opponent coming up, their first ranked opponent of the season in the NC State Wolfpack. The Pirates have held their opponents to the lowest scoring in the Big East (54.6 points per game allowed), while NC State averages the most points per game in the ACC (100.8 points). A tough challenge is coming up for Seton Hall.

6. Creighton Bluejays

Last week’s ranking: 6 (-)

Record: 3-1

Last week: W vs North Dakota (75-60)

Next week: vs. Baylor (Nov. 24 – 2 p.m.), vs #15 Iowa State (Nov. 25 – 2 p.m.), vs. TBD (Nov. 26 OR 27 – TBD)

Quality wins: N/A

Bad losses: N/A

Blake Harper and the Bluejays had, like most on this least, a short week with a win on top.

Harper had a double-double of 19 points and 12 rebounds. He shot 6-11 (54.5%) overall and 4-8 (50%) from downtown. The team as a whole had a solid performance, outrebounding the Fighting Hawks 50-30 and shooting solid overall, going 41%.

However, their perimeter shooting has been a concern throughout the start of the season. They average the most three-point attempts in the Big East (30.5 attempts per game) but have the second-worst three-point shooting percentage in the conference (27%). Against North Dakota, they averaged 21% from downtown. That has to improve as they get closer to conference matchups.

7. Butler Bulldogs

Last week’s ranking: 7 (-)

Record: 5-1

Last week: W vs. South Carolina (79-72), W vs Virginia (80-73)

Next week: vs. Wright State (Nov. 28 – 2 p.m.)

Quality wins: N/A

Bad losses: N/A

Two wins against other power five programs in South Carolina and Virginia. It’s been a great week for the Bulldogs.

Finley Bizjack led the way for Butler with 18 points while shooting 5-11 (45.5%) overall and 3-5 (60%) from downtown. Michael Ajayi had a double-double performance with 15 points and 14 rebounds. The Gonzaga transfer is having a career year in Indianapolis, averaging nearly 15 points and 12 rebounds this season. He followed that up with another double-double against Virginia, where he recorded 17 points and 14 rebounds. He is fifth in the nation in rebounds per game (12.2 rebounds). He’s doing this while being a bit undersized in the frontcourt at 6 feet, 7 inches tall.

In both of these games, the Bulldogs have done well from the perimeter. Against the Gamecocks, they shot 42% from beyond the arc. They followed that up with a 40% performance against the Cavaliers. Butler has been the best at attacking from downtown in the Big East, averaging 40.3% from beyond the arc.

8. Providence Friars

Last week’s ranking: 9 (+1)

Record: 4-2

Last week: W vs New Hampshire (98-66), W vs Penn State (77-65)

Next week: vs. #23 Wisconsin (Nov. 27 – 5:30 p.m.), vs. Florida OR TCU (Nov. 28 – TBD)

Quality wins: N/A

Bad losses: N/A

Providence rises up the Big East basketball power rankings for the second week straight following a pair of wins.

First up was a blowout win against New Hampshire that saw Jason Edwards lead the Friars with 25 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists, and 3 steals. He was all over the place on both sides of the ball. He shot 8-11 (72.7%) from the floor, 3-6 (50%) from beyond the arc, and 6-9 (66.7%) from the line.

Oswin Erhunmwunse tied his season high for rebounds with 11.

The team followed that up with another win, this time against Penn State. Stefan Vaaks led the way with 15 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals. He shot 5-13 (38.5%) overall and 3-11 (27.3%) from the perimeter.

The Friars this past week have been concerning in terms of their three-point shooting. Against New Hampshire, they shot 10-26 (38%), and against Penn State, they shot 6-33 (18%). They, like Creighton, have to work on that to survive conference play when those games come around.

9. Marquette Golden Eagles

Last week’s ranking: 8 (-1)

Record: 4-3

Last week: L vs. Dayton (71-77 OT), W vs Central Michigan (85-71)

Next week: vs. Oklahoma (Nov. 28 – 2 p.m.)

Quality wins: N/A

Bad losses: N/A

The Golden Eagles started off high this season at 2-0 like much of the conference, but these last couple of weeks have not been kind to Shaka Smart and company as they fall further down the Big East basketball power rankings.

