Digital Sports Desk

Online Destination for the Best in Boston Sports

Big East

Ejiofor, James Take Last Big East Weekly Honors

by

NEW YORK  – (Staff Report from Official News Release0 – Zuby Ejiofor from St. John’s and Nigel James Jr. from Marquette earned the final BIG EAST Weekly honors of the 2025-26 regular season.  Ejiofor averaged 22.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.5 blocks, and 1.5 steals per game in a 2-0 week for the Red Storm, which captured its second consecutive BIG EAST regular season title on Friday night.  James averaged 19.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 2.0 steals in a pair of wins for the Golden Eagles this past week.
BIG EAST Player of the Week
Zuby Ejiofor, St. John’s, F, Sr.
Ejiofor averaged 22.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.5 blocks, and 1.5 steals, while connecting on 72.0% (18-25) of his shot attempts in a 2-0 week for St. John’s.  On March 3, in his final regular season appearance at Madison Square Garden, Ejiofor finished with 23 points, seven boards, five assists, two steals, and two blocked shots in 32 minutes of action in a win over Georgetown.  Last time out, Ejiofor led the Red Storm with 21 points in 23 minutes of play as they locked up the regular season title with a win at Seton Hall.
BIG EAST Freshman of the Week
Nigel James Jr., Marquette, G, Fr.
James averaged 19.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 2.0 steals per game in a 2-0 week for Marquette.  At Providence on March 4, James tallied 20 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and two steals in 29 minutes.  Last time out in a home win over UConn, James finished with 19 points, two boards, seven assists, and two steals.  This marks the fifth time James has earned freshman weekly honors from the BIG EAST this season.
BIG EAST Honor Roll
Michael Ajayi, Butler, F, Gr.
Ajayi averaged 20.0 points, 12.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 2.0 steals in a 1-1 week for Butler.  He posted two double doubles on the week, beginning with 26 points and 13 boards against Creighton on March 4.  The graduate student made 11-of-19 shots from the floor to go with three assists.  Last time out at DePaul, Ajayi finished with 14 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, and three steals.
Nik Graves, Creighton, G, Sr. 
Graves posted an impressive stat line in the Bluejays’ lone game of the week – a win at Butler on March 4.  The 6-2 guard finished with 14 points, 13 assists, and six steals in 36 minutes of play.  Since the 1996-97 season, only 11 players have achieved that stat line in a regulation game against a Division I opponent.
Kayvaun Mulready, Georgetown, G, So. 
Mulready averaged 16.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 2.0 steals in a 1-1 week for Georgetown.  He poured in a career-best 20 points, making 4-of-8 3-pointers, to go with seven boards and two assists at St. John’s on March 3.  Last time out, the sophomore guard tallied 12 points to go with seven assists and five steals in a home win over Providence.
Adrien Stevens, Marquette, G, Fr.
Stevens posted 16.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 3.5 steals in a pair of wins for Marquette this past week.  He had a career-best 21 points at Providence, connecting on 5-of-8 from the perimeter while recording four rebounds, and four steals.  Last time out against UConn, Stevens tallied 11 points, five rebounds, two assists and three steals.
Duke Brennan, Villanova, F, Gr.
Brennan averaged a double double, posting 17.5 points and 12.5 rebounds in a pair of wins for Villanova this last week.  The 6-10 forward connected on 76.2% of his attempts from the floor.  At DePaul on March 4, Brennan had 15 points, 12 boards, and two assists.  Last time out against Xavier, he tallied 20 points, 13 rebounds and two assists.

Seton Hall Tops Butler

by

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.
Embed from Getty Images
Seton Hall 63, Butler 56 – Box Score
Of Note:
—–
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!

by

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.
Embed from Getty Images
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 
Of Note:
Villanova 80, Creighton 69 – Box Score
Of Note:
Xavier 96, Marquette 88 – Box Score 
Of Note:
UConn 79, Georgetown 75 – Box Score 
Of Note:
—–
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.

Next Up: The BIG EAST Showdown

by

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.
Embed from Getty Images
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:
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:
—–
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)

Askew Leads ‘Nova

by

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.
Embed from Getty Images

 

Of  Note:
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

by

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

by

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.
Embed from Getty Images
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.

