MBB Minute – Four BIG EAST Teams Ranked in AP; DePaul Visits Villanova Tuesday
In this week’s Associated Press poll, Seton Hall and Creighton jumped in to give the BIG EAST four ranked teams. Butler moved up one spot to No. 5 to gain its highest ranking in school history for a second straight week. Villanova inched up two spots to No. 14. The Pirates, who were last ranked in the Dec. 9 poll, shot up to No. 18. The Bluejays got in at No. 25, their first ranking since the Jan. 8 poll two seasons ago.
Tuesday’s BIG EAST schedule includes only one game – DePaul at Villanova – before the other eight squads battle on Wednesday.
The Blue Demons and Wildcats meet at the Finneran Pavilion at 8:30 p.m. ET on FS1.
Villanova has won 18 straight in the series, though the last two meetings on the Wildcat campus have been decided by a total of eight points. Last year, Villanova prevailed 73-68.
DePaul, 12-4 overall and 0-3 in the BIG EAST, has dropped its three league games by an average of 5.3 points. Paul Reed is the only BIG EAST player to average a double-double with marks of 15.4 points and a league-leading 11.1 rebounds. Reed also ranks first in blocked shots at 3.1. Villanova is the only BIG EAST team to boast five players who average in double figures. Saddiq Bey, who is coming off a 33-point effort in Saturday’s win against Georgetown, leads with a 15.3 average followed by Collin Gillespie at 14.7.
Home teams are 11-8 in league games going into Tuesday.