Big East Basketball

Seton Hall Tops Butler

February 16, 2026 by Digital Sports Desk

INDIANAPOLIS – (Staff Report from Official news Release) – The Hall’s AJ Staton-McCray scored a team-high 19 points as the Seton Hall Pirates captured a 63-56 win at Butler. The win was the Pirates’ fifth true victory of the season.

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Seton Hall 63, Butler 56 – Box Score

AJ Staton-McCray scored 15 of his team-high 19 points in the second half, pacing the Pirates to a win at Butler.
The first half was a defensive battle, with four lead changes and one tie, and neither team leading by more than six points.
Butler led 24-23 at the break and scored the first six points of the second half.
The two teams traded runs – and the lead – for much of the period. There were five lead changes over the final 20:00.
A 3-pointer from Staton-McCray with 4:27 to go put Seton Hall ahead for good, igniting a 10-3 push to close the game and seal the victory.
Mike Williams III came off the bench for the first time this season for Seton Hall, tallying 10 points, three rebounds, and three steals.
Budd Clark finished with eight points and seven assists, while Tajuan Simpkins had eight points, seven boards, and five assists.
For Butler, Michael Ajayi registered his 16th double-double of the season with 21 points and 12 rebounds

Of Note:

Seton Hall held an opponent under 70 points for the 20th time this season – second-most among all NCAA Division I teams.
The Pirates – ranked 12th nationally in steals per game (9.5) – tied a season-high with 13 swipes.
Butler’s Michael Ajayi has 16 double-doubles – tying for the most by a BIG EAST player since Creighton’s Baylor Scheierman had 16 during the 2023-24 season.

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Looking Ahead: The BIG EAST returns to action on Tuesday, Feb. 17 when Villanova heads to Xavier. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. on FS1.

FRIAR SCHMUCK!

February 15, 2026 by Digital Sports Desk

PROVIDENCE – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – No. 17/17 St. John’s extended its win streak to 11 games with a road win at Providence, while Villanova moved to 6-1 in BIG EAST away games with a victory at Creighton. Xavier made a season-high 16 3-pointers at home in a win over Marquette, and No. 6/5 UConn saw Alex Karaban become the program’s winningest player, pulling away late against Georgetown.

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At the St. John’s vs Providence game, seven players were ejected between both teams in the second half, including a technical foul for fighting by Providence’s Duncan Powell at the 14:25 mark.

St. John’s 79, Providence 69 – Box Score

Dylan Darling tallied 18 of his game and season-high 23 points in the second half to lead No. 17/17 St. John’s to a win at Providence.
The win extended the Johnnies’ overall win streak to 11 games – the fourth-longest streak in the country.
The Red Storm built as much as a 13-point advantage in the first half.
Providence answered with a 7-0 push of its own and got within five at the half (34-29).
The Friars started the second half on a 7-1 push, regaining the lead early into the period.
St. John’s took the lead for good after a pair of Bryce Hopkins free throws with 14:25 to play.
Zuby Ejiofor finished with 14 points, while Oziyah Sellers added 11 for the Red Storm.
Stefan Vaaks led Providence with 20 points to go with five rebounds and three assists. Ryan Mela added 14 points and nine boards.

Of Note:

St. John’s held a 31-3 advantage in bench scoring
The win marked SJU’s 10th straight BIG EAST road victory – the longest such stretch of conference road wins in program history
Providence’s Stefan Vaaks logged his sixth game with 20 or more points and is one of only three freshmen nationally to have at least 70 made 3-pointers on the season

Villanova 80, Creighton 69 – Box Score

The Wildcats got double-doubles from Duke Brennan (21 points/12 rebounds) and Tyler Perkins (17 points/11 rebounds) in a road win at Creighton
It was Brennan’s team-best 11th double-double, while Perkins logged his second of the season
Nova used an extended 23-8 run en route to building a 16-point lead in the opening frame. The Cats would lead 41-27 at halftime.
Creighton would get within single digits in the second half, cutting the deficit to seven (49-42) with 16:17 left and eight (68-60) with just under two minutes to play.
Devin Askew (13) and Malachi Palmer (10) tallied double-digits off the bench for Villanova.
Nik Graves led the Bluejays with 15 points to go with five assists. Josh Dix added 14 points and Austin Swartz 12.

