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Wrestling: Taking It to the Streets

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NEWARK – (Staff Report from Official News Release) Beat the Streets (New York) and USA Wrestling will stage its annual wrestling competition, Final X, presented by Tezos, on Saturday, June 10 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.  Final X will determine the 2023 U.S. Senior World Teams in all three Olympic disciplines: men’s and women’s freestyle and Greco-Roman. There will be 30 weight classes contested, 10 in each Olympic discipline.

The top two U.S. athletes in each weight class will compete in a best-of-three series in Final X to determine who will wrestle at the 2023 Senior World Championships in Belgrade, Serbia. The medalists and the fifth-place wrestler in each weight at the 2023 Senior World Championships will qualify the United States for their weight class at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

This will be the first time that Final X will be held in one location, as previous Final X competitions were held in either two or three cities. It will also be the first time Final X will be contested on three mats. It is the second time Final X will be hosted in New Jersey, as Final X Rutgers was held in 2019 in Piscataway.

“USA Wrestling will provide the nation’s greatest athletes with the stage to compete for the right to represent Team USA at the 2023 Senior World Championships, as well as an opportunity to qualify our nation for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris,” said USA Wrestling Executive Director Rich Bender. “Final X will once again be intense and exciting, as our elite men and women wrestlers put it all on the line in Prudential Center, a world-class facility. Make plans to join us in Newark,” 

The event is the second consecutive year that Final X will serve as the Beat the Streets Annual Benefit. In 2022, BTSNY hosted Final X New York at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City. This year’s event will be the 13th BTSNY Annual Benefit.

Session times will be 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. Eastern time, with the Beat the Streets after party to immediately follow. Ticket information for Final X will be available on Ticketmaster at a later date, while tickets for the BTSNY Annual Benefit after party can be purchased at btsny.org.

“This event is our largest fundraiser of the year and will support 75 percent of our annual expenses, so we can continue to make a lifelong impact on the 2,500 boys and girls in New York City that rely on us. We are looking forward to hosting this event at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, a state filled with rich wrestling traditions. We have no doubt this year’s event will add to that tradition and provide exciting moments for some of the World’s greatest men and women athletes who are looking to earn a spot on Team USA at the 2023 World Championships,” added Bender.

USBWA Names All-District Teams

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INDIANAPOLIS – (Staff Report from Official USBWA News Release) – The United States Basketball Writers Association named its 2022-23 Men’s All-District Teams, based on voting from the membership of the national press membership. The USBWA has selected All-District teams since the 1956-57 season, its founding year.

For each of the nine geographic districts, ten players are selected, along with a player and coach of the year. Two schools – Houston (Marcus Sasser and coach Kelvin Sampson) and Purdue (Zach Edey and coach Matt Painter) – earned both the Player of the Year and Coach of the Year honors.

Twenty-three Division I conferences are represented among the 90 players honored by the USBWA with the Big Ten and SEC leading all conferences with 11 All-District players. The Big 12 has 10 selections featuring three Baylor teammates.

Fourteen other schools – UConn, Gonzaga, Houston, Indiana, Kansas, Kansas State, NC State, New Mexico, Providence, Saint Mary’s, Tennessee, UCLA, Utah State and Utah Valley – also have teammates named and honored by the USBWA.

The USBWA will release its 2022-23 men’s and women’s All-America teams later this week.

Following are the complete 2022-23 USBWA All-District honors:

DISTRICT I
Maine, Vt., N.H., R.I., Mass., Conn.
Player of the Year: Adama Sanogo, UConn
Coach of the Year: Ed Cooley, Providence

All-District Team
Devin Carter, Providence
Sherif Gross-Bullock, Bryant
Jordan Hawkins, UConn
Bryce Hopkins, Providence
Chris Ledlum, Harvard
Kino Lilly Jr., Brown
Jordan Minor, Merrimack
Dylan Penn, Vermont
Quinten Post, Boston College
Adama Sanogo, UConn

DISTRICT II
N.Y., N.J., Del., D.C., Pa., W. Va.
Player of the Year: Jalen Pickett, Penn State
Coach of the Year: Jeff Capel, Pitt

All-District Team
Walter Clayton Jr., Iona
Jordan Dingle, Penn
Eric Dixon, Villanova
Aaron Estrada, Hofstra
Taevion Kinsey, Marshall
Jameer Nelson Jr., Delaware
Clifford Omoruyi, Rutgers
Jalen Pickett, Penn State
Joel Soriano, St. John’s
Erik Stevenson, West Virginia

