Player of the Week:
Souley Boum (Xavier)
Best transfer in the nation? He sure is playing like it. At the beginning of the season Colby Jones and Zach Freemantle seemed like they would be top candidates to lead Xavier in scoring. In comes Boum from UTEP. The 6’3 guard is shooting the lights out and is coming off a great start to Big East play. This week he averaged 22.5 points, 7.0 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 3.0 steals. Boum leads Xavier in scoring and is second in the conference at 17.9 points a game. The combo of Boum and Jones is forming to be a solid backcourt. Xavier has a high chance to win the Big East this season.
Who’s Hot:
Kadary Richmond (Seton Hall)
After a struggling start to the season, Richmond just exploded for a career high 28 points against Providence. This was only his third game in double figures this season after having 16 last year. He shot 62.5% from the field which his best so far in a game where he attempted more than three shots. Even though they lost this game, Richmond’s production is promising for their offense as they rank last in the Big East averaging 68.5 points a game. That’s the biggest problem for Seton Hall. They have six players averaging from 8 points per game to 11 points per game. It is impressive that they have this many players who can score, but they need to find a go to guy they can consistently rely on every single night. Richmond might be that guy.
Providence
Ed Cooley is like the Greg Guard of the Big East. Just like Wisconsin, Providence somehow remains competitive no matter what pieces they have. Losing their entire starting five from last season, they have managed to go 9-3 to start the season. On Dec. 20 they face their first ranked opponent of the season at home against Marquette. This prime-time matchup should be a solid indicator of what Providence is capable of this season. Kentucky transfer Bryce Hopkins has been the most impressive leading the team with 15.7 points a game. The former top-40 recruit played only 6 minutes a game last year but has developed into a big-time player for the Friars.
Who’s Not:
DePaul
At 6-6 overall, the Blue Demons didn’t capitalize on their final two nonconference games. Both games being on the road, they lost by double digits with their recent loss being a major 38-point blowout to Northwestern. While the Wildcats have a great squad, there’s no reason for the Blue Demons to suffer a loss of this magnitude. As a team they shot 29% from the field and 11% from three. They sit 10th in the Big East averaging 14 turnovers a game, but in this one they had 22. Dismal shooting alongside poor ball handling will need to be resolved soon or else they will have a rude awakening in Big East play.
Ryan Nembhard (Creighton)
The reigning Big East Freshman of the year, Nembhard was expected to be a top guard in the Big East this season. He put his talent on full display at this year’s Maui Invitational where he averaged 20 points a game against three ranked opponents. Ever since then he’s been shooting poorly from the three-point line. In his last five games he is shooting 12% from beyond the arc. That’s 3 of 25 to be exact. Maybe it was the soft rims down in Hawaii, but he will have to start connecting to bring Creighton’s massive losing streak to a halt.
Top Five Centers
#5 Manny Bates (Butler)
After sitting out the entire season due to injury last year, Bates has been dialed in. He’s second on this team in scoring with 14.1 a game and averages 6.7 boards to go along with that. Butler has one of the better defenses in the Big East allowing 63.7 points a game. Bates is a big factor for the interior defense discouraging drives and disallowing easy opportunities. He leads the Big East with 2.7 blocks a game.
#4 Jack Nunge (Xavier)
He’s been on two of our previous top five segments this season, which is explains his talent as a player. The combined experience and height make him the big man you want to have as a coach. He will consistently score inside at an efficient rate, while being able to spread the floor with his three-point shooting abilities. Nunge is set for a big season in the Big East.
#3 Ryan Kalkbrenner (Creighton)
It is unreal how detrimental losing your big man can be in a conference like this. Kalkbrenner has been sidelined for the past few weeks for a non-covid illness and it is weighing heavy effects on Creighton. They’ve lost three straight games without him. He leads the team in points per game and is an immense 7-footer who is a threat on both ends of the court. Greg McDermott needs his center back to end this losing streak.
#2 Joel Soriano (Saint John’s)
The double-double machine. He’s the only player in the Big East averaging a double-double with 12.6 rebounds a game. That puts him at third in the nation in rebounds a game just behind Oscar Tshiebwe and Zach Edey. He also leads Saint John’s in scoring with 15.3 points a game.
#1 Adama Sanogo (UConn)
The Huskies are 11-0 and are number one in the Big East, possibly the best team in the nation. In the year of the big, Sanogo is living up to the Big East preseason player of the year accolade and may even be surpassing that title into national discussion. He leads the conference with 19 points a game in just 24.7 minutes. The most impressive part of his game is the development of his outside shot. Coming into this season, Sanogo only attempted one three his entire career. Now he’s shooting 40% from deep making 8 threes so far this season.