Big East What to watch: Week 14

For a moment, I was watching this week’s Big East basketball schedules and it was starting to look like maybe there weren’t really many intriguing matchups on deck. Then I realized we were past the halfway mark, or more, even for everyone in the league, and things were starting to get bigger than the fight to avoid playing on opening night of the conference tournament. As it happens, there are more than a few games that fit the “oh, well, this is important for the 5th place/6th place cut line right now” definition.

Plus a ranked match on ranking in the men’s division! This is actually nationally important!

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Let’s go!

Wednesday, February 4: Seton Hall Pirates at RV Villanova Wildcats (5:30 p.m. Central, Peacock) — Seton Hall stemmed the tide of a complete collapse with a massive second-half rally against Xavier and fending off a challenge from Marquette. However, the four-game losing streak could have dashed their NCAA hopes unless they could match it with quality wins, and at The Finn against a Nova team seemingly ticketed for the Dance did just that. Kevin Willard’s Wildcats can’t really afford to cough up a loss here, not with Torvik Wins Above Bubble support which includes them as #8 seed.

Wednesday, February 4: Georgetown Hoyas vs. Creighton Bluejays (6 p.m. Central, ESPN+) — It’s the halfway point of an important week for Jim Flanery’s Bluejays who are coming off a very good road win against Seton Hall on Sunday. They are one game behind St. John’s for fifth place (and therefore one of the first-round byes in the Big East tournament) in the league, and also one game ahead of the Hoyas team. Creating space between them and Georgetown is as easy as winning at Sokol right here.

Wednesday, February 4: Creighton Bluejays at Georgetown Hoyas (6:30 p.m. Central, Peacock) — The Bluejays needed overtime to beat Georgetown at home, and they’re just 1-3 since then, needing a miracle against Xavier to get the win and getting completely crushed by UConn (good) and Marquette (uh oh) in losses. There isn’t much hope left for the NCAA tournament in Omaha, but a loss here would probably finish them off…. and if so…. Are we seeing the beginning of the end for Greg McDermott as head coach at Creighton?

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Friday, February 6: #3 Connecticut Huskies at #22 St. John’s Red Storm (7 p.m. Central, Fox) – This will be the first of two meetings this season between the two teams considered the two best teams in the conference heading into the year. At this point, they’ve split atop the standings at 11-0 and 9-1, and with the Johnnies holding on for defeat, it’s up to them to win at home here to create a race for the regular season title down the stretch.

Saturday, February 7: Butler Bulldogs vs. #1 Connecticut Huskies (11 a.m. Central, FS1) – Assuming Sarah Strong’s team does very well in a road game against DePaul last Wednesday, UConn could play to clinch a spot in the league’s top five in that game and avoid the three-peat on the first day of the conference tournament. That would be with six games remaining for the Huskies, and I say “could” because it’s possible they get some help Wednesday from Georgetown to clinch anyway.

Saturday, February 7: Butler Bulldogs vs. Marquette Golden Eagles (1 p.m. Central, FS1) – Butler followed up his home win against Marquette by getting trampled at the Garden by St. John’s, then being sent back to the negative zone by Georgetown. Five points in the last 6 minutes after reducing the margin to four! At home! How energetic will Marquette’s National Day crowd be for the Golden Eagles at Fiserv Forum here?

Saturday, February 7: Seton Hall Pirates at St. John’s Red Storm (1 p.m. Central, ESPN+) — This is the only game of the week for the Savannah Catalon Pirates and they come in having lost two of the last three. One was at UConn, but the other was at home at Creighton. St. John’s is trying to stay in the top five of the Big East standings (and therefore out of the conference tournament’s opening threesome) with just one game ahead of Creighton right now, so they can make a lot of noise with a win here. Oh, and Seton Hall’s next game, as they try to hold on to third place in the league? Marquette, the team they are currently tied with in the standings.

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Saturday, February 7: DePaul Blue Demons at Providence Friars (3 p.m. Central, FS1) — The Friars have lost six of seven and host Butler and DePaul this week. Consider this one the second half of the Kim English Keep Your Job Challenge. Difficulty level: Difficult.

Saturday, February 7: Seton Hall Pirates at Creighton Bluejays (5 p.m. Central, Peacock) — Everything I said earlier about Budd Clark’s Pirates and Josh Dix’s Bluejays? It’s double that here, especially since it’s the second of two road games this week for the Pirates.

Sunday, February 8: Marquette Golden Eagles at Creighton Bluejays (12 p.m. Central, FS1) — Here’s the other half of a big week for Creighton, as they get Cara Consuegra’s inconsistent (but tied for third!) Golden Eagles in Omaha. If the Jays want to play for one of those five first-round byes in the conference tournament, they could do a lot worse than close the current three-game gap with MU right here. Meanwhile, Halle Vice and Marquette still haven’t found a way to start playing proper basketball for 40 straight minutes, and they have to finish a home game against Providence before making that trip somewhere in Central America.

Here’s the full Big East men’s basketball schedule for the week, with all central times, as always.

Here’s the full Big East women’s basketball schedule for the week, with all central times, as always.

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