Feast week is officially in the books for Big East basketball teams with a mixed bag of results.
Let’s break down each team's performance with conference play now on the horizon.
1. UConn Huskies (6-1)
This week: 74-61 win vs. No. 13 Illinois (New York)
UConn stays on top of the power rankings and the Huskies look untouchable right now after handling No. 13 Illinois this week inside the World’s Most Famous Arena.
The Huskies went wire-to-wire against the Illini as Solo Ball led the scoring with 15 points and Dayton transfer Malachi Smith dished out nine assists.
Starting center Tarris Reed Jr., who had missed the previous two games, returned for the Huskies and quickly found himself in foul trouble, only playing 14 minutes.
UConn looks as formidable as ever at 6-1. The depth this team possesses is reminiscent of the 2023 and 2024 National Championship squads.
The Huskies will head into battle at one of the most hostile road venues in the country this week against the Kansas Jayhawks.
2. Butler Bulldogs (6-1)
This week: 94-69 win vs. Wright State
Butler rode the momentum of its Feast Week tournament win into a dominant victory over Wright State.
Michael Ajayi and Finley Bizjack each scored 20 points in the win.
The Bulldogs are hot and deserve their high ranking this week. The upcoming stretch is massive in determining whether Butler is legit with two home games against Eastern Michigan and Boise State before its first conference matchup the following week.
Thad Matta will need to have his team polished and ready to go with league play right around the corner.
3. St. John's Red Storm (4-3)
This week: 83-82 loss vs. No. 155 Iowa State (Las Vegas), 96-81 win vs. Baylor (Las Vegas), 85-74 loss vs. No. 21 Auburn (Las Vegas)
St. John’s entered Las Vegas with high expectations and left disappointed. The key factor in all three games was the lack of rebounding and Rick Pitino was very vocal about his team’s reluctance to crash the boards.
The one-point loss to Iowa State was respectable and Baylor was a solid wire-to-wire win, but issues arose against No. 21 Auburn, where the Red Storm took a nine-point lead into halftime and coughed it up in the final twenty minutes.
Rebounding, as mentioned, was a major issue, and the team shot just 28-percent from beyond the arc.
Similar to the Alabama loss earlier this month, Zuby Ejiofor was the only constant. The preseason narrative of Ejiofor's dominance with questions about his supporting cast has quickly proven accurate.
Pitino is still searching for his lead guard among the likes of Ian Jackson, Dylan Darling, and Oziyah Sellers.
All three of St. John’s losses have come against ranked opponents. This team will be competitive in conference play, but it remains to be seen whether the preseason National Championship aspirations are anywhere close to realistic.
4. Seton Hall Pirates (7-1)
This week: 85-74 win vs. No. 23 NC State (Maui), 83-81 loss vs. USC (Maui), 75-61 win vs. Washington State (Maui)
Seton Hall found themselves seated at the adult table this Thanksgiving after a major upset win over No. 23 NC State.
The Pirates rounded out the week with a narrow loss to an undefeated USC team and a solid win over Washington State.
Miami transfer AJ Staton-McCray was huge in the upset over NC State, dropping 22 points and collecting eight rebounds. Last week, I noted that the Pirates could struggle with the Wolfpack’s high-octane offense, but that proved not to be an issue, as they held NC State to a season-low 74 points.
For a team that was picked to finish last in the conference, the Pirates have been impressive so far. With several teams below them floundering, Seton Hall could find themselves right in the middle of the pack in the Big East.
5. Creighton Blue Jays (4-3)
This week: 81-74 loss vs. Baylor (Las Vegas), 78-60 loss vs. Iowa State (Las Vegas), 76-66 win vs. Oregon (Las Vegas)
Just like St. John’s, Creighton walked out of the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas with a 1–2 record, losing to Baylor and No.15 Iowa State before beating Oregon.
This team simply does not look as strong as it has in years past. There is a noticeable decline in the overall talent level on this roster compared to what Creighton has fielded this decade.
This is not to say they’re a bad team—they aren’t—but they are clearly not as formidable as they once were.
