Week 6 BIG EAST rankings

[NovaBall]

Team (% chance of dancing) synopsis (games this week)

Great weekend of big east basketball. Here is where we stand.

1. Xavier (98%). Most complete team in the league, if not the country. Backcourt is awesome. Sumner emerging as a rookie of the year candidate. MilesDavis is a rock with the ball. Blueitt is establishing himself as a nice go to option with Abel as a nice compliment to Trevon in the wing. The front court is real solid with Reynolds and Farr. Team just keeps looking better and better. (v Auburn sat)

2. Villanova (95%). The tough loss in Honolulu and the Cats are going to be underdogs next Saturay at UVA, so the trolls like Stever are licking their chops. But the team Is coming around. Best defensive team of the Jay Wright era, good in the transition. The kids are still trying to figure out their half court offense beyond just moving the ball around the perimeter and/or driving and kicking out to the perimeter and chucking a three, but they will get there. They are replacing three starters from last yr and the half court offense seems to be the element that is taking the longest time to click. The rest of their game is still real nice. Mikal Bridges really bursting out along with Jalen Brunson as huge freshman contributors. (@ Virginia sat)

3. Butler (85%). Big win against Tennessee this weekend at Hinkle. Solidified their OOC a bit and puts them in great position. We knew that Dunham and Jones were solid, but Kelan Martin and Tyler Lewis are starting to find their games a bit more. Tyler Wideman had a good game against Tenn. Big game at Purdue on Saturday, will probably be underdogs and Stever is probably hoping to coat his keyboard with a nova and butler loss next weekend. Oh well, Stever is Stever.. (@ Purdue sat)

4. Providence (84.1%). Ben Bentil!! A beast. The absence of Dunn is showing that PC is not just a one man show. Need to get themselves healthy during this soft run on their schedule. With Bentil and Dunn, those are the type of horses a coach can ride into the third weekend if the dance. Very high upside. The debate between butler and PC for the 3 and 4 spots was the toughest for this week. (V Rider Sat)

5. Georgetown. (80%). Not much happening with the hoyas this week. Handled a decent mid-major program this week. Got a little close late but outcome never in doubt. Should finish the ooc slate at 9-3 (not including the Jan UConn game). Solid enough considering who they played. (Cupcakes on Tuesday and Saturday)

6. Marquette. (53.26%). Welcome to the right side of the bubble, marquette! Huge movers this week. Not so much in the standings, but in the chance of dancing. Team seems to be finding their groove and putting it together. Fischer and Ellenson look like the Caucasian twin towers in the middle. Their OOC was weak, but it should be solid enough at the end of the day with the win loss record and marquee road win at Wisconsin. a .500 conference record should have them in the middle of bubble. (No games)

7. Seton Hall (39.61%). I remain bullish on the Hall. That roster has the talent to be a tourney team. They didn't shoot themselves in the foot OOC rgarding a tourney bid, but they haven't put themselves in the right side of the bubble either. These guys are doing what they need to do, and it's not all whitehead and Delgado. Carington and Rodriguez are learning their roles. If they win their next two prior to op conference play they are going to be legitimately in the conversation as a bubble team. (V Wichita State Saturday BIG FOX)

8. St John's (19%). Not sure they deserve to be ahead of Creighton, but giving them the edge because of the huge win today. They have the Italian Connection with Mussini and Alibegovin to go along with the monster kids Yakwe and Sina, and johnson is an unstoppable g force bringing experience. I still don't think they are legitimate tourney threats, but they are coming together. Three OOC games left. Incarnate world sucks, but njit can be pesky, and the South Carolina. Win those three games and this has to be considered s good OOC performance by the johnnies. (Incarnate workd Friday).

9. Creighton. (18.9%). Did nothing wrong this week. Looked solid against alphabet soup university. They can turn their season around with a win next weekend. (Oklahoma sat)

10. Depaul. (01%). Building a new arena. Broke ground a couple of weeks ago. New arena looks great. Let's hope that helps. (Northwestern)

[BEX]

somebody take Novaball's temp. He rated X over 'Nova. Get him out of the Chipotle now.

[NovaBall]

I have had xavier tied with nova for weeks now, and had xavier over nova in my last rankings prior to the weekend. You might have me confused with someone else.

I am not one of those nova fans who has been chirping that nova will run away with the conference this yr. Actually,most nova fans I know have been saying all year that there is more competition at the top of the league this year than the past 2 years.

This nova team is very good, but they still have some work to do to be as good as last year. They can be as good as last yr, but they need to develop a bit more diversity in the half court set. Coach Jay has been saying that he is giving the kids a lot of freedom now shooting threes, but I think he expects the, to be able to learn which of those three balls are good shots and when they might want to pass up the shot as the season progresses.

The defense is as good as ever though.

[milksteak]

3. Butler (85%). Big win against Tennessee this weekend at Hinkle. Solidified their OOC a bit and puts them in great position. We knew that Dunham and Jones were solid, but Kelan Martin and Tyler Lewis are starting to find their games a bit more. Tyler Wideman had a good game against Tenn. Big game at Purdue on Saturday, will probably be underdogs and Stever is probably hoping to coat his keyboard with a nova and butler loss next weekend. Oh well, Stever is Stever.. (@ Purdue sat)

Butler-Purdue is at Banker's Life Fieldhouse (Pacer's arena). It is a neutral court game.

It's part of the Crossroads Classic, which Indiana has been doing since 2011. In a double-header, Purdue and IU play either Notre Dame or Butler (they switch every year). Obviously, Purdue and IU never play each other because of allegiances to the B1G.

It's an awesome event, and more states need to do it.

[hoyahooligan]

Georgetown's game on tuesday is not a cupcake Monmouth has already beaten UCLA, USC, and ND.