Photo Credits to Creighton University student and photographer Xavier Rincon
With 34 seconds left, the CHI Health Center went silent as Villanova forward Eric Dixon drilled a deep three to give the Creighton Bluejays a one-point deficit, threatening their five-game winning streak that had been propelling them through the polls, but Creighton guard Trey Alexander stepped up, hitting four clutch free throws and getting a decisive steal with 17 seconds remaining to secure another win for the red-hot Jays.
The Bluejays have since extended their winning streak to eight games, taking what once seemed like a massive disappointment of a season, at one point losing six straight games, including three against unranked opponents in Arizona State, BYU and rival Nebraska, and turned it into a potential second Big East championship over the course of a single month, rising above the likes of UConn and Providence during their rampage through the conference. Additionally, Xavier and Marquette began to look like consistent, solid teams who put up good numbers and were able to find their chemistry.
As the calendar year turns, the Big East is proving to be an unpredictable conference with shake-ups occurring on a nightly basis. The Creighton Bluejays’ season revival, the rise and fall of UConn and the quiet consistency of Marquette are a few examples from this unexpected season.
The Bluejays’ fortunes changed following a close matchup with the 12th ranked Xavier Musketeers in Cincinnati, Ohio, which Creighton narrowly lost. The return of center Ryan Kalkbrenner from an illness, the sharpshooting of Alexander, and guard Baylor Scheierman’s court vision elevated the team back into the rankings after a six game losing streak. A standout statistic from the hot Jays is Kalkbrenner’s impressive 73.9% field goal percentage, which leads the NCAA Division I Basketball. Kalkbrenner, defending Big East Defensive Player of the Year, averages more than 2 blocks per game. Another key role is Alexander’s play making ability and offensive contributions against DePaul and Villanova while defending the opposing teams’ best guards on a nightly basis.
Their rise in the Big East Standings can also be attributed to other teams falling from their early-season grace, as both UConn, who was ranked as high as second in the AP Poll, and Xavier, who won their first seven games of conference play, have struggled since the turn of the calendar year.
The UConn Huskies’ season ranking peaked at number two after a 14-0 start. UConn’s season began to crumble after the loss to 22nd ranked Xavier, and it continued to spiral with losses to Providence, Marquette, St. John’s, and Seton Hall. Their most recent loss to 23rd ranked Creighton has put the Huskies’ ranking into question.
Marquette, led by second-year head coach Shaka Smart and predicted to finish ninth in Big East standing, has exceeded expectations by being currently ranked 10th in the AP rankings.
With the Big East Conference Tournament quickly approaching, there is a three-way tie for first place between Marquette, Xavier, and Creighton. Key matchups, for Big East standings and NCAA tournament seedings, to watch include 23 Creighton at 20 Providence (February 14), 13 Xavier at 10 Marquette (February 15), 10 Marquette at 23 Creighton (February 21), and 13 Xavier at 23 Providence (March 1). The handful of teams projected to be top five in the Big East currently stand true with Marquette leading the pack.
| Away | Home | Date |
| 23 Creighton | 20 Providence | 02/14/2023 |
| 13 Xavier | 10 Marquette | 02/15/2023 |
| 10 Marquette | 23 Creighton | 02/21/2023 |
| 13 Xavier | 20 Providence | 03/01/2023 |
When the final buzzer sounded against Villanova, the entire league knew that Creighton was a team to be taken seriously. If they continue to win those close matchups, it will be difficult to prevent them from taking home another Big East championship when March rolls around.
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