DISTRICT III
Va., N.C., S.C., Md.
Player of the Year: Tyree Appleby, Wake Forest
Coach of the Year: Pat Kelsey, College of Charleston

All-District Team
Tyree Appleby, Wake Forest
Armando Bacot, North Carolina
Reece Beekman, Virginia
Kyle Filipowski, Duke
Jarkel Joiner, NC State
Darius McGhee, Liberty
Hunter Tyson, Clemson
Drew Pember, UNC Asheville
Terquavion Smith, NC State
Jahmir Young, Maryland

DISTRICT IV
Ky., Tenn., Miss., Ala., Ga., Fla.
Player of the Year: Brandon Miller, Alabama
Coach of the Year: Dusty May, Florida Atlantic

All-District Team
Johni Broome, Auburn
Colin Castleton, Florida
Kendric Davis, Memphis
Brandon Miller, Alabama
Liam Robbins, Vanderbilt
Tolu Smith, Mississippi State
Oscar Tshiebwe, Kentucky
Santiago Vescovi, Tennessee
Isaiah Wong, Miami
Zakai Zeigler, Tennessee

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DISTRICT V
Ohio, Ind., Ill., Mich., Minn., Wis.
Player of the Year: Zach Edey, Purdue
Coach of the Year: Matt Painter, Purdue

All-District Team
Souley Boum, Xavier
Boo Buie, Northwestern
Antoine Davis, Detroit Mercy
Zach Edey, Purdue
Hunter Dickinson, Michigan
Jalen Hood-Schifino, Indiana
Trayce Jackson-Davis, Indiana
Tyler Kolek, Marquette
Terrence Shannon Jr., Illinois
Tyson Walker, Michigan State

DISTRICT VI
Iowa, Mo., Kan., Okla., Neb., N.D., S.D.
Player of the Year: Jalen Wilson, Kansas
Coach of the Year: Jerome Tang, Kansas State

All-District Team
Max Abmas, Oral Roberts
Kobe Brown, Missouri
Tucker DeVries, Drake
Gradey Dick, Kansas
Keyontae Johnson, Kansas State
Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton
Kris Murray, Iowa
Grant Nelson, North Dakota State
Markquis Newell, Kansas State
Jalen Wilson, Kansas

DISTRICT VII
Texas, Ark., La.
Player of the Year: Marcus Sasser, Houston
Coach of the Year: Kelvin Sampson, Houston

All-District Team
Marcus Carr, Texas
Ricky Council IV, Arkansas
L.J. Cryer, Baylor
Adam Flagler, Baylor
Keyonte George, Baylor
Mike Miles, TCU
Quincy Olivari, Rice
Marcus Sasser, Houston
Jamal Shead, Houston
Wade Taylor IV, Texas A&M

DISTRICT VIII
Wyo., Utah, Idaho, N.M., Colo., Nev., Mont.
Player of the Year: Steven Ashworth, Utah State
Coach of the Year: Mark Madsen, Utah Valley

All-District Team
Steven Ashworth, Utah State
Aziz Bandaogo, Utah Valley
RaeQuan Battle, Montana State
Le’Tre Darthard, Utah Valley
E.J. Harkless, UNLV
Taylor Funk, Utah State
Jaelen House, New Mexico
Dillon Jones, Weber State
Dalton Knecht, Northern Colorado
Jamal Mashburn Jr., New Mexico

DISTRICT IX
Calif., Ore., Wash., Hawaii, Ariz., Alaska
Player of the Year: Jaime Jaquez Jr., UCLA
Coach of the Year: Randy Bennett, St. Mary’s

All-District Team
Tyger Campbell, UCLA
Boogie Ellis, USC
Jaime Jaquez Jr., UCLA
Logan Johnson, Saint Mary’s
Aidan Mahaney, Saint Mary’s
Brandin Podziemski, Santa Clara
Cam Shelton, Loyola Marymount
Julian Strawther, Gonzaga
Drew Timme, Gonzaga
Azuolas Tubelis, Arizona

Selections by conference: Big Ten 11, SEC 11, Big 12 10, ACC 9, Big East 9, West Coast 6, Mountain West 5, Pac-12 4, American Athletic 3, Big Sky 3, Ivy League 3, America East 2, Colonial 2, Summit League 2, WAC 2, ASUN 1, Big South 1, Conference USA 1, Horizon League 1, Metro Atlantic Athletic 1, Missouri Valley 1, Northeast 1, Sun Belt 1.

