James Stowell gives his Big East basketball power rankings for week 8 of the 2025-26 season.
Week 7 team of the week: Creighton Bluejays
Week 7 game of the week: Xavier over Georgetown
Week 7 player of the week: Solo Ball, UConn
Week 8 matchup of the week: Seton Hall vs. Villanova (Dec. 23 – 7 p.m.)
Week 8 under-the-radar matchup of the week: Creighton vs. Utah Tech (Dec. 22 – 8 p.m.)
All games are listed as EST.
1. UConn Huskies
Last week’s ranking: 1 (-)
Record: 12-1 (2-0)
Last week: W vs Butler (79-60), at DePaul (72-54)
Next week: No games
Quality wins: at Kansas, Illinois (Neutral), BYU, at Florida (Neutral)
Bad losses: N/A
UConn starts off its conference schedule with a win against Butler at home. As we did last week, for each conference game, we will only cover it from the perspective of one team, highlighting their spot in the rankings.
UConn trailed early on after Butler led 9-2 just three minutes into the game. After that, there would be sparse scoring from the Huskies in the next three minutes. Eventually, with 13:27 left in the first, Solo Ball slashed into the paint for a layup to tie it 11-11. UConn wouldn’t score again for nearly two minutes. It was just a slow game for both teams early in the first. With 9:47 left in the first half, Tarris Reed Jr. converted on a floater, and the wheels began moving fast for the Huskies. The game was never close again.
In the second half, like the first, it started off slow. Throughout the early part of the second, there would be multiple periods of neither side scoring, but it never got to the point where the Huskies had to stave off a potential comeback.
For their first conference game, they were led by Ball with 26 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists. He shot 8-14 (57.1%) from the field, 3-6 (50%) from beyond the arc, and 7-8 (87.5%) at the line. Silas Demary Jr. and Jayden Ross each had a great game of their own in different ways. Ross nearly recorded a double-double with 13 points and 8 rebounds. While Demary Jr. wasn’t that far away from his own with 11 assists and 6 rebounds.
The Huskies shot 32-63 (51%) from the field, 7-20 (35%) from downtown, and 8-13 (62%) from the stripe. They dominated in the interior for multiple categories. UConn outrebounded the Bulldogs 47-29 (32-17 defensively), recorded more blocks (13-3 for the Huskies), and outscored Butler in the paint 46-26. If they can maintain their interior dominance and get better from the perimeter, there’s no reason why UConn can’t continue its dominance at the top of the Big East.
On the road against DePaul, UConn looked sloppy at times in the first half before going on a tear in the second. Early on, the team was down 7-15. They turned this around by going on a 7-0 scoring run to trail 14-15 with 8:44 left in the first half. The rest of the first half remained contested, with the Huskies only leading 33-30.
In the second half, the Huskies’ offense completely flipped the script. Over the first seven minutes of the second, UConn would take a 46-34 lead after going on a13-4 scoring run with 13:38 left in the game. DePaul would attempt a comeback late in the game. This brought the score down to a 10-point difference at 3:53 left to go, with the Huskies having a 62-52 lead. UConn maintained control in the end, winning 72-54.
UConn was led by Alex Karaban with 21 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists. He shot 7-12 (58.3%) overall, 3-6 (50%) from downtown, and 4-4 (100%) at the line. Reed Jr. also had a great performance, with a double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds.
The team shot 27-57 (47%) from the field, 6-18 (33%) from the perimeter, and 12-16 (75%) at the line. The Huskies dominated in the paint, outscoring the Blue Demons 38-20 in the paint while outrebounding them 40-28.
2. St. John’s Red Storm
Last week’s ranking: 3 (+1)
Record: 8-4 (1-0)
Last week: W vs. DePaul (79-66), L vs. Kentucky (66-78), W vs. Harvard (85-59)
Next week: No games
Quality wins: Baylor (Neutral), Ole Miss
Bad losses: N/A
St. John’s had an up-and-down week, winning their conference matchup against DePaul but dropping a nonconference game to the Kentucky Wildcats. They followed that up with a win at home against Harvard to end their nonconference slate.