Of Note:

Villanova improved to 6-1 in BIG EAST road games and has seven road victories on the season – tied for the second-most among power conference teams
Devin Askew logged his ninth double-digit scoring output off the bench; six have come in BIG EAST play
Creighton has logged five or more 3-pointers in 97 straight games

Xavier 96, Marquette 88 – Box Score

Four Musketeers scored in double figures, led by a career-high 23 from Jovan Milicevic.
Marquette’s Nigel James Jr. logged his third 30-point performance in BIG EAST play, finishing with 30 points and a career-best 12 assists.
Xavier trailed for only 19 seconds on the day, after Marquette’s James Jr. opened the game with a 3-pointer.
The Musketeers connected on 11 first half 3-pointers, opening up as much as a 21-point lead (46-25) with 4:25 left in the opening period
Marquette’s offense shifted into high gear in the second half, connecting on nearly 58% from the floor
A Ben Gold dunk got the Golden Eagles as close as three (72-69) with seven and a half minutes to play.
MU was within four with 2:08 to go before Xavier closed the game on a 9-5 push.
For Xavier, All Wright finished with 19 points, while Tre Carroll added 18. Filip Borovicanin registered a double-double with 15 points and 11 boards.
Royce Parham logged 24 points and 10 boards for the Golden Eagles; his second double-double in as many games.

Of Note:

Xavier has scored 90 or more in BIG EAST play on three occasions and 80 or more seven times.
The Musketeers logged a season-best 16 3-pointers on 34 attempts
Marquette’s Nigel James Jr. is the first BIG EAST freshman since Notre Dame’s Troy Murphy to have at least three 30+ point games in conference regular season play
It was also the first 30 point/12 assist performance in BIG EAST play since Feb. 23, 2002 (Chris Thomas, Notre Dame)

UConn 79, Georgetown 75 – Box Score

Solo Ball scored 20 points and Alex Karaban added 18 as No. 6/5 UConn improved to 14-1 in BIG EAST play.
Karaban became UConn’s all-time winningest player, logging his 116th victory in a Husky uniform.
The Huskies made 56% of their shot attempts in the first half, leading by as many as 11. UConn led 41-33 at the break.
The lead would rise to as many as 14 (49-35) in the second half before Georgetown began to chip away
The Hoyas’ Kayvaun Mulready would score 12 of his 15 points over the final 12:30, including a free throw with 11 seconds left that made it a two-point game (77-75).
Two Karaban free throws with 10 ticks to play sealed the win for the Huskies
Silas Demary Jr. narrowly missed his second triple-double of the season for UConn, finishing with 15 points, 12 rebounds, and nine assists. Freshmen Braylon Mullins and Eric Reibe tallied 10 points apiece.
Georgetown’s KJ Lewis led all scorers with 24 points. The junior guard added nine rebounds, three assists,, and five steals.
Vince Iwuchukwu finished with 16 points and seven boards, while Kayvaun Mulready had 15 points (4-7 3FG).

Of Note:

Alex Karaban also logged his 136th start for UConn, also a new program standard
Over his last two games, Solo Ball has hit 11 3-pointers on 27 attempts for the Huskies
Georgetown’s KJ Lewis registered his third game with at least 20 points and five steals. He is one of two power conference players to do so on at least three occasions.

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Today’s action: There is one game scheduled for Sunday, as Seton Hall heads to Butler for a 6 p.m. ET tipoff on FS1.

Villanova Rallies to Defeat Marquette

February 10, 2026 by Digital Sports Desk

MILWAUKEE – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – Tyler Perkins led Villanova with 22 points – scoring 11 of those during a late second half run over the final six minutes of play – helping the Wildcats edge past Marquette at home on Wednesday night. Royce Parham added a career-high 26 points to go with 10 rebounds for the Golden Eagles.

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Villanova 77, Marquette 74 – Box Score

