MBB Minute – The BIG EAST league season opens Wednesday when St. John’s hosts DePaul at Carnesecca Arena at 6:30 p.m. ET on FS1. The game is the first of 19 conference contests in December.
 
St. John’s and DePaul split two regular-season meetings last year before the Johnnies beat the Blue Demons 92-73 in the first round of the BIG EAST Tournament at Madison Square Garden. St. John’s (8-1) is coming off its first loss of the season, but has won six in a row at Carnesecca. DePaul (5-3) forward Javan Johnson ranks second in the league in scoring with an 18.4 average. He is the reigning BIG EAST Player of the Week.
 
Also on Wednesday, Georgetown hosts Siena at 6:30 p.m. on FS2 and Villanova hosts Pennsylvania at 7 p.m. on CBS Sports Network. At 8:30 p.m., Manhattan plays at Providence on FS1 while Seton Hall hosts Lincoln University on FS2. Connecticut, which moved up to No. 5 in both national polls, plays at Florida at 9 p.m. on ESPN2.
 
Butler and Marquette picked up home wins on Tuesday. In a battle of the Bulldogs, Butler (7-3) beat Yale 71-61. Manny Bates led the way with 22 points and seven rebounds. Yale went into the game with a NET ranking of 36.
 
Marquette’s Olivier-Maxence Prosper scored 10 straight points early in the first half to help lift the Golden Eagles (7-3) to a 90-78 victory over NC Central. Prosper shot 11-of-14 from the floor and finished with a game-high 25 points.