Against the Blue Demons, it wasn’t a blowout victory, but it was a victory that saw the Red Storm lead for almost the entirety of the game. They were led by Dylan Darling off the bench with 17 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists. He shot 5-9 () from the floor, 3-5 (60%) from beyond the arc, and 4-6 (66.7%) from the line. Another great player in that game was Joson Sanon with 15 points and 9 rebounds.
The team shot 26-58 (45%) from the field, 10-22 (45%) from downtown, and 17-21 (81%) at the line.
Against the Wildcats, it was a different story. Early on in the first, it was a contested affair, with both teams switching leads. By halftime, the Red Storm led 32-25. Early in the second, St. John’s would have a narrow lead but lose it at 12:31 left in the game, trailing 43-44. This would come off a 10-0 scoring run from Kentucky that turned into a 43-52 deficit for St. John’s. The Red Storm would never be able to get back into the lead.
The team was led by Bryce Hopkins with 13 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 steals. He shot 4-11 (26.4%) from the floor, 1-3 (33.3%) from long range, and 4-6 (66.7%) from the line. As a whole, St. John’s shot 17-51 (33%) overall, 5-19 (26%) from the perimeter, and 27-32 (84%) from the line. It wasn’t the best of nights for the Red Storm outside the paint.
St. John’s last game of the week was a blowout victory over Harvard. For most of the first half, the Red Storm weren’t performing what fans are accustomed to as they saw themselves trail against the Crimson on multiple occasions. St. John’s claimed their first lead of the game nearly eight minutes into the game when they took the lead 14-13 with 13:38 remaining in the first half. Harvard would claim back the lead and hold onto it until 5:08 left on the clock when Ian Jackson drained a three-pointer to take a 34-31 lead.
The Red Storm never lost the lead again in the game and ended their nonconference schedule with a win. They were led by a trio of 14-point scorers in Zuby Ejiofor, Ian Jackson, and Bryce Hopkins. Ejiofor also led the team in rebounds (9 rebounds) and assists (4 assists, tied with Hopkins) in the victory. He shot 4-8 (50%) from the field and 6-8 (75%) from the line.
3. Seton Hall Pirates
Last week’s ranking: 2 (-1)
Record: 11-1 (1-0)
Last week: W at Providence (72-67), L vs. Villanova (56-64)
Next week: No games
Quality wins: NC State (Neutral), at Kansas State
Bad losses: N/A
For the first time in a long while, the Pirates find themselves out of the top two in the rankings after an up-and-down week.
Seton Hall started its conference slate with a win on the road against the Providence Friars, but fell against the Villanova Wildcats at home.
From the Pirates’ perspective against Providence, while there were times they saw themselves down close in both halves, and other times where their opponents clawed their way back to tie it up, most of this game saw the Pirates in control.
After being down 14-16 with 7:24 left in the first, Seton Hall went on a 9-0 run to take the lead to 25-16 in nearly three minutes. After that, Seton Hall never let their foot off the gas for the rest of the half, leading 35-28 at halftime.
Within the first few minutes of the second, Seton Hall led 45-36 but saw themselves slip and go scoreless and see themselves down 45-46 with 14:30 left in the game. At 9:10 left on the clock, Seton Hall went from being tied at 50-50 to going on a 9-2 run, leading 59-52 with seven minutes to go. The Pirates would squander that lead, eventually being down 64-65 with 1:53 left. An 8-2 run would suffice and would seal the game at 74-62.
Seton Hall was led by Tajuan Simpkins, scoring 22 points off the bench. He shot 6-9 (66.7%) overall, 2-3 (66.7%) from downtown, and 8-9 (88.9%) from the charity stripe. Stephon Payne also had an amazing performance, with a double-double of 18 points and 16 rebounds, the latter a season high for him. As a team, the Pirates shot 25-55 (45%) overall, 5-15 (33%) from beyond the arc, and 17-27 (63%) from the charity stripe.
Against Villanova, the first half started highly contested for Seton Hall. The game was always within single digits until late in the first when the Wildcats broke away with a 5-0 run to bring the score closer to double digits. That run saw the Pirates down 23-31 with a minute to go in the half. Seton Hall would counter with a 4-0 run to close out the half, down 27-31.