Tyler Perkins had 22 points and eight rebounds as Villanova rallied late at home against Marquette
There were three ties and four lead changes over the final 20 minutes of play.
The Wildcats made 13 3-pointers in the game, including six over the final eight and a half minutes of regulation
Marquette led by nine points with 6:13 to go after a Ben Gold corner 3-pointer made it 66-57. That shot keyed a stretch where both teams combined to connect from beyond on the arc on seven straight possessions.
Nova tied it up at 66-66 with 4:20 left after a trio of three-balls – two from Perkins and one from Matthew Hodge.
The Golden Eagles used the 3-pointer on back-to-back possessions – from Gold and Chase Ross – to lead 72-66 with 3:15 to go.
The Wildcats closed the game on an 11-2 push, going 6-for-6 from the charity stripe to seal the win.
Nova led by as many as 11 points, holding a 20-9 advantage at the 10:14 mark in the first half. The Golden Eagles trimmed that deficit to four points – 36-32 – by halftime.
Marquette used a 23-7 run midway through the second half to go from trailing by seven to gaining a nine-point lead.
Acaden Lewis finished with 15 points, five assists, and three steals for Villanova. Hodge finished with 13 points, while Duke Brennan added 10 points and eight boards.
Royce Parham poured in a career-high 26 points for Marquette to go with 11 rebounds for his first collegiate double-double. Parham made 8-of-9 shots from the floor and 9-of-10 from the free throw line.
Adrian Stevens posted his second straight game with a season-best 18 points. Nigel James Jr. dished out six assists.

Of Note:

Villanova’s Tyler Perkins has tallied 15 or more points in each of the last eight games.
Over the span, the 6-4 junior is averaging 18.0 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.2 steals while connecting on better than 40% from the perimeter (21-52).
Marquette’s Royce Parham posted one of the most efficient scoring performances in the BIG EAST this season, tallying 26 points on only nine field goal attempts.
The only other player to score at least 25 on nine or fewer FGA: teammate Chase Ross. Ross tallied 27 points on eight shots against Central Michigan (Nov. 22).

Creighton Wins Big Comeback

February 7, 2026 by Digital Sports Desk

OMAHA – (Staff Report from Official News Release) -Nik Graves’ late 3-pointer paced Creighton in comeback win; Villanova gets season-best 26 from Acaden Lewis in win at Georgetown; Jason Edwards returns to lead Providence with 25 points in win over DePaul; Marquette’s balanced offensive attack proves to be the difference in home win versus Butler.

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Villanova 80, Georgetown 73 – Box Score

Freshman Acaden Lewis poured in a season-high 26 points to help propel Villanova to a road win at Georgetown. Lewis made 11-of-15 shots (3-5 3FG) to go with six assists and three steals.
Lewis – from Washington, D.C. – scored 17 of his 26 over the final 10-plus minutes of the game.
The Hoyas led for much of the first half; Villanova did hold a pair of one-point leads.
The Wildcats took a 27-26 lead with 7:54 left before an 11-4 push by the Hoyas gave them their largest lead of the half (37-31). The Hoyas led 40-37 at the break.
There were six ties and three lead changes in the second half as both teams traded runs early in the period.
Nova opened the final 20 minutes with six quick points on back-to-back 3-pointers before a 10-1 Georgetown push put it back up six (50-44).
Malachi Palmer and Tyler Perkins made three shots from beyond the arc over an extended 17-4 push that gave Villanova a 61-54 lead with 10:21 to play.
The Hoyas’ Malik Mack scored eight of the next 12 points before a Vince Iwuchukwu dunk tied it at 66-66 with 5:41.
From there, it was all Villanova, as an 11-3 push gave the ‘Cats the lead for good. Lewis scored 10 of those 11 points, including a pair of 3-pointers that pushed the lead to eight (77-69) with 1:46 to play.
For Villanova, Duke Brennan logged his 10th double-double of the season with 13 points and 13 rebounds. Tyler Perkins had 15 points and eight rebounds, while Malachi Palmer tallied 10 points off the bench.
Georgetown was led by 21 points from Mack. Iwuchukwu had 15 points and 12 boards, while KJ Lewis added 13 points.
The loss snapped a four-game win streak for the Hoyas.

Of Note:

With the win, Villanova improved to 5-1 in BIG EAST road games on the season
The Wildcats made at least 10 3-pointers for the 14th time this season; Nova is 10-4 in those games
Georgetown’s Vince Iwuchukwu recorded back-to-back double-doubles for the first time in his career. He is the first Hoya to do so since a season ago, when Thomas Sorber did so against Villanova (1/20/25) and Providence (1/25/25).