The U.S. Basketball Writers Association was formed in 1956 at the urging of then-NCAA Executive Director Walter Byers.

BIG EAST 2022-23 Award Winners

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BIG EAST Names Regular Season Award Winners as Conference Tourney Tips-Off at The Garden

NEW YORK – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – Marquette guard Tyler Kolek was named BIG EAST Player of the Year. Kolek’s coach, Shaka Smart, was voted unanimously as BIG EAST Coach of the Year and Villanova forward Cam Whitmore was selected BIG EAST Freshman of the Year.

The conference’s head coaches make the selections and are not permitted to vote for their own players. The awards will be presented at Madison Square Garden prior to the start of the 2023 BIG EAST Tournament Presented by JEEP. It is the 41st consecutive year the BIG EAST is playing its postseason tournament at the World’s Most Famous Arena.

Smart’s honor is the first for Marquette in 18 years as a member of the BIG EAST. Both were instrumental in leading the Golden Eagles to their first BIG EAST outright regular-season title. Marquette enters the BIG EAST Tournament as the No. 1 seed after compiling a 17-3 conference record. The Golden Eagles were picked ninth in the preseason coaches’ poll.

Kolek is MU’s maestro point guard, averaging 12.7 points and a league-leading 7.9 assists, which ranks second nationally.  The 6-3 junior from Cumberland, R.I., ranks first in assist/turnover ratio at 3.3., which places him sixth in the nation. He is fifth in the BIG EAST in steals at 1.8 and ninth in free throw shooting, making 81.4 percent. Kolek is one of five finalists for the Bob Cousy Award as the nation’s top point guard.

Smart’s squad made the biggest leap in league history, jumping from ninth in the preseason coaches’ poll to outright regular-season champion. The Golden Eagles are expected to receive a high seed in the NCAA Tournament. In his second season at Marquette, Smart has directed the Golden Eagles to a 44-19 overall record and a 28-11 BIG EAST mark. He owns a career record of 316-161 (.662) in 14 seasons as a head coach.

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Shaka Smart

Whitmore leads all BIG EAST freshmen with a 12.7 scoring average. The 6-7 native of Odenton, Md., is also averaging 5.1 rebounds. He missed the first seven games of the season with a thumb injury on his shooting hand. Whitmore was a unanimous choice for the BIG EAST All-Freshman Team and was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Week four times. His season scoring high was 29 points against Xavier on Jan. 7. Whitmore is the third Villanova player to earn Freshman of the Year honors in the last six seasons. Jeremiah Robinson-Earl won in 2019-20 and Omari Spellman won in 2017-18.

BIG EAST Player of the Year
Tyler Kolek, MarquetteBIG EAST Coach of the Year
Shaka Smart, MarquetteBIG EAST Freshman of the Year
Cam Whitmore, Villanova

Xavier forward Jack Nunge was named BIG EAST Men’s Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year. The selection was made by the Conference’s Academic Affairs Committee. Nunge will receive a $2,000 scholarship, which may be applied to graduate or professional studies.

Nunge, a graduate student, has compiled a 3.97 graduate GPA in the Xavier MBA program after a 3.35 GPA as an undergraduate in Accounting. In addition to his academic work, Nunge has participated in Xavier Special Olympics. He is a member of the Xavier Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).

On the court, Nunge has played a critical role in helping the Musketeers to a 23-8 overall record and a 15-5 BIG EAST mark. The native of Newburgh, Ind., is averaging 14.0 points and ranks fourth in the BIG EAST in rebounding with a 7.7 mark. He is shooting 51.2 percent from the field and 41.2 percent from 3-point range. Xavier will be the No. 2 seed at this week’s BIG EAST Tournament.

The BIG EAST Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year award is one of a number of scholarships presented by the BIG EAST Conference during the 2022-23 academic year. In addition, 22 student-athletes (one male and one female from each of the BIG EAST’s 11 member institutions) will receive postgraduate scholarships as the winners of their respective institutions’ Scholar-Athlete Award. The winners of the institutional and basketball awards are then eligible for the BIG EAST Scholar-Athlete of the Year award, which provides an additional postgraduate scholarship to one male and one female student-athlete.