In the second half, the Pirates scored first after Elijah Fisher slashed his way to the bucket to bring the score to 31-29. After that, the Wildcats broke away again, and this time, never let their opponents recover. The Pirates wouldn’t score for the next six minutes, as Villanova went on a 16-0 run, taking a 47-29 lead with 14:11 left in the game. After that, Seton Hall just couldn’t find a way to recover and suffered their first conference loss of the season.
The Pirates were led by Fisher with 13 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals. He shot 6-11 (54.5%) from the field and 1-3 (33.3%) at the line. The team shot 21-63 (33%) overall, 3-13 (23%) from downtown, and 11-16 (69%) from the charity stripe.
4. Villanova Wildcats
Last week’s ranking: 6 (+2)
Record: 10-2, 1-0
Last week: W vs. Wisconsin (76-66 OT), W at Seton Hall (64-56)
Next week: No games
Quality wins: at Seton Hall, Wisconsin
Bad losses: N/A
A short week for Villanova ended with a win in its final nonconference game against Wisconsin. That was followed up by their first conference win of the season on the road against Seton Hall.
For most of the game, the outcome looked in favor of the Wildcats. Late in the second, however, Villanova saw their win evaporate as the Badgers pulled off a comeback, and Nolan Winter forced overtime by slashing into the basket with a layup to tie it 56-56 with 31 seconds left in regulation. Villanova tried to hold out for the final shot, but Acaden Lewis missed a 21-foot jumper, and the game went to extras.
The Wildcats would hold off the Badgers to only 10 points in overtime, as the Wildcats doubled that with 20 points to win in overtime. Bryce Lindsay was the hero in overtime, scoring 10 of the team’s 20 points in extras to seal the win in their final nonconference match.
Tyler Perkins led the team in scoring with 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists. He shot 6-17 (35.3%) overall, 4-10 (40%) from downtown, and 3-5 (60%) from the line.
The Wildcats shot 26-65 (40%) from the field, 11-31 (35%) from beyond the arc, and 13-19 (68%) at the stripe. Another great stat for Villanova was their performance in transition, outscoring their opponents 15-3 in points off turnovers.
Against Seton Hall, Villanova started the game contested. They broke away first with a 5-0 run to take a 31-23 lead with 1:44 left in the game. In the second, the Wildcats would go on a monstrous, 16-0 scoring run to take a 47-29 lead with 14:11 to go in the game.
After that run, it was nothing but smooth sailing for Villanova, and they claimed their first conference win in a road upset against Seton Hall.
The Wildcats were led by Acaden Lewis with 16 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 steals. He shot 6-11 (54.5%) from the field, 2-2 (100%) from downtown, and 2-3 (66.7%) from the line. The team as a whole shot 22-45 (49%) from the floor, 10-23 (43%) from long range, and 10-16 (63%) from the charity stripe. Villanova also did a great job at defending the perimeter, holding Seton Hall to 3-13 (23%) from beyond the arc.
5. Georgetown Hoyas
Last week’s ranking: 5 (-)
Record: 9-4, 1-1
Last week: W at Marquette (78-69), L vs. Xavier (77-80), W vs. Coppin State (97-67)
Next week: No games
Quality wins: Clemson, at Maryland
Bad losses: N/A
A rollercoaster of a week for the Hoyas, just like many others on this list.
Against the Golden Eagles, Georgetown started rough in the first half. In the last four minutes, they snatched the lead out from under them. With 5:32 left to go, the Hoyas trailed 18-27. Their defense came to life after that, only allowing Marquette to score two more times before ending the half up 37-33.
In the second half, Georgetown took control of the game, and they never looked back. There were times when it was a tight game, like within the first minute of the second, when they were up 39-36 after Caedin Hamilton had a three-point play. Another close moment was with 8:41 left in the game, where Chase Ross converted on a pair of free throws to cut the Hoyas’ lead to 58-55.
Georgetown would go on a 7-0 scoring run, making the score 71-59 with 4:26 left in the game. The Hoyas would never put their foot off the gas and would take their first conference win of the season.
Julius Halaifonua led the way for the Hoyas with 21 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists. He shot 7-10 (70%) from the field, 1-1 (100%) from downtown, and 6-7 (85.7%) at the line. The team as a whole shot 27-58 (47%) overall, 4-16 (25%) from beyond the arc, and 20-23 (87%) from the stripe.
