Big East Tournament 2020: Bracket, TV Schedule, Dates and Predictions
Mar 7, 2020
Seton Hall's Myles Powell (13) shoots against Creighton's Ty-Shon Alexander (5) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Omaha, Neb., Saturday, March 7, 2020. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)
Seton Hall seemed to have an outright Big East championship and No. 1 seed in the conference tournament all wrapped up.
Things fell apart rather quickly, though, as the Pirates lost to No. 14 Villanova at home Wednesday. It was by no means a horrible defeat in isolation, but Seton Hall was roundly thumped 77-60 by No. 11 Creighton on Saturday, creating a three-way tie for the Big East regular-season title and dropping the Pirates to the No. 3 seed in the conference tournament.
The Bluejays, who have been a trendy Final Four pick of recent, did nothing to stop those prognostications with its dominant performance. But Jay Wright's Villanova squad will undoubtedly have something to say about who walks out of Madison Square Garden with the title Saturday night.
The full tournament bracket is available on the NCAA website.
2020 Big East Tournament seeding
1. Creighton
2. Villanova
3. Seton Hall
4. Providence
5. Butler
6. Marquette
7. Xavier
8. Georgetown
9. St. John's
10. DePaul
2020 Big East Tournament Schedule
1st Round: Wed., March 11
Game 1: No. 8 Georgetown vs. No. 9 St. John's | 7 p.m. | FS1
Game 2: No. 7 Xavier vs. No. 10 DePaul | 9:30 p.m. | FS1
Quarterfinals: Thurs., March 12
Game 3: No. 1 seed vs. Game 1 winner | Noon | FS1
Game 4: No. 4 seed vs. No. 5 seed | 2:30 p.m. | FS1
Game 5: No. 2 seed vs. Game 2 winner | 7 p.m. | FS1
Game 6: No. 3 seed vs. No. 6 seed | 9:30 p.m. | FS1
Semifinals: Fri., March 13
Game 7: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner | 6:30 p.m. | FS1
Game 8: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner | 9 p.m. | FS1
Championship: Sat., March 14
Game 9: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner | 6:30 p.m. | FOX
Note: All times ET.
Predictions
Seton Hall Regains Its Form at MSG
If there's any Big East team that gets a home-court advantage at Madison Square Garden on par with St. John's, it's Seton Hall.
Combine that with All-American Myles Powell and a team motivated to right its ship after a bad week, and the Pirates make for a scary matchup, especially for Villanova and Creighton, the two teams they most recently lost to.
A Bottom-5 Seed Will Make the Semifinals
While most eyes will be on the top seeds—and their NCAA men's basketball tournament resumes—danger awaits with teams like Marquette, Xavier and Georgetown, who are either attempting to strengthen their cases or win the tournament to get an automatic bid.
For the Hoyas, the Big Dance seemed a likelihood until a six-game losing streak to end the regular season derailed any chances of an at-large bid. They won at Creighton in mid-January and Butler in mid-February and have been very competitive with Xavier and Seton Hall. Don't expect Georgetown to become Cinderella anytime soon, but it's not unthinkable that Patrick Ewing's squad could steal a few wins in the Big Apple.
Marquette seems to be a lock for the NCAA tournament despite its sub-.500 conference record, while most bracket analysts have Xavier squarely on the bubble. A surprise trip deep into the weekend would undoubtedly lock them in, but a first-round exit would spell doom for the Musketeers.
WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 19: Mac McClung #2 of the Georgetown Hoyas takes a foul shot during a college basketball game against the Georgetown Hoyas at the Capital One Arena on February 19, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
It's 2012, eight years before her son's college team was thrown into turmoil and a desperate fanbase questioned whether he could be the one to return the program to glory. Lenoir McClung had just signed her seventh grade son, Mac, up for a youth basketball league in rural Gate City, Virginia. Mac wasn't particularly passionate about basketball—he was a football player, in fact—but hoops was one more way to keep the energetic boy busy and out of the house. At first, there were no presumptions of windmill dunks, buzzer-beating threes or state scoring records. There were no expectations of viral fame. Hell, the boy wouldn't join Instagram for another three years.
But there was a love of competition he learned at home. His older sister, Anna, a soccer player who would become the nation's No. 3 recruit, would soon be a star at Tennessee. His father, Marcus, was a former linebacker at Virginia Tech. The three battled constantly, to see who could eat their food faster, who could race home from school first and who could complete the most reps in the basement gym that Marcus built at home for Anna. Mac became so obsessed with the Vertimax, a contraption that uses resistance to improve explosiveness and vertical leap, that Marcus had to ban him from the gym so that his then-high school-aged sister could focus.
He started little league football in the fifth grade, hoping to follow in his dad's footsteps. Soon, though, that borderline obsessive competitiveness manifested itself in basketball.
"I eventually fell in love with basketball, but it isn't basketball itself that makes me so competitive," McClung says. "No matter what it is, I want to win. Basketball just happens to be the sport that stuck."
In hindsight, that should have come as no surprise.
By the end of ninth grade, McClung had grown to 5'10" and had given up football. He began training with Greg Ervin, the former head basketball coach at Gate City High School and father of his best friend, Zac. With Ervin's help, his shooting form improved, and dreams of NBA stardom occupied his mind, much in the way they do every high school player with a jump shot. Marcus, a former teacher and Scott County attorney who now works as a juvenile domestic relations court judge in the region, trained the Gate City basketball team in strength and conditioning. The collective focus began to pay off.
