Let the record show that St. John’s has officially proven itself. The questions about the Red Storm have fallen away, now that St. John’s owns a six-game win streak and sits second in the Big East.
The loss to Providence is something nobody will be able to explain. But with two shots at Connecticut still remaining, St. John’s is in prime position to make up for it. Beyond the top two, however, the Big East is starting to look like it’s having a down year.
A lot can change between now and March, but right now, only Connecticut, St. John’s, and Villanova would feel good if Selection Sunday were this week. The rest of the league has a lot of work to do to hear their name called.
Here’s a look at this week’s Big East power rankings.
1. Connecticut Huskies (19–1)
Previous: 1
Dan Hurley has reason to be concerned. Not with Connecticut’s chances in the Big East, as the Huskies will finish no worse than second in the league. But Connecticut is playing down to the level of its competition.
The Huskies escaped Georgetown with a two-point win and needed overtime to beat Villanova at home. Those are not the results of a team that can win the national championship, which is the standard Hurley has set. This Connecticut team needs things to change to avoid a first-weekend NCAA tournament exit.
2. St. John’s Red Storm (15–5)
Previous: 3
St. John’s has now established itself as No. 2 in the Big East after beating both Seton Hall and Villanova. The Red Storm have done what they needed to do to regain respect, but they are living dangerously.
St. John’s has won its past three games by seven points or less. While that is a sign of a team that handles pressure, it is also a risky way to survive over a long season. The Red Storm have to avoid a lapse in their next two games, as they have a trap spot at DePaul before Connecticut comes to New York.
3. Villanova Wildcats (15–5)
Previous: 5
Villanova did what was expected. The Wildcats won the games they should have against Georgetown and Providence, and they fell short against St. John’s and Connecticut.
It is hard to rank Villanova above Creighton, given that the Bluejays won in Philadelphia, but the Wildcats still have the stronger overall resume right now. Villanova gets three of the four weakest teams in the league before seeing Creighton again, and they have to take advantage of that stretch.
4. Creighton Bluejays (12–8)
Previous: 4
The defense is not doing its job for Creighton right now. That led to the Bluejays getting trapped at Providence in a 93-88 loss, which was devastating for their NCAA tournament hopes.
There has been no consistency here. Creighton has not won or lost consecutive games at any point in 2026. The good news is that Creighton is on track to win its next game. The bad news is the following game is Connecticut, which the Bluejays badly need if they want to stay in the tournament picture.
5. Butler Bulldogs (13–7)
Previous: 6
Butler pulled itself out of its dive in a big way by winning at Seton Hall. The Bulldogs came to Newark on a four-game losing streak and left with a double-digit win, which they followed up by beating both Marquette and DePaul.
Butler is in the mix for a tournament bid, although the Bulldogs still need to do more to feel comfortable. Facing St. John’s in New York is low risk and high reward, but Butler has to win the three games after that. If they can go 4-0 in that stretch, they would be back on the right side of the bubble.
6. DePaul Blue Demons (12–8)
Previous: 7
Quietly, DePaul keeps showing signs of improvement. They do not have a win on the road in the league, but that is not really their fault.
DePaul’s road opponents have been Connecticut, St. John’s, Villanova, and Butler. None of those teams won by more than 12 points, which says a lot about how much Chris Holtmann has built. The Blue Demons get their first winnable road games in Georgetown and Xavier this coming week. If DePaul gets even a split, it would be a big statement.
7. Seton Hall Pirates (14–6)
Previous: 2
Things have gone wrong in a hurry for the Pirates. Seton Hall has now lost four straight, and teams seem to be figuring out how to stop them.
The Pirates are 3-0 in Big East play when they reach 70 points and 1-5 when they do not. They have failed to get there in any of their past four league games. Getting Xavier and Marquette at home represents a chance to right the ship. No team needs a 2-0 week more than Seton Hall right now.
8. Xavier Musketeers (11–9)
Previous: 9
Losing to Marquette seems to have lit a fire under Xavier. The Musketeers responded by beating Providence and Butler at home, followed by tight losses at Creighton and at home to St. John’s.
It is shaping up to be a forgettable debut season for Richard Pitino in Cincinnati, but at least Xavier is showing signs of life. This is not a team anyone wants to deal with in February.
9. Georgetown Hoyas (10–10)
Previous: 10
Georgetown ended a six-game losing streak with a win at Providence, and even before that, the Hoyas were competing.
They lost in overtime at Creighton and fell by two at home to Connecticut. Either result would have sent shock waves through the league. The fact that Georgetown is still fighting is a positive sign for Ed Cooley. With DePaul and Creighton coming to town, there are real chances for a statement win.
10. Providence Friars (9–11)
Previous: 8
Four times, Providence has either taken a team to overtime or played a game to within one possession. The Friars have lost all four.
That is why they sit 10th at 2-7 instead of potentially third at 6-3. If a couple of those games swing the other way, this would be a very different conversation. The Friars remain much stronger at home than away, and they will have plenty of chances to ruin an unsuspecting visitor’s season.
11. Marquette Golden Eagles (7–14)
Previous: 11
Two one-point wins are all Marquette has in Big East play. The Golden Eagles have been road kill this season, going 0-7 away from home and losing six of those games by double digits.
If not for edging Xavier and Providence at home, there would be almost nothing positive to point to. The last time Marquette failed to win 10 games was 1965, Al McGuire’s rookie season in Milwaukee. At the halfway mark of the conference season, Shaka Smart has to somehow find at least three wins over the final 11 games to avoid that dubious distinction.
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