For most of the game against Xavier, it was a close contest, within 10 points or less at almost every opportunity. Georgetown went on a 6-0 scoring run that was followed by a 9-2 run later on that saw the Hoyas’ lead crumble to 33-31. Georgetown ended the half at 40-35.
The second half was like the first, blow-for-blow on both sides. Late in the second, the game saw three ties in a row to put the score at 66-66. Georgetown saw itself behind for the first time in the second half after Jovan Milicevic scored a three-pointer to take a 69-67 lead with 4:01 left in the game.
Georgetown tried multiple times to take the lead in crunch time but never got the lead back. They came close with 17 seconds to go after a Halaifonua slam dunk to put the deficit at 77-78. After Roddie Anderson III converted on a pair of clutch free throws to put Xavier up by three, Jeremiah Williams and Seal Diouf each missed their pairs of free throw attempts, and that sealed the loss.
Georgetown was led by Malik Mack with 21 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists. He shot 8-19 (42.1%) from the field, 3-10 (30%) from the perimeter, and 2-5 (40%) at the charity stripe. The team shot 23-57 (40%) overall, 6-17 (35%) from beyond the arc, and 25-43 (58%) from the line.
The Hoyas ended the extended week with a blowout victory over Coppin State, a game they dominated every step of the way. At halftime, Georgetown led 52-25 and followed it up by scoring 44 points in the second half to the Eagles’ 42 points.
Halaifonua led the team in scoring with 20 points and 8 rebounds, nearly securing a double-double. He shot 7-9 (77.8%) from the field and a perfect 6-6 (100%) from the charity stripe. K.J. Lewis nearly recorded a triple-double, scoring 15 points, 7 rebounds, and 8 assists. A complete performance from the Arizona transfer.
The Hoyas shot 33-60 (55%) overall, 11-27 (41%) from downtown, and 20-28 (71%) at the line. They also dominated in the paint, outscoring Coppin State 40-24.
6. Butler Bulldogs
Last week’s ranking: 4 (-2)
Record: 10-3, 1-1
Last week: L at #5 UConn (60-79), W vs. Northwestern (61-58), W vs. NJIT (101-52)
Next week: No games
Quality wins: Virginia (Neutral)
Bad losses: N/A
A rollercoaster of a week for the Bulldogs started with a stinging loss to the top team in the conference, UConn.
The Bulldogs led early on, capitalizing on bad turnovers from Tarris Reed Jr. and others on the court. The team would fail to counter a 7-0 scoring run from the Huskies that tied the game 11-11 with 13:27 left in the first, and the Bulldogs were never able to claim the lead back after Reed Jr. scored a floater to take a 15-14 lead for UConn. By the time the second half rolled around, the wheels came off for Butler, and it turned into an ugly loss.
Butler was led by Drayton Jones with 13 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 blocks. He shot 3-5 (60%) from the floor and 7-7 (100%) at the charity stripe. The Bulldogs shot 18-61 (30%) from the field, 5-24 (21%) from downtown, and 19-24 (79%) at the line.
Their follow-up game with Northwestern was ugly to say the least. Starting the game, nobody scored in nearly four minutes, with the Wildcats finally ending the long drought at 16:31 left in the first after Jayden Reid nailed a mid-range jumper. Butler would then wake up and go on a 7-0 scoring run before Northwestern followed that up with a 4-0 mini-run of their own. At halftime, Butler led 27-23 after exchanging the lead multiple times in the first half.
In the second, Butler would go on multiple runs, eventually leading 44-34 with 13:21 left in the game. As the clock ticked down, it got too close for comfort for the Bulldogs, but they were able to close the deal after Evan Haywood scored a pair of clutch free throws to make the score 61-58. They had a chance to extend that lead with seven seconds to go, but Efeosa Oliogu-Elabor and Michael Ajayi each missed free throws in a critical moment.
The Bulldogs were led by Ajayi with a monstrous double-double of 19 points and 20 rebounds. He also recorded 2 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks along with that. Ajayi shot 8-14 (57.1%) from the field, 0-2 (0%) from the perimeter, and 3-5 (60%) from the line.
