Tune-In Television
The first of 17 nationally televised regular-season contests for the BIG EAST is set for Friday as RV/RV DePaul hosts No. 1/1 Connecticut at 7 p.m. (ET) at Wintrust Arena. The 16
th meeting between the familiar foes will air on FS1, with LaChina Robinson and Lisa Byington on the call. The Blue Demons took the Huskies to the brink the last time they met in Chicago (12/2/15), in a back-and-forth game which saw three ties and 10 lead changes. DePaul (6-2) is receiving votes in both national polls and has won six of its last seven contest thanks to the nation’s No. 2 scoring offense at 92.0 points per game. The Huskies are the unanimous No. 1 in both polls and one of 15 teams, along with No. 22/20 Villanova, to sport an unblemished record (7-0) this season.
RPI Revealed
The first NCAA RPI of the season was unveiled this week with nine out of 10 BIG EAST teams landing in the top 100. The BIG EAST ranked sixth in the league rankings, with Villanova at No. 5 and St. John’s at No. 10 to individually lead the charge. Butler (40), Xavier (61), Providence (92), Marquette (93), DePaul (95), Seton Hall (98) and Creighton (100) all opened with top-100 rankings. The BIG EAST is one of only five leagues to have at least nine teams in the top 100, joining the ACC, Big Ten, Pac-12 and SEC.
On The National Scene
Villanova continued its ascent in the national polls, rising three spots in the Associated Press Top 25 to No. 22 on Monday, while earning a four-spot jump to No. 20 in Tuesday’s
USA Today Coaches’ Poll. Thanks to one of the stingiest defenses in Division I, the Wildcats are one of 15 remaining undefeated teams, boasting a 7-0 record. DePaul, which continued to receive votes in both polls for the fifth consecutive week, owns the nation’s No. 2 scoring average (92.0) thanks to the most three-pointers per game (13.6) in Division I. The Blue Demons, who are the first team just outside the top-25 in the coaches’ poll, are one of just four teams in the country to already have over 100 three-pointers made this season. Marquette also received votes for a fifth straight week, with its scoring average (84.4) and three-point defense (23.4) also among the national leaders. Individually, four BIG EAST players rank in the top 10 nationally in various statistical categories, including Seton Hall’s JaQuan Jackson’s top-listed free-throw percentage. Jackson is 19-for-19 from the charity stripe this season. Other notables include Butler’s Tori Schickel whose 102 total rebounds is fifth-most, Providence’s Jovana Nogic’s 31 three-pointers made which rank sixth nationally while her .966 free-throw clip ranks fifth, and DePaul’s Kelly Campbell’s 4.50 assist-turnover ratio stands sixth.
A Look Ahead
In addition to the RV/RV DePaul-No. 1/1 UConn tilt, a number of noteworthy matchups are on the docket this week. Providence visits a Quinnipiac squad Wednesday night (7 p.m. ET) which is coming off a trip to the Sweet 16, while four BIG EAST-Big Ten matchups will be played prior to the official start of the weekend as RV/RV Marquette visits Michigan and Georgetown hosts Minnesota, both on Thursday at 7 p.m., while Seton Hall travels to local rival Rutgers (2 p.m.) and Butler welcomes Wisconsin (7 p.m.) on Friday. The Hoyas and Pirates, who have won four straight, turn to the ACC on Sunday, with GU hosting North Carolina State (2 p.m.) and The Hall traveling to Boston College (2 p.m.). Other pivotal tilts include No. 22/20 Villanova at Temple (Sunday, 2 p.m.) and St. John’s hosting James Madison (Saturday, 2 p.m.).
Upcoming Schedule
Wednesday
Xavier at Bowling Green, 11 a.m.
Providence at Quinnipiac, 7 p.m.
22/20 Villanova at Fairfield, 7 p.m.
Thursday
RV/RV Marquette at 24/21 Michigan, 7 p.m.
Minnesota at Georgetown, 7 p.m.
Friday
Seton Hall at Rutgers, 2 p.m.
1/1 Connecticut at RV/RV DePaul, 7 p.m.^
Wisconsin at Butler, 7 p.m.
Saturday
Providence at Sacred Heart, 1 p.m.
James Madison at St. John’s, 2 p.m.
Sunday
Creighton at Omaha, 2 p.m.
Georgetown at North Carolina State, 2 p.m.
Seton Hall at Boston College, 2 p.m.
22/20 Villanova at Temple, 2 p.m.
Army West Point at RV/RV Marquette, 4 p.m.
Cincinnati at Xavier, 5 p.m.
^FS1
All times Eastern