The Conference previously announced winners of four individual awards for its 2022-23 men’s basketball season.

For the second year in a row, Creighton’s Ryan Kalkbrenner has been named BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year. Joel Soriano of St. John’s has been selected BIG EAST Most Improved Player. David Joplin of Marquette has won the BIG EAST Sixth Man Award. Villanova’s Caleb Daniels has been tabbed the winner of the BIG EAST Sportsmanship Award.

The league’s head coaches make the selections and they are not permitted to vote for their own players. The BIG EAST will announce the remaining individual awards: BIG EAST Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, Freshman of the Year and Men’s Basketball Scholar-Athlete on Wednesday, March 8, at 12:30 p.m. ET at Madison Square Garden.

Kalkbrenner, a 7-1 junior center from Florissant, Mo., has been the leader of a Creighton squad that has excelled on the defensive end of the floor for the last two seasons. This year, he leads the BIG EAST in blocked shots with a 2.2 average which ranks 18th nationally. His defensive presence has contributed to the Bluejays leading the league in scoring defense in league games, yielding only 67.2 points per game. Kalkbrenner is an All-BIG EAST First Team selection. The last time a player repeated as Defensive Player was 2016-17 and ’17-18 when former Creighton standout guard Khyri Thomas earned the award.

Soriano, a 6-11 senior from Yonkers, N.Y., has made significant leaps across the board for St. John’s. The veteran center is averaging 15.3 points and a league-leading 11.8 rebounds. Soriano also is tied for first nationally in double-doubles with 23. Last year, Soriano had only one double-double. His double-double total is second only to former great Walter Berry’s 28 in 1985-86. He is the first St. John’s player to be the BIG EAST rebounding champion in league games with an 11.5 mark. In his first three seasons combined, Soriano scored 481 points. This year, he has 472.

Marquette’s Joplin has come off the bench in each of the team’s 31 games, averaging 19.1 minutes per game. The 6-7 sophomore from Milwaukee, Wis., has made important contributions to MU’s regular-season title run. He is fifth on the team in scoring with a 9.2 average and grabs 3.4 rebounds per contest. Joplin ranks second on the team in free throw shooting, making 80.5 percent. He notched his career scoring high with 28 points in only 24 minutes in an 89-69 victory at DePaul on Jan. 28. He made five steals in the title-clinching 72-56 victory at Butler on Feb. 28.

Villanova’s Daniels has been the steady and classy leader for the Wildcats. He is second on the team in scoring with a 14.6 average and is first on the team with 71 made 3-pointers. A native of New Orleans, La., Daniels is also a reliable free throw shooter. He has connected on 85.3 percent, which ranks fifth in the BIG EAST. Daniels leads the Wildcats in minutes played, averaging 33.6 per game.

BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year
Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton

BIG EAST Most Improved Player
Joel Soriano, St. John’s

BIG EAST Sixth Man Award
David Joplin, Marquette

BIG EAST Sportsmanship Award
Caleb Daniels, Villanova

Duke’s Brown Wins Media Award

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INDIANAPOLIS – (Staff Report from Official Press Release) – In recognition of his long service to the game of women’s basketball, Duke’s Lindy Brown has been named the U.S. Basketball Writers Association’s Mary Jo Haverbeck Award winner for 2023. He will be presented the award at the Final Four in Dallas.

Brown joined the Duke communications office in November 1999 and rose to Senior Associate Director of Sports Communications, currently overseeing women’s soccer, women’s tennis and women’s golf. In 2019, Brown received the CoSIDA Achievement Award for the University Division and has been honored multiple times for his women’s basketball media guides. He has been part of multiple women’s sports championships and achievements at Duke, including three women’s basketball Final Four appearances (2002, ’03 and ’06).

“Nobody worked harder to promote and elevate Duke women’s basketball than Lindy, whose knack for spotting and pitching good stories made it an easy program to cover,” said USBWA president Luke DeCock, a sports columnist for the (Raleigh) News & Observer. “The fact that he for many years organized the annual media basketball game at Cameron is entirely incidental.”

A 1996 graduate from Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, N.C., Brown received a Bachelor of Science degree in sport management and worked in the sports information office during college. Before joining Duke, he served as the Sports Information Director and Marketing and Promotions Coordinator for the University of South Carolina Aiken. Brown resides in his hometown of Raleigh with his wife Christine and their two children, Jordan and Olivia.