The team shot 22-58 (38%) from the floor, 7-30 (23%) from beyond the arc, and 10-14 (71%) from the line.
Their final game of the week against NJIT was simply a one-sided competition, with the Bulldogs starting off with a 17-0 scoring run over nearly the first eight minutes.
Butler was led by Ajayi again with a double-double, this time 15 points and 12 rebounds. He shot 7-11 (63.6%) overall and 1-2 (50%) from beyond the arc. The team, meanwhile, shot 34-61 (56%) from the field, 9-24 (38%) from downtown, and 24-32 (75%) at the stripe.
The Bulldogs dominated inside the paint, outrebounding the Highlanders 46-22 (11-3 offensively), which allowed them to outscore their opponents in the paint 50-28.
7. Creighton Bluejays
Last week’s ranking: 10 (+3)
Record: 8-5, 2-0
Last week: W at Xavier (98-57), W vs. Marquette (84-63), W vs. Utah Tech (92-69)
Next week: No games
Quality wins: Oregon (Neutral)
Bad losses: N/A
After a poor nonconference record, Creighton starts their conference games with back-to-back blowout wins and followed it up with a blowout win to end their nonconference schedule.
Starting on the road against Xavier, the Bluejays saw a one-sided victory. Only trailing the Musketeers with over 16 minutes to go in the first half. They originally trailed 6-7 after Tre Carroll drove in for a layup. This was followed by Malik Messina-Moore draining a three-pointer to turn the deficit to 6-10 for the Bluejays. Creighton would go on an 8-0 scoring run to bring the lead to 14-10 with 14:21 left in the first, and they never looked back.
The Bluejays were led by Austin Swartz with 27 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists. He shot 10-17 (58.8%) from the floor and 7-13 (53.8%) from the perimeter. Creighton shot 38-63 (60%) from the field, 16-33 (48%) from downtown, and 6-10 (60%) from the line. Other than the free-throw shooting, it was a shooting clinic for the Bluejays.
The team also dominated inside as well, outscoring their opponents in the paint 42-28 and outrebounding Xavier 42-28.
Against Marquette, it was a bit of a different story. Early on, the team looked like the opposite of how they did in their win over the Musketeers, starting down by seven points and scoreless in the early stretch of the game. Nik Graves would eventually take the lead for Creighton off a 13-foot jumper with under 11 minutes left in the first half. After that, the team would go on a 7-0 scoring run and wouldn’t let go of the lead again. At the end of the first half, it was 46-32, and Creighton would score 38 more points to seal another dominating conference win.
In the game against the Golden Eagles, Creighton was led by Graves with 17 points off the bench. He added to that with 6 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals while shooting 6-7 (85.7%) overall, 4-4 (100%) from beyond the arc, and 1-1 (100%) from the line.
As a team, the Bluejays shot 29-62 (47%) from the field, 10-27 (37%) from downtown, and 16-20 (80%) from the stripe.
Their final game of the week against Utah Tech was similar to their pair of conference games, a one-sided affair. Other than one moment in the first half where the Bluejays saw themselves up only 28-26 after Utah Tech’s Chance Trujillo cut his way into the basket for a layup with 7:24 left in the half.
For the Bluejays, in a game they never lost the lead, they were led again by Swartz with 19 points and 2 steals. He shot 7-12 (58.3%) from the floor and 5-9 (55.6%) from beyond the arc.
The team shot 34-63 (54%) from the field, 13-33 (39%) from the perimeter, and 11-15 (73%) at the line. Despite the victory, they were outscored in the paint by the Trailblazers 44-42. They made up for that by dominating in transition, outscoring Utah Tech 28-8 in points off turnovers.
8. Xavier Musketeers
Last week’s ranking: 7 (-1)
Record: 9-4, 1-1
Last week: L vs. Creighton (57-98), W at Georgetown (80-77)
Next week: No games
Quality wins: West Virginia (Neutral), Cincinnati, at Georgetown
Bad losses: N/A
An up-and-down week for the Musketeers started rough with a blowout loss to Creighton before bouncing back with a close win against Georgetown.