McClung played well enough to be named Southwest Virginia Boys' Basketball Player of the Year by the Bristol Herald Courier after his junior season. Ranked a 3-star recruit, he got offers from Rutgers, La Salle, Wofford, ETSU and Marshall before deciding on the Scarlet Knights. Later in the spring, though, he breached a new echelon of hops—one that would change his life.
Zac Ervin, a freshman guard at Elon and McClung's high school and AAU teammate, remembered the moment.
"He started jumping really well kind of out of nowhere that summer," Ervin says. Playing in an Adidas circuit tournament with Team Loaded VA in Hampton, Virginia, McClung caught a pass on a fast break, took one dribble and launched off two feet into a powerful windmill dunk. The original YouTube video generated hundreds of thousands of views. Two more videos of McClung's dunks, posted in January 2018, did 1.2 million YouTube views apiece within two months. His Instagram—once home to teenage buddy portraits and a James Bond-esque prom shot—blew up, racking up more than 400,000 followers by the time his senior season rolled around. He's now at around 714,000.
Suddenly, McClung became the poster boy for social media's new-age viral dunking craze. No gym that he stepped foot in was safe from an onslaught of video crews and amateur iPhone cameramen hoping to capture his next aerial pursuit. In a matter of weeks that summer in 2017, he went from a small-town hoops hero to a nationally relevant prospect being documented on every platform imaginable.
Meanwhile, playing for a Team Loaded squad with 10 future D-I players, including David McCormack (Kansas), Rasir Bolton (Iowa State), Michael Wynn (Wake Forest), Ricky Lindo Jr. (Maryland) and Armando Bacot (North Carolina), McClung was trying to adjust to playing with the caliber of talent he would soon be surrounded by in college. "In high school, I had to put up 40 every night," McClung says. "But in college, you've got to make the right play. Playing with those guys prepared me for the adjustment."
By the time his senior high school season rolled around, McClung had offers from Georgetown, Boston College and Seton Hall. Nine days after decommitting from Rutgers in October 2017, he committed to College Basketball and NBA Hall of Famer Patrick Ewing and Georgetown, a move that led some on social media to dub him "White Iverson." With his Hoyas commitment in tow, McClung faced a spotlight he had never experienced. On game days, Gate City's modest gymnasium was packed to the brim, its sidelines lined with camerapersons.
Six years after his first organized hoops game, Mac McClung was prime time.
"He embraces the attention, but you could tell it was taking a toll on him," Ervin says. "He was trying do it all himself."
Adds McClung: "I'm not a celebrity, but some days you just want to walk to get something to eat and not get noticed. There's some anxiety when everyone is looking at you and talking about you. I'm a regular kid, but it doesn't feel like it."
With the attention and anxiety mounting, McClung found an escape in the game, be it working out at the gym or leaning on his teammates. "Once he stopped worrying about handling all the pressure, that's when he started playing his best basketball and led us to that state championship," Ervin says. "That was probably the best year of my life."
McClung averaged 42 points per game as a senior that season, breaking Allen Iverson's single-season and career state scoring records in the process. In his final game, he dropped 47 points (breaking another Virginia scoring record for most points in a championship game, held by JJ Redick) to win Gate City its first Class 2A state title.
Despite all that, a vocal contingent of basketball fans debated whether McClung belonged at the high-major level. If his skin tone were darker, would McClung's dunking escapades draw the same attention? He's only a 3-star recruit. Is he a complete player or merely a white novelty at a program with a complicated history with race? During his senior season, one opposing high school coach told McClung that he's headed to Georgetown to ride the bench. As just the second white player to accept a scholarship to Georgetown since 1979, he had a lot to prove.
"A lot of people just saw him as a white dunker," says Ty White, director of Team Loaded VA. "More than his athleticism, his best attribute is his will to compete. He's a dog. He's one of those kids who will always find a way to win."
Nearly two full seasons into his Georgetown career, McClung has certainly proved he belongs. As a freshman last season, he averaged 13.1 points and 2.0 assists per game with 29 starts en route to Big East All-Freshman honors. This year, when healthy, it's been more of the same. McClung has missed nine games—six in February—thanks to a nagging foot injury, but he ranks second on the team at 15.7 points per game to go along with 3.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists and a passable 32.3 percent mark from three-point range.
"He's got a lot of tricks in his bag, and he's fearless," ESPN analyst Fran Fraschilla says. "Within a short period of time, playing in a very good conference, he's proven to be more than his reputation as a dunker. He's on his way to being a very good college guard."
WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 06: Mac McClung #2 of the Georgetown Hoyas looks to pass the ball during a basketball game against the Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers at Capital One Arena on November 6, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Im
Rarely, though, does "very good" guarantee an NBA future anymore. Unlike most college players, McClung has already achieved basketball celebrity based not on achievements at the highest level but on virality. Now that he is playing under a basketball-specific scrutiny, his stardom only goes so far.
"He's a baller, the type of guard who can take over a game," one Eastern Conference NBA scout says on the condition of anonymity. "But he doesn't shoot it consistently. The three-point numbers are ugly, and the box score is kind of empty other than points."
There's no question that one of McClung's greatest assets is his swagger, a quality undoubtedly derived from his otherworldly dunking ability. When times are right, that confidence inspires teammates and intimidates opponents. (Nobody wants to get posterized.) But he's being judged on a different scale now, leaving him to figure out how he can evolve his game without sacrificing the occasional dunk-hunting killer instinct. How does he use his gimmick to elevate his overall body of work?