Marquette 70, Butler 55 – Box Score

Four Golden Eagles reached double-digits, led by Chase Ross’ 19 points and a season-high 18 from freshman Adrian Stevens
Marquette led throughout the first 13-plus minutes, opening up as much as an eight-point advantage (14-6).
A trio of 3-pointers from Butler’s Finley Bizjack would push the Bulldogs ahead by four (28-24) with 2:14 left in the opening period.
Eight straight points from Marquette to close the first half gave it a 32-28 lead at the break.
The Golden Eagles began the second half with a pair of 3-pointers as part of an extended 19-9 run. A trifecta from Stevens with 13:58 to go gave Marquette its largest lead of the game – 17 points (54-37).
Marquette made 56.0% of its shot attempts over the final 20 minutes (14-25), including 9-of-14 shots from the outside.
Butler’s Finley Bizjack finished with 23 points, making 8-of-12 shots from the floor including 5-of-7 from the perimeter.
Michael Ajayi tallied 19 rebounds (5 off; 14 def) – his second-highest total of the season
For Marquette, Nigel James Jr. finished with 16 points, four assists, and four steals, while Royce Parham added 12 points. Ben Gold grabbed a team-best 10 rebounds.

Of Note:

Former Marquette head coach Tom Crean was honored with a banner in the rafters at halftime of the game, celebrating his accomplishments during his tenure with Golden Eagles.
The Golden Eagles tied their season-high with 14 3-pointers.
Butler was missing a pair of starters (Jamie Kaiser Jr. and Stink Robinson); Evan Haywood earned his first start of the season

Providence 90, DePaul 72 – Box Score

Jason Edwards returned to the Providence lineup after missing the previous seven games and led all scorers with 25 points
With the game tied at 7-7 early on after a 3-pointer by DePaul’s CJ Gunn, the Friars broke the game open with a 15-4 run. Providence would not trail the rest of the way.
An Edwards 3-pointer late in the opening half extended the Friar lead to 19; PC would lead 43-26 at the break.
Providence built on its lead in the second half. Back-to-back fastbreak dunks from freshmen Stefan Vaaks and Jamier Jones put the home team ahead by 20.
The fifth 3-pointer of the day from Edwards built the largest lead of the day – 27 points – with 2:18 to go.
The Friars connected on a season-best 58.9% from the floor (33-56), making 9-of-21 attempts from the perimeter.
Brandon Maclin led DePaul with 17 points off the bench, making 8-of-13 shots from the floor. Kaleb Banks added 11 points, also in reserve play for the Blue Demons.
For Providence, Jaylin Sellers added an efficient 21 points on eight total field goal attempts, while Ryan Mela added 16 points and eight boards. Oswin Erhunmwunse tallied a double-double with 10 points and 13 boards.

Of Note:

Providence’s Jaylin Sellers tallied 57 points over two games this week – the most over a two-game span by a Friar since Josh Oduro in Feb. 2024
Stefan Vaaks finished with eight points for the Friars – marking the first time in 24 games that he did not reach double figures
In conference play, DePaul’s Brandon Maclin leads the BIG EAST in scoring by a reserve (zero starts), averaging 10.8 points per game. Over his last 10 games, the 6-3 guard is averaging 12.3 ppg.

Creighton 69, Seton Hall 68 – Box Score

A Nik Graves 3-pointer with three seconds left capped an 11-1 run to close the game for Creighton
Trailing by 10 (63-53) with 3:30 to play – and by nine (67-58) with 1:35 to go – the Bluejays’ Fedor Zugic hit a pair of 3-pointers and Jasen Green a putback layup – to cut the margin to one – 67-66 – with 22 ticks to play.
Seton Hall’s Trey Parker made 1-of-2 free throws with 17 seconds to play, putting the Pirates up 68-66 before the eventual game winning possession for the Jays.
In the first half, Creighton was paced by 15 points from Isaac Traudt who made four 3-pointers in the opening eight minutes of play.
A layup by Owen Freeman gave the Bluejays a seven-point lead (22-15) with 11:22 left in the period. Seven unanswered by the Pirates tied it up at 22-22 less than two minutes later.
There were four lead changes and three ties over the final 9:33, with Seton Hall holding a 34-32 lead at the break.
In the second half, Creighton took a 41-38 lead after a Josh Dix 3-pointer with 16:33 left made it 41-38.
Seton Hall would score 10 straight to start an extended 19-6 run. Two free throws from Tajuan Simpkins gave the Pirates a 57-47 lead with nine and half minutes to play.
SHU would lead 63-53, after a layup by Elijah Fisher with 3:30 left, before the Creighton run to close the game.
For Seton Hall, Budd Clark led the way with 20 points, making 8-of-16 shots (3-4 3FG). AJ Staton-McCray had 11 points and Elijah Fisher 10. Stephon Payne grabbed 11 rebounds.
Traudt’s 18 points led Creighton, while Dix added 16 points and Zugic 13. Green had 11 points and seven boards.

