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Big East

Providence Romps in Big East

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NEW YORK – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Josh Oduro posted 20 points and nine rebounds as seventh-seeded Providence defeated 10th-seeded Georgetown 74-56 in the first round of the Big East tournament on Wednesday.

Providence’s Devin Carter, who was named Big East Player of the Year hours before the game, tallied 19 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Ticket Gaines shot 4-for-7 from 3-point range on his way to 15 points and seven rebounds.

The Friars (20-12) made 12 of 32 attempts from deep as they kept their faint NCAA Tournament hopes alive. They will face No. 8 Creighton, the second seed, in Thursday’s quarterfinals.

Georgetown (9-23) saw its first season under coach Ed Cooley come to an end in ignominious fashion. Cooley, Providence’s coach for 12 years, finished the season 0-3 against the Friars.

Jayden Epps poured in 30 points on 12-of-23 shooting to power the Hoyas’ offense.

Georgetown turned an 18-point deficit into a 64-56 game with 3:40 left after Drew Fielder contributed eight points, including two 3-pointers, and Epps made a driving layup.

Oduro made two free throws, and after Epps missed a pair of his own, Carter pulled up for a long 3-pointer that rattled around the rim and dropped to give the Friars a 13-point lead with 2:51 to go. From there, they were not seriously threatened.

Georgetown finished the game 4-of-19 from the foul line, with Epps shooting 3-of-11 there.

Providence was ahead 9-7 when Rich Barron knocked down a transition 3-pointer to spark a 11-0 run. Gaines hit a trey to make it 20-7 Friars, and Cooley called a timeout to stem the tide.

Another triple by Gaines gave Providence a 14-point lead. Epps kept the Hoyas in the game by making a 3-pointer while being fouled to the ground and finishing the four-point play.

Epps brought Georgetown within 28-21 with 9:25 left in the half, but Garwey Dual and Corey Floyd Jr. joined Providence’s 3-point party. Oduro’s free throws in the final minute gave the Friars a 40-27 halftime lead.

The Hoyas fell behind 45-27 early in the second half before forging a comeback. Rowan Brumbaugh set up Dontrez Styles for a reverse dunk, but less than a minute later Oduro tossed it to Carter and he elevated in the lane for an alley-oop of his own.

Georgetown drew within 49-40 while Providence went scoreless for a 4:50 stretch. Oduro knocked down a 3-pointer with 11:22 left to end that drought.

Carter deflected a pass near halfcourt and took it in for a dunk to make it 61-46 with 7:53 left.

–Adam Zielonka, Field Level Media

BIG EAST Names Providence’s Devin Carter as Conference Player of Year

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NEW YORK – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – Providence guard Devin Carter was named BIG EAST Player of the Year. Connecticut coach Dan Hurley wasnBIG EAST Coach of the Year and Hurley’s freshman guard standout Stephon Castle was been selected unanimously 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 are presented at Madison Square Garden prior to the start of the 2024 BIG EAST Tournament Presented by JEEP. It is the 42nd consecutive year the BIG EAST is playing its postseason tournament at the World’s Most Famous Arena.

Carter, a 6-3 junior guard, is the BIG EAST scoring champion with a 21.4 average in league games. Overall, he ranks second in scoring at 19.4, third in rebounding at 8.6, fourth in 3-point shooting, making 38.5 percent and fourth in steals at 1.9. Carter, whose hometown is Miami, Fla., has posted 12 double-doubles this season, which ranks third in the league. In addition to his outstanding offensive production, he is also considered one of the BIG EAST’s top defensive players. Carter has helped lead the Friars to a 19-12 overall record and a 10-10 league mark. He is only the second Providence player to earn BIG EAST Player of the Year. Kris Dunn won in 2015-16 and shared the award in 2014-15 with Villanova’s Ryan Arcidiacono.

Hurley, in his sixth season at UConn, has guided the Huskies to an overall record of 28-3 and an 18-2 BIG EAST mark, which is the highest conference victory total in league history. Included in the 18 victories was a 14-game BIG EAST winning streak.  The Huskies are outright regular season BIG EAST champions for the first time since 1999. Hurley’s UConn career record is 132-58 (.695). In BIG EAST regular season play, he is 55-21 (.724). This week, the Huskies are ranked second in both national polls. Hurley’s Huskies are 27-1 against non-conference opponents over the last two seasons with all 27 wins coming by double digits. During that stretch, they set the D-I record with 24 straight.