The award is presented annually and named after the late Mary Jo Haverbeck, the longtime women’s sports communications director at Penn State who passed away in January 2014. The award pays tribute to Haverbeck for her pioneering and visionary work among the first women to work in the sports communication profession.

The USBWA was formed in 1956 at the urging of then-NCAA Executive Director Walter Byers. With some 900 members worldwide, it is one of the most influential organizations in college basketball.

Kitman Hires Iwanowski and Aker

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MENLO PARK – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – Kitman Labs, the sports technology and analytics company setting a new industry standard for how high performance organizations use data, have hired Kirk Iwanowski and Chris Aker for the newly created positions of Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Revenue Officer, respectively.  Iwanowski joins Kitman with over 25 years of experience in entertainment, media and technology marketing and brand building, most recently at AnyClip, where he spearheaded their global rebrand and positioning as The Visual Intelligence Company.  Aker brings over 20 years of experience in sales, business development and execution and revenue generation to Kitman Labs, the last 4.5 years building the successful sales and enterprise strategy at Compass.

“Kirk and Chris’ expansive background and track record of success in scaling, brand building and sales will be critical as we grow the business enterprise value of Kitman Labs and tell our story to an expanding global audience,”  said Founder and CEO Stephen Smith. “Our goal in the coming years is to continue to partner with elite sports and public sector companies to revolutionize how data and analytics are leveraged across every level of an organization to optimize performance and maximize return.  There is no one better to help us map and execute that plan than these two seasoned executives.”

First Up: Alabama’s Bryce Young

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INDIANAPOLIS – (Staff and Wire Service Report by Field Level Media) – Alabama’s Bryce Young was the first quarterback to the lectern at the NFL Scouting Combine, an appropriate anecdote that included hundreds of reporters gathered to hear from the prized ‘Bama passer and purported No. 1 overall pick in April.

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While Young and Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud are expected to entice another team to trade for the top pick and move the Chicago Bears down a peg, Young said he isn’t trying to read the tea leaves.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen,” Young said of being drafted. “I obviously don’t get to choose. I’d be surprised either way. I’m just happy to be here.”

Young has been popular with teams at the top of the draft, meeting with the Bears, Houston Texans (who pick second and have the No. 12 pick), Indianapolis Colts (fourth) and Seattle Seahawks (fifth) and Las Vegas Raiders (seventh).

“Bryce is an outstanding leader, and an outstanding quarterback,” Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans said. “It’s no surprise the success that he’s had, just because of the makeup and the type of guy that he is.”

Young said he had a “great” meeting with the Texans, which might not be a surprise given Ryans also attended Alabama. Crimson Tide products John Metchie III and Christian Harris, former Young teammates, are also in Houston.

“It was a great environment, just being in that room, I got a lot of wisdom. I’m super-grateful for it,” Young said.

Young had 80 touchdowns, 12 interceptions at Alabama, and he left Tuscaloosa as a Heisman Trophy winner and national champion. It won’t hurt in team meetings with NFL suitors that Young trained under former Texans head coach Bill O’Brien, who was Alabama’s offensive coordinator and recently rejoined the New England Patriots.

Stroud said his first meeting in Indianapolis was with the Raiders. He also met with the Texans and Colts and looks to get a leg up on Young by throwing and performing in on-field events during the combine. Young is holding out for Alabama’s pro day March 23.

“I want to be myself no matter what room I step in, let them know I control the room no matter what room I step in, that I’m a leader,” Stroud said Friday. “And show them the IQ I have, that I’m a student of the game. … I’m willing to go back to square one and learn it all over again.”

Former NFL personnel evaluators appear to be split on whether Young or Stroud is the right quarterback to build around. Louis Riddick said in an ESPN appearance that “sky is the absolute freaking limit” if Stroud gets in the right offense.

“This kid right here, look I love Bryce Young too, it’s like a video game watching the young man play. This guy right here, I think is the gem,” said Riddick, who previously worked in the Eagles’ scouting department.

Height and weight are questions for Young, who is nothing close to the physical prototype at the position. But his instincts, awareness and ability to execute at a high level when plays break down give him one of the highest “off script” grades from general managers since Kyler Murray was selected No. 1 overall.

