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Xavier, Providence Continue to Roll

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CINCINNATI – (Staff report from Official News Release) – Xavier and Providence both pushed their overall records to 11-1 and won their BIG EAST openers on Saturday. St. John’s, Georgetown and Butler dropped decisions in non-league competition.

The 22nd-ranked Musketeers knocked off visiting Marquette 80-71. Xavier’s Dwon Odom came off the bench to score a career-high 19 points on 8-of-9 shooting from the field. Nate Johnson added 17 points. Jack Nunge helped with 13 points and 12 rebounds. Marquette (8-4, 0-1 BIG EAST) cut a 10-point second-half deficit to 70-69 with 3:03 left before Xavier pulled away. Greg Elliott led the Golden Eagles with 18 points.

Providence built a 16-point lead before surviving a late rally in a 57-53 win against No. 20 UConn at XL Center. PC’s A.J. Reeves scored 16 points, which included 4-of-8 from beyond the arc. Reserve Ed Croswell added 11 points in 15 minutes. R.J. Cole led the Huskies with 16 points and eight assists. The Friars limited the Huskies to 31.1 percent shooting from the field.

St. John’s (8-3) played without Julian Champagnie because of COVID protocols and lost 59-57 to Pittsburgh on a shot just before the buzzer in the Gotham Classic at Madison Square Garden. Dylan Addae-Wusu scored a team-high 12 points. Posh Alexander finished with 11 points, seven rebounds, five assists and five steals.

Georgetown (6-5) made it close in the final minute but fell to TCU 80-73 in the final game of the BIG EAST-Big 12 Battle. Aminu Mohammed posted his fifth double-double this season with game highs of 21 points and 11 rebounds. Kaiden Rice, who missed Wednesday’s win against Howard, added 14 points.  The Hoyas played without an injured Dante Harris.

No. 3 Purdue pulled away from Butler in the final minutes of the first half en route to a 77-48 victory over the Bulldogs at the Crossroads Classic. Bryce Golden led the Bulldogs (7-4) with 17 points. Chuck Harris missed the game due to illness. Butler connected on only 4-of-28 from 3-point range.

After Saturday, BIG EAST teams have an overall record of 91-27 (.771) against non-league opponents.

No games are scheduled for today and the two games on Monday were canceled due to COVID-19. Play resumes on Tuesday with Xavier visiting Villanova and Marquette hosting UConn.

Three-time Gold Medalist Kevin Durant Named USA Basketball Athlete of Year

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COLORADO SPRINGS – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – After he captured his third Olympic gold medal (2012, 2016, 2020) this past summer at the Tokyo Games, Kevin Durant (Brooklyn Nets) was named as the 2021 USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year.

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“It’s amazing to be honored in this way,” Durant said. “First off to represent your country and do it amongst the best athletes in the world, it’s an honor. So many great athletes come through USA Basketball and the national teams in general in all sports, and so to be chosen as one of the top athletes is an honor. I’m very grateful for the opportunity and thankful that I received this award.”

This is the third time Durant has been honored as the USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year. He also was recognized with the award in 2010, and he shared the honor in 2016 with Carmelo Anthony.

“Kevin was an incredible leader for USA Basketball this past summer,” said Jim Tooley, USA Basketball CEO. “With this being his third Olympics, he had the respect of his teammates, and he clearly is one of the best basketball players in the world. USA Basketball is grateful to Kevin for his time and ongoing commitment to our organization, and we are proud to celebrate him as the 2021 Male Athlete of the Year.”

Durant started in all six Olympic match ups for the USA, and he averaged a team-leading 20.7 points per game and team second-best of 5.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. He shot 52.9% from the field, 37.5% from 3-point and 90.5% from the free throw line and was named by FIBA as MVP of the 2020 Olympic men’s basketball tournament.

“As he has done before, Kevin Durant performed brilliantly on the international stage and led the way to another gold medal,” said USA head coach Gregg Popovich, who was named as a co-recipient of the 2021 USA Basketball National Coach of the Year award on Dec. 15. “I remain awed by his work ethic, leadership and desire to excel.”

Durant’s 20.7 ppg. set a U.S. Olympic men’s single-competition record for points averaged, and he tied Carmelo Anthony for most Olympic gold medals (three). Durant is one of just four U.S. male basketball athletes to play in three or more Olympics.