Castle’s selection as Freshman of the Year should not be a surprise since he was the Preseason Freshman of the Year as chosen by the coaches and earned BIG EAST Freshman of the Week honors a record 11 times during the season, including the last seven weeks. Unlike most college freshmen, Castle also excels defensively and is customarily given difficult defensive assignments. He leads all league freshman with an 11.2 scoring average, but also makes all-around contributions, with averages of 4.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists. The last UConn player to be named BIG EAST Freshman of the Year was Rudy Gay in 2004-05. Gay shared the honor with Jeff Green of Georgetown.

BIG EAST Player of the Year
Devin Carter, Providence

BIG EAST Coach of the Year
Dan Hurley, Connecticut

BIG EAST Freshman of the Year
Stephon Castle, Connecticut

Xavier Opens Big East with W

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NEW YORK – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Desmond Claude scored 26 points and ninth-seeded Xavier earned a 76-72 victory over Butler in the opening round of the Big East tournament at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday.

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Claude and the Musketeers (16-16) advance to the conference tournament quarterfinals against No. 1 seed UConn. Voted the league’s most improved player, Claude scored at least 25 for the fourth time this season and hit 11 of his 20 shots.

Xavier made winning plays down the stretch. The Musketeers led for the final 11:12 and pulled away in the final minutes, taking a 75-68 lead on Dayvion McKnight’s strong drive to the rim and bucket with 53 seconds left.

Butler had a chance thanks to DJ Davis’ 3, cutting the deficit to 75-71 with 45 seconds left.

Posh Alexander split a pair at the line with 13 seconds remaining. After Alexander missed the second free throw, Butler got the offensive rebound after a lengthy review. But Davis lost the ball in the lane with four seconds to go.

McKnight scored 16 of his 20 in the second half and Xavier shot 51.5 percent in the final 20 minutes and 46.3 percent overall. Quincy Olivari hit three of Xavier’s seven 3s and contributed 19 points, nine rebounds and six assists.

Pierre Brooks scored 21 to lead Butler (18-14), which entered with a NET rating of 65 and likely needed at least one win in the tournament and some outside help to be invited to the NCAA Tournament.

Jalen Thomas and Posh Alexander, who appeared to suffer a scary right knee injury with about five minutes left in the first half, added 14 points apiece.

Xavier withstood Butler’s charge and held a 32-31 lead at halftime after Claude hit a floater in the lane with 28 seconds left.

After missing their first eight 3s, the Musketeers heated up with four 3s in the opening minutes of the second half to take a 46-43 lead on Claude’s triple just inside of the 16-minute mark.

Olivari’s 3 snapped a 54-54 tie with 11:12 left and his fastbreak layup made it 61-56 with 8:46 remaining.

–By Larry Fleisher, Field Level Media

Philly’s Jensen Honored by USBWA

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INDIANAPOLIS – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – The U.S. Basketball Writers Association honored Mike Jensen, longtime college basketball writer and columnist for the Phildelphia Inquirer, as winner of the Jim O’Connell Award for excellence in beat reporting. Jensen will be recognized April 8 at the association’s annual awards luncheon in Glendale, Arizona, site of the Men’s Final Four.

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Originally from Peekskill, N.Y., Jensen covered basketball for the Philadelphia Inquirer for 35 years, first on the high school beat, then colleges for 30 years as a beat writer and then a columnist. His 2017 Year of Philly Hoops Inquirer series spanned 55 parts with roughly 2,000 words appearing every Sunday in the Inquirer. He left the paper at the end of 2023 and now is writing a book on Philadelphia basketball.

“I’m way beyond honored by this,” Jensen said. “Jim O’Connell was a special man and a guiding light for how to conduct yourself in this business, in addition to being one of the funnier people on the planet.”

Jensen, a Vanderbilt graduate, won first-place Eclipse Awards for best enterprise or feature story in 2004 and ’06 for the sport of horse racing in a newspaper or magazine. He also covered soccer for the paper from 1989-2002, traveling to nine countries on five continents. Jensen recalls his best assignment, covering Temple under John Chaney for nine seasons, calling it “stealing money.”

