Big East basketball is continuing to heat up following the first week of December.
Teams are winding down its non-conference games as all eleven Big East squads gear up for conference play.
In the meantime, let's breakdown what we saw this week in the Big East.
1. UConn Huskies (8-1)
This week: 61-56 win at No. 23 Kansas , 83-59 win vs. East Texas A&M
The Huskies kept things rolling this week with a big road win over Kansas, followed by an easy home victory against East Texas A&M.
Freshman big man Eric Reibe shined while filling in for Tarris Reed Jr., who remains game-to-game with an ankle injury. Reibe was a key factor against Kansas, putting up 12 points, eight rebounds, and two blocks.
Fellow freshman Braylon Mullins was also a major contributor, scoring 17 points in just 22 minutes against Kansas.
UConn’s loaded non-conference schedule will come to a dramatic close this week. Dan Hurley and company will travel to Madison Square Garden on Tuesday to take on the defending national champion Florida Gators.
Then, on Friday night, the Texas Longhorns come to town with head coach Sean Miller looking for some revenge on the Big East.
2. Seton Hall Pirates (9-1)
This week: 77-61 win vs. Central Connecticut St., 78-67 win at Kansas State
Seton Hall stays scorching hot with two more wins this week. The team projected to finish last in the conference has won nine of its first ten games.
Junior guard Adam Clark led the way in the first matchup against CCSU, dishing out a season-high 12 assists. Clark has been the floor general for this Pirate offense, averaging 5.4 assists per game.
Despite a brutal shooting performance as a team against Kansas State, the Pirates forced 16 turnovers and managed to escape with a win. Seniors AJ Staton-McCray and Elijah Fisher each posted 16 points and two steals in the road victory.
Seton Hall will face Rutgers in its lone game this upcoming week. With a win, the Pirates would enter conference play at 10–1. A position that nobody expected to see them in come mid-December.
3. St. John's Red Storm (5-3)
This week: 63-58 win vs. Ole Miss
St. John’s squeaked by Ole Miss at Madison Square Garden in their only game of the week.
The Red Storm offense was putrid all night, shooting just 34-percent from the field and 18.2-percent from beyond the arc. The half-court offense was completely inept and essentially nonexistent throughout the game.
Rick Pitino’s decision not to add a true point guard to this roster may prove to be their Achilles’ heel all season.
Defensively, it was a different story. The Johnnies forced 20 turnovers and recorded 10 blocks as a team. Senior center Zuby Ejiofor delivered a dominant performance with 15 points, nine rebounds, three steals, and an incredible eight blocks.
Simply put, St. John’s has to start playing better basketball. They currently hold a high ranking in the conference based purely on the talent of this roster, but if their results don’t start to improve they’ll plummet.
The Red Storm will host Iona next weekend as they look to sharpen their offensive attack.
4. Villanova Wildcats (7-1)
This week: 74-56 win vs. Temple, 90-63 win vs. Pennsylvania (Philadelphia)
The Wildcats are white hot. Seven straight wins warrant a leap in this week's rankings, as they handled both Temple and Penn in blowout fashion.
Scoring was spread out in both games, as it has been all season. Villanova currently has five players averaging double figures, with sophomore Bryce Lindsay leading the way at 18.1 points per game while shooting an elite 49.1 percent from downtown.
Their biggest test yet awaits this week as the Wildcats will face arguably the best team in the country — Michigan — on the road, before rounding out the week with a very winnable matchup against Pitt.
5. Butler Bulldogs (7-2)
This week: 77-68 loss vs. Boise State
Butler slips a few spots after losing to Boise State team this week. They won’t be penalized too heavily, despite a home loss to a squad projected to finish near the top of the Mountain West.
Senior Michael Ajayi continues to look primed for an All–Big East selection this season. He led the way with 16 points and eight rebounds against Boise State.
It was a rare rough shooting night for the Bulldogs, who went just 4-for-18 from beyond the arc. Butler has shot 39.4-percent from three as a team so far, ranking 24th in the country.
Butler will host Providence next weekend, with the matchup officially kicking off Big East conference play. The Bulldogs will look to secure a win to keep their early-season momentum rolling.
