UConn is the favorite to win the Big East in part because the Huskies have a two-game lead in the conference standings with just seven contests remaining. That means Marquette is unlikely to repeat as league champs this season. But that doesn't mean things aren't going well for Shaka Smart's team because things are still going remarkably well for the Golden Eagles, evidence being how they improved to 19-5 Tuesday night with a 78-72 win at Butler that allowed Marquette to remain No. 4 in Wednesday morning's updated CBS Sports Top 25 And 1 daily college basketball rankings.
Tyler Kolek was the star again.
The 6-foot-3 point guard took 21 shots, made 10 of them and finished with 27 points, seven rebounds and five assists in 36 minutes inside Hinkle Fieldhouse. He's now averaging 27.0 points, 9.0 assists and 7.0 rebounds in Marquette's past two games while shooting 55.3% from the field and 58.3% from 3-point range.
"He's always motivated — but even more so [now] to be his best," Smart said of Kolek. "When you get to this time of the year, [in your] senior year, you know, it's go-time."
This weekend, it's definitely go-time.
That's because, on Saturday afternoon at 3 ET, Marquette is playing the first of two scheduled games against the only school its chasing in the Big East standings -- UConn. The Golden Eagles will enter two games back of UConn in the loss column of the league standings (provided UConn doesn't lose Wednesday at DePaul, which it obviously shouldn't). On a busy Saturday, Marquette-UConn projects as the Game of the Weekend, and if Kolek wants to repeat as Big East Player of the Year, turning in another monster performance in a matchup with his biggest competition for the trophy, UConn's Tristen Newton, would obviously be the best way to continue moving the needle back in his direction.
Wednesday's Top 25 And 1 rankings
Rk | Teams | Chg | Rcrd | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Zach Edey finished with 26 points and 13 rebounds in Saturday's 79-59 win over Indiana. The Boilermakers' next game is Thursday against Minnesota. | -- | 34-5 |
| 2 |  | Alex Karaban finished with 25 points and four rebounds in Saturday's 89-64 win at Georgetown. The Huskies' next game is Wednesday at DePaul. | -- | 37-3 |
| 3 |  | J'wan Roberts finished with 20 points and eight rebounds in Saturday's 67-62 win at Cincinnati. The Cougars' next game is Saturday against Texas. | -- | 32-5 |
| 4 |  | Tyler Kolek finished with 27 points and seven rebounds in Tuesday's 78-72 win at Butler. The Golden Eagles' next game is Saturday at UConn. | -- | 27-10 |
| 5 |  | Caleb Love finished with 19 points and three assists in Saturday's 99-79 win at Colorado. The Wildcats' next game is Saturday against Arizona State. | -- | 27-9 |
| 6 |  | Santiago Vescovi was 1 of 6 from the field in Saturday's 85-69 loss at Texas A&M. The Vols' next game is Wednesday at Arkansas. | 1 | 27-9 |
| 7 |  | Jayden Nunn finished with 27 points and three steals in Tuesday's 79-62 win over Oklahoma. The Bears' next game is Saturday at West Virginia. | 1 | 24-11 |
| 8 |  | Tamin Lipsey finished with 15 points and four assists in Tuesday's 68-59 win at Cincinnati. The Cyclones' next game is Saturday against Texas Tech. | 1 | 29-8 |
| 9 |  | North Carolina allowed the Orange to shoot 62.5% from the field in Tuesday's 86-79 loss at Syracuse. The Tar Heels' next game is Saturday against Virginia Tech. | 3 | 29-8 |
| 10 |  | K.J. Adams was 1 of 10 from the field in Monday's 79-50 loss at Texas Tech. The Jayhawks' next game is Saturday at Oklahoma. | -- | 23-11 |
| 11 |  | Collin Murray-Boyles finished with 31 points and seven rebounds in Saturday's 75-60 win over Vanderbilt. The Gamecocks' next game is Wednesday at Auburn. | -- | 26-8 |
| 12 |  | Mark Mitchell finished with 23 points and eight rebounds in Monday's 77-69 win over Wake Forest. The Blue Devils' next game is Saturday at Florida State. | -- | 27-9 |
| 13 |  | DaRon Holmes finished with 24 points and 11 rebounds in Tuesday's 75-59 win over Duquesne. The Flyers' next game is Saturday against Fordham. | -- | 25-8 |
| 14 |  | Auburn had 15 turnovers and nine assists in Saturday's 81-65 loss at Florida. The Tigers' next game is Wednesday against South Carolina. | -- | 27-8 |
| 15 |  | Mark Sears finished with 23 points and five assists in Saturday's 109-92 with at LSU. The Crimson Tide's next game is Saturday against Texas A&M. | -- | 25-12 |
| 16 |  | Terrence Shannon Jr. finished with 31 points and three assists in Tuesday's 97-68 win over Michigan. The Illini's next game is Saturday at Maryland. | 1 | 29-9 |
| 17 |  | Jaedon LeDee finished with 27 points and six rebounds in Tuesday's 71-55 win over Colorado State. The Aztecs' next game is Friday against New Mexico. | 5 | 26-11 |
| 18 |  | Steven Crowl finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds in Tuesday's 62-54 win over Ohio State. The Badgers' next game is Saturday at Iowa. | 2 | 22-14 |
| 19 |  | Myles Rice finished with 21 points and nine rebounds in Saturday's 62-56 win at Oregon. The Cougars' next game is Thursday against Cal. | 2 | 25-10 |
| 20 |  | Isaiah Stevens was 4 of 13 from the field in Tuesday's 71-55 loss at San Diego State. The Rams' next game is Saturday against Utah State. | 4 | 25-11 |
| 21 |  | Oklahoma allowed the Bears to shoot 54.9% from the field in Tuesday's 79-62 loss at Baylor. The Sooners' next game is Saturday against Kansas. | 3 | 20-12 |
| 22 |  | Jaxson Robinson finished with 21 points and two rebounds in Tuesday's 90-88 win over UCF. The Cougars' next game is Saturday at Oklahoma State. | 1 | 23-11 |
| 23 |  | Baylor Scheierman finished with 15 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists in Tuesday's 94-72 win over Georgetown. The Bluejays' next game is Saturday at Butler. | NR | 25-10 |
| 24 |  | Aidan Mahaney finished with 19 points and seven rebounds in Saturday's 76-51 win at Portland. The Gaels' next game is Thursday against Pepperdine. | -- | 26-8 |
| 25 |  | PJ Hall finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds in Saturday's 77-68 win at Syracuse. The Tigers' next game is Wednesday against Miami. | 1 | 24-12 |
| 26 |  | Mason Falslev finished with 25 points and three assists in Saturday's 80-61 win over Boise State. The Aggies next game is Wednesday at Wyoming. | NR | 28-7 |
