Supernova

Player of the Week

Darrun Hilliard II – No. 6 Villanova (G, Sr., 6-6, 215, Bethlehem, Pa.)

In Villanova’s 68-65 win over No. 18 Butler, Darrun Hilliard II provided his usual contributions and then some, finishing with a career-high 31 points, a team-high eight rebounds, three assists and a team-high two steals. He was everywhere on the floor, knocking down 3-pointers and finding open teammates to help the Wildcats rally down the stretch. With the game tied at 65-65 with 1.5 seconds remaining, the senior took matters into his own hands, sinking an open 3-pointer from the left wing to propel his team to victory. It was the perfect way to cap off the best game of his college career.

He made nine of his 16 field goal attempts, matching his previous personal best that he set in December. His eight rebounds were just one short of his career high. Even more impressive, he drained eight 3-pointers on 13 attempts, which set his career high. He was also 5-for-5 from the foul line and played incredible defense. But with everything he achieved in the game, it was all overshadowed by his late game heroics, which gift wrapped the Wildcats their seventh consecutive win.

On the heels of his special performance against Butler, he turned around and scored a game-high 18 points to help the No. 6 team in the nation crush Seton Hall, 80-54. He shot 6-for-16 from the field, including 4-for-8 from long range in 25 minutes. He had been named Big East Player of the Week just a few hours earlier.

Through both games, Hilliard averaged 24.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.0 steals. He shot 46 percent from the field, 57 percent from the 3-point line, and 100 percent from the charity stripe.

Who’s Hot?

Sir'Dominic Pointer – St. John’s (G, Sr., 6-6, 196, Detroit, Mich.)

Pointer matched his career-high with 24 points in St. John’s 78-70 victory over Seton Hall. He added five rebounds and four steals, both team-highs, to go along with two blocks and one assist. The senior swingman was near perfect shooting from the floor, going 9-for-10. He was 6-for-6 from the free throw line. Pointer was spectacular on both ends of the floor, and had a sequence in the game that pretty much sums up how he’s been playing for the past two months. He blocked Xavier center Matt Stainbrook then grabbed the rebound and went coast-to-coast on his way to a layup-and-one. In the Red Storm’s 79-57 loss, he scored 16 points and crashed the boards for a team-high eight rebounds. It was St. John’s first loss in two weeks. The Johnnies had been on a three-game winning streak.

Duane Wilson – Marquette (G, Fr., 6-2, 185, Milwaukee, Wi.)

Albeit in a losing effort, Wilson turned in his third best game of the season against Creighton. He scored 26 points on 8-for-18 shooting, including 5-for-9 from distance, and 5-for-7 on freebies. He added three assists and two rebounds. The freshman made a layup and knocked down two key free throws to bring the Golden Eagles within five points with 1:06 remaining. He scored the team’s last nine points.

Kris Dunn and LaDontae Henton

The duo combined for 41 points in Providence’s 69-62 victory over Seton Hall. Henton scored a game-high 22 points and grabbed a team-high nine rebounds. He was just 6-for-15 shooting from the field, but made four of his seven 3-pointers. Dunn scored 19 points on 7-for-13 shooting. The conference’s leading assist man came up with a eight dimes, and also had six steals, which were both team-highs. They were back at it again in the team’s 27-point win over DePaul. This time, it was combined 43 points that got the job done. Henton, a senior forward, shot 50 percent from the floor for 22 points to go along with 11 rebounds. Dunn, a sophomore guard, scored 21 points thanks in large part to his 11-for-12 shooting performance from the foul line. He was efficient from the field as well, going 5-for-7.

Who’s Not?

Sterling Gibbs – Seton Hall (G, Jr., 6-2, 185, Scotch Plains, N.J.)

The highlight for Gibbs’ week came when he was assessed a flagrant foul 2 and ejected for elbowing Ryan Arcidiacono in the face during a scramble for a loose ball during Seton Hall’s 80-54 loss to Villanova. He offered a lengthy apology to Arcidiacono, his family, friends, fans and teammates for his actions via Twitter. But that didn’t stop Seton Hall for suspending the junior for two games. It’s safe to say he acted out of frustration. He hadn’t been having a good game up to that point, and finished the night with 12 points on 4-for-15 shooting. Earlier in the week, he was just 3-for-11 for 12 points, including 1-for-5 on 3-pointers in the team’s Valentines’ Day loss to Providence.

Chris Obekpa – St. John’s (C, Jr., 6-10, 240, Makurdi, Nigeria)

Obekpa has been limited to a bench role in his last two games since returning from a sprained ankle. His last two outings have been nightmares. In St. John’s win over Xavier, the 6-foot-10 big man went scoreless in 22 minutes. He looked out of sorts, especially on the defensive end, which is usually where he does most of his damage. Obekpa was late on rotations and wasn’t moving as up and down the floor as well as he usually does. His offense is already limited, but the after effects of the sprained ankle makes it even worse. Against Georgetown he scored just four points, but did make both of his field goal attempts in 13 minutes of work.

Tyler Harris – Providence (F, Jr., 6-9, 220, Dix Hills, N.Y.)

Harris is supposed to one of the Friars top reserves off the bench. While he averages 26.9 minutes as the team’s sixth or seventh man, he hasn’t been giving Providence quality minutes. On the season, he’s averaged just 10.1 points on 42 percent shooting, down from his 11.6 points and 43 percent shooting from a season ago. That’s not a big drop off, but he was expected to surpass his totals from last year and contribute more than he has. Over the last two games, he’s 7-for-19 shooting from the field, including 0-for-8 from 3-point territory for an average of 8.5 points. He hasn’t played terribly all season, but he’s failed to provide the consistent play that Coach Ed Cooley had hoped he’d get from his junior forward as the first or second player off the bench.

Top Five Shot Blockers

Chris Obekpa – St. John’s (C, Jr., 6-10, 240, Makurdi, Nigeria)

Total Blocks: 79

Blocks Per Game: 3.2

Carson Desrosiers – Providence (F, Sr., 7-0, 250, Windham, NH)

Total Blocks: 71

Blocks Per Game: 2.6

Sir’Dominic Pointer – St. John’s (G, Sr., 6-6, 196, Detroit, Mich.)

Total Blocks: 63

Blocks Per Game: 2.4

Mikael Hopkins – Georgetown (F, Sr., 6-9, 239, Hyattsville, MD)

Total Blocks: 40

Blocks Per Game: 1.6

Luke Fischer – Marquette (C, So., 6-11, 245, Germantown, WI)

Total Blocks: 36

Blocks Per Game: 0.5