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Game Thread 2/24/26-2/28/26 - Nameless - 02-23-2026 08:51 AM
Last game thread of February. Man, time flies. All times EST all rankings NET at time of posting.
Tuesday 2/24
108 Marquette @ 93 Georgetown -7pm, Peacock
98 Xavier @ 78 Providence -7:30pm, TNT/TruTV
Wednesday 2/25
23 St Johns @ 10 UConn -7pm, Peacock/NBCSN
80 Butler @ 30 Villanova -7pm, FS1
103 DePaul @ 82 Creighton -9pm, Peacock
Saturday 2/28
53 Seton Hall @ 10 UConn -Noon, FS1
93 Georgetown @ 98 Xavier -1:30pm, TNT/TruTV
78 Providence @ 82 Creighton -5:30pm, TNT/TruTV
30 Villanova @ 23 St Johns -8pm, FOX
RE: Game Thread 2/24/26-2/28/26 - Nameless - 02-23-2026 08:56 AM
Obviously St Johns @ UConn is the game of the week. I also think Seton Hall @ UConn and Nova @ St Johns are important games. I expect UConn and SJU to each be victorious but both Seton Hall and Nova are capable of pulling off an upset.
As a UConn fan, I really want Creighton in the top 75 so I'm hoping they win both games this week. Will add a Q1 win and remove our Q3 loss.
RE: Game Thread 2/24/26-2/28/26 - Bill Marsh - 02-23-2026 09:33 AM
We’re at the time of year where we’ll find out who’s hot and is capable of pulling off an upset(s) going into the Big East Tournament. Despite the St. John’s debacle, Providence (3-2) is looking most like being that kind of team in the last 5 games. Despite being on a 3 game losing streak, Marquette has been playing surprisingly well against tough opponents and were (3-2) just before their recent losses. I’m keeping an eye on them as well. Georgetown is another one to watch. They’ve lost 4 in a row, but they had a 4 game win streak right before that and they’ve had tough losses against the league’s top teams.
From that perspective, Tuesday night offers big games. Marquette is at Georgetown and Xavier is at Providence.
RE: Game Thread 2/24/26-2/28/26 - Nameless - 02-24-2026 07:36 AM
(02-23-2026 09:33 AM)Bill Marsh Wrote: We’re at the time of year where we’ll find out who’s hot and is capable of pulling off an upset(s) going into the Big East Tournament. Despite the St. John’s debacle, Providence (3-2) is looking most like being that kind of team in the last 5 games. Despite being on a 3 game losing streak, Marquette has been playing surprisingly well against tough opponents and were (3-2) just before their recent losses. I’m keeping an eye on them as well. Georgetown is another one to watch. They’ve lost 4 in a row, but they had a 4 game win streak right before that and they’ve had tough losses against the league’s top teams.
From that perspective, Tuesday night offers big games. Marquette is at Georgetown and Xavier is at Providence.
I'll give the edge to the home team in those games. As I said in another thread, probably a 65% chance for them to win in my eyes.
RE: Game Thread 2/24/26-2/28/26 - gosports1 - 02-24-2026 07:37 PM
Xavier Providence moved to tomorrow due to yesterdays storm.
What is going on at Georgetown? Seems like a small crowd
RE: Game Thread 2/24/26-2/28/26 - Bill Marsh - 02-24-2026 09:26 PM
Marquette 76 - Georgetown - 60 in DC
WOW! I sure didn’t see that one coming!
RE: Game Thread 2/24/26-2/28/26 - Bill Marsh - 02-24-2026 09:34 PM
(02-24-2026 07:37 PM)gosports1 Wrote: Xavier Providence moved to tomorrow due to yesterdays storm.
What is going on at Georgetown? Seems like a small crowd
Providence really got clobbered by the blizzard with 38 inches, breaking the previous record for the city by 9 inches and with 35.5 inches yesterday, broke the previous one day snowfall for the city by 16.5 inches and the previous one day record for February 23 by 34 inches!
RE: Game Thread 2/24/26-2/28/26 - Traderwill - 02-24-2026 10:21 PM
Speaking of Providence, Jeff Goodman said today that Richard Pitino would strongly consider the Providence job if it were offered to him. Supposedly Providence has nearly double the NIL budget of Xavier, which I'm sure would be a major factor in a decision to jump teams. Should this happen, and Pitino brings some of the better Xavier talent with him, along with Providence keeping their young guns, a rebuild could happen pretty quick.