Of Note:

The victory marked the 33rd double-digit comeback win for Creighton under head coach Greg McDermott
Creighton has won 10 or more home games in 11 straight seasons and 29 of the past 30 years
Seton Hall’s Budd Clark has scored 18 or more in four consecutive games; his three 3-pointers tied a career-best

St John’s Holds Court v. UConn

February 6, 2026 by Digital Sports Desk

NEW YORK – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – The most anticipated college basketball game of the 2025-26 season did not disappoint, as No. 22/22 St. John’s earned an 81-72 victory over No. 3/3 UConn in front of a sold out crowd at Madison Square Garden. The win for the Red Storm extended their win streak to nine games, while the loss snapped the Huskies’ 18-game win streak, which began on Nov. 23.

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St. John’s 81, UConn 72 – Box Score

Zuby Ejiofor finished with 21 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, three blocks, and two steals to lead No. 22/22 St. John’s past No. 3/3 UConn in front of a capacity crowd at Madison Square Garden.
The senior forward made 6-of-10 shots from the floor and 8-of-10 from the charity stripe.
Neither team gained more than a six-point advantage in the first half; UConn led 16-10 with 13:50 to play in the period, while SJU took a 23-17 lead at the 10:10 mark.
There were six lead changes and four ties, including a 39-39 score at intermission.
UConn’s Solo Ball 3-pointer early in the second half made it 45-45 before a 10-0 run by St. John’s gave it the lead for good.
Bryce Hopkins’ 3-pointer with 13:03 to play.
The Huskies cut the deficit to one point twice, the last coming off a Silas Demary Jr. layup which made it 66-65 with 4:46 remaining.
SJU would outscore UConn 15-7 the rest of the way.
Dillon Mitchell had 15 points and six rebounds, while Bryce Hopkins chipped in with 14 points and six boards for the Johnnies.
UConn was led by 18 points from Silas Demary Jr., who also added seven rebounds and five assists.
Alex Karaban tallied an efficient 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting, including 3-of-4 from the perimeter. Tarris Reed Jr. added 12 points and Braylon Mullins 11.

Of Note:

Dating back to last season, St. John’s has won three straight against Connecticut.
It was St. John’s’ highest-ranked win since Feb. 3, 2021, when it defeated No. 3/3 Villanova at Carnesecca Arena; it was the highest-ranked victory for the Red Storm at Madison Square Garden since taking down No. 3/3 Duke on Jan. 30, 2011
Since Jan. 6, SJU’s Bryce Hopkins is averaging 14.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game
UConn’s 18 straight wins marked the third-longest win streak in program history
Alex Karaban made his 134th career start at UConn – one short of the program record, held by Jake Voskuhl (1996-2000)

Next Up: The BIG EAST Showdown

February 4, 2026 by Digital Sports Desk

CHICAGO – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – UConn and St. John’s extended their respective win streaks on Tuesday night, with victories over Xavier and DePaul, respectively. The two nationally ranked teams will play the first of their two regular season games this coming Friday at Madison Square Garden.

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Tuesday, Feb. 3

UConn 92, Xavier 60 – Box Score

No. 3/3 UConn scored the first 10 points of the game at home against Xavier, setting the tone en route to their 18th consecutive victory. Five Huskies reached double figures – and seven had at least nine points – as UConn passed the 90-point mark for the third time in league play. Braylon Mullins scored six of his 13 points during the 10-0 start to the contest. The Huskies pushed the lead over 20 points midway through the opening frame, after a steal and transition bucket from Tarris Reed Jr. made it 29-8 with 10:05 to go. UConn led 50-22 at the break and extended its lead to as many as 38 over the final 20 minutes of play. Silas Demary Jr. led the Huskies with 17 points and eight assists, while Reed Jr. and Eric Reibe each tallied 14 points, combining to shoot 12-of-13 from the floor. Mullins scored all 13 of his points in the first half. For Xavier, All Wright tallied 14 points, while Malik Messina-Moore and Roddie Anderson III each scored 10 points.

Of Note:

UConn’s 18-game single-season winning streak trails only a 19-game streak in 1998-99 and a 23-game run in 1995-96 for best in program history
Over his last three games, UConn’s Tarris Reed Jr. has connected on 19-of-20 shots from the floor and is averaging 13.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 2.0 blocked shots in 21 minutes per game.
Xavier’s Tre Carroll finished with nine points, ending an eight-game streak of scoring in double-digits. During that span, Carroll averaged 22.4 points per game.