For teams to see McClung as the player he thinks he can be—a playmaking shot-maker who can defend both guard positions—he believes he needs to show that he can make Georgetown the winner it hasn't been in recent times.
"The biggest thing, for me, is showing that I'm a winner and that I can help lead this team to the [NCAA tournament]," he says. "When we come correct, with the right energy, we have the pieces to beat anybody."
With the season they're having, that's easier said than done.
Entering the season, McClung and sophomore point guard James Akinjo, last season's Big East Freshman of the Year, looked like perhaps the best backcourt in the Big East. Between them, sophomore forward Josh LeBlanc and NC State transfer big man Omer Yurtseven, the Hoyas were a popular dark-horse candidate to win the Big East. After a 4-2 start that included a 16-point win over No. 22-ranked Texas and a close loss to Duke, momentum seemed to be building.
Then Dec. 2, after seven games, Georgetown announced that both Akinjo and LeBlanc were transferring. Akinjo joined Arizona, while Baton Rouge native LeBlanc is headed to LSU. Soon after, a public records search revealed two Georgetown students filed separate complaints against members of the basketball team: one, filed Nov. 5 against LeBlanc and junior forward Galen Alexander, included allegations of burglary and threats of bodily harm; a second, filed against LeBlanc, Alexander and freshman forward Myron Gardner on Nov. 12, included allegations of sexual harassment and assault and was mutually resolved Dec. 9 without the admission of or finding of guilt and with the players agreeing to stay 50 feet away from the complainant. On Dec. 13, Gardner and Alexander left the program as well.
With a roster reduced to nine scholarship players, the Hoyas surprisingly thrived. Entering Big East play Dec. 31, Georgetown was a solid 10-3. "When you face adversity, you either crumble or you come together," McClung says. "We came together. We've got guys like Jagan Mosely and Terrell [Allen], who always make the right play. We've just had some close losses and bad luck with injuries."
Eventually, the personnel drain took its toll. The Hoyas have gone 5-12 since Big East play began and found themselves a tournament "bubble team" as March began.
"[Patrick Ewing] has this team headed in the right direction," CBS Sports analyst Clark Kellogg says. "But it's hard to work through a long season when you're missing so many pieces."
WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 15: Mac McClung #2 of the Georgetown Hoyas takes a jump shot over Ty-Shon Alexander #5 of the Creighton Bluejays in the first half during a college basketball game at the Capital One Arena on January 15, 2020 in Washington, DC.
Not having McClung down the stretch hammers that point home. In seven games without the guard in February (including versus Providence, where he played eight minutes), Georgetown went 3-4, with three losses by 10 points or fewer. Georgetown's only hope is to build momentum into the Big East Tournament and go on a run at Madison Square Garden. Is that realistic?
Perhaps only with a...return of the Mac.
The odds of Georgetown making the NCAA tournament are just 20 percent, according to TeamRankings.com. Regardless of whether this season results in a late March Madness push or just the latest Georgetown disappointment, there's little doubt that Ewing should have a recharged, McClung-led Hoyas team back in a much better way next season. McClung's pro prospects, meanwhile, may depend on another year of development too.
If his year-over-year improvement continues, what does his ceiling look like? For his part, Fraschilla sees some of another athletically gifted, occasionally wild, former Big East guard in McClung's game. White Iverson, meet White Donte.
"McClung's not the shooter that Donte DiVincenzo is, but he's an athletic scorer who can really carry a team," Fraschilla says. "In trying times, he's shown that you can rely on him."
Big East contention and a DiVincenzo-like rise to NBA prominence? That reality is difficult to imagine now, but with the benefit of health, it may not be far off. Plus, McClung is no stranger to leaping mental obstacles.
Which brings us back to perhaps the ultimate question: Is Mac McClung an NBA player?
"Oh yeah, there's no doubt in my mind," McClung says. "But I gotta prove it. And I will prove it. I got something to prove every day."
Matthew Foley is a writer based inNew York. His freelance work has been featured in SLAM, theNew York Times, Ozy and theScore. Follow him on Twitter: @mattyfoles.
Saddiq Bey Leads Balanced No. 14 Villanova to Upset Win vs. No. 8 Seton Hall
Mar 4, 2020
NEWARK, NJ - MARCH 04: Jermaine Samuels #23 of the Villanova Wildcats attempts a shot as Sandro Mamukelashvili #23 of the Seton Hall Pirates defends during the first half of a college basketball game at Prudential Center on March 4, 2020 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
No. 14 Villanova kept its hopes at a Big East title alive after a 79-77 road upset over No. 8 Seton Hall.
The Pirates (21-8, 13-4) had a chance to clinch their first outright regular-season title since 1993, but they couldn't pull out the win as Myles Powell was held to 14 points.
Seton Hall cut a 14-point second-half deficit down to one in the final seconds, even getting a shot to win as time expired after a flurry of missed free throws from Villanova. The late attempts simply didn't fall down as the Pirates suffered a disappointing home loss.
It kept the door open for Villanova (23-7, 12-5) to clinch a share of the conference championship despite the recent disappointing loss to Providence. Saddiq Bey missed two key free throws down the stretch but still had 20 points to ruin senior night at the Prudential Center.