RE: Game Thread 2/24/26-2/28/26 - Bill Marsh - 02-24-2026 10:56 PM
That would be quite a stunt by Pitino if that happened, leaving Xavier after just 1 season - for another conference member at that! And then adding insult to injury by stealing players from Xavier on his way out the door.
I’m wondering just what the younger Pitino has done to distinguish himself that Providence would even want to pull off such a heist.
RE: Game Thread 2/24/26-2/28/26 - Traderwill - 02-24-2026 11:33 PM
This is just my own gut feeling, but I think Providence would have a legitimate shot at landing Schertz if they want. I think both Notre Dame and Penn St. might hold off a another year before making a coaching change, who otherwise might be formidable competition. If it came down to Providence and Syracuse, I honestly think Providence might be the slight favorite. They have a healthy NIL budget, and it all goes to basketball, whereas Syracuse seems to have NIL issues, and it needs to compete with football for the available dollars. Pitino is a Providence grad, so he'd be a top contender for the job too. I think both are good coaches and either way, Providence will be in a good spot going forward next year.
RE: Game Thread 2/24/26-2/28/26 - Bill Marsh - 02-24-2026 11:58 PM
Schertz makes sense, Pitino does not - assuming that Providence is in the market for a new coach, which is yet to be determined.
RE: Game Thread 2/24/26-2/28/26 - bill dazzle - 02-25-2026 10:41 AM
(02-24-2026 09:26 PM)Bill Marsh Wrote: Marquette 76 - Georgetown - 60 in DC
WOW! I sure didn’t see that one coming!
The Hoya season is spiraling out of control. No Big East team should lose to Marquette at home by 10 or more. Simply unacceptable.
Stat of note: All five Marquette starters scored in double figures. None of the five GU starters scoref more than nine points. We rarely see that.
RE: Game Thread 2/24/26-2/28/26 - GoldenWarrior11 - 02-25-2026 10:59 AM
(02-25-2026 10:41 AM)bill dazzle Wrote:(02-24-2026 09:26 PM)Bill Marsh Wrote: Marquette 76 - Georgetown - 60 in DC
WOW! I sure didn’t see that one coming!
The Hoya season is spiraling out of control. No Big East team should lose to Marquette at home by 10 or more. Simply unacceptable.
Stat of note: All five Marquette starters scored in double figures. None of the five GU starters score more than nine points. We rarely see that.
Parham was also injured (Owens started). While we do have several strong pieces to build on moving forward, there is a reason last night was our ninth win of the season. With Lowery already out of the program, and Parham and Jones injured, we had our starters each play 32+ minutes last night (once again highlighting that there was little-to-no depth this year and that margin for error was small for this group to begin with). A single experienced transfer (whether a true center to help move Gold to a stretch-4, a shooting guard or a point guard to help distribute/facilitate) would have done wonders for this year's team. What's done is done, and thankfully the admin/staff are committed to correcting that next year and beyond. Just frustrating.
Losing Lewis hurt for Georgetown. Mack/Mulready/Lewis went 0-13 from 3 last night too. Cooley does not seem to have the same fire/competitiveness he had at Providence. Not sure if it was the payday, experience or comfort in knowing he has a longer rope, but these Georgetown teams resemble very little of his Providence teams.
That coaching change negatively impacted not one but two (Providence) Big East programs.
RE: Game Thread 2/24/26-2/28/26 - Nameless - 02-25-2026 12:05 PM
(02-24-2026 07:37 PM)gosports1 Wrote: Xavier Providence moved to tomorrow due to yesterdays storm.
What is going on at Georgetown? Seems like a small crowd
Not sure if you're in the city, but do you know if most of the snow has been removed? I remember we got somewhere above 40 inches 10-15 years ago in my hometown in CT. I wasn't even that far off a main road but didn't get plowed out for 3 days. Literally just a 4 foot, compacted wall of snow for my road lol. I imagine there have been some difficulties getting the snow out of the city with a storm like this one
RE: Game Thread 2/24/26-2/28/26 - Nameless - 02-25-2026 12:08 PM
As far as Pitino to Providence goes...
I think it would be a good hire for PC. Would obviously sting for Xavier, but would be a little humorous to me if the Friars lost a coach to another league member then poached from a different league member a few years later.