The loss to Creighton was one-sided. Only leading early on in the first half, 7-6, before Malik Messina-Moore converted a three-pointer to make the score 10-6. Following an 8-0 run from the Bluejays, Xavier never saw a close game or a lead again.
Against Creighton, the Musketeers were led by Messina-Moore with 14 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists. He shot 5-12 (41.7%) from the floor, 2-4 (50%) from the perimeter, and 2-2 (100%) at the line. The team shot 24-66 (36%) overall, 6-24 (25%) from beyond the arc, and 3-6 (50%) from the charity stripe.
For most of the game against the Hoyas, it was neck-and-neck for Xavier, always within 10 points or less. After going scoreless for a period following a scoring run from Georgetown, the Musketeers followed it up with one of their own, a 9-2 scoring run that saw Xavier claw back to a 31-33 deficit, ending with a layup from Jovan Milicevic with 3:35 left in the first half.
The second half was a constant battle, blow-for-blow on both sides, with neither able to gain a huge advantage. Late in the second, after three straight ties to put the score eventually at 66-66, the Musketeers would get their first lead of the second half after Milicevic nailed a three-pointer from 23 feet out to take a 69-67 lead with 4:01 left in the game. Xavier would stave off multiple comeback attempts from the Hoyas and get the upset win on the road.
Against Georgetown, the team was led by Tre Carroll with 22 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists. He shot 9-15 (60%) overall, 1-2 (50%) from beyond the arc, and 3-3 (100%) from the stripe. He was joined by Filip Borovicanin with a double-double of 13 points and 11 rebounds.
Xavier shot 31-67 (46%) from the field, 7-22 (32%) from downtown, and 11-14 (79%) at the line. Despite the team committing more turnovers (14-10) than their opponents, they outscored the Hoyas in points off turnovers 13-8, showing they can make up for those turnovers by not letting their opponents get any easy points.
9. DePaul Blue Demons
Last week’s ranking: 8 (-1)
Record: 8-5, 0-2
Last week: L at #22 St. John’s (66-79), L vs. #5 UConn (54-72)
Next week: No games
Quality wins: N/A
Bad losses: Buffalo
A tough week for the Blue Demons, going up against two ranked conference opponents in St. John’s and UConn.
Against the Red Storm, DePaul only led once early on and never got it back. There were times throughout the game where the Blue Demons would go on a mini-run, only for St. John’s to adjust and retain their control of the game.
DePaul was led by Kaleb Banks with a double-double of 19 points and 10 rebounds. He shot 8-16 (50%) from the field and 3-5 (60%) from downtown. As a team, the Blue Demons shot 27-69 (39%) overall, 7-25 (28%) from beyond the arc, and 5-5 (100%) from the line. The game was neck-and-neck at the interior, with DePaul only being outrebounded 35-39 by the Red Storm and both teams scoring 30 points in the paint. For this game, the perimeter shooting was what held the Blue Demons back, converting only 28% from the perimeter as opposed to St. John’s 45%.
Their second conference matchup saw a tale of two halves for the Blue Demons. In the first half, DePaul went on a 12-3 run in the span of nearly four minutes to take a 15-7 lead over UConn with 10:19 left in the first. They would then squander that lead after the Huskies had a 7-0 run of their own to only lead 15-14 with 9:11 to go in the half.
After trailing 30-33 at halftime, the wheels came off early. Over the first seven minutes of the second, DePaul would face a 13-4 scoring run from UConn, seeing themselves down 34-46 with 13:38 left in the game. The Blue Demons would eventually narrow the score down to 10 points at 3:53 left to go, trailing 52-62. That wouldn’t be enough for the Blue Demons, as they fell to another ranked team.
The Blue Demons were led by Layden Blocker with 11 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists. He shot 5-13 (38.5%) from the field and a poor 1-5 (20%) from downtown. Freshman Kruz McClure was another bright spot for DePaul with 10 points. He shot 2-3 (66.7%) from the floor and attacked the basket aggressively. Due to his aggression, he got plenty of opportunities at the charity stripe, converting 5-7 (71.4%) of his shots at the line.
