College Basketball Mid-Season Report Card: The Big East
Photo by Porter Brinks
The Big East is always mentioned as one of the best college basketball conferences in the nation, and this year is no exception.
A conference hosting three of the last seven national champions, there are no “easy” games in this league. Now mid-way through the season, there have been plenty of surprises, disappointments, and thrilling storylines to follow.
From Rick Pitino trying to bring St. John’s back to its glory days to DePaul’s lackluster season, let’s take a look at how every team has fared so far in the Big East’s mid-season report card.
Butler Bulldogs
Photo by Morry Gash
There are a lot of new faces in Indianapolis, but Thad Matta has made great progress from last season’s team.
Butler have been competitive and have some good quad-1 wins this season, which was not at all expected from them this season. This has definitely been a surprise year for the Bulldogs and after a recent upset of Marquette, they continue to knock on the door of a March appearance.
Butler still has plenty to play for as many bracketologists have them as a bubble team but many would already label this season a success. The trio of Posh Alexander, DJ Davis, and Pierre Brooks has been outstanding and they will play a huge part in how far this team can go.
Final Grade: C+
UCONN Huskies
Photo by Aaron Doster
The college basketball world hasn’t seen back-to-back champions since 2007, but UCONN are certainly making their case to win a second consecutive title.
Last year we saw the Huskies dominate every team that was not a member of the Big East Conference, and that trend has continued this season. They have already beaten the likes of Indiana, Texas, North Carolina, and Gonzaga by double-digits in their non-conference schedule. Their one loss in non-conference play came at Allen Fieldhouse against a quality Kansas team in a 4-point loss.
For the most part, it was smooth sailing for Connecticut until they had to visit Seton Hall at the Prudential Center, a venue which they haven’t won in since 2021. Last season, we witnessed UCONN struggle in Big East play and already after one game in conference play, they picked up their second loss of the season. The Pirates won 75-60, delivering a loss they haven’t experienced in quite some time. Projected lottery pick Donovan Clingan, also went down with an injury in this game, but that is no excuse for a program of this caliber.
All things considered, UCONN boasts a record of 15-2 and are currently tied for 1st in the Big East with the Hall. They understandably lost to Kansas, and though they got embarrassed by Seton Hall, they have not had another disappointing performance since. Tristen Newton, Alex Karaban, and Cam Spencer have been playing remarkably well, and Stephon Castle is in contention for Big East Freshman of the Year. With Clingan still yet to return from his injury, it feels like UCONN are yet to reach their peak. That is scary to think about for a team that is currently ranked number one in the country 11 weeks into the season.
Final Grade: A
Creighton Bluejays
Photo by Steven Branscombe
Creighton boasted one of the best starting five in the country last year, and though they lost two key pieces from a team that was one possession away from a final four, they return a core of Trey Alexander, Ryan Kalkbrenner, and Baylor Scheierman, all of which were selected for a Pre-Season All-Big East Team.
Bluejay fans may not be happy with the way they have started Big East play but with the exception of a 15 loss to UNLV, all of their losses have come to respectable opponents. Creighton posses a really good team with a high-powered offense that always keeps them competitive. Head Coach Greg McDermott still has work to do, but after starting 0-2 in Big East play, they have won four straight and are looking to contend for a Big East Title.
Photo by Jamie Rhodes
Trey Alexander is looking like a solid prospect in this year’s draft, and Ryan Kalkbrenner, as usual, is looking for yet another defensive player of the year award. Steven Ashworth has been playing well since transferring from Utah State, and Baylor Scheierman has been great in his 2nd season with the program. There may have been one or two games where Creighton felt they should have won, but they still have the potential to be one of the top teams in the country and make another run come March. They will have a great opportunity to make headlines when they visit number one UCONN Wednesday night.
Final Grade: B+
DePaul Blue Demons
Photo by Charles Rex Arbogast
It’s been a very ugly season for DePaul, and they currently own only three wins on the season, a disappointing mark for a “Power Conference” team.
DePaul hasn’t been one of the better teams in the Big East over the past few seasons, but hopefully it doesn’t get any worse than this. They have lost multiple games to low and mid-majors in non-conference play and didn’t really have much going for them. As for Big East play, with the exception of a loss to a struggling Georgetown team, they haven’t even been competitive in games with an average losing margin of 23.8 points and are still looking for their first win.
Last season, DePaul won a total of 10 games and finished 10th in the Big East, only ahead of Georgetown. Realistically speaking they may not even get half of that this season. If last season was a failure, I’m not sure what this season will be labeled as. For DePaul’s sake hopefully this season ends rather quickly.
Final Grade: F
Georgetown Hoyas
Photo by Craig Hudson
Similar to DePaul, the Hoyas haven’t been relevant in quite some time, but new Coach Ed Cooley seems to have given this program hope.
It hasn’t been a great season for Georgetown by any means, but by comparison, fans know it definitely could have been worse. After a transfer overhaul in D.C., lead by Illinois transfer Jayden Epps, Ed Cooley has managed to already pick up more than half the wins this program has managed in the last two seasons.
Though Georgetown aren’t really playing for much at this point, there is still more than half their conference schedule still left to be played and it’s pretty much just one game at a time for this program.
