More College Hoops The NBA Draft’s Early Entry Deadline has come and gone, and there are a dozen or so truly impactful decisions that are left to be made. Just about every elite recruit has decided where they will be playing their college ball next season.

The coaching carousel has come to a close. The transfer market is slowly winding down. In other words, by now, we have a pretty good feel for what college basketball is going to look like during the 2018-19 season. With that in mind, let’s take a look at what has happened — and what will happen — in the Big East over the next six months.

KEY OFFSEASON STORYLINES REMAINING DECISIONS: Most of the decisions have been made and have been for some time, but there are a number of outstanding calls to be made by some underclassmen mulling a pro future or a return to school. Some are big enough to factor in significantly on what 2018-19 looks like in the Big East. With Donte Divincenzo likely gone, Omari Spellman’s stay-or-go quandry is probably the biggest among them, not just because the 6-foot-9 center averaged 10.9 points, 8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game, but because the defending national champs are already getting hit hard by early entries.

Spellman returning could be an important anchor as Villanova looks to bridge eras. Spellman isn’t the only one waiting out the NBA’s May 30 deadline, however, as St.

John’s guard Shamorie Ponds, DePaul wing Max Strus and Georgetown center Jessie Govan remain testing the waters as major pieces to both their respective teams should they elect to return to campus. HOW DOES VILLANOVA RELOAD?: Villanova is slated to lose at least two (potentially three) starters, one of whom was the national player of the year and another a likely lottery pick, plus the guy that scored 31 points off the bench in the national title game.

That’s enough for most programs to hit the reset button without shame – two titles in three years is pretty good, after all. Villanova, though?

Not Villanova. If Spellman returns, he’ll be joined by two other national-title game starters in Phil Booth and Eric Paschall, back for the Wildcats along with a highly-regarded recruiting class highlighted by five-star guard Jahvon Quinerly and sniper Cole Swider. Villanova might not start the season as high as we initially tabbed them (No. 2) with DiVencenzo expected to stay in the draft, but they’re still going to have plenty of talent – and experience – on the roster.

HOMECOMINGS GONE AWRY: The homecoming for Chris Mullin to his alma mater St. John’s hasn’t gone exactly according to plan.

The Red Storm have posted three-straight losing seasons and are 12-42 in Big East play. There have been signs of life, namely wins over Duke and Villanova last year, but the big picture results just haven’t been the improvement that was envisioned when Mullin returned to Queens in 2015. Given his legend status, Mullin has some leeway in which to operate, but the production is going to have to have to show some upward trajectory. Dave Leitao’s second stint at DePaul has been an uninspiring one. Leitao, who left DePaul for Virginia before returning in 2015, has posted three-straight losing seasons in which getting to 11 wins last year actually signified an improvement.

The team was young a year ago, but the talent level doesn’t suggest the Blue Demons are going to rocket up the Big East standings. (Elsa/Getty Images) WHO’S GONE?. JALEN BRUNSON, MIKAL BRIDGES and DONTE DIVENCENZO, Villanova: After winning its second national title in three years, Villanova was prepared to lose Brunson and Bridges, but DiVencenzo’s expected decision to stay in the draft wasn’t as predictable. Those are three huge pieces for the Wildcats, who are still awaiting the draft decision of Omari Spellman. Jay Wright may have things rolling in Philly, but that’s a massive trio – or potentially quartet – to lose and not miss too many steps. MARCUS FOSTER and KHYRI THOMAS, Creighton: Marcus Foster was the better-known half of Creighton’s dynamic duo, but Thomas was just as important to the Bluejays success. The 6-foot-3 junior elected to forego his final season of eligibility after averaging 15.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists while becoming a lock-down defender.

His departure makes is a significant blow to the Bluejays. SETON HALL’S SENIORS: Angel Delgado, Khadeen Carrington, Desi Rodriguez and Ishmael Sanogo were the core of a Seton Hall team that was. ANDREW ROWSEY, Marquette: The 5-foot-9 dynamo was one of the most entertaining scorers in the conference last season. KAISER GATES, Xavier: The Musketeers were hit hard this offseason.

Trevon Bluiett, J.P. Macura and Chris Mack are all gone. But they also lose Gates, a junior who averaged 7.2 points and 4.6 rebounds per game who was expected to play a much bigger role this season. MARCUS DERRICKSON, Georgetown: The Hoyas’ 6-foot-7 forward elected to go pro following a junior season in which he averaged 15.9 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. KASSOUM YAKWE, St.

