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What to watch this weekend: Four big tests for the Big East
It’s a big Saturday for the Big East.
Three of the league’s top teams will try to validate strong starts against dangerous opponents and rapidly improving Marquette will seek its first marquee win of the season against in-state rival Wisconsin.
Here’s a deeper look at those four games, as well as two other Saturday showdowns that do not involve Big East teams:
No. 1 VILLANOVA (9-0) vs. No. 23 NOTRE DAME (9-0) (Saturday, 12 p.m. EST)
Players to watch: Josh Hart, Villanova (17.6 ppg, 6.7 rpg); Bonzie Colson, Notre Dame (17.1 ppg, 11.1 rpg)
One big question: Can Notre Dame add to its reputation as a giant killer?
Eight times in its giant-slaying history, Notre Dame has toppled the No. 1 team in the AP Top 25. The Irish will try to add another victim to that list when they take on reigning national champion Villanova in a matchup of two of this season’s eight remaining unbeaten teams. Whereas Villanova boasts a massive road victory at Purdue, Notre Dame’s early resume lacks such a credibility booster. The Irish boast wins over power-conference foes Colorado, Northwestern and Iowa, but taking on the Wildcats represents a major step up in class. What is compelling about this matchup stylistically is that both teams favor small ball. There likely will be a handful of possessions when 6-foot-5 Bonzie Colson plays center for Notre Dame and 6-foot-6 Kris Jenkins plays center for Villanova. Projected winner: Villanova
No. 22 CINCINNATI (7-1) at No. 16 BUTLER (8-1) (Saturday, 4:30 p.m. EST)
Players to watch: Kyle Washington, Cincinnati (17.3 ppg, 9.0 rpg); Kelan Martin, Butler (17.4 ppg, 4.3 ppg)
One big question: Can Cincinnati’s frontcourt overpower Butler in the paint?
Their last game was a one-point loss at Indiana State. Their next game is a neutral-court showdown against formidable Indiana. That makes Saturday’s matchup with Cincinnati crucial for Butler as the Bulldogs seek to avoid a mid-December skid and maintain the momentum they built with seven straight wins to start the season. Butler’s offense has remained among the 20 most efficient in the nation despite the graduation of sharpshooter Kellen Dunham and versatile forward Roosevelt Jones. Junior forward Kelan Martin has played at an all-Big East level, but the real difference maker has been point guard Tyler Lewis, who has nearly doubled his assists per game and is shooting 64.4 percent from the field and 52.9 percent on threes. Cincinnati’s vaunted interior defense will be the best Butler has seen thus far this season. The Bearcats atone for their wayward outside shooting by walling off the paint on defense and by generating second-chance opportunities on offense. Projected winner: Cincinnati
MICHIGAN (7-2) at No. 2 UCLA (9-0) (Saturday, 8 p.m. EST)
Players to watch: Zak Irvin, Michigan (13.6 points, 4.8 rpg); Lonzo Ball, UCLA (14.6 ppg, 9.3 apg)
One big question: Will UCLA be focused or overconfident?
One week after its momentous victory over top-ranked Kentucky at Rupp Arena, UCLA has another challenge on its hands. The freshman-laden Bruins must lock in and refocus after seven days of hearing nothing but praise and plaudits. Michigan is good enough to take advantage if UCLA comes out flat or nonchalant. The Wolverines have a trio of solid wins against Marquette, SMU and Texas to go along with respectable losses against Virginia Tech and South Carolina. For Michigan to have realistic hope of an upset, the Wolverines have to shoot better from the perimeter. Forty-five percent of their field goal attempts come from behind the arc, yet they only make 34.9 percent of those shots, their lowest clip in seven years. Tempo will also be critical in this contest. UCLA will attack in transition whenever possible, while Michigan favors a methodical pace. Projected winner: UCLA
WICHITA STATE (8-2) vs. OKLAHOMA (6-2) (Saturday, 4 p.m. EST)
Players to watch: Markis McDuffie, Wichita State (11.1 ppg, 4.4 rpg); Jordan Woodard, Oklahoma (15.8 ppg, 3.9 apg)
One big question: Can Oklahoma get easy fast-break buckets before Wichita State’s defense is set?
Life after Buddy has been a grind for Oklahoma. Without last year’s national player of the year and two other key starters, the Sooners only have one win in three games against credible opponents, a six-point victory over Clemson sandwiched between losses to Northern Iowa and Wisconsin. Offense is where Oklahoma has shown the most slippage as the Sooners take fewer threes, turn the ball over more often and still only make a modest portion of their shots at the rim. Jordan Woodard has done a solid job stepping into the role of go-to threat and Christian James has emerged as a secondary scorer, but the Sooners don’t have the perimeter firepower of a year ago. It won’t get any easier for Oklahoma against a Wichita State team that’s fourth in the nation in points per possession surrendered. Balanced offense, physical defense and superior depth has been the Shockers’ formula in their first season without Fred VanVleet and Ron Baker. Projected winner: Wichita State
WISCONSIN (8-2) at MARQUETTE (7-2) (Saturday, 2 p.m. EST)
Players to watch: Ethan Happ, Wisconsin (13.5 ppg, 10.0 rpg); Luke Fischer, Marquette (13.9 ppg, 6.2 rpg)
One big question: Will Nigel Hayes continue his recent surge?
After leading Marquette to a 57-55 upset of sputtering Wisconsin at the Kohl Center last year, Henry Ellenson delivered a memorable parting shot. “This is bragging rights,” the freshman forward said. “I wanted to show who’s the best team in the state.” Ellenson is in the NBA now, but his words still linger. You can bet they’ll be on the minds of the Badgers on Saturday as they try to avenge last year’s loss. Wisconsin is in a much better place now than it was early last season when it was still searching for its identity. Ethan Happ is a terror on the low block, Bronson Koenig and Nigel Hayes are scoring with more efficiency and the Badgers are rebounding as well as any team in the country. Though Marquette is still looking for its first signature win of the season, the Golden Eagles are better too in year three under Steve Wojciechowski. The key has been a balanced offense led by JaJuan Johnson, Haanif Cheatham and Luke Fischer. Projected winner: Wisconsin
UTAH (6-1) at No. 13 XAVIER (7-2) (Saturday, 5:30 p.m. EST)
Players to watch: Kyle Kuzma (16.4 ppg, 11.0 rpg); Trevon Bluiett, Xavier (19.3 ppg, 5.9 rpg)
One big question: Which of these cold-shooting teams will hit jumpers?
In its first seven games of the season, Xavier survived some scares against lesser opponents despite not playing its best. That changed this past week when the Musketeers went on the road and dropped back-to-back games at Baylor and Colorado. Outside shooting has been an unexpected weakness for Xavier with Myles Davis suspended and Edmond Sumner and J.P. Macura misfiring more than expected. The Musketeers have also masked some defensive slippage by dominating the defensive glass. Xavier is fortunate to be facing Utah before transfers David Collette and Sedrick Barefield become eligible later this month. The Utes’ gaudy record has been built against a tissue-soft schedule. They shoot poorly from the perimeter, they turn the ball over too often and they lack consistent scorers to support Kyle Kuzma and Lorenzo Bonam. Projected winner: Xavier
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Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at daggerblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
