2 in Associated Press poll; Tennessee women fall out

This time around, the Musketeers are hoping home court advantage and a three-game winning streak will prepare them to do what not many in the Big East can do – beat Villanova. “And when you do all those little things, everything else just opens up for you”. The teams don’t meet again in the regular season, though both will be favored to reach the conference tournament championship.

Records: Villanova (24-3 overall, 13-1 Big East), Xavier (24-3, 12-3).

“That was such a freakish game”, coach Jay Wright told Villanova’s official website. “The last couple years it’s been tough going down there, so we’ve just got to go out there and play Villanova basketball”.

Game Preview: Get ready for a good one.

Villanova has a steady hand at the point in senior Ryan Arcidiacono and one of the best finishers in the country in Josh Hart.

No. 2 Kansas 72, Kansas State 63: Frank Mason III scored 15 points, Perry Ellis added 14 and Kansas escaped after blowing most of a 17-point lead in the second half. They play each other on Wednesday in a Big East tilt that has both squads on the national stage.

Xavier’s 1-3-1 zone makes it unique but on paper, at least, but the Musketeers and Wildcats have similar qualities. “As soon as their point guard went down, it was shocking to all of us and I think it really affected them and then we started making ridiculous shots”. “We have a group that if they continue to get better, the sky’s the limit and I think our team understands that”.

Now, Sumner is back, Xavier is rolling and Villanova is trying to prove, once and for awhile, that this squad’s success isn’t a fluke. Villanova took the conference opener against Xavier easily, but the Musketeers were without top player Edmond Sumner for most of that game.

Jenkins made three of his first four shots from beyond the arc, including one that sparked a 7-0 run and put Villanova ahead 19-13, its biggest lead of the game. Bluiett managed just 11 points in the first game.

To achieve that feat, the Musketeers’ to-do list includes minimizing turnovers and playing with an energy they lacked after Sumner’s departure.

Adams’ 3-pointer with 36 seconds to go snapped a 72-72 tie as the Bonnies (18-7, 10-4 Atlantic 10) pulled off an improbable win over the Flyers (21-5, 11-3).

But at this point in the season, having two teams like Villanova and Xavier reside among the nation’s elite is further confirmation that the Big East is back, and while the conference may be short on the quantity of teams it’s sending to the NCAA Tournament, the quality is definitely there.