John’s: After a promising freshman season, Yakwe’s production dipped in each of the last two years before he decided to transfer to UConn this offseason. (Darryl Oumi/Getty Images) WHO’S BACK?. MARKUS HOWARD, Marquette: A second-team all-Big East selection, Howard returns to Milwaukee for his junior season as a potential player of the year in the conference. He put up 20.4 points per game on 46.4 percent shooting from the floor and 40.4 percent from 3-point range. KAMAR BALDWIN, Butler: The Bulldogs guard will carry a heavy load this season, but after averaging 15.7 points per game as a sophomore, he’s proven he can fill it up with the best of them in the conference. MITCHELL BALLOCK, Creighton: After having a reserve role as a freshman, Ballock figures to move into a much more significant spot for a new-look Bluejays team. He averaged just 7.3 points per game, but the 22 points he put on UCLA in November suggests he could be a big-time scorer.

MYLES POWELL, Seton Hall: The 6-foot-2 guard is coming off a sophomore season in which he averaged 15.5. He’ll be asked to do even more this season with Desi Rodriguez and Angel Delgado no longer on the roster. If he can be a little more efficient, he’s looking like a potential all-conference performer. ALPHA DIALLO and EMMITT HOLT, Providence: Diallo had a breakout sophomore campaign in which he went from a five-point scorer to a 13-point scorer. He shot 46.6 percent from the floor and also grabbed 6.6 rebounds per game.

Holt, meanwhile, missed the 2017-18 season due to injury. He averaged 12.5 points as a sophomore after transferring from Indiana. WHO’S COMING?. JAHVON QUINERLY, COLE SWIDER and BRANDON SLATE, Villanova: The Wildcats may have suffered some significant losses to the pro ranks, but they’ll benefit from a highly-regarded group of incoming freshman. Quinerly is the headliner as a top-30 prospect Jay Wright undoubtedly looks at as the future of the point guard position for his program.

Swider and Slate are both top-50 prospects with big futures ahead of them. DAVID DUKE and A.J.

REEVES, Providence: Ed Cooley has taken the Friars to five-straight NCAA tournaments and looks to have the talent to keep Providence viable in the top half of the Big East for the foreseeable future with Duke and Reeves, a pair of top-50 guards, coming into the program. JAMES AKINJO, Georgetown: Previously a UConn pledge, Akinjo flipped to Patrick Ewing and the Hoyas after Kevin Ollie’s ouster. He gives Georgetown the gem of a solid four-man recruiting class.

KYLE CASTLIN, Xavier: The Columbia graduate transfer averaged 10.5 points whiles hooting 49.6 percent from the field and 34.9 percent from distance. He gives Travis Steele talent and experience when both will be paramount in his first season at the helm in Cincinnati. JOSEPH CHARTOUNY, Marquette: The 6-foot-3 guard averaged double figures in scoring in each of his three seasons with Fordham before deciding to grad transfer to the Golden Eagles. QUINCY MCKNIGHT, Seton Hall: The Sacred Heart transfer sat out last season as a transfer, but he provides the Pirates with firepower. He averaged 18.9 points as a sophomore. COACHING CHANGES.

TRAVIS STEELE, Xavier: When Chris Mack left his alma mater to take the reins at Louisville, Steele was the natural successor. He was initially hired at X by Sean Miller and then spent nine years on Mack’s staff, going to NCAA tournaments and making a name for himself as one of the country’s top recruiters. Xavier has turned into a Midwestern power in no small part because it’s made smart hiring decisions, and Steele looks to be cut from the same cloth that made Miller and Mack prolific winners. WAY-TOO-EARLY ALL-BIG EAST TEAM MARKUS HOWARD, Marquette (POY) SHAMORIE PONDS., St. John’s OMARI SPELLMAN., Villanova JESSIE GOVAN., Georgetown MYLES POWELL, Seton Hall AP Photo/John Minchillo WAY-TOO-EARLY POWER RANKINGS 1.

VILLANOVA: The losses the Wildcats sustained were more than just significant, but the talent and culture remains intact in Philadelphia. Omari Spellman’s decision looms large, but a strong recruiting class – plus Jay Wright – keeps ‘Nova on top. XAVIER: Another bet on culture, Xavier is another program that lost a ton, but by keeping some level of continuity by promoting Travis Steele, the Musketeers may not slip as far as you’d normally expect considering their losses. Steele has his work cut out for him, but the pieces are there to be competitive. PROVIDENCE: Kyron Cartwright and Rodney Bullock are two huge names to lose, but Alpha Diallo and Emmitt Holt should be enough to carry the offensive load.

