MBB Minute – In the lone BIG EAST game on Friday night, No. 4 Connecticut came back from a seven-point deficit at halftime to defeat Butler 88-81 at Hinkle Fieldhouse. The Huskies improved to 13-2 overall and 3-1 in BIG EAST play. The Bulldogs fell to 10-5 overall and 1-3 in the league.
 
Butler put together a 42-35 advantage by halftime before UConn recovered and scored 53 points in the second half. Alex Karaban led the Huskies with 20 points. Tristen Newton added 17 points and five assists. Stephon Castle helped with 14 points and nine boards. The Bulldogs’ DJ Davis was his game’s top scorer for the second time this week, finishing with 22 points. Pierre Brooks II added 19.
 
All of the action Saturday is early in the afternoon. Two games tip at noon ET. No. 7 Marquette plays at Seton Hall on CBSSN and Georgetown hosts DePaul on FS1. Seton Hall’s two league wins have come against ranked opponents. Marquette (11-3, 2-1 BIG EAST) has won the last four games in the series after the Pirates had won six straight. Either Georgetown (7-7, 0-3) or DePaul (3-10, 0-2) will gain its first BIG EAST win when the two teams meet for the 49^th time. Last season, each team won on its home court.
 
Villanova hosts St. John’s at Finneran Pavilion at 1 p.m. on FOX. The Wildcats are the BIG EAST’s only remaining undefeated team in the league standings with a 3-0 mark. They are 10-4 overall. Villanova leads the league in scoring defense, allowing only 63.8 points per game. St. John’s (10-4, 2-1) will be aiming for a 3-1 league start for the first time since 2010-11.
 
At 2 p.m., No. 23 Providence plays its first game without the injured Bryce Hopkins, who is lost for the season, when it visits Creighton on FS1. Hopkins was injured Wednesday against Seton Hall. The Friars (11-3, 2-1) can still point to guard Devin Carter, who is averaging 16.2, 8.1 rebounds and is a top-flight defender. The Bluejays (10-4, 1-2) are aiming to make a 3-point basket for the 1,000^th straight game.