Durant, who has led the USA in scoring in all three of his Olympic appearances and at the 2010 FIBA World Cup, owns eight U.S. Olympic men’s career records, including the top spot for points (435), points averaged (19.8), field goals made (146) and attempted (276), 3-point field goals made (74) and attempted (148) and free throws made (69) and attempted (80).

Among all Tokyo Olympic men’s basketball athletes, Durant ranked third in points scored and field goals made, fourth in field goals attempted and defensive rebounds and sixth in scoring average.

Xavier, Georgetown Extend Win Streaks

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CINCINNATI – Xavier and Georgetown extended their winning streaks with victories on Wednesday. The No. 22 Musketeers have a six-game streak after powering past Morehead State 86-63 at Cintas Center. Georgetown has won three in a row after handling Howard 85-73 at Capital One Arena.

For Xavier (10-1), Jerome Hunter paced four players in double figures with 15 points. The Musketeers took control early and used an 18-0 run to lead 47-19 at halftime. Zach Freemantle started for the first time this year after suffering a leg injury in the preseason. The Preseason All-BIG EAST First Team pick had nine points and five rebounds in 19 minutes.

Georgetown (6-4) got an offensive lift from freshman Tyler Beard and Malcolm Wilson against Howard. Beard, who had seen only limited action this season, scored 23 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the field. Wilson added 13 points and eight rebounds in only 25 minutes of playing time.

Going into the weekend, with still a few non-league games to play, BIG EAST teams have an overall record of 91-24 (.791).

Conference play also starts this weekend. The league opener is Villanova (7-3) at Creighton (8-3) on Friday at 8 p.m. ET on FS1.

The No. 9 Wildcats have won or shared seven of the last eight regular-season league titles. Villanova is 5-3 against the Bluejays at the CHI Health Center. Villanova’s Jay Wright and Creighton’s Greg McDermott have been the coaches for all eight matchups. Each team won the meeting on its home court last season. For the Bluejays this year, Ryan Hawkins has scored 25 points in both of Creighton’s games against ranked opponents.

Four Big East Teams in Top 25

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NEW YORK – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – Four BIG EAST teams are in Monday’s Associated Press poll led by Villanova’s No. 9 ranking. Seton Hall moved up seven spots to No. 16. UConn is 20th and Xavier jumped back in at No. 22.  Providence and Creighton were among other teams receiving votes.

In Sunday’s action, Seton Hall defeated Rutgers 77-63 to win the Garden State Hardwood Classic. Bryce Aiken came off the bench to score a game-high 22 points and was named the game MVP. Jared Rhoden added 16 points and nine rebounds. The Pirates (9-1) used a 13-0 run late in the first half to grab control of the contest.

St. John’s pushed its record to 8-2 after beating Colgate 82-64 at Carnesecca Arena. Julian Champagnie scored a team-high 19 points and connected on 5-of-7 from 3-point range. Posh Alexander added 15 points, seven rebounds and four assists. The Johnnies are 8-0 at Carnesecca this season.

Villanova (7-3) could never get going offensively and lost 57-36 at Baylor in the BIG EAST-Big 12 Battle. The Bears moved into the No. 1 position in the national polls on Monday. Justin Moore was the only Wildcat in double figures, scoring 15 points. The 36 points were the fewest scored by the Wildcats in a game since Feb. 4, 1979, a 36-34 victory over Penn State.

BIG EAST conference play starts this weekend, but the schedule until then is light with many schools in final exams. Tuesday’s schedule shows two contests. Creighton (8-2) hosts Arizona State at 8 p.m. ET on FS1. The Bluejays are coming off an 83-71 neutral court win over then-No. 24 BYU. A win over UIC would give Creighton a 9-2 start (or better) after 11 games for the eighth time in the last 11 season.

DePaul plays at UIC at 8 p.m. The Blue Demons (8-1) last played on Friday, winning 62-55 at Louisville. Javon Freeman-Liberty and David Jones are ranked in the top five in the BIG EAST in scoring and rebounding. Freeman-Liberty is second in scoring (20.3) and third in rebounding (8.4). Jones is third in scoring (17.7) and fourth in rebounding (8.2).

Going into Tuesday, league teams own an overall record of 88-23 (.793).

Big East Rivalry Weekend

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NEWARK – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – BIG EAST teams won six of seven games on Saturday, including Georgetown and Xavier winning rivalry games, Creighton knocking off a ranked opponent and UConn, Providence and Butler all coming out on top. Marquette, facing a top-five opponent, was the only team to lose. After Saturday, league teams own an overall record of 86-22 (.796) and have won 16 of their last 18 games.