CREIGHTON: Greg McDermott reinvented his program the last few years, going from being among the country’s slowest-paced teams to one of the quickest. WIth the losses of Marcus Foster and Khyri Thomas, this will likely be the third chapter of his time in Omaha following this back-to-back NCAA tournaments and the Dougie McBuckets era before that. SETON HALL: The Pirates will hang their hats on getting a lot of production from Myles Powell and Quincy McKnight to overcome the losses of Angel Delgado, Khadeen Carrington and Desi Rodriguez. GEORGETOWN: Jessie Govan’s decision to stay or go will have a big impact on the Hoyas’ future, but Patrick Ewing’s return to to D.C. Looks to be headed in the right direction.

BUTLER: How Kamar Baldwin goes, the Bulldogs are likely to follow. He’s going to have a ton of offensive responsibility if Butler is going to get back to the NCAA tournament in LaVall Jordan’s second season. MARQUETTE: The Golden Eagles are 1-for-4 in NCAA tournament seasons under Steve Wojciechowski, and his fifth season looks to be an uphill battle to improve that percentage. JOHN’S: If Shamorie Ponds returns, it’s not hard to see the Red Storm outperforming this prediction.

If he doesn’t, it could be another difficult year for Mullin and Co. DEPAUL: The Blue Demons have three-straight losing seasons in Dave Leitao’s second go-round, and it looks as though a fourth is likely. More College Hoops The hardest thing for me to do when ranking teams is to decide between who looks the best when you are watching a team play and who has the most impressive body of work to date. Because they are, in essence, two different things. Rankings based off of the body of work that a team has put together is fine, but in essence those rankings are essentially a replacement for NCAA tournament seedings.

Think about it like this — Furman won at Villanova, which means that Furman will get credit for that win should they find their way into the NCAA tournament, but how many people truly believe that Furman is the better basketball team? Put another way, if Furman and Villanova played tomorrow on a neutral court and you had to bet your rent money on one of those two teams winning, you’re betting on Villanova. Because you think they’re the better basketball team. This is why I think that ranking Duke No. 1 was and still is valid, but that’s not a fight I’m going to fight anymore. We live in a world where people demand a two-point win on a neutral floor to be definitive proof one team is better than another, and I just don’t have the time or the energy to argue about it anymore.

But it does create something of a conundrum when dealing with Michigan, Kansas and Virginia. Michigan has made this decision a bit easier by sandblasting North Carolina and Purdue this week, so the argument can be made that their overall resume is now stronger than that of Kansas. That said, the Jayhawks have neutral court wins over a top six team in Tennessee, a top 15 team in Michigan State and over Marquette, who just beat a top 15 Kansas State team by double-figures on Saturday. That resume is better than Virginia’s. It’s better than Duke’s. Hell, it’s probably better than Gonzaga’s.

But I am going to rank them fifth this week because — and I do believe Jayhawk fans will agree with me here — Kansas has not looked right yet this season. I’m not sure if Quentin Grimes has actually made a shot since the first half of the Champions Classic. Udoka Azubuike can’t seem to stay out of foul trouble, and when he’s not on the floor Kansas doesn’t look the same.

Charlie Moore hasn’t been great. The bench is looking less and less like it’s all that deep. If it wasn’t for the heroics of Lagerald Vick, who has repeatedly had absolutely massive games and hit clutch shots to keep Kansas undefeated. Winning ugly is still winning, and there is something to say for that. Those concerns haven’t cost them yet, but this is something that Bill Self is going to have to figure out. And until he does, Kansas is going to drop in my top 25.

Anyway, here is the rest of the top 25: 1. Gonzaga (8-0, Last Week: 1) 2. Duke (7-1, 3) 3. Michigan (8-0, 6) 4. Virginia (7-0, 4) 5. Kansas (6-0, 2) 6.

Tennessee (6-1, 5) 7. Nevada (8-0, 7) 8. Auburn (6-1, 9) 9. North Carolina (6-1, 8) 10. Florida State (6-1, 13) 11. Texas Tech (7-0, 19) 12.

Kentucky (7-1, 14) 13. Michigan State (6-2, 12) 14. Virginia Tech (6-1, 11) 15. Wisconsin (7-1, 20) 16. Kansas State (6-1, 10) 17. State (7-1, 17) 18. Purdue (5-3, 18) 19.

Ohio State (7-1, 16) 20. Arizona State (7-0, 24) 21. Creighton (6-2, UR) 22. Buffalo (7-0, 22) 23.

Iowa (6-1, 21) 24. Nebraska (7-1, UR) 25. Mississippi State (6-1, 25) New Additions: 21. Creighton, 24. Nebraska Dropped Out: 15. More College Hoops PLAYER OF THE DAY: Markus Howard, Marquette Marquette was a team badly in need of a win entering Saturday’s date with No. 12 Kansas State in Milwaukee.

