Patrick Brennan

pbrennan@enquirer.com

A lot's changed in Big East Conference men's basketball since October when the league's head coaches weighed in on preseason favorites.

To be sure, some things turned out the way the coaches probably expected, like Villanova's ascension to the No. 1 ranking in America.

The Wildcats were a unanimous preseason favorite to win the league, according to its coaches.

And Xavier, the runner-up in the preseason poll, looks as though it could challenge in the Big East, as does Creighton, the preseason No. 3.

Other teams have certainly turned heads and defied expectations. They're all set to collide over the coming two months as conference play convenes Wednesday.

For No. 17-ranked Xavier, the road to a title challenge begins Wednesday at Cintas Center against Providence College, a program that appears to be exceeding expectations for some.

Xavier set for Big East opener

The Friars enter the game with a 10-2 record despite being picked to finish low in the conference. And Providence isn't the only team making unexpected waves so far this season.

Here's a glance at the Big East entering league play, with teams listed in order of preseason voting by conference coaches:

1. Villanova (12-0) – The defending national champs made quick work of Philadelphia "Big 5" round-robin series, defeated Notre Dame on a neutral court, Purdue in West Lafayette and won the Gildan Charleston Classic preseason tournament. Four Nova starters – Josh Hart (20.1), Kris Jenkins (12.8), Jalen Brunson (12.8) and Mikal Bridges (10.7) – are leading the team offensively and averaging double-figure scoring. The Wildcats are averaging 80.8 points per game. It's hard to argue with their placement as the No. 1 team in America.

2. Xavier (10-2) – It seems a lot is still be to determined about the No. 17-ranked Musketeers. Head coach Chris Mack scheduled hard in the non-conference as Xavier won the Tire Pros Invitational preseason tournament and lost at Baylor and Colorado. All the while, the Musketeers have been playing shorthanded. The previously-injured Kaiser Gates has returned to the rotation and had a 12-point outing against Eastern Washington, but guard Myles Davis remains suspended and is still due to rejoin the team. Play at the center/forward position has also been inconsistent.

3. Creighton (12-0) – The Bluejays have lived up to their preseason billing as third-best in the Big East – at least. Creighton, currently ranked the No. 10 team in America, boasts wins against then-No. 9 Wisconsin, at in-state rival Nebraska and at Arizona State. The Bluejays also won the Paradise Jam preseason tournament earlier in non-conference play. Creighton has overwhelmed opponents offensively, scoring about 90 points per game.

4. Georgetown (8-4) – The Hoyas are suddenly riding high after some fits and starts earlier in non-conference play. Georgetown on Dec. 17 impressively knocked off Syracuse on the road, 78-71 (although that win now appears less impressive after Syracuse lost to St. John's last week). Junior guard L.J. Peak went for 23 and 11 in the game, and he's just the team's second-leading scorer (16.8 ppg). Senior guard Rodney Pryor is averaging about 20 points per game for Georgetown.

5. Seton Hall (10-2) – Seton Hall has a formidable resume and collected 10 wins in the non-conference. It also defeated Iowa and then No. 16-ranked South Carolina. However, the Pirates' roster is unsettled at the moment following Myles Carter's dismissal from the program. Sophomore wing Veer Singh also left the program via transfer earlier this month. In spite of the roster flux, the Pirates finished just outside the Associated Press' most recent Top 25 poll.

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6. Butler (11-1) – Butler has built an impressive NCAA Tournament resume for itself in the non-conference season. It's 2-0 against top-10 ranked teams (defeated No. 8 Arizona Nov. 25 and No. 9 Indiana Dec. 17) and earned a third win against a ranked team Dec. 10 against then-No. 23 Cincinnati. Big East coaches might have underestimated Butler coming into the season, but they now look to be a legitimate threat to the conference crown.

7. Marquette (9-3) – With losses to Michigan, Pitt and Wisconsin – and only a win against Georgia to balance out its record against major-conference teams – Marquette is yet to prove it can hang with elite teams. There's a lot to be desired if you support the Golden Eagles, although the team can score (85.9 ppg) and has three players averaging double-figure scoring in (Luke Fischer (13.5), Jajuan Johnson (13.3) and Haanif Cheatham (13.2).

8. St. John's (6-7) – St. John's has some suspects "L's" on its resume (Delaware State, Long Island University-Brooklyn) but buoyed things for the team being with a win against Syracuse last Wednesday. The Orange are just 7-5, but a win's a win, and St. John's needed one. For many, it's also the only quality win St. John's has to its name. At 6-7, they've left themselves a lot of work to do in the league – maybe too much work.

9. Providence (10-2) – Definitely a team the coaches underrated in the preseason. The Friars played Ohio State and Virginia tight in losing efforts, and has wins against Memphis and a streaky Rhode Island program. Mack said in a Tuesday press conference that some likely underestimated coming into 2016-17.

10. DePaul (7-6) – DePaul's losses are all over the board. They've come against major-conference opponents like Northwestern and Rutgers, as well as against the likes of Wyoming and Missouri State. It's scoring just 73 points per game to its opponents 70.2 points per game. Suffice it to say they have a tough road ahead in order to make a convincing case for a postseason tournament.