“Mike is an original,” said USBWA President Brendan Quinn of The Athletic. “He arrived in Philadelphia as an outsider and ended up as a definitive voice on the city’s most parochial sport. No small task. Mike’s career combined dogged reporting with incredible writing and a high-level understanding of the game. He’s not only one of the best in the business, but also a better friend.”

The USBWA has annually recognized exemplary beat reporting each year since 2020 in the name of the late legendary Associated Press writer Jim O’Connell. The award is part of the association’s annual Best Writing Contest. Affectionately known as “Oc,” O’Connell was a USBWA president, is a member of the USBWA Hall of Fame and earned the Curt Gowdy Print Media Award, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame’s award given to media.

O’Connell served as the AP’s national college basketball writer from 1987 until shortly before his passing in 2018. He was a fixture at all the sport’s major events, from the Final Four to the Big East Tournament to the Maui Invitational. He covered eight Olympics and worked as a desk supervisor, overseeing the entire sports operation for the world’s largest news-gathering organization.

Jensen joins a list of other outstanding writers as a winner of this award that includes the late Terry Hutchens, Mike Waters, Emily Giambalvo and Geoff Grammer.

The U.S. Basketball Writers Association 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. It has selected an All-America team since the 1956-57 season. For more information on the USBWA and its award programs, contact executive director Malcolm Moran at 814-574-1485.

USBWA JIM O’CONNELL AWARD WINNERS
2020: Terry Hutchens
2021: Mike Waters
2022: Emily Giambalvo
2023: Geoff Grammer
2024: Mike Jensen

BIG EAST Names Award Winners

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NEW YORK – (March 11, 2024) The BIG EAST Conference announced the winners for four individual awards for its 2023-24 men’s basketball season.

For the third season in a row, Creighton’s Ryan Kalkbrenner has been named BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year. Desmond Claude of Xavier was chosen BIG EAST Most Improved Player. Hassan Diarra of Connecticut has been selected for the BIG EAST Sixth Man Award. Creighton’s Steven Ashworth 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 13, at 1:30 p.m. ET at Madison Square Garden. The BIG EAST Media Award will also be presented.

Kalkbrenner, a 7-1 senior center from Florissant, Mo., is the third player in BIG EAST history to win Defensive Player of the Year honors three times. Georgetown’s Alonzo Mourning won three times (1989, ’90, ’92) and former Hoya Patrick Ewing won four times (1982, ’83, ’84, 85). This season, Kalkbrenner is the BIG EAST’s blocked shot leader in league games with a 3.4 mark. His 2.97 blocked shot average in all games ranks third nationally. Kalkbrenner is an All-BIG EAST Second Team selection.

Xavier’s Claude, a 6-6 sophomore guard, has improved across the board for the Musketeers. As a freshman, he was used in a sixth-man role and averaged 4.7 points and 2.5 rebounds. This year, Claude brought his scoring mark up to 16.0, his rebound average up to 4.1. His assist/turnover ratio improved from 1.24 to 1.50 and his free throw shooting went from 57.1 percent to 79.2 percent. This season, he has scored in double figures in 28 of 31 games compared to five in 35 games last year.

UConn’s Diarra has been a most effective sixth man for the regular-season champions. A 6-2 senior guard, he is playing 19.1 minutes per game and is averaging 6.0 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.0 assists. He is shooting 77.8 percent from foul line and 36.7 percent from 3-point range. Diarra has 72 assists while committing only 33 turnovers. In addition to his offensive contributions, he often draws a top defensive assignment.

Creighton’s Ashworth has made an immediate impact with his sportsmanlike play and his steady production. A 6-1 guard transfer from Utah State, he took over the starting point guard on a team that enters this week’s BIG EAST Tournament as the No. 2 seed. The Bluejays are 23-8 overall and 14-6 in league play. Ashworth is averaging 10.5 points and 4.1 assists. His assist average ranks ninth in the conference. 

BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year

Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton

BIG EAST Most Improved Player

Desmond Claude, Xavier

BIG EAST Sixth Man Award

Hassan Diarra, Connecticut

BIG EAST Sportsmanship Award

Steven Ashworth, Creighton

Big East Names All-Star Teams

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NEW YORK – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – Marquette guard Tyler Kolek is the lone repeat selection on the 2023-24 All-BIG EAST First Team as the conference has announced the All-BIG EAST First and Second Teams, Honorable Mention and All-Freshman Team.  The league’s head coaches select the all-conference squads and were not permitted to vote for their own players.