The Golden Eagles had whiffed on their chance to land a marquee win last week, blowing an 11 point first half lead against No. 2 Kansas, a loss that forced them into a consolation game against Louisville instead of the NIT title game against No. They had lost by 23 points at Indiana.

Their best win of the year to date was a three point overtime win against a Louisville team that is profiling as a borderline top 25 team. With the Big East looking like it is going to be a hodge-podge of mediocrity this year, the Golden Eagles need everything they can get out of their non-conference slate, and they got a big win on Saturday,. And the hero was exactly who you would expect it to be.

Markus Howard, the all-american. He went for 45 points on just 17 shots on Saturday, going 11-for-17 from the floor, 4-for-10 from three and 19-for-21 from the line.

The rest of his team combined for 38 points on just 27 shots and 15 free throws. We’ve seen Howard have explosions like this before, and part of the reason that Marquette is a team that I’ve been bullish on since the preseason is that when he gets on a role like he did today, Howard can carry Marquette to a win over literally anyone. Kansas State has one of the best on-ball defenders in the country in Barry Brown, and he got cooked. It’s hard to top all of that.

TEAM OF THE DAY: Gonzaga The Bulldogs went into Omaha on Saturday as the No. 1 team in the country and quickly realized why we always talk about how the CHI Health Center is one of the most difficult places to play in America. The Bluejays got on an early role, with Ty-Shon Alexander and Mitch Ballock burying some threes and Davion Mintz dunking on the entire frontline of the Zags, and with all 18,000 people in the building going absolutely bonkers, the Zags slowly but surely cut away at what was at one point an 11 point lead.

By the time it was all said and done, the Zags that will carry some weight come Selection Sunday. And perhaps the best part of this for head coach Mark Few was that the Zags didn’t simply rely on one guy going nuts. Yes, Zach Norvell Jr. Caught fire in the second half (22 of his 28 points), but Gonzaga wouldn’t have been in firing range if it wasn’t for the play of Brandon Clarke (27 points, 10 boards, two steals, two blocks), Rui Hachimura (22 points, 11 boards, three assists, three steals) and Josh Perksins (13 points and 13 assists). Just an all-around solid win.

ONIONS OF THE DAY: Lagerald Vick, Kansas Vick has been the most important player this season for Kansas. He bailed them out against Vermont and Louisiana, shooting 15-for-20 from three in those two games, scoring an average of 32.5 points and helping the Jayhawks avoid bad home losses in the process. On Saturday, he did the same thing against Stanford, hitting the game-tying three to force overtime and then lighting up the Cardinal with the first eight points of the extra frame.

Lagerald Vick with a DEEP 3-pointer to send Kansas into overtime with Stanford. — Kyle Boone (@KyleBoone) We wrote about Vick last week. He declared for the draft with the intention of signing with an agent before he realized the NBA wasn’t in his future and returned to school, only without the same number or any guarantee of playing time. SATURDAY’S BIGGEST WINNERS MARQUETTE: We, but Marquette landed a win that they really, really needed to get. Playing in a league where the best team is a Villanova that is not the same Villanova that we’ve known for the last half-decade, the Golden Eagles needed to do some work in the non-conference to ensure that A) they get into the tournament, and B) they get into the tournament with a seed that allows them a chance to make a run. Thanks to that 45 point outburst from Howard, they now have one of those wins.

Combine that with a win over Louisville and, potentially, wins against Wisconsin and Buffalo, and that would be a solid start to a tournament resume. LOUISVILLE: The Cardinals picked up a pretty nice road win over Seton Hall on Saturday, coming back from an early double-digit deficit to pick up a 70-65 win in Newark. This comes of the heels of Chris Mack’s ballclub knocking off No.

9 Michigan State in Louisville on Wednesday night. The Cards are putting together a pretty solid non-conference resume. They’ll have a couple more chances to add to it, with games against Indiana and Kentucky remaining. SAINT LOUIS: The Atlantic 10 desperately needed someone to start picking up some wins, and the Billikens have been doing so. They won at Seton Hall in November, and on Saturday they added to that with a win over Butler at home. They still get Southern Illinois, Oregon State, Houston and Florida State during non-conference play. That probably won’t be enough to get them an at-large bid given just how bad the rest of their league has been, but it could be enough to get them to a good seed should they earn the league’s automatic bid.

MICHIGAN: The No. 7 Wolverines capped off a wonderful week with a beatdown of No. 19 Purdue on Saturday. The, but the game never really felt that close.

