Big East January '26 Thread

[REB1094]

Villanova @ Butler is the game to watch today. Butler has dropped 2 of 3 to start BE play (close 2OT win vs PC, destroyed by UConn, close loss to Creighton). Villanova has built a decent resume at 11-2 with some solid wins (Wisconsin, @Seton Hall) and has no disappointing losses (BYU and Michigan)

Two teams that will be fighting for a tournament spot in 6 weeks. Big game!

 

[gsmooth]

Taliek Brown using his muscles to break up the confrontations between St John's players and Providence players. We got a good one so far at MSG after St. John's started the game 13-0.

Providence fans are loud at MSG.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Brennan on Villanova is just a solid forward. I like his game.

 

[superjohn]

Brennan on Villanova is just a solid forward. I like his game.

I love his game. He does everything right.

 

[boog204]

Taliek Brown using his muscles to break up the confrontations between St John's players and Providence players. We got a good one so far at MSG after St. John's started the game 13-0.

Providence fans are loud at MSG.

PC has multiple guys who can really play. Nuts that English cannot tie it all together. I really thought he was going to be a big time coach.

 

[gsmooth]

Brennan on Villanova is just a solid forward. I like his game.

Brennan is the type of blue collar player a team should have. He gets Villanova extra possessions with his offensive rebounding. He is an amazing excellent rebounder and screen setter-he does the dirty work for Nova.

 

[MJKI]

PC has multiple guys who can really play. Nuts that English cannot tie it all together. I really thought he was going to be a big time coach.

honestly why do people feel like he was going to be a good coach? Not picking on this, have just read this multiple times. He wasn’t even good at GM

 

[aceboon]

Butler just isn't good enough defensively, can't see them stringing enough wins together in conference to make the tourney.

 

[gsmooth]

PC has multiple guys who can really play. Nuts that English cannot tie it all together. I really thought he was going to be a big time coach.

Providence has some dudes. English seems like a solid recruiter. Jamier Jones is a top 50 HS recruit. The issue is English's lack of in game coaching and getting his team to play like a fortified and cohesive unit.

 

[superjohn]

Nova is the second best team in the Big East and with the way Willard recruits and what they should have returning next season they are back. It's amazing how incompetent Neptune was, PC currently has a similar disaster with Kim English. If Willard was coaching PC they are a tournament team, if Hurley was coaching them they're a second weekend team.

Nova should be ranked on Monday.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Brennan is the type of blue collar player a team should have. He gets Villanova extra possessions with his offensive rebounding. He is an amazing excellent rebounder and screen setter-he does the dirty work for Nova.

It isn’t just the dirty work. He has great touch around the basket, and a great sense of space relative to his defender. He always seems to find the right seem on his rolls and know when to pump fake, reverse, or just go up with the ball.

 

[BFieldHusky]

Villanova is shooting lights out this half.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Villanova has two losses that do not look bad at all, and if they hold on they will have two of their tougher Big East games in the bank already by 2 pm.

 

[boog204]

honestly why do people feel like he was going to be a good coach? Not picking on this, have just read this multiple times. He wasn’t even good at GM

I was impressed by the way he game-planned against us in 23/24. We won both games, but PC made us work to get those wins. Couple that with his pretty clear recruiting ability and I really thought he’d be a really good coach.

 

[superjohn]

Despite all the constant Big East bashing here and kicking dirt on the conference Nova is back and that's by far the best news for the Big East going forward.

 

[AllHusky]

English Needs a Kimani or Murray on staff. PC probably not willing to pay for an impactful assistant like those 2.

 

[BFieldHusky]

Despite all the constant Big East bashing here and kicking dirt on the conference Nova is back and that's by far the best news for the Big East going forward.

They look like a tournament team for sure. With their shooting and guard play, they could be dangerous.

 

[aceboon]

Nova shooting 73% from the field through 15 minutes of the 2nd half, Butler just doesn't defend well enough.

 

[superjohn]

I'm super bullish on Nova going forward. They should be top 25 on Monday and will be dancing this season.

Acaden Lewis and Bryce Lindsay should be back next season, that's a great backcourt. Hodge and Perkins should be back and Willard is a beast recruiting, he will get his guys in the portal for next season.

If you squint they actually look a lot like Nova under Jay Wright today. Playing off of two feet, guards backing their men down for buckets in the lane, hitting threes, hitting the offensive glass, dictating pace and making it a half court execution game.

 

[StllH8L8ner]

Ouch tough to get away with elbows to the nuts with replay these days. (Nova/Butler game)

 

[WhereistheDove?]

St. John’s and Providence playing some UGLY basketball this second half.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

St. John’s and Providence playing some UGLY basketball this second half.

How is St. John’s the #24 most efficient offense per KenPom? St John’s can’t score.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Nova is the second best team in the Big East and with the way Willard recruits and what they should have returning next season they are back. It's amazing how incompetent Neptune was, PC currently has a similar disaster with Kim English. If Willard was coaching PC they are a tournament team, if Hurley was coaching them they're a second weekend team.

Nova should be ranked on Monday.

It is very encouraging to see Nova appear as clearly a tournament team (God knows the conference needs a few schools to step up), but back for Villanova is a bit different (and a much higher bar to hurdle) than back for most of the conference.

Willard can get a lot further here than he ever had been and still not have them back. I'd like to see them get to where Jay had them but let's see them take it a step at a time, get to what Creighton and Marquette have been for the past three or four years, then to what would be back for Nova.

 

[TyroneShoo]

This nova team is much a better coached crew. They will lose some games at the line if their free throw shooting doesn’t improve..and offense can get bothered by disciplined length on Defense. Brennan is a big workhorse but the team doesn’t have another experienced banger if he is ever out of the game. Hodge will be a good one

 

[Dove]

What a Friar comeback.