By: Spencer McCraw

Creighton 

High expectations have surrounded the Bluejays all summer, and Monday was their first opportunity to showcase why they deserve to be ranked inside the top 10. St. Thomas (MN) kept the game close for all of the first half and some of the second. It took a wakeup call of a one-point deficit with 10 minutes left in the home opener for Coach Greg McDermott to turn on the heat and hold the Tommies scoreless for 11 consecutive possessions. Sophomore forward Arthur Kaluma led the way in scoring with 17 points, while South Dakota State transfer Baylor Scheierman notched his first double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. 

Thursday night’s game against North Dakota showed us the Creighton team that we were promised. The Bluejays grabbed 49 rebounds on their way to a 96-61 rout of the Fighting Hawks. 21 of those 49 rebounds were on the offensive end, which prevented North Dakota from never really threatening Creighton throughout. Junior center Ryan Kalkbrenner proved why he is on the early short list for the Naismith award, as he dominated with 24 points and 7 rebounds while going 10 from 11 from the field. The Blue Jays will be back in action Monday night when Holy Cross rolls into Omaha.

Villanova

For the first time in 21 years, the Wildcats have a new captain of their ship. While there’s a new face on the sidelines, the ‘Cats still look like the ‘Cats. With their two best players – senior guard Justin Moore and freshman forward Cam Whitmore – sidelined with injuries, Caleb Daniels stepped up by tallying 24 points on 6 of 7 shooting from beyond the arc – not to mention his 10 rebounds as a guard. Eric Dixon also had a strong performance as a presence down low with 20 points en route to an 81-68 victory over Big 5 rival La Salle. 

The first hiccup of the Kyle Neptune era came Friday night, as the Wildcats dropped a tough loss to Temple, 68-64. Three-point attempts were few and far between for the ‘Cats, who went a meager 2 of 7 from beyond the arc. Villanova’s offense emphasizes bringing the ball down low to get easy buckets and open up shots. Temple’s refusal to double in the post prevented the ‘Cats’ ability to take these shots. Sophomore Jordan Longino looked incredible, creating his own shots and finding the open teammate on many occasions. Longino’s development is coming at the right time in order to take some of the scoring pressure off of Caleb Daniels, while the team awaits the return of Whitmore and Moore. Villanova returns to the Finn to face off against Delaware State on Monday. 

St. John’s

Fret not Red Storm faithful, basketball is back in Queens. The Johnnies battled against Merrimack on Monday and came out on top, 97-72: a strong performance from a team who possesses some high expectations. It was an onslaught of scoring, as the entire starting lineup for St. John’s finished in double figures – including a 21 point, 10 rebound, and four assist performance from DePaul transfer David Jones. There were some downsides, however, as St. John’s turned the ball over 29 times. Look for Big East preseason first-team guard Posh Alexander to limit this trend as an offensive catalyst.

Saturday night was another strong showing for the Red Storm, as they defeated Lafayette 83-68 at home. David Jones continued his hot streak of scoring, as he walked away with 20 points and five rebounds. Head coach Mike Anderson should be proud of the execution from his team, who was able to limit their turnovers this game by committing only ten in the win. One concerning thing for St. John’s is that star guard Posh Alexander only shot the ball three times. I would look to get Alexander more involved in the offense for Tuesday’s game against Connecticut State.  

DePaul

The Blue Devils of the Windy City squared off against Loyola (MD) on Monday. It was the closest game for our first slate of games, but DePaul persevered, winning 72-66. Graduate school transfer Javan Johnson helped push them over the top, as he dominated with 24 points and ten rebounds. Fresh off a hand injury that sidelined him in February, Johnson is looking to contribute in big ways to this team. DePaul held several double digit leads during the game but was unable to capitalize on them. Look for that to be a point of emphasis for coach Tony Stubblefield going forward. 

It was a feverish Friday night for DePaul, as they faced off against in-state opponent Western Illinois and came out victorious, 86-74. Umoja Gibson was dominant against the Leathernecks, as he notched 24 points, eight assists, and two steals while only missing two shots all night. DePaul as a team was on fire, shooting a solid 60% from the field. On the other end of the ball, DePaul was able to limit Western Illinois to 37% from two and 20% from three. The Blue Devils picked up a ten-point lead early in the first half and never looked back. Monday night will be a test for this roster, as they’re set to travel to Minneapolis to square off against Minnesota. 

Butler

The Bulldogs of Butler were back in action Monday night, as they faced the New Orleans Privateers. Butler dominated the game on both sides of the floor, comfortably winning 89-53. They had five players in double figures, including graduate school transfer Manny Bates – an NC State product – pouring in 25 points and snatching 11 rebounds. On the defense end of the ball, Myles Tate and Pierce Thomas each had 3 steals. Surely, most of Butler’s practices this week will be focused on three-point shooting, as they went a meager four of 24 from beyond the arc. Coach Thad Matta has time, though, to iron out the kinks before their next game, as the Bulldogs don’t play again until Monday when they travel to Happy Valley to face the Nittany Lions. 

Marquette

Shaka Smart and his Golden Eagles hosted the Highlanders of Radford on Monday. When the clock hit double zeros, Marquette proved to be victorious, winning a close one, 79-69. Sophomore forward Oso Ighodaro commanded the Golden Eagles, notching 19 points and grabbing seven boards. Coach Smart can be pleased with his team, as they went a respectable 20 of 25 from the free throw line. If they can continue that production, Marquette could hang with the best of them. 