Carsen Edwards finished with 19 points, but the preseason All-American never really felt like he was a threat to do all that much. More importantly, as we discussed after Wednesday night’s win over North Carolina, was that Michigan was a juggernaut offensively once again. They scored 76 points on 62 possessions, shooting 13-for-26 from three after going 11-for-22 from deep against UNC. This is fun with small sample sizes, but in the last two games, Michigan went from outside the top 25- in three point percentage to 77th.

NEVADA: The Wolf Pack were down by by seven late in the first half at USC. They were up by 16 eight minutes into the second half. This team is talented, explosive and mature enough to not get flustered when they are down early. Next Friday’s date with Arizona State is the last time they’ll play a game that is actually relevant. SATURDAY’S BIGGEST LOSERS STANFORD: The Cardinal had a chance to turn their season around. They had played terrific for 39 minutes and 45 seconds in Phog Allen Fieldhouse, and held a 75-72 lead on the Jayhawks, the No.

2 team in the country. That’s the kind of win that can immediately vault a team into the NCAA tournament discussion and, at this point, it’s almost the kind of win that a borderline team from the Pac-12 needs to get an at-large bid. Alas, Stanford decided not to foul up three, Lagerald Vick tied the game and the rest is history. CREIGHTON: Like Stanford, Creighton really missed on a chance to land a marquee win.

When you play that well against the No. 1 team in the country, it’s not pleasant to lose out in the end, and while I hesitate to credit the Bluejays with a moral victory — who the hell wants one of those?

— we did get a glimpse of just how dangerous this group can be. They’re young and talented, and this was, at the very least, a nice little learning experience. MEMPHIS: The Tigers were up by nine at the half and led by double-digits in the second half against No. 20 Texas Tech. The Red Raiders scored 50 second half points and won by double-figures.

Penny is going to be fine in the long run, but there are going to be some growing pains this season. FINAL THOUGHT I have never in my life seen a bigger mismatch than watching No. 3 Duke go up against 1-7 Stetson. The Hatters were a constant stream of turnovers that led to a never-ending series of fast break dunks for Duke. At one point during the second half, Duke led 87-29. I don’t even want to mention the final score here.

There’s no need to rub salt in the wound. And I guess what my biggest question here is ‘Why?’ Why did Duke play this game? I understand why it would make some sense for Stetson to play it. How often do you get to play in a building like Cameron Indoor Stadium? How often do you get to play after three future top five picks? There’s literally no downside — the worst-case scenario is they leave with a game check and the beatdown that everyone expected, while there is always that possibility of that miracle win. That is, after all, why people play the Powerball.

But I don’t understand why this is the game that Duke would schedule. Quite literally the only thing they are going to get out of it is a chance to play some of their bench guys major minutes in an actual game. I guess there is something to letting Alex O’Connell go out there and show out, but at the same time, with 13 minutes left and Duke up 56 points, Zion Williamson checked back into the game.

Stetson is one of the worst programs in the sport. They were 338th in KenPom entering today. They were 318th in KenPom last season. They have finished inside the top 300 in KenPom just once in Corey Williams’ six-year tenure.

Nothing about this result will surprise anyone. So what’s the point of playing it?

LOS ANGELES — Struggling offensively, Nevada went into halftime trailing by one in front of a partisan crowd. The Wolf Pack’s seniors emerged with a different mindset. “We just have to come out with that intensity, come out with that fire,” Jordan Caroline said.

“We got to play like we’re behind. We got to go make a big run, and that’s what we did.” Caroline scored 22 points and No.

5 Nevada took control with a dominant second half to beat Southern California 73-61 on Saturday and equal its 8-0 start from last season. Tre’Shawn Thurman added 14 points and nine rebounds and Caleb Martin had 12 points for the Wolf Pack, who outscored USC 39-26 over the final 20 minutes. “It was a tough early game and really focusing on the importance of the game,” Martin said. It marked a major turnaround from the first half, when the Trojans shot 50 percent from the field and led by as many as seven points. The Wolf Pack missed more than half their field goal attempts and leading scorer Martin had just seven points, leaving them trailing by one at the break. “Historically, we’ve been a really good second-half team, so far this year it’s kind of mixed results,” Nevada coach Eric Musselman said.

“We just felt like we didn’t have good enough rhythm to start the game and we felt like USC was controlling the pace. We had to play better defense.” Nick Rakocevic had 20 points and 12 rebounds for the Trojans (5-3) as their three-game winning streak ended. Bennie Boatwright, their leading scorer at 16.8 points, was held to seven points. USC came out aggressively to start the game, driving to the basket, crashing the boards and closely defending Martin, who entered the game averaging 21 points. Caroline and Thurman carried Nevada in the first half, each scoring 11 points. “Jordan Caroline absolutely killed us,” Rakocevic said. “We kind of gave him a lot in the paint, just kind of gave him everything he wanted.” USC didn’t appear to be the same team in the second half, when the Trojans never put together a scoring run.

