2025-26 Big East Basketball Power Rankings: Week 6

James Stowell gives his Big East basketball power rankings for week 6 of the 2025-26 season.

Week 5 team of the week: UConn Huskies

Week 5 game of the week: UConn over #21 Kansas

Week 5 player of the week: Solo Ball, UConn

Week 6 matchup of the week: UConn vs. #15 Florida (Dec. 9 – 9 p.m.)

Week 6 under-the-radar matchup of the week: Villanova at #3 Michigan (Dec. 9 – 6:30 p.m.)

All games are listed as EST.

1. UConn Huskies

Last week’s ranking: 1 (-)

Record: 8-1

Last week: W at #21 Kansas (61-56), W vs. East Texas A&M (83-59)

Next week: vs. #15 Florida (Dec. 9 – 9 p.m.), vs. Texas (Dec. 12 – 8 p.m.)

Quality wins: at Kansas, Illinois (Neutral), BYU

Bad losses: N/A

Another week, another Big East Basketball Power Ranking featuring the UConn Huskies on top.

Started it off strong with another win against a ranked opponent in the Kansas Jayhawks, this time on the road. The first half started rocky, with Kansas leading the way for the majority of the time. At one point, they led by eight points, with the score 27-19, and had under eight minutes to go. Alex Karaban subbed in, and then it became an intense contest to close out the first, only trailing 29-33 at halftime.

Like the first half, the second saw Kansas retake the lead, this time at seven points, with the score being 40-33 in under five minutes to kick off the second half. Braylon Mullins nailed a three-pointer to kick gears into overdrive for Dan Hurley and the Huskies. This led to UConn getting its first lead of the game since they led 9-7 with 15:33 left in the first after Karaban scored a layup to make the score 45-44, and they never lost the lead again.

Melvin Council Jr. converted on an attempt from the perimeter to bring UConn’s lead back down to 55-54 with 4:28 left in the game. The Huskies’ defense would only allow one more bucket from Elmarko Jackson, and they never looked back.

Solo Ball and Braylon Mullins each led with 17 points. Ball shot 6-13 (46.2%) from the floor and 3-7 (42.9%) from downtown. Meanwhile, Mullins shot 6-12 (50%) overall and 3-9 (33.3%) from beyond the arc. One concerning stat from the win was the team’s perimeter shooting, only converting 7-26 (27%) on their attempts from the perimeter. Karaban was the only other UConn player to convert on at least one attempt from long range. That has to improve, considering what’s next on their schedule.

In their lopsided win over East Texas A&M, Ball led the team with 14 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists. He shot 5-10 (50%) overall and 2-5 (40%) from beyond the arc. However, again, the team as a whole shot poorly from downtown, only converting 4-16 (25%) on their shots.

2. Seton Hall Pirates

Last week’s ranking: 2 (-)

Record: 9-1

Last week: W vs. CCSU (77-61), W vs. Kansas State (78-67)

Next week: vs. Rutgers (Dec. 13 – 8 p.m.)

Quality wins: NC State (Neutral), at Kansas State

Bad losses: N/A

After rising in the Big East basketball power rankings throughout the season, Seton Hall remains comfortably in their spot after a pair of wins.

Starting with their win against Central Connecticut State, Mike Williams and AJ Staton-McCray led each with 12 points. Williams complemented his scoring with 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 steals. He did shoot rather average overall, going 3-10 (30%) from the field, and 2-5 (40%) from downtown.

Staton-McCray added to his 12 points with 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 steals. He shot 5-9 (55.6%) overall and 2-3 (66.7%) from beyond the arc. The Pirates as a whole shot well from the perimeter, going 11-20 (55%) from downtown. They complemented this with their more than common aggressive defense that saw 13 steals and forced 15 turnovers. This led to Seton Hall outscoring their opponents 29-10 in points off turnovers.

