2025-26 Big East Basketball Power Rankings: Week 7

James Stowell gives his Big East basketball power rankings for week 7 of the 2025-26 season.

Week 6 team of the week: UConn Huskies

Week 6 game of the week: UConn over #15 Florida

Week 6 player of the week: Michael Ajayi, Butler

Week 7 matchup of the week: UConn vs. Butler (Dec. 16 – 8:30 p.m.)

Week 7 under-the-radar matchup of the week: Georgetown vs Xavier (Dec. 20 – 8 p.m.)

All games are listed as EST.

1. UConn Huskies

Last week’s ranking: 1 (-)

Record: 10-1

Last week: W at #15 Florida (77-73), W vs. Texas (71-63)

Next week: vs. Butler (Dec. 16 – 8:30 p.m.), at DePaul (Dec. 21 – 4:30 p.m.)

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

Bad losses: N/A

UConn closes out its nonconference schedule on top in the Big East basketball power rankings with a pair of wins against SEC teams, including the defending champion Florida Gators.

Against Florida, it was a tale of two back-and-forth halves. In the first, the Huskies lead at halftime 39-32, but that came after they squandered a 7-2 lead nearly four minutes into the game following a couple of turnovers. Florida would go on a 7-0 run to lead 18-11 with 10:53 left in the first half. UConn would return fire with a 9-2 run of their own with 7:24 remaining in the first.

In the second half, it was a similar story, with Florida taking another lead with over 10 minutes to go in the game at 51-48. This would be countered again by the former champions from two years ago, and they would never give up their lead again, closing out another ranked victory for Dan Hurley and company.

In that game, UConn was led by Solo Ball with 19 points and 2 assists. He shot 6-14 (42.9%) overall, 3-8 (37.5%) from downtown, and 4-6 (66.7%) from the line. The Huskies as a team shot 29-58 (50%) from the field and 8-18 (44%) from beyond the arc, while also defending the perimeter well, only allowing the Gators to convert 4-15 (27%) of their three-point attempts.

Against Texas, the only time UConn didn’t hold the lead was the first two minutes of the game when they trailed 5-2. After that, they would go on multiple scoring runs, including a 12-2 run in the first with 7:05 left in the first half, making the lead 32-20. The Longhorns would keep it within 10 points throughout the game, but would only come close to taking the lead back once. That came in the first half with 2:54 left to go after Jordan Pope scored a mid-range jumper to make the deficit 33-35.

Alex Karaban led the charge with 18 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal. He shot 8-14 (57.1%) overall and 2-4 (50%) from long range. UConn as a team shot 29-53 (55%) from the floor, 6-16 (38%) from downtown, and 7-13 (54%) from the line. The last stat of the three is a bit concerning, especially since they also shot somewhat poorly at the stripe against Florida (11-16, 69%).

2. Seton Hall Pirates

Last week’s ranking: 2 (-)

Record: 10-1

Last week: W Rutgers (81-59)

Next week: at Providence (Dec. 19 – 6:30 p.m.)

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

Bad losses: N/A

Seton Hall ends its out-of-conference slate second in the Big East basketball power rankings after a dominating performance against Rutgers.

In a game where they never trailed and at one point led by as much as 24 points, the Pirates were once again led by AJ Staton-McCray. He scored 18 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals while shooting 8-14 (57.1%) from the field and a poor 1-4 (25%) from beyond the arc.

The Pirates didn’t shoot well from downtown, going 4-13 (31%) in their attempts, but they made up for that by going to town in the paint, outscoring Rutgers 52-24 in points in the paint.

3. St. John’s Red Storm

Last week’s ranking: 3 (-)

Record: 6-3

Last week: W vs. Iona (91-64)

Next week: vs. DePaul (Dec. 16 – 7 p.m.), vs Kentucky (Dec. 20 – 12:30 p.m.)

Quality wins: Baylor (Neutral), Ole Miss

Bad losses: N/A

Another short week with a win for St. John’s sees them remain in the top three for the Big East basketball power rankings.

Against the Iona Gaels, Rick Pitino and company were led by Stanford transfer Oziyah Sellers with 19 points and 5 rebounds. He shot 7-13 (53.8%) from the field and 4-7 (57.1%) from downtown. The Red Storm shot 30-58 (52%) from the field, 10-26 (38%) from beyond the arc, and 21-25 (84%) from the charity stripe. Their perimeter defense performed well, holding their opponents to 26% from long range.

St. John’s non-conference schedule isn’t over yet, as they have a pair of games against Pitino’s former team, Kentucky, and Harvard, following an early conference game against the DePaul Blue Demons.