The Golden Eagles were rolling Thursday night, defeating Central Michigan 97-73. It was a total team performance, as Marquette was able to dish out 27 total assists. Sophomore guard Tyler Kolek led that with eight points, five rebounds, and 11 helpers. Much of these passes made their way to David Joplin, who led the Golden Eagles with 23 points off the bench. Shaka and the boys have a tough matchup on Tuesday, as they will travel to Indiana to battle Matt Painter and the Purdue Boilermakers. Keep an eye out for the Oso Ighodaro-Zach Edey matchup down low. 

Xavier 

The Musketeers battled the Morgan State Bears on Monday, prevailing 96-73. Junior guard Colby Jones led the offense by scoring 15 points, dishing out nine assists, and grabbing six rebounds. On the defensive end of the ball, Jones also snatched three steals. The team play was the key for the Musketeers, as they collected 24 assists compared to the Bears’ 11. Defense was a point of emphasis for coach Sean Miller, as Xavier was able to send back ten shots and steal 15 passes. 

Team play was again a strong suit for the Musketeers in their 86-64 victory over Montana, who dished out a total of 23 assists. Coach Miller can also be proud of his team’s inability to turn the ball over – look to their nine turnovers as evidence. Senior forward Zach Freemantle led the way in scoring with 18 points, but seven Xavier players scored at least seven points. This is a team that feeds off one another, and we’ll keep an eye on that when they tip off against Fairfield on Tuesday.  

Georgetown

328. That’s how many days Georgetown University had gone without receiving a win from their basketball program. That all changed on Tuesday when the Hoyas pulled out a 10 point overtime victory against Coppin State. Duquesne transfer Primo Spears led the way with 28 points and six rebounds. It will be interesting to follow the Hoyas this season, especially if their poor performances continue to persist. If things don’t turn around soon, don’t be surprised if their favorite son – Coach Patrick Ewing – is fired before seasons’ end. 

Is Georgetown basketball back? Don’t look now, but the Hoyas are 2-0 and trending in the right direction. Saturday’s game against Green Bay is hopefully a sign of what’s to come from Georgetown, as they dominated in a 92-58 win. The guard play was phenomenal for Coach Ewing, as Primo Spears recorded 21 points and five assists and Brandan Murray contributed 19 and seven. The Hoyas are back in action on Tuesday in a matchup against Northwestern. 

Providence 

The reigning Big East champions picked up right where they left off, winning a surprisingly close game at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center. The Ed Cooley led Friars went down by as much as 15 early on to the Broncs due to Rider’s red hot three point shooting. The Friars failed to capitalize on the frequent fouling by Rider, hitting only 26 of their 43 free throw attempts. When Providence can settle into their stifling defense, they can be hard to stop, but only scrapping out a one-point victory on a banner night is a disappointing result.

The Friars looked much stronger on Saturday in their 89-65 victory over Northeastern. The Huskies took a one point lead two minutes into the second half, but Ed Cooley turned up the heat, refusing to play in another close game. Much improved free throw shooting was a key to success for the Friars, who converted 14 of 19 from the charity stripe. Jared Bynum was back in form, leading the offense with 21 points and nine assists. Kentucky transfer Bryce Hopkins dominated down low with ten points and 11 rebounds. Providence plays again on Tuesday against Stonehill. 

UConn

Defense and depth shined for the Huskies Monday night against the Stonehill Skyhawks, as UConn won convincingly, 85-54. Freshman Donovan Clingan came off the bench and locked down the paint, blocking four shots and grabbing seven boards. Virginia Tech transfer Nahiem Alleyne also provided a spark defensively with four steals and eight points. Big East preseason player of the year – center Adama Sanogo – carried the offense with 19 points and six rebounds.

Head coach Dan Hurley led another dominant performance for the injury-plagued Huskies in an 86-57 win over Boston University. Sanogo proved once again why he’s one of the top players in the nation, as he controlled the game with 27 points and 15 rebounds. UConn’s defense shined, allowing the Terriers only two three-pointers throughout the whole game. The Huskies are back in action on Tuesday, taking on Buffalo at home.

Seton Hall 

Wednesday saw the first game of the Shaheen Holloway era as the head coach at Seton Hall. Fresh off leading St. Peter’s to the Elite Eight of last year’s tournament, Holloway is poised to lead his alma mater to similar heights. Wednesday was a group effort for the Pirates, as they had four players finish in double figures in their 79-52 victory over Monmouth. Freshman Tae Davis came off the bench and quickly provided a spark, adding 11 points and 8 rebounds. 

Coach Holloway faced off against the team he turned into March’s most recent Cinderella story on Saturday night. Holloway and the Pirates came out victorious winning 80-44 over the Peacocks of St. Peter’s. This game was never within reach for the Peacocks, as Seton Hall was able to go up by as much as 42 at one point. Senior guard Al-Amir Dawes led all scorers with 13 points and ten rebounds. The Pirates have a real test on Wednesday, as they will face off against Iowa.

Team of the Week 

G: Primo Spears – Georgetown

G: Umoja Gibson – Depaul 

F: Manny Bates – Butler 

F: David Jones – St Johns

C: Adama Sanogo – UConn

Coach: Sean Miller – Xavier