They started off with an overtime loss to Dayton. Early on they were down as many as 20-11 with less than 11 minutes left in the first before eventually taking a lead after a pair of free throws from Caedin Hamilton with 6:26 left in the half to give Marquette a 24-23 lead. Zaide Lowery gave them a 30-24 lead with six minutes to go after a great three-pointer.

The Flyers would go on a 9-0 scoring run over the span of nearly four minutes to retake the lead at 33-30. The Flyers took off running in the second half, exploding to a 47-36 lead after going on another 8-0 scoring run. As the game went on, both teams went back and forth in scoring, but Dayton never lost the lead in the second half. The Golden Eagles would only score once in overtime off a Nigel James Jr. three-pointer. He led the team in scoring with 18 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals. He didn’t have the best of perimeter shooting days, going 2-8 (25%) from downtown.

As a whole, the team did poorly from long range, going 29%. Meanwhile, their opponents could do no wrong, converting on 41% of their three-point shots.

Against Central Michigan, it was a return to normalcy. Chase Ross led the team with 27 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals. He shot 7-8 (87.5%) from the floor and 12-14 (85.7%) from the line.

10. DePaul Blue Demons

Last week’s ranking: 10 (-)

Record: 4-2

Last week: W vs. Gardner-Webb (93-62) W vs. Detroit Mercy (95-75)

Next week: vs. Georgia Tech (Nov. 28 – 7 p.m.)

Quality wins: N/A

Bad losses: Buffalo

Chris Holtmann started off the week of basketball with a win over Gardner-Webb, the school where he had his first head coaching opportunity in college basketball.

This game saw the Blue Demons take the lead early on and never give it up. They were led by C.J. Gunn with 18 points. He shot 8-13 (61.5%) from the field and 1-4 (25%) from beyond the arc. Kaleb Banks had a good game as well, scoring 16 points and 4 rebounds. He shot 7-9 (77.8%) overall and 1-3 (33.3%) from long range. The team improved their poor free-throw percentage from their loss to Buffalo the previous week, scoring 13-16 (81%) from the line.

DePaul followed it up with another blowout win against Detroit Mercy. Layden Blocker and C.J. Gunn were the clear leaders in this win, scoring 18 points and 17 points, respectively. Blocker shot 5-10 (50%) from the floor, 3-3 (100%) from downtow,n and 5-7 (71.4%) from the charity stripe. Another player to keep an eye on is R.J. Smith, who nearly recorded a double-double with 10 points and 7 assists.

Against Detroit Mercy, the team shot a scorching hot 14-27 (52%) from downtown and maintained their form from against Gardner-Webb at the line, converting 21-26 (81%) from the line.

11. Xavier Musketeers

Last week’s ranking: 11 (-)

Record: 4-3

Last week: W vs. Old Dominion (99-69), L vs. Georgia (77-78), W vs. West Virginia (78-68)

Next week: vs. Texas A&M – CC (Nov. 28 – 5:30 p.m.)

Quality wins:

Bad losses:

A good week for the Musketeers, starting off with a 30-point victory over Old Dominion. This game saw three 20-point scorers in Jovan Milicevic, Tre Carroll, and All Wright. These three players shot a combined 22-36 (66.1%) from the floor and 11-18 (61.1%) from beyond the arc. Xavier as a team shot 44% from the three-point line.

The week would see a bump in the road in a close loss to the Georgia Bulldogs. Like their win against Old Dominion, this game saw multiple Musketeers lead the team in scoring, with Milicevic and Carroll each having 19 points. The latter player also recorded a double-double with 10 rebounds.

Against Georgia, the team shot 34% from beyond the arc and struggled at the line, converting 63% of their free throw attempts. The Bulldogs outscored Xavier in the paint 40-30.

Their final game of the week saw a close victory against a tough West Virginia Mountaineer team at a neutral game for the Shriners Children’s Charleston Classic. This time, Xavier was led exclusively by Milicevic with 21 points and 7 rebounds. He shot 8-14 (57.1%) from the floor and 5-8 (62.5%) from downtown. This game saw Xavier improve tremendously from the line and beyond the arc, converting 12-12 (100%) from the charity stripe and 16-25 (64%) from long range.

Xavier has a big three this early on in the season in Milicevic, Carroll, and Wright. When those three are performing well, the team performs better. As a whole, the team needs consistent free-throw shooting (69.1% from the line this season, sixth in the Big East) to make sure they don’t end up having close losses like they did against Georgia.