“I’ve been this size, respectfully, my whole life,” Young said Friday. “I know who I am. I know what I can do. For me, it’s fair, everyone can speculate and ask whatever questions are necessary. I’m going to continue to control what I’m going to control.”

Stroud will be measured with the other quarterbacks in the class on Saturday, when throwing sessions and other on-field workouts take place at Lucas Oil Stadium. Like Stroud, Kentucky’s Will Levis and Florida’s Anthony Richardson plan to participate in all QB events.

The average height and weight of quarterbacks on NFL rosters in 2022 was 6-2 1/2, 219.8. Of course, there are notable exceptions.

Based on the tape at the combine, Murray was 5-10 1/8, Russell Wilson measured 5-10 5/8, Drew Brees was 6-0.

“You do want to pay attention to body type,” former Patriots general manager Scott Pioli said on NFL Network. “But go back and watch the tape. Spend time with Bryce Young. I’ve spent time with Bryce Young, I’ve spent time with his parents. This guy is the real deal as a quarterback and human being. This is the guy you want leading your offense and leading your huddle.”

–Field Level Media

Antonio Brown Buys Into the Empire

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ALBANY – Former NFL All-Pro Antonio Brown promised to be hands on in his new role as a part-owner of the Albany Empire of the National Arena League.

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Brown was introduced Thursday at a news conference in the New York State Capitol, where his father is a legend. Eddie Brown, who starred for the Albany Firebirds in the heyday of the Arena Football League, also is joining the franchise as vice president of operations.

The Albany Times Union said Empire owner Mike Kwarta declined to offer details about Brown’s ownership agreement but commented that they are “equal partners, if you would.”

“Touchdown” Eddie Brown played in Albany from 1994-2001, and Antonio Brown was in elementary school with his dad joined the Firebirds.

“It means everything to be back here in the community where I grew up as a kid,” Antonio Brown said. “It’s about keeping Albany football, sustainability, being here forever, and offering the community, the kids, the players, a great opportunity to be successful.”

He said he isn’t just investing money in the franchise.

“I just want to be here hands-on, help the players be successful on and off the field, and just be an advocate here in the community to bring it out. If that’s going out in the community, getting people to the game, getting kids to come out here, events in the stadium, so whatever it takes to help us be our best selves and hoist a trophy,” Brown said.

Kwarta said he had no worries about partnering with the controversial Brown, who faced suspensions, criminal charges and civil lawsuits in his NFL days. Kwarta said their conversations had focused on Brown’s “childhood, what his dad did here, the legacies, and what can we do for the community, and that’s completely what we’re focused on.”

Eddie Brown was voted the best player in Arena Football League history in 2006 as the league celebrated its 20th anniversary.

The current Arena league doesn’t prohibit player-owners, but Antonio Brown said that won’t happen.

“I did everything as far as playing in the career of football,” the younger Brown said. “I won’t retire because I still got the game, but just working on other things.”

Brown, 34, played 12 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs released him on Jan. 6, 2022, days after he left the field in a game against the New York Jets and threw part of his gear into the stands.

A four-time All-Pro, Brown won a Super Bowl with the Buccaneers in 2020. In 146 career games, he made 928 catches for 12,291 yards and caught 83 touchdown passes. He also returned one kickoff and four punts for TDs.

The Empire open the season April 16 at home against the Orlando Predators.

–Field Level Media

Big East: The Grand Finale Awaits

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PROVIDENCE – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – In the final night of action before the regular season ends on Saturday, Xavier handed Providence its first home loss of the season to grab the No. 2 seed in next week’s BIG EAST Tournament while Connecticut and Creighton built huge early leads en route to victories.

The 19th-ranked Musketeers (22-8, 14-5 BIG EAST) cruised to a 22-point lead in the first half before the 20th-ranked Friars (21-9, 13-6 BE) stormed back to cut the advantage to two points with 15:18 to play. But Xavier never lost the lead and won 94-89. Musketeer guards Souley Boum and Colby Jones combined for 62 points, 16 rebounds and eight assists. All five PC starters reached double figures led by Ed Croswell and Bryce Hopkins, who had 17 points each.

UConn raced to a 29-2 lead and beat DePaul 88-59 in Hartford. The 14th-ranked Huskies (23-7, 12-7 BE) were led by Adama Sanogo’s 26 points in only 22:33 of playing time. Andre Jackson Jr. finished with 11 points, nine assists and eight rebounds. Nick Ongenda, in only his fifth game since returning from a wrist injury, led the Blue Demons (9-21, 3-16 BE) with 17 points, six boards and two blocked shots.

