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Big East Basketball: Five takeaways from Butler’s win over Villanova

By Lukas Harkins

Jan 4, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Butler University guard Avery Woodson (0) celebrates defeating Villanova University 66-58 at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 4, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Butler University guard Avery Woodson (0) celebrates defeating Villanova University 66-58 at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 31, 2016; Omaha, NE, USA; Villanova Wildcats guard Jalen Brunson (1) shoots against the Creighton Bluejays at CenturyLink Center Omaha. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 31, 2016; Omaha, NE, USA; Villanova Wildcats guard Jalen Brunson (1) shoots against the Creighton Bluejays at CenturyLink Center Omaha. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports /

Jalen Brunson is the second guy for ‘Nova

Josh Hart gets a lot of the hype out of Philadelphia, but a team cannot go on a 20-game winning streak and hold down the No. 1 spot in the rankings on the likes of just one player. The question for Villanova entering the season was who was going to be the second scorer for the Wildcats.

And now, in the first week of January, we have the answer: Jalen Brunson.

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Kris Jenkins gets plenty of attention as the smooth shooting forward who buried the game-winner in the National Championship last season, but Brunson was only a freshman then, playing with Ryan Arcidiacono. Now in his second year under Jay Wright, Brunson is up to second on the team in scoring, with 13.9 points per game, along with leading the team in assists with 4.1 per game.

But, in Nova’s biggest two games of conference play, at Creighton and at Butler, he has turned up his play. In the Wildcats’ 10-point win over the Bluejays, Brunson capitalized on a nice shooting day to turn in a 27-point performance. Then, even though Villanova took the loss, Brunson led the team in scoring with 23 against Butler.

He has also scored in double figures in each of the last five games, three of which have come against other Big East opponents.

The emergence of Brunson as the second guy for Nova is the type of thing that can separate the Wildcats from the rest of the country as the season progresses. It is one thing to have a superstar on a team, but it is a whole different ballgame when that superstar gets a partner in crime as good as Jalen Brunson.