Big East Basketball Rankings: Is Villanova still at the top after shaky start?

Maybe I should stop doubting head coach Greg McDermott. I, like most writers, placed Creighton in the bottom three of the Big East in my preseason rankings for the conference. I mean, they lost one of the best backcourts in the country in Marcus Foster and Khyri Thomas and they were bound to take a step back. Well, through eight games, we were all dead wrong. The Bluejays currently stand at 6-2 and their only losses have come to nationally ranked teams in Ohio State and Gonzaga. Oh, and they can also boast wins over quality opponents such as Clemson, Georgia State, and Boise State.

So far this year, Crieghton has been led by its underclassmen. Most notably, sophomore Ty-Shon Alexander is breaking out as a superstar on the national stage. A former fringe top-100 recruit in the nation, Alexander is averaging 19.4 points per game to pace the Bluejays’ high-powered offense. Additionally, his fellow sophomores Damien Jefferson and Mitchell Ballock are both also averaging in double figures.

Creighton, as per usual, can really score. Coach McDermott’s teams, seemingly regardless of expectations, seems to always be able to simply outscore opponents with their fast-paced game. The Bluejays are currently averaging 84.6 points per game (30th nationally) as a team while splashing home 45.8% of their 3-pointers (second nationally).