The Bluejays have struggled mightily against above-average competition all season. Fortunately for them, they will soon return to more familiar conference play.
6. Georgetown Hoyas (5-2)
This week: 84-79 loss (OT) vs. Dayton (Florida), 78-65 loss vs. Miami (Florida)
Georgetown falls to number six in this week's rankings after going 0–2 in Florida, losing to Dayton and Miami.
The Hoyas found themselves down by as much as 15 points against Dayton before clawing back and forcing overtime, where they struggled to maintain momentum. They then proceeded to get beaten up by Miami in the second game of its back-to-back.
Like seemingly every other team in this conference, three-point shooting is an issue. The Hoyas are shooting just 28.4-percent from beyond the arc through their first seven games.
Their 5–0 start shouldn’t be dismissed despite a tough weekend.
A huge week awaits as Georgetown will host UMBC on Wednesday and then travel to Chapel Hill to take on the North Carolina Tar Heels on Sunday afternoon.
7. Villanova Wildcats (5-1)
This week: 89-75 win vs. Old Dominion
Villanova had a quiet week, hosting Old Dominion and securing a win on Tuesday.
Junior guard Tyler Perkins had his best game of the season scoring 21 points and grabbing seven rebounds. Meanwhile, freshman Acaden Lewis continued to impress, racking up 20 points and four assists.
Another single-game week is on tap for the Wildcats, as they will host Temple on Monday night.
8. Providence Friars (4-4)
This week: 104-83 loss vs. Wisconsin (San Diego), 90-78 loss vs. No. 10 Florida (San Diego)
Kim English and Providence faced extremely steep competition this week against Wisconsin and Florida in San Diego. The most the Friars led in either game was a single point, three and a half minutes into the matchup with Florida.
The competition was undoubtedly tough, but Providence was walked down by both teams. Defense continues to be a major issue as Florida became the fourth different team to score 90 or more points against the Friars through its first eight games.
Similar to nearly every team in this conference except UConn, Providence has wilted when faced with real, legitimate competition.
There is still plenty of talent on this roster that can allow the Friars will compete in the Big East, but they have to prove it on the court first.
9. Marquette Golden Eagles (4-4)
This week: 75-74 loss vs. Oklahoma (Chicago)
Marquette led by as much as 13 points before eventually suffering a one-point loss in its only game this week against Oklahoma.
Senior Chase Ross continued to shine with 21 points and five rebounds along with his steady perimeter defense. Freshman Nigel James Jr. broke out with 20 points and four assists in the loss.
If there is a silver lining in another disappointing result for the Golden Eagles, it’s James Jr., who could emerge as a solid second option behind Ross.
Unlike Creighton or Providence, this team does not have the same talent upside despite its struggles.
It’s hard to envision a squad with such little experience making a real push this year, and that reality has shown in their early-season results.
10. Xavier Musketeers (5-3)
This week: 88-67 win vs. Texas A&M CC
Xavier did not do anything wrong this week to drop a spot in the rankings; it was more a reflection of what the teams ahead of them accomplished. The Musketeers handled Texas A&M–CC behind Jovan Milicevic’s 14 points.
Xavier played well, except at the free-throw line going just 14-of-24 as a team. In a game like this, it’s harmless, but in a few weeks against tougher competition, it could make all the difference.
Richard Pitino will continue to build this program from the ground up as the season progresses, looking to steal some wins here and there during conference play.
11. DePaul Blue Demons (5-3)
This week: 75-61 win vs. Georgia Tech (Destin), 96-63 loss vs. LSU (Destin)
DePaul picked up a power-conference win against Georgia Tech this week before getting routed by undefeated LSU.
Junior guard Layden Blocker shot 5-of-9 from the field en route to 18 points against Georgia Tech, adding four assists. The Blue Demons played strong defense, holding the Yellow Jackets to just 61 points and 2-of-18 shooting from beyond the arc.
The LSU game was a different story, though it was an expected result for a team like DePaul facing the Tigers.
The Blue Demons will host 0–8 Arkansas–Pine Bluff in their lone game this upcoming week.