Big East Basketball Rankings: St. John's, Marquette vie for the top spot

Big East Basketball Rankings: St. John’s, Marquette vie for the top spot

MIAMI, FL - DECEMBER 01: Shamorie Ponds #2 of the St. John's Red Storm reacts after a basket against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets during the HoopHall Miami Invitational at American Airlines Arena on December 1, 2018 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

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SYRACUSE, NY – DECEMBER 08: The Georgetown Hoyas bench celebrates. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images) /

6. Georgetown Hoyas

Hinkle Fieldhouse might be Indiana’s Basketball Cathedral but it is also Georgetown’s home away from home. For the fifth time in six years, the Hoyas went on the road and took down the Butler Bulldogs during this past week. This propelled Patrick Ewing’s team up this edition of the Big East rankings and should be able to give them some momentum heading into a huge home matchup with St. John’s coming in their next game.

And despite their low overall rating by predictive metrics, Georgetown has two major advantages over most teams in the conference. For starters, they play at a frenetic pace that very few teams can match. The Hoyas currently rate 10th in the nation in tempo and can really get out and run. Additionally, senior big man Jessie Govan is one of the most difficult players to match up against in the conference. Georgetown’s NCAA Tournament hopes may be relatively low but they will win their fair share of conference games.

5. Villanova Wildcats

Villanova is still rated as the top team in the Big East per KenPom but it is clear that the team still needs time to develop. Head coach Jay Wright is one of the best in the business and it is easy to give him the benefit of the doubt but this team simply hasn’t been very good so far this season. While playing at one of the slowest paces in the nation (349th in tempo), the Wildcats still have a highly-efficient offense but their defense has several holes in it. Simply put, Villanova has plenty of talent to compete near the top of the Big East this season but they still have a lot to learn.

Looking ahead, Villanova has a brutal three-game stretch approaching that could set the tone for the rest of the season. first, they will go on the road to take on Providence. And while the Friars have struggled a bit this season, it is never easy to win in Ed Cooley’s house. Following that matchup, the ‘Cats will take on two of the conference’s best teams in St. John’s (home) and Creighton (away). It will be interesting to see how the team performs.

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