“I thought the first half was a really good sign that we could be one of the top teams and compete, but we’ve got to come out better in the second half,” Rakocevic said. “We just came out flat. Defensively, I think we just had too many breakdowns.” The Wolf Pack turned things around quickly, outscoring USC 9-0 to open the second half. It was the start of a 31-11 run that produced Nevada’s largest lead, 65-46.

The spurt included three consecutive 3-pointers by Jazz Johnson (two) and Thurman. “A team that averages 90 points, you’re not going to be able to hold them down the whole game, but when they go on runs you have to score with them,” USC coach Andy Enfield said. TIP-INS Nevada: The Wolf Pack’s point total was a season low. Los Angeles Lakers player JaVale McGee, who played two years at Nevada before leaving for the NBA, sat courtside wearing a Nevada hoodie.

His Hall of Fame mother, Pam McGee, who starred in basketball at USC, wore a Trojans jersey. More than 20 pro scouts were in attendance. The teams played each other for the first time since 1976. The Wolf Pack trail the series 2-1. USC: The Trojans’ point total was a season low. G Charles O’Bannon Jr. Is expected to have the cast on his left pinky finger removed on Monday.

He had surgery on Nov. G Kevin Porter Jr., the Trojans’ third-leading scorer, returned to play in the second half after missing two games with a right quadriceps contusion. He was scoreless in four minutes. Enfield needs one win for his 100th at USC.

He is 99-79 in his sixth season. Before the game, Boatwright received the ball used to score his 1,000th career point against Texas Tech, on Nov. 19 in Kansas City. ATMOSPHERE Musselman used to visit Galen Center when he was an assistant at Arizona State. The crowd of 5,844 was small but loud in urging on the Trojans. “This place is not like it was today,” he said.

“It was electric.”. LAWRENCE, Kan. — Lagerald Vick hit the tying 3-pointer in the closing seconds of regulation, and then had eight of his 27 points in overtime to lead No. 2 Kansas to a 90-84 win over Stanford on Saturday night.

Daejon Davis hit two free throws with 13.3 seconds left to push Stanford’s lead to 75-72 after driving in and drawing a foul by Dedric Lawson. Kansas then ran its “chop” play — the same one it ran when Mario Chalmers sent the 2008 national championship into overtime — and Devon Dotson found Vick for the tying 3 with just 7 seconds left. Vick then opened overtime with another 3, and followed it with a poster dunk that set the Allen Fieldhouse crowd into a frenzy. He kept it going the next time down, hitting his seventh 3 to make it an eight-point game and put it out of reach. Lawson finished with 24 points and 15 rebounds, and Udoka Azubuike had 18 points and nine rebounds for the Jayhawks. KZ Okpala had 22 points and eight rebounds for Stanford. Davis added 19 points and eight boards, and Isaac White had 15 points on five 3s.

The Cardinal’s top-tier perimeter defense stifled the Jayhawks early, holding them to 0 for 6 in the first half and not allowing a 3 until four minutes into the second half. But down the stretch, that all changed, and erased their early success. Conversely, Stanford overcame its poor shooting from deep this season, hitting a season-high 12 3s. The Cardinal entered the game averaging just 5.7 3’s per game on 30.1 percent shooting. Kansas now leads the all-time series over Stanford 11-3.

The teams will conclude their four-game series next December at Stanford’s Maples Pavilion. BIG PICTURE Stanford has now lost all three games to ranked opponents this season, although their resilience against Kansas is a good sign moving forward. Kansas remains undefeated, but its sloppy play early is telling of its inconsistency. The Jayhawks have yet to have a true blowout win, uncharacteristic for them in nonconference play. ANN ARBOR, Mich.

— Jordan Poole scored 21 points as part of a balanced offense and No. 7 Michigan was stingy on defense in a 76-57 win over No. 19 Purdue on Saturday, routing a third ranked team this season.

The Wolverines (8-0) are off to their best start since winning the first 16 games of the 2012-13 season. They were coming off an 84-67 win over No. 11 North Carolina, and they beat then-No. 8 Villanova 73-46 on its home court last month. The Boilermakers (5-3) have lost three of their last four games. Michigan’s Jon Teske matched his career high with 17 points and grabbed eight rebounds.