4. Butler Bulldogs

Last week’s ranking: 6 (+2)

Record: 8-2 (1-0)

Last week: W vs. Providence (113-110 2OT)

Next week: at #5 UConn (Dec. 16 – 8:30 p.m.)

Quality wins: Virginia (Neutral)

Bad losses: N/A

A short week, but an important one that saw Butler claim their first conference win of the season against Providence.

For their conference matchups, we’re going to focus on Butler’s perspective only, later going into detail about the Friars’ side of the game in their respective rank.

This game was a blow-for-blow affair. Despite trailing 41-45 at halftime, Butler never allowed their opponents to take a huge lead. With over 15 minutes to go in regulation, Butler trailed 50-58 after a Jason Edwards three-pointer, the largest deficit the Bulldogs saw this game. Despite missed threes from across the board at times, Michael Ajayi was a consistent threat throughout the half, taking a 79-74 lead with 4:02 left in the game with a three-pointer.

Butler had a chance to end the game in regulation with the score at 89-89, but Finley Bizjack missed the dagger three with a few seconds to go, and that sent it to extras. Bizjack would make up for that by scoring 9 of Butler’s 11 points in overtime. Ajayi failed to score on a midrange jumper to end it there, and it went to double overtime.

In double overtime, four different Bulldogs scored in Bizjack, Ajayi, Drayton Jones, and Evan Haywood would score. Haywood would score what would be the final bucket of the game off a three-pointer with 35 seconds left in double overtime. The perimeter defense helped seal the deal after forcing a pair of missed shots from downtown from Jamier Jones and Jaylin Sellers.

Against Providence, the Bulldogs were led by Ajayi with a double-double of 28 points and 15 rebounds, his eighth double-double of the season. He shot 8-18 (44.4%) overall, 1-4 (25%) from beyond the arc, and 11-16 (68.8%) from the charity stripe.

As a team, they shot relatively similarly to their opponents, going 38-81 (47%) from the floor, 10-28 (36%) from downtown, and 27-38 (71%) from the line. They did a great job being disciplined on the floor, only committing 13 fouls to the Friars’ 25.

5. Georgetown Hoyas

Last week’s ranking: 5 (-)

Record: 7-3

Last week: W vs. Saint Peter’s (76-68 OT)

Next week: at Marquette (Dec. 17 – 8:30 p.m.), vs. Xavier (Dec. 20 – 8 p.m.)

Quality wins: Clemson, at Maryland

Bad losses: N/A

After a brutal loss to North Carolina last week, Georgetown bounces back with a win over Saint Peter’s in overtime to remain in the top five.

This was a low-scoring game in the first half, with the Hoyas only leading 31-24. In the second, Georgetown exploded to a 10-point lead with 11:33 left in the game, leading 45-35. Eventually, it came down to Georgetown being undisciplined, fouling Bryce Eaton multiple times, allowing the Peacocks to tie it up at 60-60 with Eaton scoring 4 points at the line. T.J. Robinson also drew a foul earlier to go to the line. Brent Bland missed the shot that would’ve given Saint Peter’s an upset win.

In overtime, the last 2:35 in the period was almost exclusively free throws in this order: Eaton, Malik Mack, Bol Agu, Caleb Williams, Jeremiah Williams (missed one attempt), Mack.

Mack ended the game with his pair of free throws to end it 76-68.

Against Saint Peter’s, the Hoyas were led by Julius Halaifonua with 22 points and 9 rebounds while shooting 9-12 (75%) from the field and 4-5 (80%) from the line.

As a team, Georgetown shot 24-50 (48%) from the field, 4-16 (25%) from long range, and 24-36 (67%) from the line. Despite the close score, there were some other positive stats from the Hoyas. They dominated in the glass, outrebounding their opponents 43-31. This led to them outscoring the Peacocks 40-22 in the paint.

6. Villanova Wildcats

Last week’s ranking: 4 (-2)

Record: 8-2

Last week: L at #2 Michigan (61-89), W vs. Pitt (79-61)

Next week: vs Wisconsin (Dec. 19 – 8 p.m.)

Quality wins: N/A

Bad losses: N/A

A down and up week for Villanova that started poorly against a ranked Michigan Wolverines.

The most the Wildcats led against Michigan was a single point, just over a minute into the game, when they led 4-3. After that, they never saw a lead again.

Against the Wolverines, they were led by Devin Askew with 18 points off the bench. He added to that with 2 rebounds and 4 steals while shooting 6-16 (37.5%) overall, 5-13 (38.5%) from beyond the arc, and 1-1 (100%) at the line.

The team in its entirety shot 21-62 (34%) from the field, 10-37 (27%) from downtown, and 9-14 (64%) from the charity stripe. The Wildcats got dominated in the paint by Michigan, getting outscored 10-46 in that front.

