Big East play kicked off Saturday with Butler’s thrilling double-overtime victory over Providence and gets into full swing this week, as league powers Connecticut and St. John’s begin conference action Tuesday.
With the non-conference slate winding down, The Post’s Zach Braziller takes a broad look at the league:
Favorite: Connecticut
Player retention matters. Connecticut returned key contributors Solo Ball, Tarris Reed Jr. and Alex Karaban, along with role players Jaylin Stewart and Jayden Ross, and that continuity has played a major role in the Huskies’ strong start. They own wins over Top 25 teams BYU, Illinois, Florida and Kansas, and their lone loss was a narrow home defeat to top-ranked Arizona. Dan Hurley’s team also hasn’t been fully healthy until recently, as Reed and freshman sharpshooter Braylon Mullins have missed time with injuries. This is a group that will get better. One area of concern: Interior defense. Arizona and Florida hurt UConn inside. That could be something St. John’s stellar frontcourt can exploit.
Top contender: St. John’s
Ranked fifth in the preseason, St. John’s has not started as it hoped, suffering losses to ranked opponents Iowa State, Alabama and Auburn. The new-look roster remains a work in progress, although defensive progress has been made of late in wins over Ole Miss and Iona, as the Johnnies held both opponents to season lows in points. Despite uneven play at times, St. John’s still is one of just nine teams ranked in the top 25 in both offensive and defensive efficiency, and high-ceiling sophomores Ian Jackson and Joson Sanon have made positive strides recently. The Zuby Ejiofor-led frontcourt is this unit’s clear strength. Rick Pitino’s first two St. John’s teams got much better as the year went on, and there’s no reason to believe this group won’t follow that script.