Against Kansas State, Staton-McCray and Elijah Fisher each led with 16 points. Fisher added to his scoring with 5 rebounds and 2 steals. He shot 5-9 (55.6%) from the field, 1-4 (25%) from long range, and 5-6 (83.3%) from the line. Staton-McCray shot 9-9 (100%) from the charity stripe, but a poor 3-15 (20%) from the field and 1-7 (14.3%) from beyond the arc.

The team as a whole did poorly from the perimeter, converting 5-23 (22%) of their three-point shots. No Seton Hall player converted on more than one attempt from downtown. Kansas State didn’t do much better in that regard, going 6-30 (20%) from three.

3. St. John’s Red Storm

Last week’s ranking: 3 (-)

Record: 5-3

Last week: W vs. Ole Miss (63-58)

Next week: vs. Iona (Dec. 13 – 8 p.m.)

Quality wins: Baylor (Neutral), Ole Miss

Bad losses: N/A

A short week with a win for St. John’s sees them remain at third in the Big East Basketball Power Rankings.

In their win against Ole Miss, the Red Storm were led by Zuby Ejiofor with 15 points. He nearly recorded a triple-double with 9 rebounds (6 offensive rebounds) and 8 steals. Ejiofor shot 3-8 (37.5%) overall, 0-2 (0%) from downtown, and 9-11 (81.8%) from the line.

This was a poor perimeter shooting performance across both teams. Both of them shot under 20% from beyond the arc. The Rebels only converted 2-16 (13%) of their three-point attempts, while the Red Storm only made 4-22 (18%) of theirs.

They have a chance to improve in one of their last non-conference games against Iona before a brief conference matchup against DePaul in the coming weeks.

4. Villanova Wildcats

Last week’s ranking: 5 (+1)

Record: 7-1

Last week: W vs. Temple (74-56), W vs. Penn (90-63)

Next week: at #3 Michigan (Dec. 9 – 6:30 p.m.), vs. Pitt (Dec. 13 – 4:30 p.m.)

Quality wins: N/A

Bad losses: N/A

A good week for Villanova against a pair of non-conference opponents sees them rise in the Big East Basketball Power Rankings.

In their win against Temple, the Wildcats were led by Tyler Perkins with 19 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals. He shot 6-9 (66.7%) overall, 5-7 (71.4%) from beyond the arc, and 2-2 (100%) from the charity stripe. He was complimented on the offense by his teammates Duke Brennan (14 points), Bryce Lindsay (13 points), and Acaden Lewis (12 points).

Villanova shot 27-62 (44%) overall, 10-29 (34%) from long range, and 10-15 (67%) from the line. From both sides, there wasn’t much of a statistical difference other than the rebounding dominance from the Wildcats, which saw the team record 43 rebounds to Temple’s 24.

In their win against Penn for the Big 5 Classic Championship, a tournament held between all six of the Philadelphia 5 teams, Villanova won the tournament with their game against Penn. In a game that has a lot of bragging rights in their home city, the Wildcats were led by Lindsay with 18 points and 2 assists. He shot 5-7 (71.4%) from the floor, 5-6 (83.3%) from beyond the arc, and 3-4 (75%) from the charity stripe.

Villanova shot 33-60 (55%) from the field and 15-31 (48%) from downtown. Another great game, but they will face their first ranked opponent since their 66-71 loss to BYU earlier in the season in Michigan this week.

5. Georgetown Hoyas

Last week’s ranking: 4 (-1)

Record: 6-3

Last week: W vs. UMBC (90-81),  L at #15 North Carolina (61-81)

Next week: vs. Saint Peter’s (Dec. 13 – 2:30 p.m.)

Quality wins: Clemson, at Maryland

Bad losses: N/A

After a brutal previous week, Georgetown bounced back with a win against UMBC. While the box score makes it look too close for comfort, in reality, it was a back-and-forth affair for both sides. Their second game, however, was a blowout loss that saw them fall again in the rankings.

In a game that saw the Hoyas lead the entire game, they were led by Caleb Williams with 18 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal. He shot 8-16 (50%) from the floor and 2-6 (33.3%) from downtown.