St. John’s 68, DePaul 56 – Box Score

Zuby Ejiofor led No. 22/22 St. John’s with 16 points, nine rebounds and four assists, becoming the 54th player in program history to reach the 1,000-point mark, as the Red Storm extended their win streak to eight games last night at DePaul. After a back and forth opening 20 minutes that saw seven ties and six lead changes, the Red Storm outscored the Blue Demons, 39-28, in a strong second half. After DePaul’s CJ Gunn hit a 3-pointer to give his team a 35-34 lead with 17:34 remaining, SJU rattled off 12 straight and never trailed again. The Blue Demons got within six – 56-50 – with 3:36 to go but got no closer. Bryce Hopkins finished with 15 points and six rebounds, while Oziyah Sellers chipped in with 13 points, including three 3-pointers. DePaul was led by 13 points and five rebounds from Layden Blocker, while Brandon Maclin added seven points and nine rebounds in 26 minutes off the bench.

Of Note:

The win improved St. John’s BIG EAST record to 10-1 for the second straight season. The Red Storm started 10-1 a season ago under head coach Rick Pitino
It was also the Johnnies’ ninth consecutive road victory in BIG EAST play.
DePaul’s Layden Blocker has scored in double-digits in seven straight game. During the span, the junior guard is averaging 13.3 points per game.

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Tonight’s Action: All three BIG EAST games on Wednesday will air on Peacock Network, via streaming. Seton Hall heads to Villanova for a 6:30 p.m. ET tipoff at Finneran Pavilion, followed by Butler taking on Providence at 7 p.m. ET. Creighton travels to Georgetown for a 7:30 p.m. ET tip.

Wednesday, Feb. 4

Peacock; NBC Sports Network

Seton Hall at Villanova – 6:30 p.m. ET

John Fanta (pxp); Tarik Turner (analyst)

Peacock

Butler at Providence – 7 p.m. ET

Mike Corey (pxp); Matt McCall (analyst)

Creighton at Georgetown – 7:30 p.m. ET

Paul Burmeister (pxp); Brendan Haywood (analyst)

UConn, St. John’s Prep for Weekend

February 3, 2026 by Digital Sports Desk

STORRS – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – There are a pair of games in the BIG EAST on Tuesday night,

beginning with Xavier at No. 3/3 UConn at 7 p.m. ET. An hour later, No. 22/22 St. John’s takes on DePaul in Chicago, tipping off at 8 p.m. ET. All five mid-week games tonight and Wednesday in the BIG EAST will air on Peacock. NBC Sports Network will also air Tuesday’s Xavier/UConn matchup.

Tuesday, Feb. 3

Peacock; NBC Sports Network

Xavier at UConn – 7 p.m. ET

John Fanta (pxp); Donny Marshall (analyst)

Peacock

St. John’s at DePaul – 8 p.m. ET

Noah Reed (pxp); Nick Bahe (analyst)

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Looking Ahead: Three BIG EAST games are set for Wednesday, beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET as Seton Hall visits Villanova. All three games will air live on Peacock, with the Creighton/Georgetown matchup also appearing on NBC Sports Network.

Wednesday, Feb. 4

Peacock

Seton Hall at Villanova – 6:30 p.m. ET

John Fanta (pxp); Tarik Turner (analyst)

Butler at Providence – 7 p.m. ET

Mike Corey (pxp); Matt McCall (analyst)

Peacock; NBC Sports Network

Creighton at Georgetown – 7:30 p.m. ET

Paul Burmeister (pxp); Brendan Haywood (analyst)

Askew Leads ‘Nova

January 31, 2026 by Digital Sports Desk

PHILADELPHIA – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – Villanova connected on 13 3-pointers – led by five from Devin Askew – as the Wildcats improved to 16-5 and 7-3 in the BIG EAST with a win over Providence at home on Friday night.

