It looks like we've started to get a feel for how this season is going to go for most of the teams in the conference. Unfortunately for fans, there's a lot of questions marks. Fortunately for concepts like the Big Five, that gives us lots of options to pick from.
Monday, January 20: RV/#24 Creighton at #4/#5 Villanova (6pm Central, Fox Sports 1) - This is the aforementioned biggest game of the season. Creighton had a 10 game winning streak snapped on Saturday in their trip to Providence, and they have to travel to the Wells Fargo Center to try to bounce back from it. What did Villanova do at the WFC last season? Why, only put up their two biggest wins of the season.
Thursday, January 23: Seton Hall at St. John's (6pm Central, CBS Sports Network) - Then, we head to the opposite end of the standings. St. John's sits at 0-5 and things aren't looking great for the team that Jon Rothstein called the most talented team in the conference. Seton Hall has been more than frisky this season as both Georgetown and Marquette can attest to after their last two games.
Saturday, January 25: Xavier at Providence (11am Central, Fox Sports 1) - It's fun when you can actually say "Ok, show me something," to both teams. Xavier seems like the clear choice for the third best team in the league, but Providence is riding high after clipping Creighton's wings on Saturday. Can the Dunkin' Donuts Center turn into a fortress for the Friars?
Big East Women's Basketball Game of the Week
Saturday, January 25: Marquette at Creighton (3:05pm Central) - The Bluejays got dumped by Butler back on Saturday, costing them their spot atop the Big East standings. Marquette currently sits in fourth place in the Big East, but they have the same number of losses as Creighton but with two fewer games played. The Golden Eagles are undefeated on the road this season, not just in Big East play, but overall. It's an excellent opportunity for both teams to take a step forward towards the postseason.
The Worst American Athletic Conference Game of the Week
Saturday, January 25: Connecticut at Rutgers (6pm Central, ESPNU) - I actually don't like picking this one. It should really be impossible to pick a game involving Shabazz Napier as the worst game of anything on any level. But with the way the standings have shaken out in the AAC to this point, this is the only game that features two teams in the bottom half of the league right now. Plus, it's at Rutgers, and you know that attendance will be terrible, so that will be funny.