Georgetown overcame a 10-point deficit at halftime to defeat long-time rival Syracuse 79-75 at Capital One Arena. Aminu Mohammed scored 20 of his game-high 23 points in the second half and finished with a game-high 13 rebounds. Donald Carey added 18 points for the Hoyas (5-4).

In the other big rivalry game, Xavier handled Cincinnati 83-63 in the third largest margin of victory in the Crosstown Shootout series. Jack Nunge did not start, but produced a career-high 31 points and pulled down 15 rebounds. The Musketeers (9-1) led by as many as 27 points. Xavier has won seven of the last nine meetings with UC.

Creighton led by as many as 21 points in its 83-71 victory over No. 24 BYU in Sioux Falls, S.D. The Bluejay trio of “Ryans” – Hawkins, Kalkbrenner and Nembhard – combined for 56 points. Ryan Hawkins led with a game-high 25 points for the second straight game. The Bluejays (8-2) have beaten at least one ranked team in each of the last nine seasons.

UConn (9-2) used a 13-0 surge in the second half to take control of its 74-64 neutral court win over St. Bonaventure in the Never Forget Classic. R.J. Cole led a balanced scoring attack with 15 points. Tyler Polley added 13.

Providence completed its non-conference slate with a 68-53 victory over Central Connecticut State. The Friars (10-1) jumped to a 22-4 lead and did not face a serious challenge. A.J. Reeves impressed with 11 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. Noah Horchler added 12 points and 10 boards.

Butler started the second half of its game against Eastern Illinois with a 13-0 run en route to a 66-54 win. The Bulldogs (7-3) got a career-high 20 points from Bryce Golden. Aaron Thompson posted a double-double with 14 points and 10 assists.

Marquette fell behind early and could not recover in a 67-56 loss to No. 4 UCLA. Greg Elliott scored a career-high 22 points. The game was delayed seven hours due to travel problems for UCLA.

Today’s slate has more mid-season, top-flight flavor. After St. John’s hosts Colgate on FS1 at Noon ET, the tougher schedule of opponents begins when Villanova visits No. 2 Baylor at 3 p.m. on ABC. New Jersey rivals Seton Hall and Rutgers battle at Prudential Center at 7:30 p.m. on FS1.

Big East, Big Win for DePaul

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LOUISVILLE – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – After starting the season with eight games at home, donning the road uniforms was not a problem for DePaul. The Blue Demons won 62-55 at Louisville to improve their record to 8-1. David Jones poured in 33 points and took down 14 rebounds.

A seven-game Saturday includes two storied rivalries, a visit from a top-five team and the completion of non-league schedules for PC, UConn and Marquette.

At noon ET on FOX, Syracuse and Georgetown meet for the 97th time. The Hoyas (4-4) are coming off a 100-71 win over UMBC and are 3-1 at home against the Orange since 2013.  Also at noon, Creighton takes on its second straight ranked opponent when the Bluejays (7-2) meet No. 24 BYU in Sioux Falls, S.D., on FS1. Creighton last played a week ago, losing 64-58 to then-No. 19 Iowa State.

Providence hosts Central Connecticut State on FS1 at 2 p.m. The Friars (9-1) are finishing a five-game home stand. They are 7-0 at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center. No. 15 UConn plays St. Bonaventure in the Never Forget Classic at 4 p.m. on ESPN. The Huskies (8-2) lost 56-53 at West Virginia on Wednesday.

Butler (6-3) hosts Eastern Illinois at 4 p.m. on FS1. The Bulldogs are coming off a 66-62 OT win at Oklahoma in the BIG EAST-Big 12 Battle. Xavier and Cincinnati meet for the 89th time in the annual Crosstown Shootout. The Musketeers (8-1) are on a four-game winning streak and have won six of the last eight meetings in the series.

Because of an aircraft problem for No. 4 UCLA, the Marquette-UCLA game has been delayed until 9:30 p.m. on FS2. The Golden Eagles (8-2) are facing their fourth ranked opponent this year, but their first top-five opponent at home since the 1991-92 season.

The Hall Knocks-Off No. 7 Texas

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NEWARK – Seton Hall knocked off seventh-ranked Texas and St. John’s held off Monmouth to maintain its unblemished mark at home on Thursday. At the 100-game mark, BIG EAST teams are collectively 79-21 (.790).