Friday, Jan. 30

Villanova 87, Providence 73 – Box Score

Devin Askew scored a game-high 20 points, connecting on 5-of-8 from beyond the arc as Villanova used its long-distance shooting to propel it to a win over Providence. The opening eight minutes of the game saw three ties and three lead changes before a 13-3 Nova run pushed the lead to 10 (28-18) with 9:16 left in the half. The Wildcats would not trail the rest of the way. In the second half, a 3-pointer from Providence’s Stefan Vaaks got the Friars within eight (59-51) with 9:51 to play, but a 13-1 push from Nova put the game out of reach. In addition to Askew, four Wildcats reached double-digits in the scoring column – Tyler Perkins added 19 points and six boards; Acaden Lewis had 12 points and eight assists; Bryce Lindsay finished with 11 and Matthew Hodge 10. Providence was led by Vaaks’ game-high 25 points, as the freshman made 10-of-18 shots from the floor including five 3-pointers. Jaylin Sellers added 16 and Ryan Mela 14.

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Of Note:

It was Devin Askew’s fourth 20-point performance of the season – and third in his last five games.
With his five 3-pointers, Stefan Vaaks now has 60 3-pointers on the season – second-most among all freshmen nationally (Jake Hall, New Mexico – 61)

Saturday’s Action: Four games are set for Saturday, beginning with a trio of early afternoon tips – Marquette at Seton Hall (Peacock/NBCSN) and Georgetown at Butler (TNT/HBO Max) and noon ET and DePaul at Xavier (FS1) at 1 p.m. ET. Saturday’s action concludes with UConn visiting Creighton at 8 p.m. ET on FOX.

Saturday, Jan. 31

Peacock; NBC Sports Network

Marquette at Seton Hall – Noon ET

John Fanta (pxp); Jordan Cornette (analyst)

TNT; HBO Max

Georgetown at Butler – Noon ET

Brian Anderson (pxp); Grant Hill (analyst); Andy Katz (reporter)

FS1

DePaul at Xavier – 1 p.m. ET

Jack Kizer (pxp); Nick Bahe (analyst)

FOX

UConn at Creighton – 8 p.m. ET

Tim Brando (pxp); Donny Marshall (analyst)

Big East: Bizjack Player of Week

January 26, 2026 by Digital Sports Desk

NEW YORK – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – Finley Bizjack of Butler and Nigel James Jr. from Marquette were selected to earn BIG EAST Weekly Honors. Bizjack averaged 26.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists in a pair of wins for the Bulldogs. James Jr. posted 26.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 8.0 assists, and 2.0 steals in a 1-1 week for the Golden Eagles.

BIG EAST Player of the Week

Finley Bizjack, Butler, G, Jr.

Bizjack shined in a pair of wins for Butler, averaging 26.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.0 steal per game. The 6-4 guard connected on 54.2% (13-24) of his shots from the floor, including 7-of-15 from beyond the arc and 19-of-21 from the free throw line. Bizjack scored 24 points in a home win over DePaul, connecting on 7-of-11 shots and three 3-pointers. Last time out against Marquette, he poured in a game-high 28 points to go with five rebounds and four assists. The junior guard made 12-of-13 shots from the foul line in the win. Bizjack has tallied at least 24 points in each of his last three outings and ranks third in the BIG EAST in conference scoring, at 19.0 points per game.

BIG EAST Freshman of the Week

Nigel James Jr., Marquette, G, Fr.

James Jr. shined for Marquette this past week, posting 26.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 8.0 assists, and 2.0 steals per game in a 1-1 week. The 6-0 guard connected on 64.5% of his shots from the floor, including 5-of-9 from the perimeter. James Jr. poured in 38 points to go with three boards eight assists, and two steals in an overtime win over Providence on Jan. 19. The 38-point performance is the most in a single-game in the BIG EAST this season. Last time out at Butler, the freshman from Huntington, N.Y. tallied 15 points, four boards, eight assists, and two steals. At the halfway point of the conference season, James Jr. leads the BIG EAST with 19.6 points per game in league contests. He is one of four freshmen nationally to lead his respective league in conference scoring.

BIG EAST Honor Roll

Solo Ball, UConn, G, Jr.

Ball led all scorers with 24 points in UConn’s lone game of the week – an overtime win against Villanova. The junior guard knocked down five 3-pointers, while also tallying five rebounds and three assists in 38 minutes of play.

Austin Swartz, Creighton, G, So.

Swartz scored 16 points and grabbed four rebounds in Creighton’s win over Xavier on Jan. 21. The 6-4 guard corralled a missed free throw and scored the game winner high off the glass at the buzzer to propel the Bluejays to their sixth win in BIG EAST play.

KJ Lewis, Georgetown, G, Sr.

Lewis averaged 19.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game in a 1-1 week for Georgetown. His best performance came at Providence, pouring in 21 of his game-high 26 points in the second half – including a key 3-pointer with 27 seconds left – to complete the Hoyas’ comeback.