Jermaine Samuels added 19 points to help the Wildcats battle for a high seed in the NCAA tournament.
Saddiq Bey, F, Villanova: 20 points, three rebounds
Jermaine Samuels, G, Villanova: 19 points, seven rebounds, five assists
3-Point Shooting Helps Villanova Pull Out Win
Villanova entered the day 13-1 when hitting 10 three-point shots in a game, and that strategy came through again Wednesday.
The Wildcats finished 13-of-32 from beyond the arc against Seton Hall, with all five starters knocking down at least two threes. Justin Moore was the best of the bunch while going 5-of-8 from three-point range.
Bey got the team going with some key makes in the first half:
Seton Hall battled back numerous times, but Villanova continued to make shot after shot to stay ahead. The outside shooting also opened up the middle of the lane for some easy baskets, as the visitors finished an incredible 68.1 percent on two-point attempts.
Even with zero bench points, the starting five did its job offensively to keep the pressure on its opponent throughout the night.
Balanced Attack Helps Seton Hall Stay Competitive
While Powell gets a lot of attention from opposing defenses, Seton Hall has a veteran team with three seniors and three juniors among the top seven players in its rotation.
The role players were productive once again in this one, as Sandro Mamukelashvili and Romaro Gill did work in the frontcourt:
Mamukelashvili knocked down a long three-point shot to keep the Pirates within one possession in the final minute. He also reached 20 points for the second straight game after scoring 26 against Marquette.
Shavar Reynolds Jr. also came through with his first double-digit effort of his three-year career (12 points), while Quincy McKnight was everywhere on the court:
Quincy McKnight doing a little bit of everything. Came up short on drive, got the rebound, kicked to Cale for an open 3, and just like that Villanova's lead is halved.
It helped take pressure off Powell, who didn't have his best shooting night (5-of-18 from the field). Even with the Wildcats shooting the lights out, Seton Hall was able to stay competitive.
Still, the Pirates will need its All-American candidate to play at that level if they want to beat elite teams in March.
Powell contributed eight assists to just one turnover, but he will need to provide more consistent scoring for the team to reach expectations going forward.
What's Next?
Both teams will close their regular seasons on the road Saturday. Villanova will take on Georgetown, while Seton Hall will face Creighton in what could be an exciting Big East battle.
Big East Tournament 2020: TV Schedule and Early Bracket Predictions
Mar 3, 2020
NEWARK, NJ - FEBRUARY 23: Myles Powell #13 of the Seton Hall Pirates in action against the St. John's Red Storm during a college basketball game at Prudential Center on February 23, 2020 in Newark, New Jersey. Seton Hall defeated St. John's 81-65. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
If you want a preview of March Madness in one extended weekend, the Big East Conference tournament is a great place to set your sights.
Joe Lunardi latest projected bracket for ESPN has the Big East pegged as one of the biggest suppliers of tourney teams this season with seven of the league's 10 teams in the field.
That's a sign of the strength of the conference this season. Villanova has dominated in recent years, winning the last three tournaments and five of the last six regular-season titles. However, the Wildcats are far from a lock to come away with this year's championship.
With so much parity in the league, there are bound to be some great games played at Madison Square Garden, and we'll find out about plenty of teams who are headed to the NCAA Tournament.
Big East Tournament TV Schedule
First Round: Wednesday, March 11 (FS1) Game 1: No. 8 seed vs. No. 9 seed at 7 p.m. Game 2: No. 7 seed vs. No. 10 seed at 9:30 p.m.
Quarterfinals: Thursday, March 12 (FS1) Game 3: No. 1 seed vs. Game 1 winner at 12 p.m. Game 4: No. 4 seed vs. No. 5 seed at 2:30 p.m. Game 5: No. 2 seed vs. Game 2 winner at 7 p.m. Game 6: No. 3 seed vs. No. 6 seed at 9:30 p.m.
Semifinals: Fri., March 13 (FS1) Game 7: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner at 6:30 p.m. Game 8: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner at 9 p.m.
Championship: Sat., March 14 (Fox) Game 9: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner at 6:30 p.m.
All times are ET.
Projected Bracket
1. Seton Hall
2. Villanova
3. Creighton
4. Providence
5. Butler
6. Marquette
7. Xavier
8. Georgetown
9. St. John's
10. DePaul
The Three-Way Race to the Finish
With several teams sporting similar records, there's still a lot to be decided about the bracket. Specifically, the regular-season title is still up for grabs.
Seton Hall is in the driver's seat with a 13-3 record in conference play. The Pirates have the toughest final two games of anyone, though. They'll need to win against Villanova at home on Wednesday night or at Creighton on Saturday to claim the title outright.
The Pirates would have to lose to both Villanova and Creighton for either of those teams to claim the top seed through tiebreakers.
The Wildcats are fresh off one of their worst shooting performances of the Jay Wright era. They were 5-of-30 from deep in a four-point loss to Providence, which snapped a five-game winning streak and hurt their title chances.
However, that's likely to be an aberration. Villanova has shot 35.6 percent from three-point range as a team this season, so regression to the mean should help them out.
As for Creighton, you'd be hard-pressed to find a team more difficult to figure out. The Jays are as Jekyll-and-Hyde as it gets. Just when they put on one of their best performances of the season in an 81-59 beatdown of Butler, they then turn around and lose to St. John's by 20.
In all likelihood, Seton Hall finds a way to claim a regular-season conference title for the first time since 1993.