I know PC has a solid NIL budget, but damn, double that of X? Is X just not putting money into the program? They've had a lot of success over the years, and basketball is their bread and butter. Would be kind of sad if they lost footing in the D-1 landscape just because they didn't invest enough in the program
RE: Game Thread 2/24/26-2/28/26 - Bill Marsh - 02-25-2026 12:50 PM
(02-25-2026 10:59 AM)GoldenWarrior11 Wrote:(02-25-2026 10:41 AM)bill dazzle Wrote:(02-24-2026 09:26 PM)Bill Marsh Wrote: Marquette 76 - Georgetown - 60 in DC
WOW! I sure didn’t see that one coming!
The Hoya season is spiraling out of control. No Big East team should lose to Marquette at home by 10 or more. Simply unacceptable.
Stat of note: All five Marquette starters scored in double figures. None of the five GU starters score more than nine points. We rarely see that.
Losing Lewis hurt for Georgetown. Mack/Mulready/Lewis went 0-13 from 3 last night too. Cooley does not seem to have the same fire/competitiveness he had at Providence. Not sure if it was the payday, experience or comfort in knowing he has a longer rope, but these Georgetown teams resemble very little of his Providence teams.
That coaching change negatively impacted not one but two (Providence) Big East programs.
Cooley left Providence with reports of marital/family problems. I’d look in that direction for explanations regarding lack of fire or whatever.
RE: Game Thread 2/24/26-2/28/26 - Bill Marsh - 02-25-2026 01:07 PM
(02-25-2026 12:08 PM)Nameless Wrote: As far as Pitino to Providence goes...
I think it would be a good hire for PC. Would obviously sting for Xavier, but would be a little humorous to me if the Friars lost a coach to another league member then poached from a different league member a few years later.
I know PC has a solid NIL budget, but damn, double that of X? Is X just not putting money into the program? They've had a lot of success over the years, and basketball is their bread and butter. Would be kind of sad if they lost footing in the D-1 landscape just because they didn't invest enough in the program
Xavier has bigger problems than NIL. They’ve been dealing with long term declining enrollment, approaching a 30% decline over the past 15 tears. Their enrollment dropped under 5000 this past fall, down from high of 7000 in 2011. The enrollment dropped under forced the university to use $16 million in financial reserves to cover a deficit in the 2023-24 fiscal year. This all happened at a time when college applications were on the rise due to the “second baby boom.” College enrollment reached an all time high in 2024-25. We’ve now entered a period in which the number of high school graduates - and therefore the number of college applicants - will be declining every year for the next 10 years simply due to birth rates and demographics. The loss of immigrants and the accompanying decline in the enrollment of foreign students will further contribute to the overall decline in college enrollments.
Schools like Xavier depend heavily on tuition income to meet their costs. So, decline in enrollment and the accompanying loss of tuition dollars is a serious financial problem for them.
RE: Game Thread 2/24/26-2/28/26 - Nameless - 02-25-2026 02:35 PM
(02-25-2026 01:07 PM)Bill Marsh Wrote:(02-25-2026 12:08 PM)Nameless Wrote: As far as Pitino to Providence goes...
I think it would be a good hire for PC. Would obviously sting for Xavier, but would be a little humorous to me if the Friars lost a coach to another league member then poached from a different league member a few years later.
I know PC has a solid NIL budget, but damn, double that of X? Is X just not putting money into the program? They've had a lot of success over the years, and basketball is their bread and butter. Would be kind of sad if they lost footing in the D-1 landscape just because they didn't invest enough in the program
Xavier has bigger problems than NIL. They’ve been dealing with long term declining enrollment, approaching a 30% decline over the past 15 tears. Their enrollment dropped under 5000 this past fall, down from high of 7000 in 2011. The enrollment dropped under forced the university to use $16 million in financial reserves to cover a deficit in the 2023-24 fiscal year. This all happened at a time when college applications were on the rise due to the “second baby boom.” College enrollment reached an all time high in 2024-25. We’ve now entered a period in which the number of high school graduates - and therefore the number of college applicants - will be declining every year for the next 10 years simply due to birth rates and demographics. The loss of immigrants and the accompanying decline in the enrollment of foreign students will further contribute to the overall decline in college enrollments.
Schools like Xavier depend heavily on tuition income to meet their costs. So, decline in enrollment and the accompanying loss of tuition dollars is a serious financial problem for them.
