The inaugural season of the new-look Big East season was underwhelming on a national level. Four teams qualified for the NCAA tournament, but just two made the Round of 32 and none were left standing when the Sweet 16 rolled around.
But this year appears to be a different story.
As the Big East opens up conference play Wednesday with a marathon of games on FOX Sports 1, half of the conference has been ranked in the AP Top 25 at some point during the first eight weeks of the season. Six teams are currently ranked in the top 50 of the RPI, leading the league to be ranked second in overall conference RPI.
Here's the way I rank the Big East from top to bottom as league play gets underway on New Year's Eve:
1. Villanova (12-0)
Best win: 77-53 over Virginia Commonwealth
Losses: None
Leading scorer: Senior guard Darrun Hilliard at 12.6 PPG
Villanova entered the season as an overwhelming favorite to repeat as Big East champions, and the Wildcats remain the team to beat heading into conference play. Ranked No. 6 in the AP poll and No. 5 by the coaches, Villanova picked up five RPI top-100 wins in nonconference play, highlighted by a 24-point rout of VCU. The Wildcats are a balanced scoring team with four players averaging over 10 points per game. It's hard to find a weakness in Villanova, as the Wildcats are in the top five of the Big East in every major statistical category.
Experienced and battle tested, Villanova will not only contend for a Big East championship but also a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.
"We've had a good preseason," Villanova coach Jay Wright said. "The last couple games we've not played great. We haven't played good first halves but have come out and played good second halves. That's a little bit of a concern there, but we found a way to win."
2. St. John's (11-1)
Best win: 70-61 over Minnesota
Losses: 73-66 to Gonzaga
Leading scorer: Senior guard D'Angelo Harrison at 19.0 PPG
It was never a question whether St. John's had enough talent to win a Big East championship, but rather if the Red Storm would finally be able to turn potential into wins. The pressure was and still is on fifth-year coach Steve Lavin, who has led the Red Storm to just one NCAA tournament bid in four years despite having loads of talent.
Thus far, St. John's seems to have it figured out. Led by conference player of the year candidate D'Angelo Harrison, the Red Storm are ranked No. 15 in the AP and No. 17 in the coaches poll. St. John's picked up four RPI top-100 wins in the nonconference portion of its schedule, but none of those were over top-50 teams.
"I'm pleased with the development of our team, but we also realize that we have to continue to improve in a number of facets of play if we're going to be successful in the Big East conference," Lavin said. "But across the board, we've got good balance. We have a number of players who are playing with some confidence, and who have just evolved. We have good momentum going into conference play."
In addition to Harrison, sophomore guard Rysheed Jordan (14.3 PPG), senior forward Sir'Dominic Pointer (11.5) and senior guard Phil Greene IV (11.2) are averaging double-digit points. Junior forward Chris Obekpa is second in the nation in blocks per game at 3.8.
3. Georgetown (8-3)
Best win: 66-65 over Florida
Losses: Wisconsin, Butler, Kansas
Leading scorer: Junior guard D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera at 14.7 PPG
Picked to finish second in the preseason poll, Georgetown proved capable of contending in the Big East during its nonconference schedule. However, the Hoyas let three chances at big wins slip through their fingers. Georgetown had Wisconsin on the ropes during the Battle 4 Atlantis, while it nearly won a home game against Kansas. The Hoyas did pick up RPI top-100 wins over Charlotte, Florida and Radford, while also pulling out a key victory over Indiana in overtime.
Smith-Rivera, the Big East preseason player of the year, can take over a game offensively, while mammoth senior center Joshua Smith gives Georgetown a formidable presence inside.
"We're fortunate that we can still get a lot better in a lot of areas of the game," Georgetown coach John Thompson III said. "We're playing some young guys who are just about to go through a conference schedule for the first time. They are still improving. I don't think we are close to where our ceiling is, which is a good thing now."
4. Butler (10-3)
Best win: 74-66 over North Carolina
Losses: Oklahoma, Tennessee, Indiana
Leading scorer: Junior guard Kellen Dunham at 16.6 PPG
Considering the adversity Butler faced before even playing a game, the Bulldogs are the biggest surprise in the Big East thus far.
Bulldogs coach Brandon Miller took a medical leave of absence in early October, leaving assistant and former Gardner-Webb coach Chris Holtmann to take over on an interim basis. There has been no update on Miller's status and it appears Holtmann will be in charge for at least the remainder of the season.
"It is a situation where we just tried to be brutally honest in every situation that we came about with our guys," Holtmann said. "It can be attributed in a lot of ways to the character and leadership of our older guys. They have kept this thing together."
Butler opened eyes at the Battle 4 Atlantis, upsetting North Carolina and Georgetown while also playing Oklahoma tough. The Bulldogs spent time in the Top 25 before suffering back-to-back losses to Tennessee and Indiana. Dunham is one of the best shooters in the conference, while Roosevelt Jones (11.2 PPG) is healthy after missing all of last season.
5. Providence (10-3)
Best win: 75-74 over Notre Dame
Losses: Kentucky, Boston College, Brown
Leading scorer: Senior forward LaDontae Henton at 20.0 PPG
A three-game losing streak in late November and early December put a little bit of a damper on an otherwise successful nonconference schedule for the Friars. Providence began the season 6-0 with wins over Yale and Notre Dame before getting routed by No. 1 Kentucky. Nobody has come close to beating Kentucky this season, but the Friars went into a bit of a tailspin after losing at Rupp Arena, dropping consecutive games to Boston College (RPI 54) and Brown (229).
Providence recovered and four straight RPI top-100 victories heading into Big East play. Henton is a candidate for player of the year, while sophomore point guard Kris Dunn is healthy and coming into his own.