Ignas Brazdeikis scored 12 and Zavier Simpson had 10 points and seven assists. Charles Matthews added nine points, five rebounds and four assists. Purdue’s Carsen Edwards scored 19 on 7-of-21 shooting and Ryan Cline added 15 points. The Wolverines picked up where they left off Wednesday night against the Tar Heels, making shots and getting stops to take the lead.

They kept it without much of a fight from the Boilermakers. Michigan led 44-28 at halftime after connecting on 53 percent of its shots and holding Purdue to 36 percent from the field. The Wolverines’ shooting accuracy slipped in the second half, falling to 47 percent, but they kept up the intensity on defense to keep Purdue at 36 percent.

BIG PICTURE Purdue: Cline needs more shots. He was 6 of 8 from the field and 3 of 5 from beyond the arc, but Edwards looked for his shot much more than he tried to pass to his sharpshooting guard. Michigan: The Wolverines are going to be tough to beat because all five players on the floor can score and they all play in-your-chest defense. POLL IMPLICATIONS Michigan can’t move up much, but it may merit a higher ranking with its impressive start. The Boilermakers might fall out of the AP Top 25.

10th-ranked Creighton remains alone atop Big East standings, earning its 8th-straight victory in 4 sets over Villanova Saturday. 17th-ranked Marquette is in second with a 7-1 conference mark following its win in straight sets over Seton Hall. Georgetown, St. John’s and Xavier also notched wins to round out Saturday Big East action.

Updated Standings: SCHOOL CONF CPCT. HOME AWAY NEUTRAL STREAK 8-0 1.000 16-4 0.800 6-1 5-2 5-1 W8 7-1 0.875 16-4 0.800 8-2 4-2 4-0 W6 6-3 0.667 13-8 0.619 8-3 3-4 2-1 W1 5-3 0.625 16-7 0.696 8-1 4-4 4-2 W1 4-5 0.444 11-10 0.524 4-3 4-4 3-3 L1 4-5 0.444 6-14 0.300 3-3 3-5 0-6 W1 3-6 0.333 6-15 0.286 5-6 1-5 0-4 L2 3-6 0.333 5-15 0.250 3-5 2-5 0-5 L2 2-7 0.222 7-15 0.318 2-6 1-7 4-2 L1 1-7 0.125 7-12 0.368 4-3 0-7 3-2 L6 Xavier def. Butler 3-1 (21-25, 25-20, 25-21, 25-18). Xavier moves to 6-14 overall, 4-5 Big East; Butler falls to 6-15 overall, 3-6 Big East. /. Attendance: 505 After dropping the opening set, Xavier came rallying back to record a 3-1 victory against Butler on the road Saturday.

The Musketeers outperformed their opponent in attack percentage (.202 to.158) and at the service line (8 to 4), while the Bulldogs held the edge on the block (14 to 11). FINAL Xavier tops Butler in four sets on Saturday afternoon! — Xavier Volleyball (@XavierVBALL) Team Comparison: XU / BU.

Points: 76 / 67. Kills: 57 / 49. Aces: 8 / 4. Blocks: 11 / 14. Assists: 57 / 43.

Digs: 82 / 71 Statistical Leaders – Xavier. Laura Grossman: career-high 21 kills, 24 digs,.308 attack percentage.

Morgan Finn: 12 kills. Norah Painter: 10 kills. Nadia Diedonne: 26 assists, 17 digs.

Audrey Adams: 6 blocks Statistical Leaders – Butler. Brooke Gregory: career-high 21 kills. Natalie Ravenelle: 10 kills, 7 blocks, 8 digs. Bri Lilly: 10 blocks, 7 kill. Maddie Freiwald: 37 assists. Elizabeth Labue: 26 digs #17 Marquette def. Seton Hall 3-0 (25-19, 25-19, 25-22).

Marquette moves to 16-4 overall, 7-1 Big East; Seton Hall falls to 7-15 overall, 2-7 Big East. /. Attendance: 88 17th-ranked Marquette took care of Seton Hall in straight sets to win its 6th consecutive match Saturday.

The Golden Eagles overcame the Pirates with advantages in attack percentage (.274 to.182), blocks (6 to 2) and service aces (6 to 1) to move to 7-1 in conference play. Anna Haak posts a double-double, Barber leads all with 15 kills, Rosenthal adds 4 blocks.

19 wins its sixth straight match! — Marquette Volleyball (@MarquetteVB) Team Comparison: MU / HALL. Points: 61 / 36.

Kills: 50 / 33. Aces: 5 / 1.

Blocks: 6 / 2. Assists: 47 / 31. Digs: 56 / 48 Statistical Leaders – Marquette. Allie Barber: 15 kills,.314 attack percentage. Anna Haak: 14 kills, 12 digs,.324 attack percentage. Lauren Speckman: 22 assists.