In case Hoya fans are still looking for something to be confident in, Georgetown are currently bringing the best recruiting class in the Big East next year, a tall order for a loaded conference. Only time will tell if Georgetown even comes close to their glory days, but they are currently taking a big step in the right direction.
Final Grade: D
Marquette Golden Eagles
Photo by Mark Hoffmann
The Golden Eagles were picked to finish 9th in last season’s Big East Pre-Season Poll, which was a huge mistake, but were favorites to win the conference again this season.
The reigning Big East Conference and Tournament Champions, led by Tyler Kolek, have had some highs and some lows this season but have some catching up to do in the Big East. Marquette has a quality team which currently own quad-1 wins over Illinois, Kansas, and Texas over non-conference play but already equaled their loss tally from last year in Big East play with three loses to Providence, Seton Hall, and Butler.
Photo by Adam Cairns
After six games the Golden Eagles sit in 6th place. With injuries to Chase Ross and Sean Jones, life won’t get much easier as their supporting cast has now been depleted. Marquette dropped six spots in the latest AP Poll but a recent win over Villanova will surely give them the momentum they need to get back on the right track.
Final Grade: B
Providence Friars
Photo by Robert Goddin
Providence was ranked as high as 23rd in the nation under Kim English in his first season as head coach, but Bryce Hopkins season ending injury has already left a big whole in the team.
Even with the emergence of Devin Carter, Providence are a completely different team without their main man Bryce Hopkins. By the end of the season, the biggest question could end up being “What if Bryce Hopkins never got injured?” The Friars started conference play 2-0 including a stunning win over Marquette, but have since lost four straight. If this trend continues and if they don’t pick up any more quality wins throughout the remainder of the season, their post-season hopes could also be in danger.
Photo by Eric Canha
There is still plenty of quality left in this team but the Friars biggest task right now is learning how to play without Hopkins. Carter has been great, but he needs help to get the team back on track. If they can’t get it together to close out the season, things could get ugly fast.
Final Grade: B (For Now)
St. John’s Red Storm
Photo by Joe Robbins
The hiring of Rick Pitino has brought plenty of media attention to New York’s team, but after a sloppy start to the season, things seem to be picking up at the right time.
The Red Storm started 4-1 in conference play for the first time in a long time, and currently stand at 4-2 after a disappointing loss to Creighton. But the Johnnies could be in for a serious push for Big East Conference Champions down the stretch of the season, only being one game back from first place.
Photo by Wendell Cruz
This is a completely different team than last season with the only notable returning player being Joel Soriano. In just a short time, St. John’s have built great chemistry with one another. They are experienced, skilled, deep, and when you combine that with a Hall of Fame head coach, this becomes a team that no one wants to play come March. The one thing that St. John’s is still lacking, is one big time win, but there are more than enough opportunities to get one in this conference.
Final Grade: B+
Seton Hall Pirates
Photo by Robert Goddin
What a turnaround it has been for the Pirates as second year head coach Shaheen Holloway continues to shock the country with quality wins.
In short, Seton Hall’s non-conference performance was not very good, even though they did play quality opponents. They didn’t pick up any quad-1 wins and there was little to no hope at a shot of making the NCAA tournament. Now mid-January, the pirates are currently in the NCAA tournament conversation and have made noise towards cracking into the AP Top 25 Poll. After an astonishing 15-point victory over UCONN on December 20th, they have only lost one game and have wins over three ranked opponents. Not to mention they are 5-1 in Big East play, tied for first with the Huskies.
Much of this success has been because of point guard Kadary Richmond, who is making a serious push for Big East Player of the Year after not receiving any Pre-Season Award Honors this season. This team is experienced and has a coach who knows how to make national headlines. Can the Pirates make a serious push for a Big East Conference Title? This is by far the most surprising team in the Big East this year and their progress has almost made their non-conference performance a distant memory.
Final Grade: A
Villanova Wildcats
Photo by Kyle Ross
Villanova had a very concerning non-conference performance but seemed to find some consistency through their experienced veterans with time.
The Wildcats have victories over quad-1 opponents including Texas Tech, Memphis, and North Carolina, but then disappointed fans in losses to Penn, St. Joe’s, and Drexel which questioned how good this team really is.
Nova brought in some solid pieces through the transfer portal with the likes of Tyler Burton, Lance Ware, TJ Bamba, and Hakim Hart to add to an already experienced team which includes Eric Dixon and Justin Moore. They have been ranked already this season but haven’t been in the top 25 since the fifth week of the season. But after six games in the Big East, they are only one game back from first place and host a huge meeting with UCONN Saturday. This game will be a good measurement of where Villanova stands.
Final Grade: B
Xavier Musketeers
Photo by Dylan Buell
This would have been a quality team had the injury bug not deflated the Musketeers frontcourt.
Before the season even started, Xavier’s starting bigs were already diminished as both Zach Freemantle and Jerome Hunter were ruled out for the season with injuries. It hasn’t been the worst of seasons for Xavier so far but playing with big men of higher quality could have helped this team pick up more victories on the season.
There is still plenty of basketball left to play and guard Quincy Olivari is playing phenomenal, but they are currently 2-3 in the Big East with the hardest stretch of their schedule still left to be played. Sophomore, Desmond Claude has also been a bright spot for them this season. Xavier still has work to do if they want to make a post-season appearance.
Final Grade: C
