Player of the Week
Kadary Richmond (Seton Hall)
Christmas came early for Kadary Richmond and the Seton Hall Pirates this week. Richmond led the way for the Pirates in their upset victory over No. 5 UConn on Wednesday. The senior poured in 23 points, six rebounds and five assists — but the most staggering stat from that game came from a different category — Richmond’s eight steals, showing an all around display of excellence. Before his impressive performance against the Huskies, Richmond added 14 points, five rebounds and four assists in the win over Missouri on Sunday. The guard is someone Seton Hall relies on heavily this year, especially in the big-time games. Richmond logged 34 minutes against UConn and 36 against Missouri, making his stat sheet numbers look even more impressive. The Brooklyn, New York, native will look to stay on a roll as conference play continues against Xavier on Saturday.
Who’s Hot
Seton Hall Pirates
After dropping back-to-back games, Seton Hall has found its rhythm at the perfect time. The Pirates have won three games in a row, including what could end up being their most impressive win of the entire season — a 15-point upset over the defending National Champion and No. 5 team in the nation, the UConn Huskies. The victory marked a great start to conference play for Seton Hall, and improved its record to 8-4 on the year. While it’s still unclear where the Pirates stack up in the conference this early in the year, the Big East appears to be completely up for grabs this year, so anything can happen, and a win like the one over UConn is a great starting point. Seton Hall will have more opportunities to prove themselves in the near future, with road games against Xavier and Providence before hosting No. 6 Marquette.
Eric Dixon (Villanova)
Seton Hall was not the only Big East upset of the week. Villanova took down No. 12 Creighton on the road behind Eric Dixon’s 32 points and six rebounds. Dixon’s 32 points came on an efficient 57.1 shooting percentage from the field. The outing was much needed for Dixon after scoring just six points against UCLA in his previous game. The senior has shown up when needed for the Wildcats, averaging 15.2 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists on 48.1 percent shooting. As Villanova looks to find consistency in conference play, Dixon will need to place at a high-level throughout, continuing with a matchup on the road against a struggling Depaul team.
Who’s Not
Marquette Golden Eagles
The expectations are high this year for the defending Big East champions Marquette, however, the start of conference play didn’t go as planned on Tuesday. After squeaking by St Thomas (MN), the Golden Eagles fell to Providence 72-57 at home, starting Big East play 0-1. While Providence is no easy matchup by any means, losing at home to an unranked team as the No. 6 team in the country is not an ideal way to begin conference play before the holidays. If Marquette wants to show off its offensive display, it needs to rebound the ball better going forward. The Golden Eagles currently average just 33.1 rebounds per game, sitting at tied for 363rd in the nation — not a stat you would expect to see from a top 10 team in the country.
Garwey Dual (Providence)
While he is only a freshman, Garwey Dual’s college career has been off to a slow start at Providence. The former 4-star recruit out of high school is averaging 4 points, 1.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 22.4 minutes of playing time per game. Dual, a former 37th ranked recruit in his class, is shooting 26.8 percent from the field with the Friars. The Houston, Texas, native has reached double-digits only once this season, and was held scoreless in two out of his last four games. In those four games, Dual has combined for just six points. On Saturday against Sacred Heart, Dual scored one point and had two turnovers in 33 minutes of playing time. The 6-foot-5 guard followed up that performance with 0 points in 23 minutes against Marquette on Tuesday. While the scoring struggles continue for Dual, a bright spot that he can build on as a guard is his ability to find the open man. In those two games, Dual combined for 14 assists, showing that he can contribute in ways other than scoring himself. If Dual can put things together in his scoring game, the freshman will continue to see big minutes for Providence early in his career.
Top 5 Big East Mascots/Logo
Butler Bulldog
When you combine basketball and dogs, good things happen. Butler’s mascot is not only iconic just from the angry looking bulldog in the logo itself, but because the school has an actual dog that appears on the sidelines of Hinkle Fieldhouse on game days. Butler Blue, the name of the English bulldog, is not only a cuteness overload, but a staple of the university and basketball program itself.
UConn Huskie
The UConn Huskie logo is well-known all around college basketball, and the newest furry friend of the university makes the mascot even better. In June, the school’s 15th mascot, Jonathan XV, began training to be the next mascot. Huskies and hoops have been a formidable duo in college basketball for decades.
Creighton Bluejays
This ranking is based off of the logo Creighton has online. The blue and white color scheme is super appealing, and the bluejay inside of the “C” was a great touch. Although Billy Bluejay, the actual mascot, isn’t super appealing, the logo keeps Creighton inside of the top three.
Seton Hall Pirate
Aargh, who doesn’t love a classic Pirate look? Seton Hall’s pirate follows a lighter pattern than most historical ones. The blue and white concept makes for a unique
look and appeal, even keeping the mustache of the mascot blue along with the eyepatch.
Xavier Musketeer
Although the logo is just an “X”, the mascot makes up for it. The musketeer brings on a soldier-like look, donning a giant hat with a feather on top and a large mustache. The mascot also suits up in boots and has a cape hanging off the back, and an “X” on his chest, making for a stylish yet fierce look.