The Big East has mostly sorted itself into a pecking order. Connecticut and Villanova sit at the top, while Marquette is mired in last place. Everyone else falls somewhere in between those teams.

Now that conference play is fully underway, there’s a lot more movement coming. Here’s where the Big East power rankings sit.

1. Connecticut Huskies (16-1)

Previous: 1

Connecticut got a scare at Providence, but survived the Friars in overtime to stay on top of the Big East. They followed that with a 12-point home win over DePaul, which might say more about the continued improvement of the Blue Demons.

The Huskies did not have a great week, but they won both games and remain the clear standard in the league.

2. Seton Hall Pirates (14-2)

Previous: 3

Seton Hall had an easy week, only playing once. The Pirates still had to go to Washington and beat Georgetown, but they did it and move up as a result.

Seton Hall still has to prove itself, but its win over Creighton and gaudy record can no longer be ignored. The Hall gets a great chance to prove itself this week against Connecticut.

3. St. John’s Red Storm (11-5)

Previous: 7

Last week, this space said that St. John’s had a chance to prove itself. The Red Storm did exactly that in routing both Butler and Creighton, winning both games on the road. They now have the wins that had been missing from their résumé, and they’ve got Villanova and Seton Hall coming soon.

On talent alone, St. John’s is likely the second-best team behind Connecticut. But the Red Storm did not prove much out of conference. They are starting to change that.

4. Creighton Bluejays (10-7)

Previous: 4

Creighton looked like it did its job in Philadelphia, beating Villanova for one of its best wins of the season. The Bluejays then came home to Omaha and got whacked by St. John’s, undoing much of that progress.

Villanova is a good win, but Creighton still does not have enough on its résumé to fully support it. And with a trip to Providence that is shaping up as a trap game given how the Friars play at home, the Bluejays could see their tournament hopes take another hit this week.

5. Villanova Wildcats (13-3)

Previous: 2

Villanova had a strange week. Facing DePaul at home and traveling to Butler should have resulted in one tight win and one blowout. But nobody expected the blowout to come in Indianapolis. DePaul gave Villanova all it wanted in a five-point home loss, but the Wildcats followed that with an 18-point rout of Butler.

Villanova needs more consistency, but it is still clear they belong in the top tier of this league behind Connecticut.

6. Butler Bulldogs (10-6)

Previous: 5

For now, Butler sits here because of the Bulldogs’ overtime win over Providence. But it is clear that things are heading in the wrong direction in Indianapolis.

Double-digit home losses to Villanova and St. John’s show that Butler is not one of the Big East’s best teams. With three straight league losses, Butler is starting to look like a team that will struggle to make an NCAA tournament push.

7. DePaul Blue Demons (10-7)

Previous: 10

DePaul had another good week, beating Georgetown and giving a credible effort against Connecticut. The Blue Demons are not making the NCAA tournament without winning the Big East, but Chris Holtmann is clearly building something competitive.

The next two games represent big opportunities. Marquette at home is DePaul’s best chance at a win, and Butler in Indianapolis is a winnable game against a fading rival.

8. Providence Friars (8-8)

Previous: 6

Providence gave an incredible effort against Connecticut, falling just short of the Huskies in overtime. The Friars then turned around and lost at Xavier, which erased much of that momentum.

Providence looks like one of the highest-variance teams in the conference this season. The Friars have a win at St. John’s, but they have also shown they can lose to the league’s weakest teams. Any result is possible.

9. Xavier Musketeers (10-7)

Previous: 9

Xavier is difficult to rank. The Musketeers have a loss to the weakest team in the league, but also managed to beat what looked like an improved Providence. Given the gap between results, ninth still feels right.

Xavier has played the weakest Big East schedule so far, and now faces a significant difficulty spike for the rest of January. That stretch should determine whether they are a factor.

10. Georgetown Hoyas (9-7)

Previous: 10

The Hoyas played two competitive games against DePaul and Seton Hall, but lost both. At 1-4 in the league, Georgetown has quickly shown that the early start was a mirage.

This likely gets worse before it gets better. Georgetown travels to Omaha to face Creighton this week before coming home to play Connecticut, about as difficult a stretch as it gets in the Big East.

11. Marquette Golden Eagles (6-11)

Previous: 11

Marquette could not afford a loss to Xavier, and at least avoided that disaster with a 66-65 escape. But the Golden Eagles followed with a loss to Villanova, and there remains little reason to expect them to compete most nights in the league.

Marquette appears irrelevant in 2026, something that was never supposed to happen under Shaka Smart.

 

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