10. Providence Friars
Last week’s ranking: 9 (-1)
Record: 7-6, 0-2
Last week: L vs. Seton Hall (67-72)
Next week: No game next week for Providence, their next game is Jan. 3 on the road against St. John’s at noon.
Quality wins: N/A
Bad losses: N/A
A short week for the Friars saw them lose a close one against the Seton Hall Pirates.
From the Friars’ perspective, they mostly saw themselves down throughout the game, but there were times when they were able to put themselves in a position to take the lead, but it never resulted in that.
After taking the lead 16-14 with 7:24 left in the first, following a Jamier Jones alley-oop slam, Seton Hall went on a 9-0 run to take the lead to put Providence at a 16-25 deficit in nearly three minutes. After that, Seton Hall never let their foot off the gas, and Providence trailed 28-35 at halftime.
Within the first few minutes of the second, Providence trailed 36-45 but saw its opponents go scoreless for a stretch. The Friars would take advantage and retake a 46-45 lead. At 9:10 left on the clock, the game went from being a 50-50 tie to the Pirates going on a 9-2 run, causing Providence to trail 52-59 with seven minutes to go.
The Friars would make another comeback, eventually taking a slim, 65-64 lead with 1:53 left. Providence would go on to score only one more time as the Pirates went on a run to end the game.
Providence was led by Stefan Vaaks with 15 points off the bench. He added onto that with 3 rebounds and 2 assists while shooting 5-14 (35.7%) overall, 3-9 (33.3%) from beyond the arc, and 2-2 (100%) from the line.
The Friars shot 19-48 (40%) from the field, 5-23 (22%) from downtown, and 24-30 (80%) from the charity stripe. Despite the loss, Providence was the better team in transition, outscoring the Pirates in points off turnovers (19-12) and fastbreak points (10-4).
11. Marquette Golden Eagles
Last week’s ranking: 11 (-)
Record: 5-8, 0-2
Last week: L vs. Georgetown (69-78), L at Creighton (63-84)
Next week: No games
Quality wins: N/A
Bad losses: N/A
Marquette’s poor season continues, losing both of its conference matchups from this past week.
Against the Hoyas, Marquette had a great first half, until the last four minutes, as their opponents pulled the rug out from under them. With 5:32 left to go, it was a 27-18 lead for the Golden Eagles. The team would only score two more times before ending the half down 33-37.
In the second half, Georgetown took control of the game, and the Golden Eagles were never able to regain the lead. There were times where it was a tight game, like within the first minute of the second when they were down 36-39 after Caedin Hamilton had a three-point play, tipping in a layup before converting the and-one opportunity. Another close moment was with 8:41 left in the game, where Chase Ross converted on a pair of free throws to put Marquette down 55-58.
Marquette was led by Damarius Owens with 15 points and 7 rebounds. He shot 5-11 (45.5%) from the field, a poor 1-4 (25%) from long range, and 4-4 (100%) at the line. The team in its entirety shot 27-64 (42%) from the floor, 7-26 (27%) from downtown, and 8-12 (67%) from the line. They did a great job of attacking the paint, scoring 38 points in the paint. However, they didn’t have a great time defending it, allowing 40 points in the paint from the Hoyas.
Their second matchup against Creighton saw the Golden Eagles take an early 9-2 lead as the defense forced a lot of misses for the Bluejays. Later on, Nigel James Jr. converted a three-pointer with 12:08 left in the first half. Marquette would lose that lead, however, as their opponents would go on a monstrous, 14-0 scoring run to take away the lead. After that, Marquette never got another lead as Creighton would dominate the rest of the game.
Against the Bluejays, Marquette was led by the one-man band in James with 23 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 steals. He was the only Golden Eagles player to score double-digit points in this game. He shot 8-18 (44.4%) overall, 3-6 (50%) from long range, and 4-7 (57.1%) from the charity stripe.
The Golden Eagles shot 22-64 (34%) from the field, 8-24 (33%) from downtown, and 11-20 (55%) at the line. This game, like their previous one, saw Marquette get outscored in the paint, this time 28-34.
The Golden Eagles get the week off to recuperate and plan for their next conference games against a strong Seton Hall Pirates team that is looking to continue their dominant stretch.
Have a wonderful holiday season, everyone. We’ll see you next week for another Big East basketball power rankings.