The Sleeper: Providence Friars
If you're a ranked team, you don't want to see Providence.
The Friars have been pulling upset after upset entering rare company. Their wins over Butler, Creighton, Seton Hall and Villanova are truly a feat.
Providence defeated Butler, Creighton, Seton Hall, Marquette and Villanova this month, all of whom entered the game ranked in the AP poll.
The Friars are the 5th team to ever secure 5 wins over ranked opponents in a single calendar month during the regular season. pic.twitter.com/26B76lkAlY
They have had struggles this season. Early-season losses to Rhode Island, Long Beach State and Charleston highlighted that, but they've also shown they can play with the best. That's a dangerous team come tourney time.
Guard Luwane Pipkins has a lot to do with that. He's only averaging 10 points per game on the season, but he went for 27 and 24 in his last two outings, both wins over ranked opponents.
Pipkins' ability to take over and create his own shot is the kind of thing that will make Providence a contender once the tourney starts.
Player to Watch: Marquette G Markus Howard
Outside of Pipkins another player to watch is Markus Howard.
Marquette hasn't been anything special this season, but it isn't for a lack of Howard trying. The senior guard can fill up the stat sheet and put up 51 points, eight assists and 11 rebounds up in two Big East tournament games as a junior.
The nation's leading scorer, he has topped the 40-point mark three times this season. With one last chance to show out in the conference tournament, he's a good bet to eclipse the mark again.
Howard's three-point shooting alone can keep the Golden Eagles in games. He's shooting at a 40 percent clip, which is all the more impressive when you throw in the fact that he is fourth in the nation with attempts at 274 this season.
The Golden Eagles aren't likely to make a run, but it's going to be a lot of fun watching Howard try to will his team to a run.
No. 10 Creighton Upset by Unranked St. John's in Blowout Loss
Mar 1, 2020
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 17: Rasheem Dunn #3 of the St. John's Red Storm signals to his team against the Xavier Musketeers at Madison Square Garden on February 17, 2020 in New York City. (Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images)
After an upset-filled Saturday across college basketball, St. John's continued the trend Sunday by surprising No. 10 Creighton with a 91-71 home win Sunday.
The Red Storm were red hot in this one, shooting 14-of-22 from three-point range to pull out the victory. Greg Williams Jr. was especially on fire while finishing 7-of-10 from beyond the arc on his way to 21 points.
The sophomore was a 27.9 percent outside shooter entering the day.
Rasheem Dunn also had a big performance with 19 points and 10 assists to help St. John's (15-14, 4-12) earn its biggest home win of the season. It was the first win over a top-10 team at Carnesecca Arena since 1975, per the FS1 broadcast.
Creighton (22-7, 11-5) had been the hottest team in the Big East with five straight wins but saw its NCAA tournament resume take a hit with the blowout loss.
According to ESPN'sJoe Lunardi, Creighton could have moved up to a No. 2 seed with a win but instead wasted the opportunity.
The Blue Jays also became the fifth top-10 team to lose since Saturday and the fourth defeat against an unranked opponent.
Damien Jefferson found success inside for the visiting team with 20 points and eight rebounds on 8-of-9 from the field. However, the rest of the squad combined to shoot 29.3 percent from the field and 4-of-27 from three-point range, a major disappointment for one of the top offensive teams in college basketball.
Of course, the defense was more of an issue after allowing St. John's to shoot 55 percent from the field.
The two sides were locked in a close battle for much of the game with the Red Storm only holding a four-point lead with eight minutes left. This was until a 17-1 run helped turn the score into a blowout, featuring a lot of Williams from deep:
Though St. John's had struggled with consistency this year, the team has good wins on the resume to help build for the future.
St. John’s just knocks off Creighton. Mike Anderson and the Storm have had their moments this season with wins over Creighton, West Virginia and Arizona. Gonna be interesting to see what Anderson does with this program in next couple years.
The squad will close the year with more difficult games against Butler and Marquette. Creighton has a pair of home games against Georgetown and Seton Hall.
The Blue Jays could also be a team to watch in the NCAA tournament, but the latest loss will make it more difficult to win a Big East title. Seton Hall now has a two-game lead for first place and can clinch with a home win over Villanova Wednesday.
No. 15 Villanova Holds off Markus Howard, No. 18 Marquette in Narrow Win
Feb 12, 2020
Villanova's Collin Gillespie, left, goes up for a shot past Marquette's Theo John during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2020, in Villanova, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
After three straight losses, the No. 15 Villanova Wildcats finally corrected course, defeating No. 18 Marquette, 72-71, Wednesday night in Philadelphia.
In a Big East season that has seen nearly every team, Nova's troubles weren't out of the ordinary, but they were concerning. Losses to Creighton, No. 19 Butler and No. 12 Seton Hall dropped the Wildcats into a three-way tie for second place with the Bluejays and Golden Eagles entering Wednesday.
That made Villanova's victory over Marquette even more important as it creates a sliver of breathing room near the top of the Big East standings. After Seton Hall fell to Creighton earlier in the night, the Wildcats are now two games back and in prime position to make a move for the conference lead.
On the night Wildcats legend Ryan Arcidiacono had his jersey retired by his alma mater, Villanova took care of business against a Marquette team that had won three straight games with star guard Markus Howard (27.4 points per game) continuing to fill up the stat sheet.
