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NCAA Basketball: Iowa vs Gonzaga, Missouri vs UK and other key questions

By Tristan Freeman

Dec 2, 2020; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Drew Timme (2) celebrates with teammates in the second half against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 2, 2020; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Drew Timme (2) celebrates with teammates in the second half against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports /
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NCAA Basketball Zach Freemantle Xavier Musketeers (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /

3. Who is the 3rd best team in the Big East after Nova and Creighton?

Chris Thedinga

In the end, I expect Providence to be up at the number three spot in the Big East. They had a tough start to the year with the blowout loss at the hands of Indiana and then falling to Alabama. However, the duo of Nate Watson and David Duke is one of the better guard-center combos in the conference (if not the country). Ed Cooley’s team is almost known for starting slow but finding their rhythm by mid-season.

Jacob Zinkula

Xavier might be 7-0, but I think Marquette is the answer. The Golden Eagles may have come up short on the road against UCLA, but Ohio State transfer D.J. Carton’s performance (18 points, 7-13 shooting) provides a reason for optimism moving forward.

Freshmen Dawson Garcia and Justin Lewis have both impressed thus far and seniors Koby McEwen and Theo John have been steady contributors. This is likely Gene Wojciechowski’s best defensive team since taking over at Marquette. If Carton can maintain his recent scoring and playmaking, a top-three Big East finish is very possible.

Benjamin Zacher

Right now, it is Xavier.  They are 7-0 – which getting seven games in already is an accomplishment on its own – with back-to-back wins over Cincinnati and Oklahoma.  I would not have said the Musketeers after their opening week struggles against Bradley, Toledo, and Eastern Kentucky, but Travis Steele’s group has looked impressive as of late.

They would have had three really solid, winnable games to open up Big East play if not for COVID-19 sidelining them.  Zach Freemantle (18.7 ppg on 62.6% on FGs and 44.0% on 3PTs, and 8.0 rpg) is a sleeper Big East Player of the Year choice.

Nicholas Diamantis

This is a challenging question to answer, given that the BIG EAST is always competitive from top to bottom. Since it’s early in the season, I believe UConn and Xavier are the next two teams that fall in line after Villanova and Creighton in the BIG EAST.

Xavier, led by sophomore Zach Freemantle, is currently 7-0 with impressive wins over rival Cincinnati on the road and Oklahoma at the Cintas Center. UConn, led by one of the better guards in the conference (James Bouknight), is 3-0 with dominant wins over local foes Central Connecticut State and Hartford. The Huskies’ only real test of the season so far came in a three-point victory over USC.

Joey Loose

It’s almost certainly too early to tell, especially as teams struggle to stay on the court during the pandemic, but Xavier is certainly making their case. Their 7-0 mark includes some close calls against mid-majors but also features a big win against rival Cincinnati and last Wednesday’s 22-point win over Oklahoma.

Andrew Tineo

At this point, there is no point in denying the fantastic run that Xavier has been on to begin the season. Sophomore forward Zach Freemantle has completely taken the reigns of this team and become the No. 1 shooting option for the Musketeers.

After starting half the season last year, Freemantle has shot an astounding 44 percent from beyond the arc and 62 percent on the season. He is also averaging 18.7 points and eight rebounds per contest.

Xavier has been excellent on offense, averaging 83.1 points per contest in their seven games played. They also rank in the top 15 in blocks (5.9) and assists (20.7) per game. The defense has been solid, they have some quality wins and are on the upward trajectory to finish among the Top of the Big East. Right now, I would have them slotted in third place.

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