Seton Hall (8-1) held Texas scoreless for a stretch of 7:40 in the second half and won a 64-60 decision. Bryce Aiken scored the Pirates’ final five points, including a clutch 3-pointer after he missed his first seven tries from beyond the arc. Jared Rhoden had 18 points and Alexis Yetna stepped up with 12 points and 10 rebounds after Ike Obiagu left the game in the first half with an ankle injury.

St. John’s (7-2) built a double-digit lead against Monmouth before some crucial plays by Posh Alexander preserved an 88-83 victory at Carnesecca Arena. Alexander made three late free throws and a steal in the final minute. He led the Johnnies with 21 points on 7-of-14 shooting from the floor and was 7-of-8 from the foul line. Monmouth had won seven in a row, including five road victories. St. John’s is 7-0 at Carnesecca.

Before a seven-game Saturday that includes plenty of intriguing matchups, DePaul starts the weekend with a game at Louisville at 8 p.m. on ACC Network. The Blue Demons are 7-1 after Tuesday’s 87-67 win over Duquesne. The game will be DePaul’s first on the road this season. Javon Freeman-Liberty has been excelling across the board. He leads the BIG EAST in scoring with a 21.8 mark, ranks second in rebounding (8.8) and seventh in assists (4.3).

Saturday’s schedule:

Creighton vs. BYU

Syracuse at Georgetown

Central Connecticut St. at Providence

UCLA at Marquette

UConn vs. St. Bonaventure

Eastern Illinois at Butler

Cincinnati at Xavier.

USA Basketball Names Reeve as Coach

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MINNEAPOLIS – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – Minnesota Lynx head coach and general manager Cheryl Reeve, who as an assistant coach for the USA Basketball Women’s National Team helped the U.S. claim gold medals at the 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games and 2014 and 2018 FIBA World Cups, will take the reins of the program as USA National Team head coach through 2024.

In addition to USA National Team training camps and exhibition games, Reeve will lead the USA at the 2022 FIBA World Cup Qualifying Tournament in Washington, D.C.; the 2022 FIBA World Cup in Sydney, Australia; and, if the USA qualifies, the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France.

“I am incredibly humbled and excited to be named head coach of the USA Basketball Women’s National Team, one of the greatest dynasties in sports,” said Reeve. “I have enjoyed an incredible journey with USA Basketball since joining in 2014 and look forward to what lies ahead as we seek more gold for the USA. I am indebted to the USA Basketball Board of Directors, Dawn Staley, Geno Auriemma, and of course, my Lynx family who have positioned me for this prestigious opportunity.”

“Cheryl Reeve is a coach who has been successful on multiple levels of the game,” said retired Gen. Martin Dempsey , USA Basketball chairperson. “With five international gold medals as an assistant on the coaching staff of our USA National Teams and a combined six WNBA championships as a head coach and an assistant, USA Basketball believes there is no one more qualified than Cheryl to follow Dawn Staley and continue the legacy of success that defines this program. I am confident that she will continue the USA Basketball Women’s National Team’s tradition of developing teams that make all Americans proud both on and off the court.”

In addition to the combined four gold medals in the Olympics and FIBA World Cups, Reeve was on the bench as an assistant when the USA claimed the 2019 FIBA AmeriCup and, in all, has assisted USA teams to a 57-4 overall record, including a spotless 38-0 slate in official FIBA competitions. During the 2019-20 USA National Team’s expanded training, Reeve stepped in for then-USA head coach Staley, who was unable to coach due to her collegiate coaching commitments and acted as the team’s lead coach during the 2019-20 college tour (4-1), 2019 FIBA Pre-Olympic Qualifying Tournament (3-0) and 2020 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (3-0).

A three-time WNBA Coach of the Year (2011, 2016 and 2020), Reeve was the 2019 WNBA Basketball Executive of the Year and has earned six WNBA titles, four as a head coach (2011, 2013, 2015 and 2017) and two as an assistant coach (2006 and 2008).

Having completed in 2021 her 12th season at the helm of the Lynx (2010 to present), Reeve, who in 2017 took on the role of Lynx general manager, has compiled a 267-127 (.678 winning percentage) record and a 41-21 (.661 winning percentage) playoff slate.

Prior to being named head coach at the Lynx, Reeve spent nine years as an assistant in the league at Charlotte (2001-02, 2004-05), Cleveland (2003) and Detroit (2006-09), where she aided the Shock to a pair of WNBA titles.

