Player of the Week
Tyler Kolek (Marquette)
Consistency is key in college basketball, and Tyler Kolek has been about as consistent as one can be as of late for the surging Marquette Golden Eagles. Kolek produced back-to-back 27-point and seven rebound performances in his last two games — a pretty wild statline. On Saturday against St. John’s, Kolek added 13 assists and five 3-pointers to go along with his 27 points and seven rebounds. On Tuesday against Butler, the senior guard added five assists to his statline. The Cumberland, Rhode Island, native has been the leader of the No. 4 Golden Eagles and has played a vital role in helping them continue their eight-game win streak.
Who’s Hot
Alex Karaban (UConn)
Following a seven-point performance against Butler on Feb. 7, Alex Karaban has turned things around amid UConn’s dominant stretch. On Saturday against Georgetown, Karaban added 25 points on 10-of-14 shooting from the field. On Wednesday against a struggling Depaul squad, the forward kept the consistent shooting going with a 21-point performance on 6-of-10 shooting, including five 3-pointers. Karaban’s ability to stretch the floor and hit shots from deep with his size is a huge skill set that scouts will be on the lookout for. For now, he is continuing to help lead the Huskies in their search for back-to-back national championships as they sit at 23-2 on the year.
Josh Oduro (Providence)
Josh Oduro has been on a tear as of late for Providence. The senior is averaging 16.4 points, 7.1 rebounds and two assists on the year, but has turned up the scoring in his recent games. On Feb. 7 against Creighton, Oduro exploded for 32 points and 12 rebounds. Most recently, on Tuesday against St. John’s, the forward dropped 28 points on 9-of-16 shooting from the field. Oduro’s ability to score at a high-rate could be a big factor for the Friars down the stretch as they look to claw their way back up through the Big East.
Who’s Not
Posh Alexander (Butler)
St. John’s transfer Posh Alexander is a known-name around college basketball, but the struggles have been there shooting the ball as of late for the now-Butler Bulldog. Alexander is averaging 10.9 points on 41.8 percent shooting this year, but the numbers haven’t been great as of late. The guard shot 1-for-5 with four points on Tuesday against Marquette with an even 20 percent mark from the field. On Saturday against Providence, Alexander shot 25 percent on 3-for-12 shooting and 10 points. The shots haven’t been falling for the Brooklyn, New York, native who has had a good season overall. Alexander must turn the shooting slump around in order to help the Bulldogs in the Big East with time running down on the season.
Dylan Addae-Wusu (Seton Hall)
Despite gaining high playing minutes, Dylan Addae-Wusu hasn’t been scoring the ball at an efficient rate. The senior guard is averaging just eight points on the year and shooting a mere 34.4 percent from the field. Addae-Wusu has been held to single-digit in his last seven games, and is coming off of a 4-for-11 shooting performance that resulted in eight points on Wednesday against Xavier. Prior to that, he had a 1-for-6 three point showing against Villanova on Sunday. Addae-Wusu will need to step up his game offensively and find a better shooting rhythm in order to help Seton Hall get back on the right track.
Top 5 Leading Scorers
1. Quincy Olivari (Xavier)
Quincy Olivari has been scoring at a high-clip all season long for Xavier, averaging 19.1 points per game. In his most recent outing, Olivari put up 25 points on 47.1 percent shooting from the field.
2. Devin Carter (Providence)
Devin Carter has really stepped up for Providence as of late, averaging 18.8 points on 48 percent shooting. Carter’s best performance of the month came in the overtime victory over Creighton where he notched 28 points.
3. Baylor Scheierman (Creighton)
Baylor Scheierman has been a force for Creighton all season long, averaging 18.3 points as a 6-foot-7 guard.
4. Jayden Epps (Georgetown)
Despite what’s been a mess of a season for Georgetown, Jayden Epps has been a bright spot. Epps is averaging 17.6 points per game, but would hope to get his shooting percentage up from just 38.2 percent.
5. Trey Alexander (Creighton)
Trey Alexander has been a crafty playmaker for Creighton this year. The junior guard is averaging 17.3 points and is coming off of a 26-point outing against Georgetown on Tuesday.