Hope Werch: 15 digs. Martha Konovodoff: 15 digs Statistical Leaders – Seton Hall. Abby Thelen: 10 kills. Sophia Coffey: 31 assists.

Big East Conference Basketball Tournament

Miranda Higginbotham: 12 digs Georgetown def. Providence 3-1 (25-16, 16-25, 25-20, 25-20).

Georgetown moves to 13-8 overall, 6-3 Big East; Providence falls to 7-12 overall, 1-7 Big East. /. Attendance: 514 Georgetown rebounded from its loss to Creighton Friday with a 4-set victory over Providence Saturday. The Hoyas edged the Friars in on the block (7 to 6) and at the service line (9 to 3) to earn the victory. The wrap up the first half of play with a 3-1 victory over visiting Providence! GU is back in action next weekend at Seton Hall and St. — Georgetown VB (@HoyaVolleyball) Team Comparison: GU / PC.

Points; 62.5 / 49. Kills: 46 / 40. Aces: 9 / 3. Blocks: 7 / 6. Assists: 42 / 38. Digs: 42 / 50 Statistical Leaders – Georgetown. Symone Speech: 12 kills, 4 blocks,.333 attack percentage.

Iva Vujosevic: 11 kills, 8 digs. Alyssa Sinnette: 10 kills.

Big East Conference History

Margo Pivonka: 32 assists. Kenzie Higareda: 15 digs Statistical Leaders – Providence. Addison Root: 14 kills, 9 digs,.333 attack percentage.

Allison Barber: 31 assists, 9 digs. Mackenzie Taylor: 11 digs. Jenae Alderson: 9 kills, 11 digs St. DePaul 3-2 (24-26, 21-25, 29-27, 25-16, 15-9).

St. John’s moves to 16-7 overall, 5-3 Big East; DePaul falls to 5-15 overall, 3-6 Big East. /. Attendance: 151 After falling behind 2 sets to none, St. John’s volleyball came all the way back on DePaul to register a 3-2 victory in a Saturday night marathon match. The Red Storm was able to overcome the Blue Demons with an advantage in attack percentage (.269 to.208), despite trailing on the blocks (13 to 10) and at the service line (7 to 6).

Takes final three sets to defeat DePaul in five sets. Di Maulo and Sanabia each climbed one spot on their career leaderboards in the win. Story ⬇️⬇️ — St.

John's VBall (@StJohnsVB) Team Comparison: SJU / DPU. Points: 89 / 79. Kills: 73 / 59.

Aces: 6 / 7. Blocks: 10 / 13. Assists: 72 / 56. Digs: 77 / 78 Statistical Leaders – St.

John’s. Efrosini Alexakou: career-high 23 kills, 11 digs. Kayley Wood: 19 kills. Rachele Rastelli: 14 kills. Erica Di Maulo: 60 assists, 18 digs.

Amanda Sanabia: 20 digs Statistical Leaders – DePaul. Emma Price: 16 kills. Avarie Evans-Allen: 10 kills, 7 blocks. Mattie Norris: 10 kills. Katie Dolan: 24 assists.

Isabelle Banez: 32 digs #10 Creighton def. Villanova 3-1 (25-19, 20-25, 25-22, 25-17). Creighton moves to 16-4 overall, 8-0 Big East; Villanova falls to 11-10 overall, 4-5 Big East. /.

Attendance: 237 10th-ranked Creighton downed Villanova in 4-sets Saturday to earn its 8th victory in a row and stay perfect in Big East play. The Bluejays registered the win with a.250 attack percentage, 6 blocks and 6 service aces, while holding the Wildcats to a.196 attack percentage, 5 blocks and 3 service aces. Creighton is off to its best start through 20 matches of season since joining the Big East with a 16-4 mark. Creighton improved to 16-4 on the season and 8-0 in BIG EAST play with a 3-1 win over Villanova tonight. Quick recap: — Creighton Volleyball (@CreightonVB) Team Comparison: CU / VU. Points: 66 / 57.5.

Kills: 54 / 49. Aces: 6 / 3. Blocks: 6 / 5.

Assists: 49 / 47. Digs: 57 / 55 Statistical Leaders – Creighton. Jaali Winters: 16 kills, 11 digs.

Taryn Kloth: 13 kills. Megan Ballenger: 12 kills,.435 attack percentage Statistical Leaders – Villanova. Clare Delaplane: 18 kills. Emma Decker: 42 assists.

Regan Lough: 23 digs Up Next: Date Matchup Location Time Thursday, Oct. 18 Butler at Providence Providence, R.I.

Xavier at Creighton Omaha, Neb.