6. Providence Friars (6-4)
This week: 94-64 win vs. FDU, 90-71 win vs. Rhode Island
Providence jumps back up to number six following a strong week that featured two dominant wins.
The Friars led wire-to-wire against FDU and later rallied from an early 12-point deficit versus Rhode Island.
Elite three-point shooting was on full display in both matchups — 55.6 percent against FDU and 48.3 percent in the latter game.
Freshman sharpshooter Stefan Vaaks was at the forefront of the barrage, drilling five threes against Rhode Island. Meanwhile, senior Jason Edwards continued his strong start to the season, pouring in 24 points in the win over FDU.
As previously mentioned, Providence will travel to face Butler this upcoming week as conference play begins. The Friars are playing their best basketball of the season at just the right time.
7. Georgetown Hoyas (6-3)
This week: 90-81 win vs. UMBC, 81-61 loss at No. 16 North Carolina
It was not a great week for Georgetown, who let UMBC get far too close for comfort and were then handled by North Carolina in Chapel Hill.
The Hoyas have been outrebounded in every game since losing center Vince Iwuchukwu to injury a few weeks ago. North Carolina controlled the boards and held Georgetown to just 33.3-percent shooting in the 20-point loss.
Junior guard KJ Lewis continues to shine and will be a strong candidate for an All–Big East selection this season. He posted 17 points in both games this week.
Losers of three of their last four, Georgetown no longer looks as strong as they did just a few weeks ago. Head coach Ed Cooley clearly has adjustments to make if the Hoyas want to get back on track before Big East play begins.
8. Xavier Musketeers (7-3)
This week: 96-74 win vs. St. Francis, 79-74 win vs. Cincinnati
It was an outstanding week for Xavier, who have now won four straight. The Musketeers secured the first statement win of the Richard Pitino era with a victory over Cincinnati.
Senior Roddie Anderson III led the way in the wire-to-wire win against St. Francis, scoring 28 points on 5-of-9 shooting from beyond the arc. Fellow senior Tre Carroll outdid him with 30 points and seven rebounds in the Cincinnati win.
Though it’s still early in his tenure, Richard Pitino has navigated some growing pains with this Xavier team in his first year. This squad is shaping up to be competitive against the tougher teams in the conference this season.
Xavier will close out their non-conference schedule this upcoming week when they host Missouri State.
9. Creighton Bluejays (5-4)
This week: 96-76 win vs Nicholls, 71-50 loss at Nebraska
Creighton drops all the way to number nine this week after a steady win over Nicholls was followed by a 50-point outing in which they never led against Nebraska.
The Blue Jays have now lost four of their last five games after starting the season 3–1. Offensive struggles hit a new low against Nebraska, as the season-long trend of poor shooting and minimal playmaking continued.
Creighton will host Kansas State next weekend in a key matchup. While it’s only December, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call this game a must-win for the Blue Jays.
10. Marquette Golden Eagles (5-5)
This week: 75-72 win vs. Valparaiso, 96-76 loss at Wisconsin
Marquette needed overtime to escape with a win against Valparaiso at home, a result that alone signals trouble. They followed it up by getting waxed at Wisconsin.
This team is in serious trouble. Results like these are not what one would expect from a program that has been consistently successful over this decade. The drop-off in talent on this roster compared to previous years is stark.
The Golden Eagles will finish their non-conference schedule next week against the powerhouse Purdue Boilermakers, and they look poised to limp into conference play with a losing record.
11. DePaul Blue Demons (6-3)
This week: 76-72 win vs. Arkansas Pine Bluff
It's another week in the cellar for DePaul, who narrowly escaped with a win at home against one of the worst teams in the country. The Blue Demons missed a staggering twelve free throws as a team despite the victory.
Senior NJ Benson had his best game of the season so far, scoring 26 points on highly efficient shooting.
DePaul is not a great team, but they are certainly better than this week’s results suggest.
They will close out their non-conference schedule this upcoming week, hosting Morgan State on Tuesday before traveling to face Wichita State on Saturday.