The entire starting five scored double-digits, with Julius Halaifonua nearly recording a double-double with 16 points and 9 rebounds. The team in its entirety shot well overall and from downtown. From the former category, they shot 36-64 (56%) from the floor. From the perimeter, they shot 11-23 (48%). Georgetown also had a great game distributing the ball, recording 25 assists to UMBC’s 12.

Their most recent loss came to a ranked opponent in the North Carolina Tar Heels. An ugly blowout loss for Georgetown that saw a close first half turn into the wheels falling off in the second.

K.J. Lewis led the Hoyas with 17 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 steals in the loss. He shot 7-15 (46.7%) from the field, 1-5 (20%) from downtown, and 2-2 (100%) from the line. The team couldn’t get a bucket from downtown on most attempts, going 4-23 (17%) on the night.

Georgetown looks to bounce back with a light week against Saint Peter’s before conference play starts.

6. Butler Bulldogs

Last week’s ranking: 6 (-)

Record: 7-2

Last week: W vs. Eastern Michigan (84-68), L vs. Boise State (68-77)

Next week: vs. Providence (Dec. 13 – 2 p.m.)

Quality wins: Virginia (Neutral)

Bad losses: N/A

An up-and-down week for the Butler Bulldogs started with a win against Eastern Michigan.

Against the Eagles, Butler was led by Finley Bizjack with 29 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals. He shot 10-14 (71.4%) overall, 6-10 (60%) from beyond the arc, and 3-3 (100%) from the charity stripe. This win, unlike others higher on the list, didn’t see an entire starting lineup score double-digits; the only other Bulldog to accomplish that was Michael Ajayi with a double-double of 19 points and 13 rebounds.

Butler shot 29-56 (52%) overall and 11-20 (55%) from long range, a great shooting performance.

Against Boise State, it was a different story. At the end of the first half, they were down close, 31-33 to be exact. Then the wheels came off in the second. Early in the second half, Butler took a pair of seven-point leads, the last being 16:26 left in the game after Bizjack scored a layup to make the score 44-37. Eventually, the Broncos took the lead and never gave it up.

Late in the second, neither team could score for multiple minutes. After Ajayi scored a three-pointer to make the deficit 61-62 with under seven to go, a pair of inside the paint buckets from a Drew Fielder slam dunk and a layup from Dominic Parolin made the score 66-61 in Boise State’s favor. After three minutes of nobody scoring, Parolin would score another layup to make it 68-61.

Butler failed on multiple occasions during that three-minute blip to score to change the game. In the loss, they were led by Ajayi with 16 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 assists. He shot 6-13 (46.2%) from the field, 1-4 (25%) from downtown, and 3-6 (50%) from the line.

The Bulldogs shot poorly from downtown, converting 4-18 (22%) of their attempts. Their opponents didn’t fare any better, going 4-15 (27%) from three. They face their first conference opponent in Providence this week, a game that could shake up the board a bit depending on how it goes.

7. Xavier Musketeers

Last week’s ranking: 8 (+1)

Record: 7-3

Last week: W vs. Saint Francis (96-74), W vs. Cincinnati (79-74)

Next week: vs. Missouri State (Dec. 12 – 7 p.m.)

Quality wins: West Virginia (Neutral), Cincinnati

Bad losses: N/A

A pair of wins to close out this week sees Xavier rise in the Big East basketball power rankings another week.

Their week began with a dominant win over Saint Francis that saw Boise State transfer Roddie Anderson III go on a tear off the bench, scoring 28 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals. The 5 turnovers were a bit concerning to see from him. He shot 10-16 (62.5%) overall, 5-9 (55.6%) from beyond the arc, and 3-4 (75%) from the charity stripe.

The Musketeers shot 10-32 (31%) from beyond the arc. The team also boasted a great transition offense, scoring 19 points off turnovers and 29 fast break points to Saint Francis’ 8 points and 5 points, respectively.

