NCAA Basketball: Arizona, Iowa State, Houston rise in latest top 25 power rankings
By Joey Loose
5. Marquette (18-5)
Winning the Big East last season was certainly a surprise last season, but the Golden Eagles aren’t sneaking up on anyone this year. A few of the names are different, but Marquette brought back a lot of talent and looks like they’re in that prime position once again. Their basketball in recent weeks has been excellent, with four road wins in their current winning streak that’s put them in great shape in the Big East.
Their only contest this week was on Saturday and Marquette looked stale early. They used a strong second half to overcome St. John’s at home, securing an 86-75 win. Tyler Kolek had his latest marvelous performance with 27 points, 13 assists, and 7 rebounds to lead the Golden Eagles, who have now won seven games in a row.
That type of active winning streak is really rare in conference play, especially in a packed league like the Big East. Marquette has overcome a slow start to sit 9-3 in this league and have their sights set on higher heights in the weeks ahead. Kolek is playing like a monster and the other talent here has been phenomenal. Next week is going to be a major test, as the Golden Eagles head to Butler, hoping to avenge their most recent loss, before a highly-anticipated trip to Connecticut.