Appreciate you breaking that down for me, Bill. I had no idea they had such a decline in enrollment. A larger university could probably withstand a 2k drop in enrollment fairly easily, but going from 7k down to 5k is obviously a huge drop, percentage wise.
RE: Game Thread 2/24/26-2/28/26 - Nameless - 02-25-2026 02:42 PM
(02-25-2026 10:59 AM)GoldenWarrior11 Wrote:(02-25-2026 10:41 AM)bill dazzle Wrote:(02-24-2026 09:26 PM)Bill Marsh Wrote: Marquette 76 - Georgetown - 60 in DC
WOW! I sure didn’t see that one coming!
The Hoya season is spiraling out of control. No Big East team should lose to Marquette at home by 10 or more. Simply unacceptable.
Stat of note: All five Marquette starters scored in double figures. None of the five GU starters score more than nine points. We rarely see that.
Parham was also injured (Owens started). While we do have several strong pieces to build on moving forward, there is a reason last night was our ninth win of the season. With Lowery already out of the program, and Parham and Jones injured, we had our starters each play 32+ minutes last night (once again highlighting that there was little-to-no depth this year and that margin for error was small for this group to begin with). A single experienced transfer (whether a true center to help move Gold to a stretch-4, a shooting guard or a point guard to help distribute/facilitate) would have done wonders for this year's team. What's done is done, and thankfully the admin/staff are committed to correcting that next year and beyond. Just frustrating.
Losing Lewis hurt for Georgetown. Mack/Mulready/Lewis went 0-13 from 3 last night too. Cooley does not seem to have the same fire/competitiveness he had at Providence. Not sure if it was the payday, experience or comfort in knowing he has a longer rope, but these Georgetown teams resemble very little of his Providence teams.
That coaching change negatively impacted not one but two (Providence) Big East programs.
Firstly, I agree completely about the difference even one impact transfer would have made. Especially now that some of the freshmen have developed. Perhaps Marquette wins a few more games OOC and some of their close matchups in conference play, putting them firmly on the bubble had they brought in that one player.
You said the admin/staff are committed to correcting this next year, and are obviously more plugged into the program than I am. Has Shaka, or someone from the university publicly stated this somewhere and I missed it? If so, can you by any chance link a video or article relating to those comments? If not, can you tell me what makes you confident they will get it sorted out?
Not saying you're wrong or anything, just genuinely curious what I missed. A strong Marquette is imperative to the success of the league in my eyes, so hearing Shaka will finally be bringing in some high level transfers (I believe the last one was Kolek) is music to my ears, lol.
RE: Game Thread 2/24/26-2/28/26 - Traderwill - 02-25-2026 02:56 PM
(02-25-2026 01:07 PM)Bill Marsh Wrote:(02-25-2026 12:08 PM)Nameless Wrote: As far as Pitino to Providence goes...
I think it would be a good hire for PC. Would obviously sting for Xavier, but would be a little humorous to me if the Friars lost a coach to another league member then poached from a different league member a few years later.
I know PC has a solid NIL budget, but damn, double that of X? Is X just not putting money into the program? They've had a lot of success over the years, and basketball is their bread and butter. Would be kind of sad if they lost footing in the D-1 landscape just because they didn't invest enough in the program
Xavier has bigger problems than NIL. They’ve been dealing with long term declining enrollment, approaching a 30% decline over the past 15 tears. Their enrollment dropped under 5000 this past fall, down from high of 7000 in 2011. The enrollment dropped under forced the university to use $16 million in financial reserves to cover a deficit in the 2023-24 fiscal year. This all happened at a time when college applications were on the rise due to the “second baby boom.” College enrollment reached an all time high in 2024-25. We’ve now entered a period in which the number of high school graduates - and therefore the number of college applicants - will be declining every year for the next 10 years simply due to birth rates and demographics. The loss of immigrants and the accompanying decline in the enrollment of foreign students will further contribute to the overall decline in college enrollments.
Schools like Xavier depend heavily on tuition income to meet their costs. So, decline in enrollment and the accompanying loss of tuition dollars is a serious financial problem for them.
In another relative aspect of financial health, as of June 30 2025 Xavier's endowment was 269 million. It's most peer institution is probably Dayton, which has an endowment of 1.2 billion (which is admittedly high for a school that size) Others of note, St john's 787 million, Villanova 1.31 billion, and Providence at 321 million. It does seem clear though that Xavier lags most of it's peer institutions financially.