Player of the Week
Kris Dunn – Providence (G, So., 6-3, 205, New London, Ct.)
The sophomore guard exploded for 27 points with 13 rebounds and 11 assists to lead the Friars to an 83-72 win over DePaul. He shot 10-for-15 from the floor and added three steals and one block. According to The Providence Journal, it was the first triple-double ever for a Friars player in a Big East game, and the 9th in school history. He was the first Friars player to have a triple-double since Geoff Mcdermott achieved the feat versus Harvard on Dec. 22, 2006 with 12 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists. It was also the 14th triple-double in a Big East game this season. Among Big East triple-doubles, Dunn recorded the highest point total. His 27 points and 13 rebounds were game and career-highs, while his 11 assists were a game-high. He led all and was on pace for a triple-double with 10 points, nine rebounds and seven assists at halftime, when Providence led 41-23.
In the following game, he scored a game-high 23 points in Providence’s 75-66 loss to St. John’s. He was 10-for-16 shooting from the field to go along with four rebounds. Dunn scored 18 of his 23 points in the second half as the Friars attempted a comeback. They went on 13-8 run, with eight points by Dunn, to cut the deficit to 55-49. The Johnnies responded with an 8-0 run of their own and eventually closed out the game.
Providence got back to its winning ways in 74-71 win over Georgetown. Dunn had more of a quiet game in this one scoring-wise, finishing with 12 points. However, he filled up the box score in other areas with nine assists, six steals and three rebounds. One thing that plagues Dunn is his high turnover numbers. He recorded five in this contest, and has 19 over his last four games.
During the Friars 2-1 stretch this week, Dunn averaged 20.6 points on 64 percent shooting, 7.0 assists, 6.6 rebounds, and 3.0 steals.
Who’s Hot
Andrew Chrabascz – No. 22 Butler (F, So., 6-7, 225, Portsmouth, R.I.)
The Butler Bulldogs have been on a roll as of late, winning seven of their past eight games including a current five-game win streak. This week, the No. 22 ranked team in the nation overcame a 10-point deficit with 4:21 remaining in regulation to force overtime and defeat Marquette 72-68. Chrabascz led the way with a game-high 30 points on 11-for-17 shooting and a career-high eight rebounds. He was instrumental in helping Butler force overtime by converting on some big shots before scoring six of the team’s first eight points in the extra session to give the Bulldogs the lead for good. The sophomore forward scored 14 points on 5-for-9 shooting and grabbed seven rebounds in Butler’s 85-62 win over St. John’s.
D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera – No. 24 Georgetown (G, Jr., 6-3, 214, Indianapolis, Ind.)
In Georgetown’s 67-40 road win over Creighton, Smith-Rivera was 9-for-17, including 4-for-9 from 3-point land, for a game-high 24 points. Twelve of his 24 points came during a 31-3 run that gave the Hoyas a 48-13 lead with 13 minutes remaining. The junior guard scored a game-high 21 points to lead the Hoyas in their three-point loss to Providence. Prior to his game-winning 3-point attempt rolling around the rim and out at the final buzzer, Smith-Rivera put his team in position to win after the Hoyas allowed the Friars to climb their way back in the game. He hit a pair of free throws to put the Hoyas up 71-70 with 45 seconds left before the Friars retook the lead and won the game 74-71. He hit a few key 3-point shots throughout the game, including a buzzer beater from long distance that gave Georgetown a three-point lead, 41-38, at the break.
Sir'Dominic Pointer – St. John’s (G, Sr., 6-6, 196, Detroit, Mich.)
He’s unlikely to win it, but maybe it’s time to consider putting Pointer on the final list for the Wooden Award. The senior guard has been thriving as of late for the Johnnies, and this week was no different. He led St. John’s with a team-high 20 points, seven rebounds and a team-high five assists in its win over Providence. He was 6-for-10 from the field, 7-for-8 from the charity stripe and connected on his lone 3-point attempt. He entered the game coming off three consecutive double-doubles and led the Red Storm in assists for the fourth-straight game. His highlight of the game was a buzzer-beating 3-point jumper right before the half. Pointer scored in double-figures for the seventh straight game when he recorded 19 points in the Johnnies loss to Butler. The senior was 7-for-15 from the floor, 5-for-6 from the foul line, grabbed six rebounds and swatted two shots.
Who’s Not
Dylan Ennis – No. 7 Villanova (G, Jr., 6-2, 192, Brampton, Ont.)
What’s up with Ennis? At one point, he was Villanova’s leading scorer, but has failed to reach double-figures scoring in his last fives games (averaging just 4.4 points during that stretch). He’s now the team’s sixth-leading scorer, averaging 9.4 points on 41 percent shooting. With that said, the show has continued to go on despite his lack of offensive production (Wildcats are 4-1 in their last five games and 21-2 overall), but they’ll need him to come back to form before the tournament. The junior guard attempted just one shot from the field and finished with zero points in the team’s 68-55 win over Depaul. In the Wildcats’ 70-52 win over Marquette, Ennis scored just three points on 1-for-6 shooting, including 0-for-4 from 3-point range.
Khadeen Carrington – Seton Hall (G, Fr., 6-3, 180, Brooklyn, N.Y.)
Carrington is averaging just 5.0 points over his last three games, down from his season average of 9.0. He’s shooting 26 percent from the field during that stretch and is 0-for-7 from the 3-point line. The New York native scored four points on 2-for-9 shooting in Seton Hall’s 90-82 win against Xavier, before scoring six points on 3-for-9 shooting in a 75-63 loss at the hands of DePaul. He’s experiencing the growing pains that all freshman go through but has had a solid season overall. The good thing for him is that he’s on a team that features players such as Sterling Gibbs, Angel Delgado, Brandon Mobley and fellow freshman Isaiah Whitehead. Whitehead is two games back from injury and will most likely reclaim his spot in the starting lineup at the expense of Carrington when he gets back into rhythm.
Derrick Wilson – Marquette (G, Sr., 6-1, 210, Anchorage, Ak.)
Wilson has not shot the ball well over his last three games. He’s currently shooting 20 percent and is averaging 3.0 points. However, it’s not as if he’s been a known as scorer all season. He’s reached double-figures just four times this season, with his highest scoring outing coming in an eight-point loss to Omaha on Nov. 22. He was 8-for-13 from the floor with 17 points. This week, he scored six points on 2-for-6 shooting against Butler, and two points on 1-for-3 shooting against Villanova. As long as he keeps defending at a high level, he’ll continue to see playing time. Not to mention, the Golden Eagles lack depth.
Top Five Scoring Defenses (Games played through Feb. 4, 2015)
No. 7 Villanova – Games Played (22), Points (1325), Avg/G (60.2), National Rank (41)
No. 22 Butler – Games Played (23), Points (1392), Avg/G (60.5), National Rank (52)
Providence – Games Played (23), Points (1481), Avg/G (64.4), National Rank (129)
No. 24 Georgetown – Games Played (22), Points (1426), Avg/G (64.8), National Rank (141)
Seton Hall – Games Played (22), Points (1434), Avg/G (65.2), National Rank (150)