At the end of each week we plan on highlighting some of the standout performances we see on a week by week basis in the ultra competitive Big East. With this being the first week of the college basketball season, many high profile non conference showdowns occured. In some notable results, Connecticut thoroughly controlled the defending national champion Michigan Wolverines in a national championship game rematch while Georgetown scored a signature win for embattled fourth year coach Ed Cooley to start the year over Maryland. However some Big East teams did not fare as well. Butler dropped a tough road game to Boise St while Providence struggled mightily on offense against Nebraska in a single digit loss. So who excelled this week and whose performance left some to be desired?

Connecticut Huskies

The performance from Braylon Mullins in his first two games this season have helped to establish the Huskies as a true national title contender. Averaging 21 points and 3 rebounds per game, his consistency and three point shooting helped to space the floor and frustrate the defending national champions. In contrast, freshman guard Junior County struggled to find his footing off the bench. However the highly touted sharp shooter has plenty of time to carve out his role in the Hurley offense.

St. John’s Red Storm

In wins over Monmouth and Iona, Tounde Yessoufou stole the show for Rick Pitino’s Red Storm. Averaging 12 and 5 per game, Tounde is the solid, consistent scorer who can guard 1-4 that Rick had been desperately searching for in the off season. While Tounde has been a bright spot, Pitino is surely expecting better performances from Ruben Prey. With four turnovers over two games with very little offensive output in a starters role, he will need to drastically improve if the Johnies attempt to threaten Connecticut at the top of the conference this year.

Georgetown Hoyas

The impact of Kentucky transfer guard Jayland Lowe on Georgetown’s offense against Maryland cannot be understated. Leading the team in points, rebounds, and assists, he helped the team land a signature non conference win while keeping turnovers low. While Lowe was the engine fueling the Hoyas, Caleb Williams (no, not that one) needs to be more efficient. While a stingy defender, he’s shooting below 15% from the field this season with only 12 points over Georgetown’s two games.

Providence Friars

Jacob Barnnabie was a strong performer in the first two games for the Providence Friars. So much so, he’s not missed a shot. He’s 10-10 from the field combined in Providence’s win over Maine and loss against Nebraska. Perhaps first year coach Bryan Hodgson should encourage him to be more assertive on the offensive end. The loss of Dink Pate right before the season began no doubt affected this team’s offensive output and caused the entire offense to look out of sync. ALL rotations and lineups need to be evaluated for the Friars need to be evaluated for them to reach the heights I projected preseason.

Marquette Golden Eagles

While not tested yet in two buy game wins, Joshua Clark has stood out for Marquette. Averaging 13 and 8, he has been incredibly efficient shooting 80% from the field. There has been no underachiever for Marquette as their team fully excelled against lesser competition. Their first test against Michigan this Tuesday should allow us to learn more about Shaka Smart’s roster.

Butler Bulldogs

Rarely do I anticipate this year the same individual being a standout and a place where improvement must occur, but Butler’s Asim Djulovic has managed to achieve that in week one. In Butler’s two buy game wins over Lafayette and Farleigh Dickinson he was spectacular averaging 22 points; however, in their loss at Boise St. Asim was held to 8 points on 30% shooting. In order for Butler to avoid the basement of the Big East, Djulovic is going to need to put up numbers efficiently against the top of the conference, not just against sub 200 teams.

Villanova Wildcats

If any team gets a pass for losing a high profile non conference game early in the year, it’s Villanova. Their tough loss to Notre Dame occurred in Italy, so I’ll give them a pass. Their production has been evenly spread out this season over their two games. Jake Fiegen has provided a consistent spark with his efficiency. Devin Royal was phenomenal against Holy Cross but struggled mightily against Notre Dame. For Villanova to stand out in the Big East this season they need a breakout performance to provide 15-20 per night to lighten the load across the board.

Xavier Musketeers

Richard Pitino’s squad has been thoroughly untested in their two games against Mount St. Mary’s and Eastern Michigan. Chance Westry has been Xavier’s spark plug offensively. Tru Washington has struggled from the field through two games, but not much can be made from their first week performance. Their first test will be against Mississippi St. on Friday.

Seton Hall Pirates

Seton Hall found themselves in a bit of danger in their second buy game of the week against Long Island but squeaked through to end the week unbeaten. Rodie Anderson’s efficiency and three point shooting have shown glimpses of what he is capable of down the line this season. Simon Wilcher’s inconsistency has been a bit surprising, and the Pirates will need him to justify his minutes more if they can avoid the cellar of the Big East this season.

DePaul Blue Demons

Chris Holtmann’s Blue Demons picked up a strong non conference win against South Florida this week. Magoon Gwath really has flashed in relatively limited minutes. His size and explosiveness have really flashed. Kruz McClure, on the other hand, has struggled from the field and has not been a consistent three point shooter whatsoever. Improved guard play could be the thing holding DePaul back from pushing for an NCAA tournament bid this season.

Creighton Blue Jays

Creighton steamrolled both of their opponents this week in games that were never in doubt. Guard Wes Enis has been spectacular averaging almost 22 per game, although the efficiency leaves something to be desired. Katrelle Harmon has also gotten off to a slow start for the Blue Jays. With games against Kansas St and Iowa this week, both will have to be more selective with their shot selection to have a shot at a strong non conference win.