Their second win of the week was against their fierce rival from the Big 12, the Cincinnati Bearcats. Like all rivalry games, they are close games. By the end of the first half, the score was tied 37-37. Cincinnati scored first in the second half, but Xavier went on a 13-0 scoring run over the next few minutes to lead 50-39 with 14:33 left in the game.

The Bearcats would make Xavier squander their lead late in the game. After the Musketeers at one point led by 10 points, throughout the second, Cincinnati would claw its way back into the deficit multiple times, eventually taking its first lead in a long time in the second half after Jalen Celestine nailed a three-pointer to make the score 68-67 with 2:39 left in the game.

The Musketeers would get the lead back quickly after a bucket from Filip Borovicanin to make the score 70-68. Xavier would never lose the lead again.

Against their rivals, Xavier was led by Tre Carroll with 30 points and 7 rebounds. He took nearly a majority of the team’s shots, converting 14-23 (60.9%) overall. He did not do as well outside the arc or at the line, going 1-5 (20%) and 1-6 (16.7%), respectively.

The team as a whole didn’t have the best game from downtown, converting 6-28 (21%) of their attempts. An alarming stat to look at is how they were dominated on the glass, being outrebounded 37-51 by their rivals.

They have a light schedule up ahead before their first conference matchups in a few weeks.

8. Creighton Bluejays

Last week’s ranking: 7 (-1)

Record: 5-4

Last week: W vs. Nicholls (96-76), vs. L Nebraska (50-71)

Next week: vs. Kansas State (Dec. 13 – 3 p.m.)

Quality wins: Oregon (Neutral)

Bad losses: N/A

Another up-and-down week for a Big East team, this sees Creighton drop a bit down the Big East basketball rankings.

The week started with a blowout win over Nicholls, in which the Bluejays were led by a trio of 14-point scorers in Jasen Green, Owen Freeman, and Josh Dix. Green had the most all-around performance among the three, with six rebounds and four assists to add to his scoring, although the four turnovers are a bit concerning. Dix himself would also commit 3 turnovers.

Creighton as a team shot great across the board, going 36-59 (61%) from the field, 17-34 (50%) from beyond the arc, and 7-7 (100%) from the charity stripe. They were a bit careless with the ball, committing 12 turnovers (more than half of which were by Green and Dix).

Creighton, like Xavier, faced a longtime rival, this time in Nebraska. Unlike the Musketeers, the Bluejays suffered a loss against their rivals.

In a game where the Cornhuskers led the entire game and never allowed an opposing lead, the Bluejays were led by Austin Swartz with 16 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals. He shot 7-15 (46.7%) from the floor and 2-8 (25%) from beyond the arc.

Creighton shot poorly from the field and from the perimeter, converting 16-52 (31%) overall and 8-33 (24%) from long range. The Bluejays look to bounce back against another nearby team in Kansas State before they start their conference matches in the coming weeks.

9. DePaul Blue Demons

Last week’s ranking: 9 (-)

Record: 6-3

Last week: W vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff (76-72)

Next week: vs. Morgan State (Dec. 9 – 8 p.m.), at Wichita State (Dec. 13 – noon)

Quality wins: N/A

Bad losses: Buffalo

This was a short but ugly week for the Blue Demons, getting a win over Arkansas Pine-Bluff at home, but the team had a bad stretch in the second half.

Down 28-37 at halftime, they would find themselves down 32-42 in under five minutes in the second half before waking up, and the offense would come to life under multiple scorers. Kruz McClure, N.J. Benson, and C.J. Gunn would attack the paint aggressively, which led to conversions at the line. McClure himself made a pair of threes in the rest of the second half.

At 3:45 left in the game, after Layden Blocker converted a free throw, the Blue Demons led 65-56, but the team would squander that lead, and it became a 68-65 lead with 47 seconds left in the game. Many more free throws were made at the line for both sides before R.J. Smith converted a pair at the line to extend the lead to 76-69. After a last-second three-pointer from their opponents, the Blue Demons closed it out.