"We've had some inconsistent play," Providence coach Ed Cooley said. "I thought coming into the year, having lost so much scoring, roles had to be identified differently . . .I thought we were going to have some inconsistent play until we found out who we are. We are still trying to find that out."
6. Seton Hall (10-2)
Best win: 58-54 over George Washington
Losses: Wichita State, Georgia
Leading scorer: Junior guard Sterling Gibbs at 15.6 PPG
Seton Hall suffered a significant blow when highly touted freshman guard Isaiah Whitehead recently was ruled out indefinitely with a stress fracture in his right foot. Pirates coach Kevin Willard said Whitehead is shut down completely for two weeks before he's re-evaluated. Whether or not the preseason conference freshman of the year can return could determine if Seton Hall can make a run to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2006.
Whitehead is Seton Hall's second-leading scorer at 11.9 points per game, leaving Gibbs as the Pirates' only healthy player averaging double-digit points.
Before Whitehead got hurt, Seton Hall was building a solid resume. The Pirates have four wins over the RPI top 100, including a big victory over George Washington on Nov. 29. Seton Hall competed before falling on the road to Wichita State but was blown out at Georgia.
"It is a pretty big hit," Willard said of losing Whitehead. "He was involved in a lot of what we were trying to do offensively and defensively. The thing about Isaiah that most people don't understand is that he has a tremendously high IQ. The way we were able to play with him on the defensive end really helped us."
7. Xavier (9-3)
Best win: 97-84 over Alabama
Losses: UTEP, Long Beach State, Auburn
Leading scorer: Freshman forward Trevon Bluiett at 13.3 PPG
After being picked for fourth in the Big East, Xavier had an unassuming nonconference season. The Musketeers are 4-2 against teams in the top 100 of the RPI, but there's a good chance at least three of those opponents fall in the RPI rankings once conference play begins. Losses to Long Beach State and Auburn could come back to bite Xavier if it is in the NCAA tournament mix.
Xavier is the highest scoring team in the Big East thus far, but it also allows the second-most points per game among conference teams. Bluiett is one of the best freshman in the conference, while senior center Matt Stainbrook is a load inside.
"Like every team with younger players, I think we've been a work in progress," Xavier coach Chris Mack said. "We've gotten better defensively. We need to. Offensively we've been a team that's shared it . . . I like our team. I think we're an unselfish group. But our toughness level defensively has to rise as we are going to be challenged on a nightly basis here in the Big East."
8. Marquette (8-4)
Best win: 72-70 over Georgia Tech
Losses: Ohio State, Omaha, Michigan State, Wisconsin
Leading scorer: Sophomore center Luke Fischer at 15.5 PPG
Following an early-season home loss to Omaha, Marquette appeared to on its way to a long year. But the Golden Eagles responded with a strong showing in the Orlando Classic and have continued to improve since. With sophomore center Luke Fischer now eligible and already flashing his talent, Marquette has a chance to compete for a postseason berth.
Three of Marquette's four losses are to teams expected to finish at the top of the Big Ten, but losing to Omaha at home is a tough pill to swallow.
Deonte Burton and John Dawson transferred, leaving Marquette with just eight scholarship players available for the remainder of the season. The Golden Eagles have embraced their lack of numbers and are a much better team with the 6-foot-10 Fischer on the court. However, Marquette is still a long ways from proving it is capable of being a sleeper in the Big East.
"I think we are getting better," Marquette coach Steve Wojciechowski said. "There are things to be encouraged about. I'm encouraged by our improvement, but I'm also realistic. We have to continue to improve to win conference games because everything steps up a level when you get into conference play."
9. Creighton (9-4)
Best win: 65-63 over Oklahoma
Losses: Ole Miss, Tulsa, Saint Mary's, North Texas
Leading scorer: Senior guard Austin Chatman at 13.9 PPG
The post-Doug McDermott era got off to an impressive start when Creighton rallied from an 18-point deficit to upset Oklahoma. But after starting the season 5-0, the Bluejays are 4-4 in their last eight games.
Creighton is very much like Marquette in the sense of not knowing where it stands heading into Big East play. Are the Bluejays the team who beat Oklahoma and Nebraska or the team who lost to Tulsa, Saint Mary's and North Texas? The answer is probably somewhere in between.
Finding consistent scoring behind Austin Chatman could be a concern. Creighton relies heavily on the 3-point shot, but the Bluejays are currently seventh in the Big East in 3-point field goal percentage. Only DePaul forces fewer turnovers than Creighton, as it is last in the conference in steals by a wide margin.
"I think our team is probably about where I thought they would be," Creighton coach Greg McDermott said. "Having said that, I was disappointed with the way we played the last week of our nonconference schedule. Our season has been one of inconsistency, which is somewhat typical when you have as many guys in new roles as what we have."
10. DePaul (6-7)
Best win: 87-72 over Stanford
Losses: George Washington, Illinois State, Colorado, Lehigh, Oregon State, Ohio, Loyola Marymount
Leading scorer: Junior forward Myke Henry at 14.5 PPG
After starting 6-1 for the first time since 1993-94, DePaul has dropped six games in a row. The Blue Demons appeared on their way to exceeding expectations but now seem on their way to yet another last-place finish.
But that's not to say DePaul lacks talent, because Myke Henry, Tommy Hamilton IV, Billy Garrett Jr. and Jamee Crockett all average double-digit points per game. DePaul can put the ball in the basket, but it struggles mightily defensively and on the glass.
Unless DePaul can turn its season around, it is hard to see coach Oliver Purnell surviving a fifth consecutive last-place finish.
"I do (think the talent is there to move up in the conference)," Purnell said. "That's based on some stretches of basketball this year where we've played well. Clearly, consistency is a key. We have to now start putting 40-minute stretches together because the talent level has stepped up."
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