Honestly still doesn’t feel real. The school I grew up dreaming of playing at is going to retire my jersey...Just can’t believe it. Such an honor! https://t.co/L5oMWhDfpI
Howard made more history on Wednesday, nailing a buzzer-beating three to set a new Big East career scoring record with 1,408 points to pass Lawrence Moten.
Markus Howard, G, Golden Eagles: 24 points, five rebounds, two assists
Koby McEwen, Gm, Golden Eagles: 12 points, 11 rebounds five assists
Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, F, Wildcats: 17 points, 11 rebounds, four assists
Saddiq Bey, F, Wildcats: 10 points, two rebounds
Jermaine Samuels, F, Wildcats: 14 points, seven rebounds, four assists
Balanced Offense Leads Nova
Villanova head coach Jay Wright wasn't too concerned about his team amid a three-game losing streak. They're young, after all, and when you're a young team, it's hard to get out of your own way. Still, even the coach was pleased with how well his players shared the ball on offense as they finally broke out on Wednesday.
"When you're an experienced team, winning and losing doesn't impact you as much," Wright said on Fox Sports after the game. "You understand it's about effort and execution. But when you're a young team, losing gets in their minds. It shouldn't, but it does. We're gonna feel good about this win, but we have a lot of mistakes to correct still."
Of course, it's easier to correct mistakes after a victory, and it should be even easier still given how well the offense played.
Four Wildcats scored in double figures. Another two fell one basket short. And that's while the team combined for 14 total assists. During its three-game losing streak, Nova didn't have one game in which more than three players reached double-digits.
It's that extra bit of scoring that makes the Wildcats such a dangerous threat to make a run in March. They routinely use three versatile bigs who can score and pass, making defending without switching as tough as it gets in college basketball.
Jeremiah Robinson-Earl now with his seventh double-double of the season (11 points, 10 rebounds) Nova leads Marquette 61-48 with 7:27 remaining in the second half #NovavsMarquette
Leading the way Wednesday was freshman Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, who led the team in points, rebounds and assists—and, perhaps best of all, earned Wright's praise after the game. Moments later in his own press conference, the freshman echoed his coach's words about staying focused.
"Attitude is so important for us," Robinson-Earl said. "We can't let the little things get in our head."
A big victory over a surging Marquette team is all the Wildcats needed to prove that notion correct.
Howard Heats up Late in Failed comeback
Perhaps the most discouraging part of Marquette's performance on Wednesday was how well the team had been providing offense outside of Howard, only for Howard to cool off when it needed him most.
After scoring 11 points in the first half, the senior guard couldn't get anything to fall in the second frame. It wasn't until five minutes left in regulation that he hit his first field goal of the half. By then, the Golden Eagles were working on coming back from an 18-point deficit. That bucket at least provided the spark needed to fight until the final buzzer.
MU cut the lead to six points with 4:30 remaining, and the win was back up for grabs.
"He's so dynamic," Wright said. "He does such a good job of creating contact. Competing against him for four years, as good a player as he is, he's a classier kid."
Howard scored eight straight points down the stretch and had a chance to make it a one-point game at the line with five seconds left. Except he missed the first free throw. And then he missed the second about as poorly as he could.
While trying to get the ball to bounce off the rim so he could grab his own rebound for a final possession, Howard instead missed the hoop and turned the ball over to Villanova. Robinson-Earl's free throws moments later ended the comeback bid for good.
A frustrated Howard heaved a final three at the buzzer, which at least gave him the all-time Big East scoring record.
The Wildcats' schedule finally calms down a bit with a Sunday game against Temple followed by a road trip to DePaul on Wednesday and Xavier on Saturday. Marquette's run through the gauntlet is still ongoing, however. The Golden Eagles return home to host No. 23 Creighton to cap off a run of three straight games against ranked opponents.
No. 10 Seton Hall Upset by No. 23 Creighton as Myles Powell Struggles
Feb 12, 2020
Creighton guard Ty-Shon Alexander (5) drives to the basket past Seton Hall guard Quincy McKnight during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2020, in Newark, N.J.. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
The No. 23 Creighton Bluejays upset the No. 10 Seton Hall Pirates 87-82at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, Wednesday evening.
💪 @BluejayMBB took down No. 10 Seton Hall to pick up a HUGE Big East win on the road.
Seton Hall had plenty of opportunities to come out on top in the last few minutes. Creighton led 75-72, but Myles Powell missed a three-point attempt and a running jumper within a 25-second stretch.
Senior center Romaro Gill bucketed a layup at the 1:20 mark to pull the Pirates within one point, but Bluejays junior guard Denzel Mahoney drilled a three-pointer 10 seconds later to make it a two-possession contest that Seton Hall couldn't recover from.
Powell, the Pirates' leading scorer this season, struggled all night. The senior guard went just 3-of-16 from the field, including 1-of-11 from three-point land for 12 points. Powell's only made three-point attempt came much too late with four seconds remaining in regulation.
F Sandro Mamukelashvili: 13 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist
C Romaro Gill: 13 points, 7 rebounds, 3 blocks
G Myles Powell: 12 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists
The contest was close throughout.
Creighton's largest lead of the evening was eight points, and it came at the 4:27 mark of the first half. Seton Hall's biggest advantage was just five points. There were 20 lead changes. Per Creighton sports information director Rob Anderson, this was the Bluejays' most back-and-forth game of the season:
Tonight's game has featured 20 lead changes.