DePaul was led by Benson with 26 points and 9 rebounds. He shot 11-15 (73.3%) from the field and 4-8 (50%) at the line. McClure also had another great game off the bench with 17 points and 4 rebounds.

The Blue Demons didn’t fare well from downtown, going 3-18 (17%) in that category. McClure was the only DePaul player to convert on more than one attempt from long range.

10. Providence Friars

Last week’s ranking: 11 (+1)

Record: 6-4

Last week: W vs. FDU (94-64), W vs. Rhode Island (90-71)

Next week: vs. Brown (Dec. 9 – 7:30 p.m.), at Butler (Dec. 13 – 2 p.m.)

Quality wins: N/A

Bad losses: N/A

A pair of wins for Providence puts them out of last place in this week’s Big East Basketball Power Rankings.

In a 30-point, blowout win over FDU, Jason Edwards led the Friars with 24 points off the bench, along with 2 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 steals. He shot 8-14 (57.1%) overall, 4-9 (44.4%) from downtown, and 4-5 (80%) from the line. Another player who had a great game was Stefan Vaaks, recording a double-double of 10 points and 10 assists.

As a team, the Friars shot 35-60 (58%) from the floor and 15-27 (56%) from long range. They also doubled FDU’s assist total with 28 assists. Nearly the majority of those were from Vaaks.

They followed that game with a win against one of their longtime rivals in Rhode Island. For this game, Vaaks and Jamier Jones each led with 14 points. Jones had a perfect shooting performance inside and outside the arc, going 7-7 (100%) from the field and 1-1 (100%) from downtown. He also shot 3-4 (75%) from the line and recorded 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals.

Another key player in the win was Jaylin Sellers, getting a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds.

The team had another great night from beyond the arc, shooting 14-29 (48%). The Friars also proved to be a threat in the paint and off turnovers, outscoring the Rams 32-20 in the paint and 23-10 off turnovers.

Providence has one more non-conference game against Brown before they start their conference schedule.

11. Marquette Golden Eagles

Last week’s ranking: 10 (-1)

Record: 5-5

Last week: W vs. Valparaiso (75-72 OT), L at Wisconsin (76-96)

Next week: at #1 Purdue (Dec. 13 – 2 p.m.)

Quality wins: N/A

Bad losses: N/A

The Golden Eagles started the season in the Big East basketball power rankings at second behind only UConn. Now they find themselves at the bottom after another rough week that saw a close against Valparaiso that seemed too close for comfort and a blowout loss to nearby rival Wisconsin.

Marquette saw themselves down 23-27 against Valparaiso at the end of the first half. They then fought to take a 40-38 lead with under 15 minutes left in the game before the Beacons would take the lead, making it 56-50 with just over 7 minutes left in the game. With 56 seconds left in the game, Ben Gold converted a pair of clutch free throws to tie it up 65-65. Both teams would fail to score in the final minute, forcing overtime.

The Golden Eagles would win the game on four free throws from Nigel James Jr. in overtime over the span of the last 33 seconds in the game. He led the team in scoring with 21 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals. He shot 7-16 () from the field, 1-2 (50%) from beyond the arc, and 6-8 (75%) from the charity stripe.

Despite the poor perimeter shooting from the Golden Eagles (29%), they dominated the Beacons in transition, outscoring them 33-3 in fast break points.

Their loss to Wisconsin was one-sided; the Badgers never allowed their opponents to claim a lead. At one point, Marquette saw itself down 27 points.

Adrien Stevens led the Golden Eagles with 15 points and 6 rebounds. He shot 6-11 (54.5%) from the field and 3-7 (42.9%) from long range.

The team shot 9-29 (31%) from past the arc, and did great in the fast break, outscoring Wisconsin 23-10 in fast break points. A killer for Marquette in that loss was their shooting at the line, going 9-19 (47%) in that regard.

They face the best team in the country in Purdue this week as they look to upset the juggernauts of the Big 10 on the road.