Newton’s Theory of Repeatability

Player of the Week

Tristen Newton (UConn)

For the second time this season, Tristen Newton is my player of the week and for good reason. On Saturday against No. 4 Marquette, Newton had a near triple-double performance, notching 15 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. The all-around playmaking ability of the crafty guard has been a huge help to what’s been a very strong season for UConn. Despite the loss to Creighton on Tuesday, Newton scored 27 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and dished out four assists. Although the shooting was a little streaky, the El Paso, Texas, native logged a team-high 37 minutes. Newton is averaging 15.4 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.7 assists on the year and has been a key player for the defending national champions.

Who’s Hot

Creighton Bluejays

Creighton is getting hot at the perfect time of year. The Bluejays are currently riding a four-game win streak and sit at third in the Big East standings. Creighton picked up its best win of the season on Tuesday, taking down No. 1 UConn in blowout fashion, 85-66. The victory was the program’s first-ever win over a No. 1 ranked team and ended a 14-game win streak for the Huskies. The Bluejays began the week by dominating Butler 79-57 in a game in which they trailed at halftime. With just four games remaining on the regular season, Creighton will look to jump past Marquette, who it trails by a game and a half, for the two seed in the conference tournament. The Bluejays will have a chance to avenge their loss to the Golden Eagles on March 2.

Baylor Scheierman (Creighton)

It was a strong week for Baylor Scheierman and Creighton. On Saturday, the 6-foot-7 guard notched a double-double, scoring 27 points and adding 10 rebounds in the victory over Butler. Scheierman shot 10-of-14 in the contest, including 3-of-5 from deep. The big guard played the entire game for the Bluejays. In the win over UConn, Scheierman added 12 points, seven rebounds and six assists in 32 minutes of game-time. Scheierman is averaging 18.4 points, 8.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists as an important part of a surging Creighton team.

Who’s Not

In a wild turn of events, Tyler Kolek has found himself on the “who’s not” list this week after being the player of the week a week ago. Despite dropping a program-high 18 assists against Depaul, Kolek wasn’t able to score the ball at the rate he and the Golden Eagles are accustomed to seeing. In the loss to UConn on Saturday, Kolek shot 2-for-11, scoring seven points and having four turnovers. In one of the biggest games of the season, Marquette’s star failed to show up, shooting 18.2 percent from the field. On Wednesday against Depaul, the senior guard scored three points and only took two shots. If the Golden Eagles want to hold on to the two-seed for the conference tournament, Kolek will need to get back to his usual scoring ways as Creighton breathes down their neck with the regular season coming to an end soon.

Xavier Musketeers

After riding a three-game win streak, Xavier is now on a three-game losing streak. The Musketeers fell to Providence at home on Wednesday, dropping to 13-13 on the year and seventh in the Big East. The losing streak set Xavier back in the conference standings and put it at 7-8 in Big East play with just five games remaining. Outside of two matchups with Marquette, the other three games are very winnable for the Musketeers as they look to improve their seeding heading into the conference tournament.

Top 5 Road Records

1. Creighton Bluejays (7-3)

Winning on the road is one of the most difficult things to do in college basketball, but Creighton has been handling it well thus far. With the most road wins in the conference, the Bluejays aren’t afraid to spoil a night for the home fans.

2. UConn Huskies (6-3)

UConn has long been the No. 1 team in the country and their road performances have helped that cause. Although the Huskies will drop from the top spot, its road record can come in handy down the stretch.

3. Marquette Golden Eagles (6-4)

With two road games remaining, Marquette will need to continue success away from home in order to not let Creighton catch up to it in the conference standings.

4. Seton Hall Pirates (5-4)

Seton Hall has had an impressive record this year and playing well on the road takes part in that. With two huge road matchups against UConn and Creighton, the Pirates will need to step up to the challenge.

5. Providence Friars (3-6)

There is a drop-off in road performances in the Big East and Providence is not where it wants to be. Despite an 18-9 overall record, the Friars have struggled on the road and will look to fix their struggles sooner than later.