Creighton's first 11 BIG EAST games had a TOTAL of 45 lead changes, including a previous season-high of 13 vs. Providence (in Omaha).
However, Mahoney got to the line and made both free throws to halt momentum. A subsequent Powell turnover led to the Bluejays tying the game back at 66 before Mahoney hit a three to put Creighton ahead 69-66.
Twelve of Mahoney's 18 points came in the second half. He proved to be a difference-maker down the stretch for the Bluejays, whose bench outscored the Pirates' second unit 22-17 while only using two reserves to their opponents' five.
Creighton has 5 men in double-figures so far tonight.
Creighton's collective effort not only resulted in Seton Hall'smost allowed pointsin a game this season but also compensated for junior guard Mitch Ballock failing to score on 0-of-7 shooting. Ballock is the team's third-leading scorer at 12.8 points per game, behind only Alexander (16.4) and Zegarowski (15.9).
The Bluejays bailed out Ballock in a way Seton Hall couldn't for Powell despite McKnight notching his third 20-point performance of the season.
By defeating the Pirates, perAnderson, the Bluejays joined them and the Florida State Seminoles as the only three teams with two top-10 road victories this season. Creighton also defeated then-No. 8 Villanova on Feb. 1. This is the first time in program history it has defeated two top-10 teams away from home in the same season.
The Pirates will try for revenge in their regular-season finale at Creighton on March 7.
Creighton has now won six of its last seven games. This marked the 19-6 (8-4 in conference play) Bluejays' first win over Seton Hall since Jan. 17, 2018.
The 18-6 (10-2) Pirates were fresh off a 70-64 victory over No. 15 Villanova and had won 12 of their last 13 outings. Seton Hall's only other Big East loss came against Xavier on Feb. 1. The unranked Musketeers prevailed 74-62 at the Prudential Center.
Notably, Powell was held to nine points on 3-of-14 shooting in that loss.
This result has implications in the Big East. Seton Hall and Creighton entered in first and second place, respectively, with 17-6 (7-4) Marquette lingering in third place.
What's Next?
Both teams will return to action on Saturday with Seton Hall looking to bounce back at Providence and Creighton hosting DePaul.
No. 9 Villanova Beats No. 13 Butler 76-61 to Hand Bulldogs 3rd Straight Loss
Jan 21, 2020
Villanova forward Saddiq Bey (41) moves around Butler forward Bryce Nze (10) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2020, in Villanova, Pa. (AP Photo/Laurence Kesterson)
No. 13 Butler dropped its third straight game Tuesday night in Philadelphia with No. 9 Villanova picking up a 76-61 victory in a matchup of two of the Big East's top contenders.
A week ago, the Bulldogs were the No. 5 team in the country—the highest-ever in-season ranking for the program—with a star in Kamar Baldwin seemingly capable of carrying the team through March. How quickly fortunes change this college basketball season.
Following a home loss to Seton Hall and a road loss to DePaul, the Bulldogs dropped rapidly in the rankings, setting up as much of a must-win as a team can have in January.
The loss moves Butler to 15-4 (3-3 Big East) and three games back of Seton Hall for the conference lead.
Meanwhile, Villanova (15-3, 5-1 Big East) continues to roll following a setback on the road against Marquette to start January. The Wildcats have now won five in a row and are just a game back of Seton Hall—a team Villanova will still have to face twice before the season ends.
After dropping marquee matchups to then-No. 16 Ohio State, No. 24 Baylor and Marquette, the victory gives Nova a resume-building win to go along with its takedown of then-No. 1 Kansas in December. It's just the second victory against a ranked team this season for the Wildcats.
Kamar Baldwin, G, Bulldogs: 21 points, two rebounds
Bryce Nze, F, Bulldogs: 11 points, 12 rebounds, five assists
Baldwin's 2nd Half Not Enough
Kamar Baldwin connected on just two of nine field-goal attempts in a first half that ended with the Bulldogs facing a 10-point deficit. The solution to getting his game back on track was a simple one: shoot more.
Baldwin put it on himself to will Butler back into the game, even knowing he'd face a double-team off the dribble. The senior guard went 7-of-12 in the second half and brought his team within four points of the lead after sparking a 19-6 run with 11 minutes to play.
It was quite a gutsy comeback after Nova had its own 7-0 run to start the half. It was also a wasted effort. Without Baldwin able to get much support on offense, there was little else the Bulldogs could do.
Starting forward Sean McDermott played 22 minutes and tallied just two points on 11 shots.
Of course it hurt that Butler's players were having trouble staying on the court. Both Aaron Thompson (five points) and Christian David (zero points) were hobbled by injuries throughout the game. David wouldn't be able to return after hurting his left knee early in the first half. Thompson wasn't the same after landing on his hip late in the second half.
Scoring had already been a concern for the Bulldogs before Tuesday. The team has seen its points per game drop in each of its three straight losses.
Baldwin can do a lot on his own, but Butler can't succeed without manufacturing some help for him.
LaVall Jordan calls timeout after Villanova's 8-0 run. 11:33 left in half: Nova 10, #Butler 8.
As stated earlier, Bulldogs did not take advantage of Nova's 1-of-11 shooting start. Butler has had some open looks and missed them. McDermott 0-of-4
Villanova landed forward Jeremiah Robinson-Earl over the likes of Arizona, Kansas and North Carolina. It didn't take long Tuesday to figure out why he was so highly coveted. The freshman was extremely efficient, scoring on five of seven field goals while tallying 12 points and 14 assists.