The other five All-BIG EAST First Team honorees are: Tristen Newton and Cam Spencer of Connecticut, Baylor Scheierman of Creighton, Devin Carter of Providence and Kadary Richmond of Seton Hall. Kolek, Newton, Scheierman and Carter were unanimous picks.

The BIG EAST Player of the Year will come from the All-BIG EAST First Team.  The conference will announce Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, Freshman of the Year and Scholar-Athlete of the Year on Wednesday, March 13, at Madison Square Garden at 1:30 p.m. ET.  Other league individual awards, including BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year, Most Improved Player, Sixth Man Award and Sportsmanship Award will be announced Monday, March 11, at 11 a.m. ET.

Kolek, a 6-3 senior, is averaging 15.0 points and leads the nation in assists with a 7.6 mark. He is averaging 1.6 steals and 2.74 assist/turnover ratio ranks third in the BIG EAST.

The UConn guard pair of Newton and Spencer helped UConn win the BIG EAST regular season title and lift the Huskies to the No. 1 position in the national poll for six weeks. Newton is averaging 15.0 points, 7.1 rebounds and ranks second in the league in assists at 5.8. Spencer’s numbers are 14.9 points, a 50.0 percent shooting percentage, a league-leading 45.1 percent 3-point shooting percentage and 3.3 assists.

Creighton’s Scheierman and Providence’s Carter are the only two players in the conference to rank among the top five in scoring and rebounds. Scheierman, a 6-7 senior, is third in scoring with an 18.5 average while ranking second in rebounding at 8.8. Carter, a 6-3 junior, is second in the BIG EAST in scoring with a 19.4 mark and is third in rebounding with an 8.6 average. Scheierman is second in the league with 97 made 3-point baskets. Carter is fourth in 3-point shooting, making 38.5 percent.

Seton Hall’s Richmond was the floor general behind the Pirates’ 20-11 overall record and 13-7 BIG EAST mark. The 6-6 senior leads the team in scoring at 16.2, is second in rebounding at 6.6, and is first in assists at 4.8 assists and steals at 2.1. His steal mark ranks second in the league.

The All-BIG EAST Second Team includes two Creighton players, Trey Alexander, a 6-4 junior guard, and Ryan Kalkbrenner, a 7-1 senior center. The Bluejays are the only club with three players on the first two all-conference teams. The other Second Team picks are senior forward Oso Ighodaro of Marquette, grad student guard Daniss Jenkins of St. John’s and senior forward Eric Dixon of Villanova.

All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention has three players: UConn sophomore center Donovan Clingan, Providence grad student forward Josh Oduro and grad student guard Quincy Olivari of Xavier.

The BIG EAST Freshman of the Year will come from the All-Freshman Team. UConn guard Stephon Castle was the only unanimous selection. He garnered BIG EAST Freshman of the Week a record 11 times. The other All-Freshman Team picks are: Finley Bizjack of Butler, Rich Barron of Providence, Isaiah Coleman of Seton Hall, and guard Trey Green and guard-forward Dailyn Swain of Xavier.

ALL-BIG EAST FIRST TEAM

*Tristen Newton, Connecticut, G, Gr., 6-5, 195, El Paso, Tex.

Cam Spencer, Connecticut, G, Gr., 6-4, 205, Davidsonville, Md.

*Baylor Scheierman, Creighton, G, Sr., 6-7, 205, Aurora, Neb.

*Tyler Kolek, Marquette, G, Sr., 6-3, 195, Cumberland, R.I.

*Devin Carter, Providence, G, Jr., 6-3, 195, Miami, Fla.

Kadary Richmond, Seton Hall, G, Sr., 6-6, 210, Brooklyn, N.Y.

ALL-BIG EAST SECOND TEAM

Trey Alexander, Creighton, G, Jr., 6-4, 190, Oklahoma City, Okla.

Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton, C, Sr., 7-1, 270, Florissant, Mo.

Oso Ighodaro, Marquette, F, Sr., 6-11, 235, Chandler, Ariz.