Dillon Mitchell, St. John’s, F, Sr.

Mitchell shined in a pair of wins for St. John’s, averaging 17.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 3.0 steals. He had a double-double – 17 points and 11 rebounds – in a win over Seton Hall, before tallying 17 points, seven boards, six assists, and four steals at Xavier.

Tre Carroll, Xavier, F, Gr.

Carroll averaged 30.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 2.0 blocks for the Musketeers last week. The 6-8 forward had 29 points and four rebounds at Creighton and scored a career-high 31 points to go with three boards, two assists and four blocks versus St. John’s.

Gunn, Vaaks Take Big East Honors

January 19, 2026 by Digital Sports Desk

NEW YORK – CJ Gunn of DePaul and Stefan Vaaks of Providence earned BIG EAST Weekly Honors. Gunn poured in a career-high 31 points – including seven 3-pointers – to go with seven rebounds in the Blue Demons’ lone contest of the week – a home win over Marquette. Vaaks averaged 22.5 points and 4.0 assists in two games for the Friars.

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BIG EAST Player of the Week

CJ Gunn, DePaul, G, Sr.

Gunn had a career-high performance in DePaul’s win over Marquette, pouring in 31 points to go with seven rebounds and three assists. The 6-7 guard connected on 11-of-23 from the floor, including a career-best seven 3-pointers for the Blue Demons. Gunn scored six of DePaul’s final seven points down the stretch to seal the win in their lone contest of the week. The seven 3-pointers tie him for fourth-most in program history. Gunn’s 31 points were the most by a Blue Demon since Dec. 29, 2022 and it marked the seventh 30-point performance of the season by a BIG EAST player; the fifth in a conference game.

BIG EAST Freshman of the Week

Stefan Vaaks, Providence, G, Fr.

Vaaks shined for Providence, averaging 22.5 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 4.0 assists in a 1-1 week. The 6-7 guard connected on 50.0% (16-32) of his shots from the floor, including five 3-pointers, and was 8-for-8 from the free throw line. Against Villanova, Vaaks tallied 21 points on 8-of-14 shooting (three 3FG) in 37 minutes of play. He finished his week with 24 points and a season-best seven assists in a home win over Creighton. He has scored in double figures in each of his 18 games this season, including tallying 20 or more points in each of his last three outings. It marks the second time Vaaks has earned BIG EAST weekly honors as a freshman.

BIG EAST Honor Roll

Tarris Reed Jr., UConn, C, Sr.

Reed averaged a double-double in a 2-0 week for UConn. The 6-11 senior averaged 18.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 3.0 blocks, 2.0 steals, and 1.0 assist, while connecting on 54.2% (13-24) of his shots from the floor. Reed finished with 21 points, nine boards, and three blocked shots at Seton Hall. Last time out at Georgetown, the senior recorded a double-double with 15 points, 11 rebounds, three steals, and three blocks.

Jamier Jones, Providence, G, Fr.

Jones averaged 20.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.5 steals in a 1-1 week for Providence, connecting on 57.1% (16-28) shots from the field. Against Villanova, the 6-6 newcomer scored a season-high 23 points on 8-of-12 shooting. In a win over Creighton, Jones logged his second double-double of the season with 18 points and 11 rebounds to go with three steals.

Zuby Ejiofor, St. John’s, F, Sr.

Ejiofor averaged 19.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists while connecting on better than 65% (15-23) of his field goal attempts in a 2-0 week for the Red Storm. The senior forward tallied 22 points, seven rebounds, and three assists in a win over Marquette. Last time out in a win at Villanova, Ejiofor finished with 17 points, seven boards, an assist, and a blocked shot.

Devin Askew, Villanova, G, Sr.

Askew averaged 20.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists in a 1-1 week for Villanova. He connected on 54.5% (12-22) from the floor, including 6-of-11 from the perimeter. In a win at Providence, Askew scored 20 points and dished out seven assists. Last time out against St. John’s, the 6-5 guard tallied 21 points and four rebounds, while making 6-of-10 shots from the floor (3-4 3FG).

Tre Carroll, Xavier, F, Gr.

Carroll poured in 29 points to go with nine rebounds and five blocked shots in Xavier’s lone game of the week – a home win over Butler. The 6-8 forward connected on 12-of-22 shots from the floor in 34 minutes. His five blocked shots were a career-high and the most by a Musketeer this season.

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