Villanova at Ohio State, Michigan State at Seton Hall highlight Gavitt Games
The 2019 Gavitt Tipoff Games will feature
The 2019 Gavitt Tipoff Games will feature
By ADAM ZAGORIA Villanova's Jay Wright was named
A pair of Villanova seniors and a junior from Marquette and Seton Hall are unanimous selections to the 2018-19 All-BIG EAST First Team, announced today by the league. The conference released the All-BIG EAST First and Second Teams, Honorable Mention and the All-Freshman Team. The league’s head coaches choose the all-conference teams and are not permitted to vote for their own players.
The four unanimous picks are: Markus Howard of Marquette, Myles Powell of Seton Hall and Phil Booth and Eric Paschall of Villanova. The two other All-BIG EAST First Team picks are Jessie Govan of Georgetown and Shamorie Ponds of St. John’s. Ponds is the only repeat member of the first team from last season. Howard was a second team selection. Both guards were All-Freshman Team picks two seasons ago.
By ADAM ZAGORIA Defending national champion Villanova is
By ADAM ZAGORIA
Don’t count out Villanova just yet.
With their 67-61 victory over No. 10 Marquette on Wednesday night, the Wildcats remained alive for the Big East regular-season title and the No. 1 seed in the Big East Tournament.
A Marquette win would’ve given the Golden Eagles the No. 1 seed and at least a share of the regular-season title.
Villanova (21-8, 12-4) also owns the tiebreaker over Marquette (23-5, 12-3) because they own a win over St. John’s and Marquette does not.
Updated @BIGEASTMBB standings pic.twitter.com/SEZUDhm0Df
— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) February 28, 2019
“We had to step it up, we just had to step it up,” Villanova coach Jay Wright told Billy Raftery on FS1. “Marquette’s a great team. What a great team, man. Great Big East game. They’re going to be really good. They could be a Final Four team.”
By ADAM ZAGORIA
It’s just past the midway point of the Big East Conference schedule but Marquette junior Markus Howard has emerged as the frontrunner for Big East Player of the Year.
The 5-foot-11 Howard is averaging 24.6 points, 4.2 assists and 4.1 rebounds for a Marquette team that is 19-4, 8-2 in the Big East. He has scored 30+ points six times, 40+ three times and went for a career- and Big East-record 53 points in an overtime win at Creighton on Jan. 9.
“Yeah, you’ve got to look at what he’s done, and what the team’s done,” Villanova coach Jay Wright, whose No. 14 Wildcats face No. 10 Marquette on Saturday, said Thursday on a conference call when I asked if he thought Howard was the frontrunner. “We always try to look at the best player on the best team so you’ve gotta say he’s definitely up there.”