Daniss Jenkins, St. John’s, G, Gr., 6-4, 180, Dallas, Texas

Eric Dixon, Villanova, F, R-Jr., 6-8, 255, Willow Grove, Pa.

ALL-BIG EAST HONORABLE MENTION

Donovan Clingan, Connecticut, C, So., 7-2, 280, Bristol, Conn.

Josh Oduro, Providence, F, Gr., 6-9, 290, Gainesville, Va.

Quincy Olivari, Xavier, G, Gr., 6-3, 200, Atlanta, Ga.

 

BIG EAST ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM

Finley Bizjack, Butler, G, 6-4, 195, Trophy Club, Texas

*Stephon Castle, Connecticut, G, 6-6, 215, Covington, Ga.

Rich Barron, Providence, F/G, 6-5, 220, Chicago, Ill.

Isaiah Coleman, Seton Hall, G, 6-5, 180, Fredericksburg, Va.

Trey Green, Xavier, G, 6-0, 160, Charlotte, N.C.

Dailyn Swain, Xavier, G/F, 6-7, 200, Columbus, Ohio

*Denotes unanimous selection

Big East: Coming Down Home Stretch

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PROVIDENCE – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – In Saturday’s battle between ranked teams, No 12 Creighton celebrated its Senior Day while knocking off a short-handed No. 5 Marquette squad that was missing two key performers. Villanova used a strong second half to grab a key road win at Providence. Butler and Xavier picked up a road victories.

Baylor Scheierman led Crieghton (22-8, 13-6 BIG EAST) with game highs of 26 points and 16 rebounds, including three 3-pointers in a span of 1:53 down the stretch to seal an 89-75 victory. Marquette (22-7, 13-5) was missing Tyler Kolek due to an oblique injury and Oso Ighodaro due to illness. Kam Jones scored a team-high 23 points and David Joplin added 21.

Villanova and Providence went into their game with 9-8 league records. The Wildcats used a strong second half buoyed by some accurate 3-point shooting to post a 71-60 victory at the AMP and move into fifth place. Villanova (17-12, 10-8) shot 13-of-23 from 3-point range and outscored the Friars 37-23 in the second half. Justin Moore led a balanced offense with 15 points. Providence (18-11, 9-9) got 16 points and nine rebounds from Josh Oduro.

Butler ended a five-game losing streak with an 82-63 victory at DePaul. The Bulldogs (17-13, 8-11) were trailing 19-15 before taking control with a 17-0 run. DJ Davis netted a game-high 24 points. Pierre Brooks II scored all of his 16 points in the first half. Jaden Henley led the Blue Demons (3-26, 0-18) with 15 points.

Xavier got back to 9-9 in the league with a come-from-behind 98-93 win at Georgetown. The Musketeers (15-14, 9-9) were down 49-37 at halftime, but scored 61 points in the second half to nail down the win. Desmond Claude poured in 36 points. Rowan Brumbaugh led the Hoyas (9-20, 2-16) with 24 points.

In today’s lone contest, Connecticut can clinch the BIG EAST regular-season crown outright with a victory over Seton Hall at Gampel Pavilion at noon ET on CBS. The Huskies (25-3, 15-2), who opened their league season with a 75-60 loss to the Pirates (18-10, 11-6) on Dec. 20, are seeking their first outright crown since 1999.

No. 1 UConn Dominates No. 4 Marquette

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HARTFORD – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – In a top-five showdown game Saturday that Connecticut coach Dan Hurley said went “about as well as it could go for us,” the No. 1-ranked Huskies handled No. 4 Marquette. No. 17 Creighton used a superlative second half en route to a comfortable win at Butler. Providence gained a double-digit edge in the second half and maintained it in a victory over DePaul.

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At XL Center, with the game tied 18-18 midway through the first half, UConn streaked to the break with a 16-point lead and kept rolling to an 81-53 win over the Golden Eagles (19-6, 10-4). The Huskies (24-2, 14-1) owned all of the statistical advantages. They out-rebounded Marquette 45-27 and had 24 assists on 29 field goals made. Donovan Clingan produced game highs of 17 points on 7-of-8 shooting and 10 rebounds. Tristen Newton contributed 15 points, eight boards and eight assists. Marquette’s Kam Jones scored a team-high 15 points.