Demary Jr. Takes Big East Honor

by

NEW YORK – UConn’s Silas Demary Jr. was named BIG EAST Player of the Week, while teammate Braylon Mullins was picked to be BIG EAST Freshman of the Week.  Demary Jr. averaged a near double-double in points and assists – 18.5 points and 9.5 assists – in a pair of wins for the Huskies.  Mullins led UConn in scoring in both games this past week, averaging 20.0 points to go along with 4.5 rebounds per outing.
Embed from Getty Images
BIG EAST Player of the Week
Silas Demary Jr., UConn, G, Jr.
Demary Jr. averaged 18.5 points, 9.5 assists, 3.0 rebounds, and 4.0 steals in a 2-0 week for UConn. The 6-4 guard was brilliant in an overtime win at Providence on Jan. 7, finishing with 23 points, a career-high 15 assists, and five steals.  Demary Jr. logged one turnover against the Friars – marking only the fifth time in BIG EAST history that a player had 15 assists with one or fewer turnovers. He became the first BIG EAST player since the 2017-18 season to log at least 20 points and 15 assists in a game.  Last time out against DePaul on Jan. 10, the junior from Raleigh, N.C. tallied 14 points, three boards, four assists, and three steals.  For the week, Demary Jr. connected on 61.1% of his attempts from the floor (11-18), including 6-of-9 from beyond the arc, while posting a 3.80:1 assist/turnover ratio.
BIG EAST Freshman of the Week
Braylon Mullins, UConn, F, G.
Mullins led UConn in scoring in a pair of wins last week, averaging 20.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.5 steals, and 1.0 blocks.  His best game of the week came at Providence on Jan. 7, scoring a game and season-high 24 points on 8-of-14 shooting, including 6-of-10 from beyond the arc.  Eight of his 24 points came in the overtime period for the Huskies.  Against DePaul on Jan. 10, the 6-6 guard registered a team-high 16 points, a season-best seven rebounds, three assists, three steals, and two blocks.  Over the two games, he connected on nearly 55% (13-24) of his field goal attempts, including 8-of-15 from the perimeter.  It marks the second weekly honor for Mullins this season.
BIG EAST Honor Roll
Nigel James Jr., Marquette, G, Fr.
James Jr. averaged 20.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 2.5 steals in a 1-1 week for Marquette.  He poured in a career-best 31 points, knocking down seven 3-pointers, to go with six assists and three steals against Villanova on Jan. 10.  The freshman guard added 10 points, six assists, and four boards in a win over Xavier on Jan. 7.
Zuby Ejiofor, St. John’s, F, Sr.
Ejiofor averaged 15.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 3.5 steals in two road wins for St. John’s.  His best game of the week came on Jan. 7, finishing with 18 points, five boards, two assists, and three steals at Butler.  Last time out at Creighton, the senior finished with 12 points, six assists, four boards, and four steals.
Budd Clark, Seton Hall, G, Jr.
Clark scored 22 points to go with five rebounds, two assists, and a steal in a comeback win for Seton Hall at Georgetown on Jan. 10.  The junior guard scored 13 of his 22 points in the second half while connecting on 6-of-12 from the floor and 10-of-12 from the free throw line on the night for the Pirates.
Acaden Lewis, Villanova, G, Fr.
Lewis averaged 20.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 7.5 assists, and 1.5 steals per game in a 1-1 week for Villanova.  Against Creighton on Jan. 7, the freshman guard finished with 20 points, four boards, seven assists, and three steals.  In a win at Marquette on Jan. 10, Lewis again tallied 20 points to go with eight assists.
Malik Messina-Moore, Xavier, G, Sr.
Messina-Moore averaged 22.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 3.0 steals in a 1-1 week for Xavier.  The senior guard had 22 points, three boards, three assists, and five steals at Marquette on Jan. 7.  Last time out, he finished with 23 points – including five 3-pointers – in a home win over Providence.

Big East Break – January 10th

by

STORRS – (Wire Service Preview) – After a two-day break, BIG EAST men’s basketball returns with five games – and 10 of its 11 teams in action – on Saturday. The full day of action begins with a doubleheader on TNT and truTV, as DePaul visits UConn at 12:30 p.m. ET. In the second game, Villanova travels to Marquette for a 2:30 p.m. ET start. Marquette head coach Shaka Smart will be wired for sound throughout the game, adding a unique perspective to the matchup in Milwaukee.

Embed from Getty Images

The first of three games airing on FS1 begins at 2 p.m. ET as St. John’s heads to Creighton. That game is followed by Providence at Xavier at 4 p.m. ET and is capped off by a 6 p.m. ET matchup as Seton Hall takes on Georgetown in Washington, D.C.

