BIG EAST Notes - Dec. 8
In The Polls
Backed by a gutsy performance against the nation’s top-ranked team and a comfortable win over Illinois State, DePaul moved up in both national polls this week. The Blue Demons jumped five spots in the Associated Press Top 25 to No. 18, the largest leap by any team this week, while Tuesday’s USA Today Coaches Poll brought more good news for DePaul. The Blue Demons moved up one to No. 17, their highest regular-season ranking since the 2010-11 campaign, in which they climbed as high as No. 11 in the coaches poll and No. 9 in the AP. DePaul earned a No. 16 ranking in the final 2013-14 poll which is published following the conclusion of the Final Four, following the Blue Demons’ Sweet 16 run. Seton Hall was edged just outside of the top 25 in the coaches poll this week as the first team out, while St. John’s also continued to receive votes. In the AP Poll, the Red Storm were the second team out of the top 25 while the Pirates were the third.
Teamwork Makes The Dream Work
St. John’s Aliyyah Handford and Danaejah Grant have sparked the Red Storm’s six-game winning streak following their season-opening loss at UCLA, a team which is currently ranked 20
th in the AP Poll. Handford and Grant are the third-highest scoring duo in all of Division I behind Minnesota’s Rachel Banham (No. 6) and Carlie Wagner (No. 25), and Albany’s Shereesha Richards (No. 11) and Imani Tate (No. 30). Over the past three games, Grant has averaged 23.3 points per game while reigning BIG EAST Player of the Week Handford has averaged 26.7 in wins over nationally ranked South Florida, Sacred Heart and Kansas. The Red Storm face Yale on Wednesday before traveling to UCF on Sunday.
Formidable Foes
Despite non-conference play winding down, BIG EAST teams’ schedules have not lightened up. Four games this week are against teams either ranked or receiving votes, while eight games are against squads which qualified for the NCAA Tournament in 2015. No. 18/17 DePaul enters a difficult road stretch beginning at No. 3/3 Notre Dame on Wednesday and followed by No. 15/16 Texas A&M on Saturday. Butler faces back-to-back NCAA qualifiers in Green Bay on Wednesday and Arkansas on Sunday. Following a trip to Utah on Wednesday, Creighton will eye a home win over reigning Summit League champ South Dakota State on Saturday. Marquette faces its third consecutive Big Five Conference foe on Sunday when it welcomes an Auburn squad which is receiving votes in the coaches poll. Following a local rivalry game with Bryant on Wednesday, Providence welcomes Florida Gulf Coast on Saturday in a game airing on FS2. The Eagles advanced to the 2015 NCAA Tournament Second Round. Seton Hall will look to bounce back against Fordham on Wednesday before traveling to Liberty on Saturday, which is coming off its 16
th NCAA appearance in the last 19 seasons. Villanova’s lone game of the week will send them to George Washington, which is receiving votes in the coaches poll and coming off an NCAA berth and Atlantic-10 title. Additionally, Georgetown has a notable road game at Alabama and Xavier hosts cross-city rival Cincinnati on Sunday.
Schedule/Results
Wednesday
Butler vs. Green Bay, 7 p.m.
Providence vs. Bryant, 7 p.m.
RV/RV St. John’s vs. Yale, 7 p.m.
RV/RV Seton Hall vs. Fordham, 7 p.m.
Xavier vs. Radford, 7 p.m.
18/17 DePaul at 3/3 Notre Dame, 7 p.m.
Creighton at Utah, 9 p.m.
Thursday
Georgetown vs. Delaware, 7 p.m.
Saturday
Georgetown at Alabama, Noon
Providence vs. FGCU, 2:30 p.m.^
18/17 DePaul at 15/16 Texas A&M, 3 p.m.
RV/RV Seton Hall at Liberty, 5 p.m.
Creighton vs. South Dakota State, 8 p.m.
Sunday
Butler vs. Arkansas, 2 p.m.
Marquette vs. -/RV Auburn, 2 p.m.
Xavier vs. Cincinnati, 2 p.m.
RV/RV St. John’s at UCF, 2 p.m.
Villanova at -/RV George Washington, 2 p.m.
All times Eastern
^FS2