Two months ago, if someone has suggested that it would be Xavier, not Villanova, strutting into Big East Conference play as the prohibitive favorite, a scoff would have been more than in order.
Yet here we are, just ten days away from the showdown between the Musketeers and Wildcats on New Year’s Eve and it isn’t Jay Wright’s group who has impressed the most. So, what have we truly learned about the Big East through the first month-and-a-half of the season? Analyst William Whelan breaks it down below:
- Georgetown is, well…bad: The Hoyas now have losses to Radford, Monmouth, and UNC-Ashville after being picked by just about everyone to be the top competition for Villanova in conference play. At this point, perhaps we’ve seen the peak of the John Thompson III era in the nation’s capitol. With a talented crop of wings to go along with one of the top scorers in the conference, the Hoyas don’t seem to have any competitive fire.
- More than one way to skin a Bulldog: Butler feels a lot like a poor man’s Golden State Warriors with their “small ball” lineups and the developed skill sets of everyone they throw on the floor. Kellen Dunham is a beast from every spot on the floor. Roosevelt Jones is their personal Andre Iguodala with his ability to defend inside and out, and pick his spots offensively with precision. The improvements made by Kelan Martin and Andrew Chrabascz have been impressive. This team is tough as nails.
- Providence is more than just Dunn: We’ve waxed poetic about the nation’s best point guard long enough, don’t you think? The truth is, without Ben Bentil, Dunn would be far less effective. Few players, if any, have made as big of a leap from their freshman season than Bentil, as he’s made astronomical improvements in all major statistical areas while also being a nuisance to the opposition at the rim.