Villanova Takes Down Syracuse at MSG

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NEW YORK – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – In the BIG EAST-Big 12 Battle, Butler overcame a 13-point deficit in the second half and won at Oklahoma in overtime. Villanova knocked off Syracuse in the Jimmy V Classic at MSG. DePaul and Providence picked up non-conference home victories.

The 4-0 mark on Tuesday improved the composite BIG EAST record to 74-20 (.787).

No. 6 Villanova trailed Syracuse 29-26 at halftime before putting together a 41-24 second half that produced a 67-53 victory. The Wildcats (7-2) pounded the glass, grabbing 27 offensive rebounds to 11 for Syracuse. Justin Moore scored 18 points and Collin Gillespie added 14. Villanova took 50 3-pointers and made 13.

Butler (6-3) gained its 66-62 OT victory at Oklahoma after Chuck Harris nailed a 3-pointer with 35 seconds left in the extra period which gave the Bulldogs a 63-62 lead. Harris scored a season-high 26 points. The Sooners forced the overtime making a contested 3-pointer with two seconds left in regulation.

DePaul ended its eight-game home stand to start the season with an 87-67 win against Duquesne. Like Villanova, the Blue Demons (7-1) also used a strong second half, which included a 16-2 run midway through the period, to post the win. Javon Freeman-Liberty filled his stat line with 26 points, nine rebounds and five assists. Brandon Johnson and Nick Ongenda each added 13 points.

Providence used a strong first half to be the difference in its 68-58 win over Vermont. The Friars (9-1) led 30-20 by halftime.  A.J. Reeves and Nate Watson each scored 24 points. Reeves connected on six 3-pointers. The game was the 500th for coach Ed Cooley. His record is 295-205 (.590).

Today’s schedule also includes four games.

The BIG EAST-Big 12 Battle has a doubleheader on ESPN2. At 7 p.m. ET, No. 15 UConn (8-1) travels to West Virginia. At 9 p.m., Kansas State hosts Marquette (7-2). Road teams have won four of the five BIG EAST-Big 12 Battles. FS1 also has a doubleheader. Xavier (7-1) aims for its fourth win a row when it hosts Ball State at 6:30 p.m. followed by UMBC at Georgetown (3-4) at 8:30 p.m.

Big East Honors – Dec. 6

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NEW YORK – Providence guard Al Durham has been named BIG EAST Player of the Week and Georgetown guard Aminu Muhammed has been selected BIG EAST Freshman of the Week. Durham led the Friars to wins against Texas Tech and Rhode Island, while Muhammed had strong performances against South Carolina and Longwood.

BIG EAST Player of the Week

Al Durham, Providence, G, Gr. – Durham sparked the Friars to a 72-68 win over previously unbeaten Texas Tech with a game-high 23 points and had 14 points and six assists in a 66-52 victory against in-state rival Rhode Island. For the week, he averaged 18.5 points, 4.0 assists and 3.0 rebounds and connected on 17-of-18 from the free throw line. Durham is averaging 14.6 points for the season.

BIG EAST Freshman of the Week

Aminu Mohammed, Georgetown, G, Fr. – Mohammed averaged 16.0 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.5 steals in a 1-1 week. He had 17 points and eight boards in an 80-67 loss at South Carolina and 15 points and 11 rebounds in a 91-83 victory over Longwood. For the two games, Mohammed shot 52.4 percent from field. He leads all BIG EAST freshmen in scoring (14.3) and rebounding (7.9).

 

BIG EAST Honor Roll

R.J. Cole, UConn, G, Gr. – Averaged 21.5 points, 5.5 assists and 5.0 rebounds in wins over Md.-Eastern Shore (72-63) and Grambling (88-59).

Ryan Hawkins, Creighton, F, Sr. – Had 25 points and five rebounds in a loss to No. 19 Iowa State (64-58). Averaged 14.0 points and 4.0 boards in a 1-1 week.

Julian Champagnie, St. John’s, G-F, Jr. – Averaged 20.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in a 1-1 week. Had 24 points and eight rebounds in a loss to Kansas (95-75).

Collin Gillespie, Villanova, G, Sr. – Averaged 24.5 points in wins against Penn (71-56) and Saint Joseph’s (81-52). Shot 59.3 percent from the field and made 9-of-15 from 3-point range.

Nate Johnson, Xavier, G, Sr. – Averaged 19.5 points in a 2-0 week. Had 24 points in a win against Central Michigan (78-45) and 15 points in a victory at Oklahoma State (77-71).