By: Spencer McCraw

It’s been a wild year in the Big East. There have been six teams ranked in the top-25 and right now they have four – the second most of any league in the country. Let’s see how all of the teams stack up against each other. 

Tier 1:

Xavier

Is there a better, more balanced starting five in the country? The front court is held down by Zach Freemantle and Jack Nunge, both of whom average 14 points and eight rebounds. In the back court, Sean Miller has Colby Jones (14.3 ppg, 5.0 rpg, and 5.2 apg) and Big East Player of the Year candidate Souley Boum (16.6 ppg and 5.1 apg).

All of this together – along with Adam Kunkel off the bench – have allowed the Musketeers to possess the seventh-best offense according to KenPom. 

Sitting at no. 13 in the country, Sean Miller – a potential Coach of the Year candidate – is looking to lead his team far. Sure, they lost by one to DePaul, but this loss will help them in the long run. Their next three games are going to be a big test, as they face off against UConn, Creighton, and Providence.

If they can come away with two or even three wins during this stretch, they will be poised to make a deep run into March. 

Marquette

When Shaka Smart wins, we all win – and boy has he been winning. Sitting at 16-5 and boasting the no. 16 team in the land, the Golden Eagles are looking to make a big splash in postseason play. While they have won a lot of great games – including over UConn and Providence – the most impressive part may be that their biggest loss has only been by five points. As it sits now, the Golden Eagles have the top offense in the country, according to KenPom. 

Outside of their starting five, though, there are some serious holes with this team.

Shaka has coached his team well, as they don’t often find themselves in foul trouble. If they continue to play smart with the basketball and operate their offense well, there will not be many teams that can beat this team. Their only contest this week is against DePaul on Saturday. 

Providence 

For the second straight year, Ed Cooley has positioned himself as one of the top Coach of the Year candidates. This year, he has fully bought into the idea of the transfer portal – landing three of the nation’s top transfers in Bryce Hopkins, Devin Carter, and Noah Locke from Kentucky, South Carolina, and Louisville, respectively.

These three have been pivotal for this year’s Friars squad, as they have one of the best resumes in the Big East. 

This team has shown that they can compete with anyone in the conference, and they are looking to ride this high all the way into March. Look to see if no. 24 Providence can keep it rolling when they face off against Butler and Villanova this week. 

Tier 2:

UConn

Has there been a harder course correction this season than what has happened with the Huskies in the last three weeks? After starting the season 14-0, no. 19 UConn now sits at 16-5. I was very bullish on UConn in their out-of-conference play. In conference, though, they have been exposed.

No longer are they able to just beat the will to live out of their opponents. In-conference rivals have refused to give up – which is not what they were not prepared to face. A dominant game against Butler is hopefully a sign that they have gained their confidence back.

I think that this stretch of losses has come at a great time for the Huskies. They can take some time to breathe and regroup. Finish the season strong and head into the Big East Tournament playing your best basketball of the season. You never want to peak too early, and I believe that UConn has avoided that.

January 25th will be a massive test for them, as they host no. 13 Xavier. 

Creighton

What’d I say? Don’t count out a Greg McDermott coached Bluejays team. After starting 6-6, Creighton has fully turned around their season now that they are fully healthy. Their two losses after that were close losses to UConn and Xavier. Since their disappointing start while Kalkbrenner  was injured, the public has seemingly forgotten about Creighton. That is not smart.

I am sure that Coach McDermott is loving the lesser attention being brought to his team, as he knows that when they make the tournament, they will be a SCARY seven seed, poised to make a deep run. 

Tier 3:

Seton Hall

In his first season as the head coach of the Pirates, Shaheen Holloway has his team trending in the right direction. A one-point victory over UConn has them sitting as a bubble team right now for the tournament.

They have an easy stretch of games coming up, and if they are able to continue to win these games, win the ones against the top teams, and play well in the Big East Tournament, then they could break through that bubble. 

Villanova 

Are the ‘Cats one of the most disappointing teams in the country? Absolutely. After starting the seasons as the preseason no. 16, they now sit at 10-10 with some very questionable losses. They are coming off an easier stretch of games and finished 3-3 during it. Their next several games are going to be a big test for if they are able to make the tournament.

If they are going to play into the postseason, they need to steal some of these games against the top competition in the conference. The panic button should be fully pressed as they prepare for the end of the year.

Every game from here on out is a must win. 

St John’s

This season has been such a mixed bag for the Red Storm. For one, they started off 11-1 behind the monstrous play of big man Joel Soriano. After that, though, they have gone 2-6 in large part due to the disappointing play of Illinois transfer Andre Curbelo and Big East preseason first-teamer Posh Alexander.

Let’s see if Mike Anderson is able to find some consistency in his players. 

Tier 4:

Butler 

Injuries have derailed the first season for head coach Thad Matta. They have been a punching bag for the top teams as of late. 

DePaul

Great wins over Xavier and Villanova boost them up a tier. Still a very bad basketball team, though.

Tier 5:

Georgetown

Much like in the 80s – thanks to Patrick Ewing – the Hoyas are in a league of their own.