It would've been easy to key on him had it not been for forward Saddiq Bey stretching the floor. Without Bey, Butler's comeback would've been a lot closer down the stretch.
Just before the Bulldogs went on a 19-6 run, Bey pulled off a 7-0 run in 50 seconds by himself—partially thanks to Butler fouling him on a three-point shot (Bey was 4-of-6 from three on the night). That gave Villanova an insurmountable 17-point lead. Bey's 37 minutes were the most of any Wildcat as head coach Jay Wright was unable to risk taking him off the floor for too long.
That much was clear from the opening tipoff as Nova went 1-of-11 from the field while Butler took an eight-point lead. Any more slip-ups would cost Villanova more than it could handle. As much as the Bulldogs fought back, there was simply no overcoming the early punch they took in the second half.
What's Next?
Villanova's schedule takes a small dip with a two-game road trip to Providence and St. John's beginning Saturday. The Wildcats will need to make the most of those two matchups with games against Creighton, Butler and Seton Hall all on the horizon.
Before its rematch with Nova, Butler will host Marquette at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Friday and then take on Georgetown and Providence as the team preps for the Wildcats to come to town and finishes out the home-and-home series.
No. 5 Butler Upset by Myles Powell, No. 18 Seton Hall 78-70
Jan 15, 2020
CINCINNATI, OH - JANUARY 08: Myles Powell #13 of the Seton Hall Pirates reacts in the second half of the game against the Xavier Musketeers at Cintas Center on January 8, 2020 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Seton Hall defeated Xavier 83-71. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
It was ranked-on-ranked crime at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Wednesday night.
The No. 18 Seton Hall Pirates upset the No. 5 Butler Bulldogs 78-70 behind senior guard Myles Powell's game-high 29 points.
Myles Powell went off for 2️⃣9️⃣ points to lead Seton Hall to an upset win over No. 5 Butler 🔥 @Myles_MBP_23 https://t.co/LYmMoMcGqh
The Bulldogs were led by senior guard Kamar Baldwin's 19 points and bolstered by junior reserve forward Jordan Tucker's 14 points and 10 rebounds in the loss.
It was an evenly matched contest throughout with Butler's largest lead being 10 points and Seton Hall's nine. The Bulldogs led 40-30 at halftime, but their last lead of the night came with 3:48 remaining in regulation.
Butler made it a one-possession game twice down the stretch, but the Pirates didn't budge.
After forward Sean McDermott gave Butler a 66-65 lead at the 3:48 mark, Rhoden hit two free throws to put Seton Hall in front at the 3:32 mark. Powell sunk a three-pointer to make it a four-point advantage before Butler's Derrik Smits answered with a layup, narrowing the lead to 70-68.
Rhoden wouldn't allow the Bulldogs to get any closer:
While Powell is unquestionably the Pirates' engine, leading the team with 22.0 points per game this season, Rhoden's production has proved essential in Seton Hall victories:
Seton Hall remains undefeated when Jared Rhoden scores in double-figures.
Pirates just got the Quad 1 win they missed earlier in the season when they lost close games to Michigan State and Oregon.
It's just the second time in the last 10 seasons that Butler has lost a home game when leading by 10 points or more at halftime, according toESPN Stats & Information, and the Bulldogs are 60-2 in such games during that span.
Seton Hall also made some history Wednesday night:
Before their win at No. 5 Butler on Wednesday, Seton Hall had lost 11 straight road games vs AP Top-5 teams. Their last road win against a top-5 team prior to Wednesday was in 2000 at No. 4 Syracuse. pic.twitter.com/52iUDNlthh
Butler dropped to 15-2, previously losing 53-52 to the No. 2 Baylor Bears on Dec. 10, while 13-4 Seton Hall notched its seventh straight victory. The Pirates' winning streak began on Dec. 19 with a 52-48 win over the No. 17 Maryland Terrapins, who were ranked No. 7 at the time.
Villanova's Jay Wright Named AP Men's Coach of Decade After 2 National Titles
Jan 3, 2020
Villanova's Jay Wright coaches during an NCAA college basketball game against Kansas, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2019, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Two national championships in a span of three years helped Villanova coach Jay Wright earn the title of Associated Press men's college basketball coach of the decade, per the AP's John Marshall.
Wright earned 16 of 24 votes to earn the honor ahead of Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski who collected five. The only other coaches with votes were Mark Few of Gonzaga, John Calipari of Kentucky and Tony Bennett of Virginia.
Krzyzewski also won two titles this decade in 2010 and 2015. The only other program with multiple titles was Connecticut, although one team was led by Jim Calhoun and the other had Kevin Ollie at the helm.
Still, Wright has turned Villanova into one of the most consistent programs in the country with five regular-season Big East titles and four conference tournament championships in the last six years. The squad has been a No. 1 or No. 2 seed in March Madness in five of those seasons.
After a few years of early exits in the NCAA tournament, he finally broke through with a pair of championships in 2016 and 2018, including a thrilling 2016 win over North Carolina.
"Jay Wright's resume speaks for itself with two national titles in the 2010s," ESPN analyst Dick Vitale said of his vote. "He has developed a consistent winner and has enjoyed success on and off the court. He has a special winner's mentality."
With four Big East Coach of the Year awards this decade along with the pari of national titles, Wright was a clear pick as the top coach in the 2010s.