They returned home and salvaged the week with a win against Pitt. For the majority of the first half, Villanova saw the Panthers keep the score under a 10-point difference. At the end of the half, the team went on a 5-0 scoring run to end the first. In the second, they never looked back.

Duke Brennan and Bryce Lindsay each led the team with 24 points. The former nearly recorded a double-double with 9 rebounds to his name. Brennan shot a perfect 8-8 (100%) from the field and 8-12 (75%) from the line.

The Wildcats shot 26-50 (52%) overall, 9-22 (41%) from the perimeter, and 18-24 (75%) at the line. They also did a great job at forcing turnovers, with their opponents committing 12, which led to the Wildcats scoring 16 points off turnovers to Pitt’s 6 points.

7. Xavier Musketeers

Last week’s ranking: 7 (-)

Record: 8-3

Last week: W vs. Missouri State (75-57)

Next week: vs. Creighton (Dec. 17 – 6:30 p.m.), at Georgetown (Dec. 20 – 8 p.m.)

Quality wins: West Virginia (Neutral), Cincinnati

Bad losses: N/A

Xavier closes out their nonconference schedule seventh in the Big East basketball power rankings following a blowout win over Missouri State.

Against the Bears, they ended the first half a bit too close for comfort with a 31-28 lead before taking a firm lead in the second half, scoring 44 to Missouri State’s 29.

Jovan Milicevic led the Musketeers with 17 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists while shooting 6-11 (54.5%) overall, 2-4 (50%) from beyond the arc, and 3-4 (75%) at the line. He was joined by Filip Borovicanin and Tre Carroll with 13 points each. Borovicanin recorded a double-double with 11 rebounds, nearly recording a triple-double with 8 assists. Carroll had an all-around game of his own with 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, and 2 blocks.

Xavier shot 28-65 (43%) from the field and 12-30 (40%) from downtown. Like others on this list, they didn’t shoot the best at the line, converting 7-12 (58%) on their free throw attempts.

8. DePaul Blue Demons

Last week’s ranking: 9 (+1)

Record: 8-3

Last week: W vs. Morgan State (92-49), W at Wichita State (61-58)

Next week: at #22 St. John’s (Dec. 16 – 7 p.m.), vs. #5 UConn (Dec. 21 – 4:30 p.m.)

Quality wins: N/A

Bad losses: Buffalo

Chris Holtmann and the DePaul Blue Demons end their non-conference schedule with a pair of wins. One dominating blowout over Morgan State and a close win over Wichita State.

Against Morgan State, Kaleb Banks led the way with 18 points off the bench. He also recorded 4 rebounds while shooting 4-6 (66.7%) from the field, 2-3 (66.7%) from downtown, and 8-8 (100%) from the line. As a team, DePaul shot 26-47 (55%) overall and 11-22 (50%) from beyond the arc while their perimeter defense held Morgan State to 3-16 (19%) in their three-point attempts.

Their first true road game of the season was a tale of two halves. In the first, it was the Shockers who led for the first eight minutes with a 16-2 lead. It was not a good start for DePaul. Khaman Maker was the only Blue Demon to score in that long drought, nearly four minutes into the game. C.J. Gunn went on a tear, scoring 11 points in 2 minutes to bring the score to 16-13 with 10:14 left in the first. Gunn would give DePaul its first lead of the game after another, one of his many three pointers, turning the score to 20-19. He would score another one shortly after.

In the second, the Blue Demons never lost the lead, but Wichita State didn’t go down without a fight. This half saw multiple scoring runs from DePaul, including a 7-1 scoring run with 10:48 left in the game. As the game came to a close, DePaul squandered a 59-54 lead with 1:47 left after the Shockers closed the gap to 59-58 with 22 seconds to go. Gunn would seal the deal with a pair of free throws with 13 seconds left. Wichita State couldn’t tie the game up, and Michael Gray Jr. missed a pair of free throws in the clutch.

Gunn led the Blue Demons with 18 points. Although 16 of those came in the first half and then he went cold in the second. He complemented this with 4 rebounds and 2 assists while shooting 6-13 (46.2%) from the floor, 4-7 (57.1%) from beyond the arc, and 2-3 (66.7%) from the line.

DePaul as a whole shot 24-57 (51%) from the field, 7-17 (41%) from downtown, and 6-10 (60%) from the line.

It’s a tough week ahead for DePaul with a pair of conference matchups against two ranked teams.

9. Providence Friars

Last week’s ranking: 10 (+1)

Record: 7-5 (0-1)

Last week: W vs. Brown (86-79), L at Butler (110-113 2OT)

Next week: vs. Seton Hall (Dec. 19 – 6:30 p.m.)

