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Player of the Week

Justin Patton, C, Freshman, Creighton

Just a freshman, the giant 7-foot redshirt freshman is quickly turning heads and becoming one of the best young centers in college basketball. Patton is averaging 13.0 points per game and a very solid 6.4 rebounds per game. In his last two games he has gone for 21 and 10 against Buffalo, including knocking down the only 3 pointer he took, and 17 and 6 against Loyola in just 19 minutes. He shot a combined 17-of-18 in those games. He has notched double figures in points in every game he has played this season. He is still somewhat under the radar though because he plays in such a great conference is isn’t the best player on his team. The Big East is full of great teams, including national champion Villanova, but the Bluejays are up there at 7-0. If he plays this well against these top teams coming down the stretch, he will move away from under the radar and fully into the spotlight.

Who’s Hot

Kelan Martin, Butler

The Bulldogs took on three respectable non-conference programs in Arizona, Utah, and Vanderbilt and defeated them all behind the play of Martin. He played over thirty minutes in each game during this stretch and averaged 16 PPG. Martin’s a pretty intriguing player. He’s obviously proven he is a capable first scoring option at this level and looks capable of leading his team deep in the NCAA tournament this March. However, I question whether Martin’s skill set will transfer to the next level. He’s a 6’7 combo forward, quite a bit undersized, and is only shooting 30% from beyond the arc this season. Not to mention, Martin is averaging a poor four rebounds per game this year. That said, NBA scouts won’t completely turn their heads away from a guy who can score the ball. I’d be surprised if Martin declared for the draft after this season, and believe he should return to school to develop a bit more.

Kris Jenkins, Villanova

It was only a matter of time before Jenkins found his stroke again.  Last March we saw how lethal he could be from the outside, and we all know what happened in the national championship.  For the first few games of the season, Jenkins was a bit rusty.  However, Big Smoove” is lighting it up once again, shooting over 45% from beyond the arc.  The senior hit six threes in a win at Penn this week.  If he can keep this kind of shooting up, it’s hard to imagine the Wildcats losing any time soon.

Who’s Not

Andrew Rowsey, Marquette

I don’t really know what is up with Rowsey and his role at Marquette. Before the season, many (including myself) believed Rowsey would be one of the leading scorers on this Marquette team after averaging 20 PPG at UNC Asheville. Rowsey struggled to find a way into the rotation, but finally broke through against Pitt a couple weeks back. The Golden Eagles ended up blowing a sizable halftime lead, but Rowsey scored 20 points in 28 minutes and was the one with the ball in his hands down the stretch. Since then, Rowsey has only played a combined 38 minutes through 3 games, including only 4 minutes in a 22 point win against Houston Baptist. I am a big fan of Haanif Cheatham and think Coach Woj is a perfect fit for the Marquette program, but the Golden Eagles need scoring and it seemed coming into this season as if he would be able to help out with this.  That has not been the case so far.

Top 5 Head Coaches

5. Steve Wojciechowski, Marquette

You’ve got to give it to Coach Woj.  He’s done a phenomenal job in a short time at Marquette and I believe good things are ahead for this program.  Woj is a great recruiter and has even snagged a few transfers that have contributed.  I think as soon as Woj and the Golden Eagles get a squad full of seniors that have a lot of experience under their belt, they will be able to challenge the top programs in the conference for the title. 

4. Chris Mack, Xavier

Coach Mack has certainly had success at Xavier, but I need to see the Musketeers go further in the postseason before I can put him higher on this list.  Under Mack, Xavier has never gotten past the Sweet 16.  Many programs would label this as a great accomplishment, but Xavier has no doubt had the teams capable of reaching a Final Four.

3. Greg McDermott, Creighton

I’m really impressed with Coach McDermott after he lost his son Doug to the NBA.  The Bluejays have already taken down several power conference teams this season, and by large margins too.  It doesn’t really seem to be a question they will make the big dance this year, so I’m curious to see how far McDermott can take these boys with Marcus Foster and Maurice Watson Jr. in the backcourt. 

2. Chris Holtmann, Butler

After Brad Stevens departed for the NBA to the Boston Celtics, many believed the Bulldogs wouldn’t be relevant again for a long time. However, Coach Holtmann has reached the NCAA tournament in each of the past two seasons and looks to make it three this season.  I would say Holtmann is the favorite as of now for Big East Coach of the Year.

1. Jay Wright, Villanova

This one’s obvious.