After trailing by one point at halftime, No. 17 Creighton outscored Butler 45-22 after the intermission and won 79-57 at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Baylor Scheierman led the Bluejays (19-7, 10-5) with 27 points and 10 rebounds. Ryan Kalkbrenner threw in 21 points and grabbed six boards. Trey Alexander added 15 points. Jalen Thomas matched his season high with 18 points for the Bulldogs (16-10, 7-8), who were playing their fourth ranked opponent in the last five games.

Providence leaned on its dynamic duo of Devin Carter and Josh Oduro to beat DePaul 81-70 at the AMP. Carter scored 31 points, which included 7-of-10 shooting from 3-point range, and pulled down 13 rebounds for his seventh double-double. Oduro added 27 points and six rebounds for the Friars (17-9, 8-7). DePaul (3-22, 0-14) stayed in the game behind 14 points each from Elijah Fisher and Jaden Henley.

Big East: ‘Nova Drills Georgetown

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WASH DC – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – Villanova used a strong defensive effort to earn a 70-54 victory at Georgetown in Friday’s lone contest. No. 1 Connecticut hosting No. 4 Marquette headlines a three-game Saturday.

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Villanova (14-11, 7-7 BIG EAST) held Georgetown (8-17, 1-13)  to 34.4 percent shooting in its win over the Hoyas. TJ Bamba led four Wildcats with 14 points. He also made four steals. Villanova led 38-29 at halftime. After an early run by the Hoyas in the second half, the Wildcats were in control. Rowan Brumbaugh came off the bench to contribute 14 points and five assists to the Hoya cause.

In the second game of a doubleheader today on FOX, No. 1 UConn hosts No. 4 Marquette at 3 p.m. ET at XL Center. It’s only the third time in the BIG EAST’s current configuration that two league teams ranked in the AP top five have met. UConn has won 13 in a row while Marquette is riding an eight-game winning streak. The Huskies are 13-0 on their homecourts this season. Last year, the Golden Eagles took two of three meetings, including a 70-68 decision in the BIG EAST Tournament semifinals.

The first game on FOX is an important contest to No. 17 Creighton and Butler and their battle at Hinkle Fieldhouse at 12:30 p.m. The Bluejays are tied for third place with Seton Hall at 9-5. Butler is in a four-way logjam at 7-7 with Providence, Xavier and Villanova.

Big East: Seton Hall, Xavier Cruise

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NEWARK – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – Seton Hall and Xavier gained homecourt victories in rivalry games on Tuesday. The Pirates took control late in the first and went on to post an 80-65 win. Xavier overcame Butler’s second-half rally to register an 85-71 victory.

At Prudential Center, Seton Hall and St. John’s were tied 24-24 with 4:33 left in the first half. The Pirates (13-5, 6-1 BIG EAST) scored the game’s next 28 points – 14 in the first half and the first 14 in the second half. Five Pirates reached double figures. Al-Amir Dawes scored a game-high 21 points. Dylan Addae-Wusu added 16 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. St. John’s (12-6, 4-3) competed without coach Rick Pitino, who missed the game due to illness. Daniss Jenkins led the Red Storm with 17 points.

At Cintas Center, after Butler had erased a 19-point deficit with the help of a 20-3 run, Xavier used a late spurt of its own to pick up an 85-71 victory. The Musketeers (9-8, 3-3) were led by Desmond Claude, who netted a career-high 26 points.  Dayvion McKnight added 20 points. Butler (11-7, 2-5) got 22 points from Pierre Brooks and a season-high 21 from Posh Alexander.

Like Tuesday, Wednesday’s two-game schedule is a doubleheader on FS1. Connecticut, newly-anointed No. 1 in this week’s AP poll, hosts No. 18 Creighton at Gampel Pavilion at 7 p.m. ET. The Bluejays (13-4, 4-2) have won six of the seven meetings since the Huskies (13-4, 4-2) rejoined the BIG EAST with UConn’s only win coming in last year’s contest 69-60 at Gampel.

Providence visits DePaul at 9 p.m. Both teams are aiming to end four-game losing streaks. Devin Carter has been on a hot scoring run and leads the Friars (11-6, 2-4). In BIG EAST games, he ranks first in scoring with a 21.7 average. DePaul’s top scorer in league play is forward Da’Sean Nelson, who sports a 16.2 scoring mark.