Quality wins: N/A

Bad losses: N/A

An up-and-down week for Providence sees them jump ahead despite the close conference loss to Butler.

In their win against Brown, Providence never allowed its opponent to lead. They were led by Jamier Jones and Jaylin Sellers with 16 points each. Jones also recorded 6 rebounds while shooting 7-8 (87.5%) overall and 2-3 (66.7%) from the charity stripe. Sellers, meanwhile, had 3 rebounds while shooting 5-9 (55.6%) from the floor, 3-5 (60%) from downtown, and 3-4 (75%) at the line.

The Friars as a team shot 30-65 (46%) from the field, 8-26 (31%) from long range, and 18-21 (86%) from the stripe. The Friars also did a great job at the glass, outrebounding Brown 44-33.

For their conference matchup against Butler, we’re going to look at it from Providence’s perspective as opposed to going in-depth for both sides.

This entire game was blow-for-blow; no surprise it went to overtime. In the first, the Friars led 45-41 at halftime after trailing 6-0 in the first few minutes. At 11:20 left in the first half, Providence got its first lead at 17-16 after Jones slashed his way into the paint for a layup. The Bulldogs would take the lead back before Corey Floyd Jr. scored a three-pointer with 9:16 left in the half to make the score 23-20.

Early in the second, the Friars would lead 55-48 before squandering that run following several missed layups from both sides. For the rest of the second half, Providence would take a lead only to lose it a few minutes later several times, with the score being within 3 points for the majority of the remaining half. Eventually, they saw themselves down 87-89 with 39 seconds left. Sellers would convert on a pair of free throws to force overtime.

In the extra period, it was like the second, with many three-point leads for both sides. Jason Edwards recorded back-to-back three pointers to tie up and later take the lead at 99-98 with 1:03 left in OT. Edwards would later score the tying mid-range jumper to tie it up 110-110 before Butler scored the dagger with Sellers missing the chance to send it to triple overtime.

Against Butler, Providence was led by Edwards with 32 points, 2 rebounds, and 6 assists. He shot 12-22 (54.5%) overall, 6-13 (46.2%) from downtown, and 2-2 (100%) at the line. As a team, the Friars shot 41-86 (48%) from the field, 14-37 (38%) from beyond the arc, and 14-18 (76%) from the charity stripe. Their shooting stats were very close to their opponents’.

10. Creighton Bluejays

Last week’s ranking: 8 (-2)

Record: 5-5

Last week: L vs. Kansas State (76-83)

Next week: at Xavier (Dec. 17 – 6:30 p.m.), vs. Marquette (Dec. 20 – 8:30 p.m.)

Quality wins: Oregon (Neutral)

Bad losses: N/A

Creighton goes into their conference schedule not looking that strong, as people originally thought.

Against Kansas State, the Bluejays only led by as much as three in the first before losing that quickly. The Wildcats exploded to close out the first, leading 51-33. Creighton would come back to trail 70-73 with a bit over 2 minutes left in the game, but they weren’t able to close the deal.

The Bluejays were led by Josh Dix and Isaac Traudt, with each scoring 18 points and 7 rebounds. Traudt shot 5-10 (50%) overall, 4-8 (50%) from downtown, and 4-5 (80%) from the line. Dix, meanwhile, shot 7-17 (41.2%) from the floor, 2-7 (28.6%) from beyond the arc, and 2-2 (100%) from the charity stripe.

The Bluejays shot 25-63 (40%) from the field, 12-32 (38%) from past the arc, and 14-15 (93%) at the line. A concerning stat was in the glass, which saw Creighton get outrebounded 42-35 by Kansas State. This led to the Wildcats outscoring their opponents 34-24 in the paint.

11. Marquette Golden Eagles

Last week’s ranking: 11 (-)

Record: 5-6

Last week: L at #6 Purdue (59-79)

Next week: vs Georgetown (Dec. 17 – 8:30 p.m.), at Creighton (Dec. 20 – 8:30 p.m.)

Quality wins: N/A

Bad losses: N/A

Like the team directly above them, this nonconference schedule has not been kind to the Marquette Golden Eagles.

This game was as one-sided as it can get, other than one other loss a Big East team saw this past week. Shaka Smart and the Golden Eagles never saw a lead and saw themselves down by 30 with 3:51 left in the game.

Marquette was led by Royce Parham with 19 points and 3 rebounds while shooting 7-15 (46.7%) overall, 3-6 (50%) from downtown, and 2-2 (100%) from the line.

The Golden Eagles shot 20-61 (33%) overall and 8-31 (26%) from downtown. The latter stat doesn’t look that great, but it was a poor perimeter shooting night all around, with Purdue shooting 7-23 (30%).