The Big East Conference Week in Review: Weeks One and Two

It is official, ladies and gentlemen: College basketball is in full tilt.

Thanks to an unbelievable week of games and the ending of college football, basketball is now the main focus.

My main focus, though, is the Big East, and deservedly so. This weekend alone was nuts. From Georgetown's comeback to Notre Dame's close upset, the second week of Big East play blew the first away.

The Big East Weekly Review, well, pretty much speaks for itself. It is a weekly overview of what went on in the Big East conference and a preview of the week to come as well.

There are some categories to go over, so since it is my first time, I will give a description of what each one means.

The Team on Top: Georgetown Hoyas

The team on top obviously goes to the team who had the best week in conference play. They are also the team to beat in the next week.

This week’s team on top is the Georgetown Hoyas. In one of the greatest comebacks you will see all year, the Hoyas pulled off a miraculous win at home over Jerome Dyson and the No. 13 UConn Huskies. The Hoyas are 3-1 in conference play, and despite an upset loss to Marquette on Wednesday night, they are still my best team in the Big East right now.

The Team Feeling the Wrath: Cincinnati Bearcats

The team feeling the wrath goes to the team that has really felt the pain of playing in the Big East in the past week. The Bearcats have certainly felt the wrath. After beating UConn at home and then Rutgers at the RAC, Cincinnati was 2-0 to start and looking to jump back in the rankings. But then they forgot just how good the conference is that they play in.

The Bearcats went up against Pitt at home and lost in a heartbreaker and then went on the road and unexpectedly lost to a very good Seton Hall team. Before they knew it they were 2-2 in the blink of an eye. Hopefully they can jump back this week against St. John's, who will be as tough as anyone they have played so far.

The Team Flying Under the Radar: Louisville Cardinals

The team flying under the radar goes to the team that has gotten a couple of wins and is secretly at the top.

Louisville is 3-0 and tied for first in the conference. Their 3 wins are South Florida, Providence, and St. John's—all very good teams, but not the cream of the crop in the Big East. Next up for the Cardinals is Villanova. This is their chance to really show what they can do and see if they can prove how good they really are.

The Player of the Week: Luke Harangody, Notre Dame

The player of the week goes to the man who not only performed the best but also got his team a key win or two. Harangody did both of those things by scoring 36 points and 24 points in his last two games, one of them being an upset victory at home last night against No. 8 West Virginia.

Surprise Player of the Week: Austin Freeman, Georgetown Hoyas

The surprise player of the week is the guy who very subtly had a couple big performances, and he is also the guy that other teams have to watch out for in the future.

Austin Freeman played two outstanding games to finish off the week. In the first, a loss to Marquette, Freeman scored 20 points and had six assists. In Saturday's win over UConn Freeman scored a career-high 33 points, 21 in the second half, to power Georgetown to its miraculous win.

Game of the Week: No. 12 Georgetown 72, No. 13 UConn 69

The game of the week goes to the game that kept you on the edge of your seat, at least for the end, which is the case in the game. The Hoyas trailed by as many as 15, but they gained some huge momentum in the second half, and with the help of Freeman and All-American Greg Monroe, they made a huge comeback to get the close win. 

This Week's Games to Watch

Monday, Jan. 11: Louisville vs. No. 6 Villanova

Jay Wright and the Wildcats take their undefeated Big East record to Freedom Hall to take on the silent but deadly Louisville Cardinals, led by senior guard Edgar Sosa. This game will certainly be one to tune in to come Monday night.

Wednesday, Jan. 13: No. 13 UConn vs. Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh is also a team that is a force to be reckoned with this year. Coming off wins at Syracuse and at Cincinnati, this will be their toughest test. They go to UConn in a place where it is considered impossible to win. Can the Panthers stay undefeated and hand UConn its fifth loss of the season? We will see on Wednesday night.

Thursday, Jan. 14: No. 12 Georgetown vs. Seton Hall

The Hoyas are riding high after their big win over UConn, but will they have to come back in the second half again against the feisty Pirates? I think the key is if they get off to a shaky start, I don't think they will come back despite Seton Hall's inability to finish off teams like Georgetown. Whichever team gets off to a hot start I think will be the team that comes out victorious Thursday night.

Well, there you have it—the first edition of the Big East week in review. This upcoming week projects to be even more exciting and fun to watch than the past week. Get ready for a few more upsets and some crazy games throughout the week.