Big East Breakdown: Villanova Could be Latest No. 1; Midseason Awards

When the new Associated Press poll comes out on Monday, it’s entirely possible that Villanova could be the new No. 1 team in the land.

When the new Associated Press poll comes out on Monday, it’s entirely possible that Villanova could be the new No. 1 team in the land.

Both No. 1 Oklahoma and No. 2 North Carolina lost to unranked teams on Saturday, thereby ensuring that the revolving door of No. 1-ranked teams will continue to turn.

There have already been five different No. 1 teams this year: North Carolina, Michigan State, Kansas, Kentucky and Oklahoma.

At the very least, Villanova, currently No. 3 in the nation, will get its share of votes at No. 1, while No. 4 Maryland and No. 5 Iowa could also get votes for the top spot.

If Villanova assumes the No. 1 spot, expect there to be some eyebrows raised and some increased scrutiny directed at the Big East Conference.

Villanova won at No. 11 Providence, 72-60, on Saturday to improve to 20-3, 10-1 in the Big East — the Wildcats are now 43-5 in the Big East in the last two-plus seasons.

Still, they don’t jump out as a dominant-type No. 1.

Take it away, Doug Gottlieb.

#Nova would have a hard time cracking the top 4 in the Big 12/ACC Going to be #1 Monday

– Doug Gottlieb (@GottliebShow) February 7, 2016

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#nova is a terrific team- won at PC yesterday w/o Ochefu- impressive! Just don’t see them as elite IMO

– Doug Gottlieb (@GottliebShow) February 7, 2016

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The Big East’s recent failure to send teams deep into the tournament also figures into the perception.

Yes, Villanova reached the Final Four in 2009, but they were also bounced as a No. 1 seed last year by N.C. State in the Round of 32.

In 2014, the Wildcats were a 2 seed and lost to eventual NCAA champ UConn in the same round.

If I may borrow an analogy from women’s tennis, the issue is we would then have a No. 1 with no major titles on its resume.

Before Serena Williams reestablished herself as the best woman on the planet in early 2013, several other pretenders ascended to No. 1: Jelena Jankovic, Dinara Safina and Caroline Wozniacki all reached that lofty spot without winning a Grand Slam title.

And while Oklahoma has never won an NCAA title, North Carolina, Kentucky, Kansas and Michigan State all have in recent memory.

Of course, in the final analysis, Villanova potentially getting ranked No. 1 in mid-February won’t amount to a hill of beans come March — unless of course they remain No. 1 going into the tournament.

And then, the pressure will really be on Jay Wright and his team to at least reach the Final Four.

Of course, in this topsy turvy year, Villanova stands as good a chance of making a deep run as just about anybody.

***

With the Big East having just passed the midway point, here are my preliminary awards.

Player of the Year: Kris Dunn, Providence

Though he has struggled of late — shooting 15-for-50 in recent losses to Villanova, DePaul and Xavier — Dunn remains the league’s best player and I find it hard to imagine the majority of the league’s coaches won’t vote for him. He is, after all, a candidate for National Player of the Year honors and a projected Top-5 pick in the NBA Draft. Dunn is averaging 17.0 points, 6.7 assists, 5.9 rebounds and 3.2 steals for a team headed to the NCAA Tournament. If he wins Player of the Year honors again, he will be the first Big East player since Notre Dame’s Troy Murphy in 1999 and 2000 to do so. (A year ago, Dunn and Villanova’s Ryan Arcidiacono shared the honor). Villanova’s Josh Hart (17.0 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 1.7 apg) is the best player on the league’s best team this year and could mount a late challenge to Dunn.

Rookie of the Year: Henry Ellenson, Marquette

Though Villanova’s Jalen Brunson was a unanimous selection for preseason Rookie of the Year, no rookie has had a bigger impact than the 6-10 Ellenson. The Wisconsin native is averaging 16.3 points and 9.8 rebounds while posting seven double-doubles in Big East play. A projected Top 10 pick by DraftExpress.com, Ellenson could be the league’s first one-and-done since Pitt’s Steven Adams in 2013.

Defensive Player of the Year: Kris Dunn, Providence

No one disrupts an offense on a more consistent basis than the Providence guard. A year ago, Dunn averaged 2.7 steals en route to Defensive Player of the Year honors. This year he ranks second nationally in steals at 3.2 per game and has 70 on the season.

Most Improved: Ben Bentil, Providence

It’s hard to imagine this award will be much of a contest. As a freshman, the 6-9 Bentil averaged 6.4 points and 4.9 rebounds. This season, he has exploded into the national consciousness while averaging 19.7 points and 7.5 rebounds while adding 1.1 block per game. After being off the mock drafts, he’s now projected as a second-round pick in 2017 by DraftExpress.com.

Coach of the Year: Chris Mack, Xavier

Xavier was picked fourth in the Preseason Poll behind Villanova, Georgetown and Butler and is currently 21-2 overall, 9-2 in the Big East, half a game behind Villanova (9-1). The Musketeers could still win at least a share of the Big East regular season title depending on the final seven games, including a Feb. 24 home date with Villanova. In the bigger picture, Xavier is ranked No. 6 nationally (and will likely be higher on Monday) and appears like a legitimate Final Four contender. Look for Seton Hall’s Kevin Willard to get some votes if the Pirates (17-6, 7-4) maintain their NCAA Tournament trajectory.

All-Big First East Team:

Ryan Arcidiacono, Villanova

Ben Bentil, Providence

Trevon Bluiett, Xavier

Angel Delgado, Seton Hall

Kris Dunn, Providence

Josh Hart, Villanova

All-Big East Rookie First Team:

Mikal Bridges, Villanova

Jalen Brunson, Villanova

Haanif Cheatham, Marquette

Henry Ellenson, Marquette

Jessie Govan, Georgetown

Edmond Sumner Jr., Xavier

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