Saturday, Jan. 10

TNT & truTV
DePaul at UConn – 12:30 p.m. ET
Spero Dedes (pxp); Greg Anthony (analyst)

Villanova at Marquette – 2:30 p.m. ET
Brian Anderson (pxp); Grant Hill (analyst)

FS1
St. John’s at Creighton – 2 p.m. ET
Tim Brando (pxp); Donny Marshall (analyst)

Providence at Xavier – 4 p.m. ET
Connor Onion (pxp); Nick Bahe (analyst)

Seton Hall at Georgetown – 6 p.m. ET
Chris Vosters (pxp); Tarik Turner (analyst)

—–
Looking Ahead: The BIG EAST is off on Sunday, Jan. 11 and returns to action with four games on Tuesday, Jan. 13: Villanova at Providence, Marquette at St. John’s, Connecticut at Seton Hall, and Georgetown at Creighton.

Zuby Doobie, Do

by

NEW YORK – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – Zuby Ejiofor from St. John’s and Jamier Jones from Providence were selected to earn BIG EAST Men’s Basketball weekly honors for games played between Dec. 29 and Jan. 4.  Ejiofor averaged nearly 30 points and 13 rebounds this past week, while Jones tallied a double-double (15 points/10 rebounds) for the Friars.
Embed from Getty Images

 

BIG EAST Player of the Week
Zuby Ejiofor, St. John’s, F, Sr.
Ejiofor averaged 29.0 points, 12.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 2.0 steals, and 2.0 blocked shots while connecting on 60.0% from the floor (15-25) in a 1-1 week for St. John’s.  His best performance of the week came at home on Jan. 3 against Providence, as the 6-9 forward finished with career-highs in points (33) and rebounds (15) to go with two assists, two steals, and three blocks in 34 minutes.  Ejiofor was 8-of-16 from the floor, including 3-of-6 from the perimeter.  Eleven of his 15 rebounds came on the offensive glass – tying for the most offensive boards in a game this season.  At Georgetown on Dec. 31, the senior forward posted a near triple-double with 25 points, 10 rebounds, and a career-best seven assists.
BIG EAST Freshman of the Week
Jamier Jones, Providence, F, Fr.
Jones posted his first collegiate double-double, with 15 points and 10 rebounds, in Providence’s win at St. John’s.  Five of Jones’ 10 boards came on the offensive glass, leading to nine second-chance points for the Friars – including the go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:59 left in the game.  The 6-6 forward was 5-for-7 from the floor and scored 10 of his 15 points over the final 20 minutes of play.  He added two assists and two steals in 25 minutes of action.  For the season, Jones is averaging 10.4 points per game and is connecting on nearly 69% of his field goal attempts (57-83).
BIG EAST Honor Roll
Solo Ball, UConn, G, Jr.
Ball led UConn this past week, averaging 17.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.0 blocked shot while connecting on nearly 55% shooting from the floor in a pair of wins.  He scored 17 points at Xavier on Dec. 31, before tallying 17 points and eight rebounds at home vs. Marquette.
Jasen Green, Creighton, F, Jr.
Green averaged 18.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.0 steal in two games last week. He tallied a career-high 23 points on 8-of-11 shooting at Butler on Dec. 30 before narrowly missing a double-double at Seton Hall – 13 points and a career-best nine rebounds.
CJ Gunn, DePaul, G, Sr.
Gunn tallied 18.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.0 block over a two-game span this past week.  He had 15 points and seven rebounds at Villanova before finishing with a game-high 22 points in a home win over Xavier.  The 6-7 guard shot 50% (14-28) from the floor on the week.
KJ Lewis, Georgetown, G, Jr.
Lewis poured in a career-high 27 points, connecting on eight field goals and a perfect 10-of-10 from the foul line.  The 6-4 guard added three rebounds, an assist, three steals, and a blocked shot in 28 minutes.  It was Lewis’ third game with at least 20 points this season.
Bryce Lindsay, Villanova, G, Jr.
Lindsay was terrific in a pair of Villanova wins last week.  Against DePaul, Lindsay tallied 19 points while knocking down 5-of-10 from the perimeter.  The 6-3 guard scored 11 of his 18 points in the second half, keying a comeback for the Wildcats at Butler on Jan. 3.