New York, NY – Three games tipped off the Big East Tournament on Wednesday, and they did not disappoint. The day featured plenty of drama, highlighted by the Providence Friars rallying from a 16-point deficit to secure a 10-point victory. The Xavier Musketeers also advanced in thrilling fashion, pulling out a win in a game that came down to the final seconds. Meanwhile, the Georgetown Hoyas emerged victorious in a physical battle against the DePaul Blue Demons, marking the program’s first Big East Tournament win under head coach Ed Cooley.
In the first matchup of the day, the Friars came away with a 91–81 victory over the Butler Bulldogs in a high-scoring contest. Providence leaned on a three-headed offensive attack, as Jaylin Sellers (23 points), Ryan Mela (23 points), and Stefan Vaaks (28 points) combined for 74 of the team’s 91 points. Vaaks was particularly impressive from beyond the arc, knocking down 8-of-13 three-point attempts, tying the Big East Tournament record for most threes made in a game.
For Butler, senior forward Michael Ajayi once again delivered a strong performance, recording another double-double with 21 points and 11 rebounds. The Bulldogs frequently used off-ball screens to free Ajayi, recognizing that Providence was switching nearly every action. Once Butler successfully forced a switch and got a guard matched up with him, they consistently fed Ajayi in the post, where he went to work. However, his aggressive style ultimately played a role in Butler’s downfall. Ajayi found himself in foul trouble for much of the second half, and his limited availability significantly altered the Bulldogs’ rhythm and overall approach down the stretch.
In Richard Pitino’s first Big East Tournament game leading Xavier, he guided the Musketeers to a thrilling 89–87 victory that was decided in the final seconds. All-Big East 1st Team selection Tre Carroll showed exactly why he earned that honor, finishing with 18 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists while impacting the game in multiple ways. Xavier also received a huge performance from big man Jovan Milicevic, who poured in 21 points. Milicevic was especially impressive from beyond the arc, knocking down 4-of-7 three-point attempts, including several difficult, contested looks off the dribble.
For the Golden Eagles, Nigel James Jr.—who announced before the game that he will return to Milwaukee for his sophomore season—tallied 18 points and 7 assists. Sophomore Royce Parham also delivered a strong performance, adding 22 points and 9 rebounds. With James Jr. and Parham in the fold, Shaka Smart has a strong foundation to build around heading into next season. However, it will be interesting to see how active the program becomes in the transfer portal, as Smart has historically been reluctant to use it at all.
The final game of the night was the definition of a Big East Tournament battle. The Georgetown Hoyas defeated the DePaul Blue Demons 63–56 in a highly physical matchup. Leading the way for Georgetown was big man Vince Iwuchukwu, who provided a huge spark off the bench. The senior finished with 17 points and 14 rebounds in an efficient 23 minutes of action. Points in the paint proved to be the difference, as the Hoyas dominated that category 36–20. Georgetown’s physicality inside was simply too much for DePaul’s frontcourt to handle throughout the game.
For the Blue Demons, Layden Blocker turned in a strong performance with 16 points and 7 assists. He did an excellent job creating his own offense off the dribble and knocked down several tough shots. Blocker also shot an impressive 4/6 from beyond the arc. Despite the loss, Chris Holtmann appears to be building a solid foundation in Chicago, and the DePaul program is trending in the right direction.
With the opening round complete, attention now turns to Thursday’s quarterfinal match-ups at Madison Square Garden. Providence will tip things off at 12:00 PM against St. John’s in what should be an up-tempo battle, while Xavier faces a major test against UConn at 7:00 PM. The nightcap will feature Georgetown taking on Villanova at 9:30 PM, as the Hoyas look to carry their physical momentum into another tough matchup. With three teams advancing out of Wednesday’s action and the stakes continuing to rise, the Big East Tournament is setting up for another exciting day of basketball.
This article was written by William Murphy, a correspondent and scout for NetScouts Basketball. You can follow us on Instagram, or on twitter.
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