Creighton got out early against Georgetown in its 99-59 victory at the CHI Health Center. The Bluejays (19-11, 13-6 BE) scored the first 19 points of the game and were not threatened. Trey Alexander led the Jays with 25 points. Baylor Scheierman added 13 points, 13 rebounds and five assists. The Hoyas (7-24, 2-18 BE) got 21 points from Primo Spears.

Five games on Saturday will complete the regular season. The following seeds have been determined for The BIG EAST Tournament: No. 1 Marquette, No. 2 Xavier, No. 6 Villanova, No. 7 Seton Hall, No. 10 DePaul and No. 11 Georgetown. St. John’s and Butler will be in the 8/9 game with exact seeds to be determined.

Big East: Marquette Takes Title

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INDIANAPOLIS – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – In Tuesday action, Marquette won its first BIG EAST regular-season crown when it defeated Butler 72-56 at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Villanova continued its hot play with a 76-72 victory at Seton Hall, which assured the Wildcats of the No. 6 seed at next week’s BIG EAST Tournament at Madison Square Garden.

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The sixth-ranked Golden Eagles (24-6, 16-4 BIG EAST) put together a strong first half that ended with a 36-22 lead at the break. MU was able to maintain a comfortable edge the rest of the way. Tyler Kolek posted game highs of 21 points and 10 assists. He shot 9-of-13 from the field. Jayden Taylor led the Bulldogs (14-16, 6-13 BE).

Villanova, the nation’s leader in free throw shooting, made 21-of-22 from the stripe in the second half of its 76-72 victory. Justin Moore was 9-of-9 from the line and finished with a game-high 23 points. The Wildcats (16-14, 10-9 BE) have won six of their last seven games. The Pirates (16-14, 9-10 BE) were led by Femi Odukale, who compiled his first double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds.

The teams ranked second through fifth in the standings are in action on Wednesday. At 6:30 p.m. ET on FS1, No. 19 Xavier plays at No. 20 Providence. Both teams are 21-8 overall and 13-5 in BIG EAST play and are tied for second place.

DePaul (9-20, 3-15 BE) plays at No. 14 Connecticut (22-7, 11-7 BE) at 7 p.m. on CBS Sports Network. Creighton (18-11, 12-6 BE) hosts Georgetown (7-23, 2-17 BE) at 8:30 p.m. on FS1.

The following seeds have been determined for The BIG EAST Tournament: No. 1 Marquette, No. 6 Villanova, No. 7 Seton Hall, No. 10 DePaul and No. 11 Georgetown. St. John’s and Butler will be in the 8/9 game with exact seeds to be determined.

Final Week of Big East Season

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NEW YORK – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – Going into the final week of the regular season, tremendous fan support has increased once again across the BIG EAST Conference in men’s basketball.

Led nationally by Creighton (17,172, 6th) and Marquette (14,098, 16th), seven BIG EAST schools rank among top-50 in overall attendance in 2022-23. Overall, nine of 11 BIG EAST schools’ attendance number have increased this season, with BIG EAST teams combining for 53 sellout home games.

Powered by the boisterous crowds, BIG EAST programs are 123-45 on their home courts, collectively winning 73.2 percent of games. In addition, the top five seeds in the 2023 BIG EAST Men’s Basketball Tournament, presented by JEEP boast an astounding 70-7 home mark, winning 90.9 percent of contests in front of their respective fan bases.

As a league, average attendance has risen to 10,322 fans per game, up 6.87 percent from a season ago. The attendance across the league currently ranks second since realignment, with an average of 10,371 fans per game set in 2018.

For schools playing in their primary arenas, percentage capacities are at or near 100 percent for multiple programs, led by Xavier and Villanova. Playing all 16 games in front of the fans at Cintas Center, the Musketeers are averaging 10,279 fans and hitting 100.54 percent capacity. In addition, Villanova has sold out at each of its nine home game played at Finneran Pavilion (6,501 seat capacity).

Just shy of reaching full capacity, Creighton has sold 98.96 percent of tickets to its 14 home games, while Marquette has filled 76.21 percent of Fiserv Forum (18,500 seat capacity) seats across 16 games to stay in the top-20 in overall NCAA attendance.