Takeaways from the 2021 Big East Tournament
Thoughts and reactions from this past weekend in Mohegan Sun Arena
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In what was a weekend filled with remarkable performances, the UConn Huskies climbed the mountaintop yet again for their 19th Big East Tournament—their first since 2012, when they defeated Notre Dame (UConn left the Big East for the American in 2013 before rejoining the Big East in 2020). Geno Auriemma’s squad steamrolled their opponents by 36, 45, and 34 points, and they’re on track to be named the NCAA No. 1 overall seed this upcoming Monday.
So, we know the end result and how the Huskies got there, but what were some other takeaways from this year’s Big East Tournament? Let’s get into it.
UConn has found their form just in time
A wise man once said, “Dread it. Run from it. Destiny arrives all the same. And now, it’s here.” Well, it’s safe to imagine that’s how the rest of the Big East felt after this past weekend. For several seasons, the Huskies ran roughshod over the American Athletic Conference, winning the regular season and tournament championships year after year. Now, UConn is back in the Big East, and their reign of dominance seems to have no end in sight.
I mentioned last week that UConn would have to be wary of potential slow starts, since as the regular season wound down they trailed Seton Hall at halftime and had some issues with Butler’s zone early. It appears that the Huskies were aware of that, as in each matchup this past weekend they jumped out to huge leads. In their 77-41 victory over St. John’s, they led 18-6 after 10 minutes. In their 84-39 win over Villanova they led 25-10. Lastly, in their 73-39 demolition of Marquette, they had an astounding 29-10 lead after the first stanza. Against a team they only defeated by 10 a week prior, they left nothing to chance.
Overall, the Huskies outscored their opponents 234-119, never trailing for a second. Their defense was downright suffocating, holding their opponents to under 40 points a game on 27.1% from the field. Even better, they shut down some of the conference’s best players, holding St. John’s Leilani Correa, Villanova’s Maddy Siegrist, and Marquette’s Selena Lott to seven, three, and two points, respectively. UConn is playing their absolute best basketball just in time for the NCAA tournament, and that should make opposing teams very worried.
Major questions looming for DePaul
For some, DePaul falling in the quarterfinals to Villanova last weekend felt like a major upset. After all, Doug Bruno’s squad had won 19 of their last 21 Big East Tournament games,and were the top dogs in the conference before UConn came back. However, I mentioned last week that the Blue Demons might be on upset alert after losing three of their last four games, and overall just not playing their best this season.
DePaul lost Chante Stonewall and Kelly Campbell from last year’s roster, but still returned more than enough talent to be considered a threat nationally. In fact, they were ranked for the entire season. However, DePaul just wasn’t as powerful this year in comparison to the 2019-20 season. Their offensive rating fell from 109.4 to 100.4 and their defensive rating worsened from 92.7 to 96.0, resulting in a net rating plummet of over 12 points per 100 possessions. In the end, the downward spiral of the Blue Demons continued with a crushing overtime loss.
Credit to the Wildcats for such a defining win, but this just wasn’t the same clinical DePaul team. On the year, DePaul hit their fewest threes per game since the 2016-17 season, and averaged their fewest assists per game since before the 2015-16 season, which is as far back as our database tracks. Last Saturday, they finished with just seven threes and seven assists, both well below their season average. Now, with the extra year of eligibility, we could see seniors like Dee Bekelja and Deja Church return for another season. If they choose to leave, though, this could be a DePaul team with more questions than answers.
Let’s give Temi Carda her flowers
For the last four seasons, Temi Carda has been a model of consistency and a beacon of hope for the Creighton Bluejays. She’s been durable and reliable, starting every game the past two years and finishing second in the Big East in minutes per game. She’s one of the best shooters in the conference, finishing top-five in three-point percentage in consecutive years as well. Most importantly, Carda has established herself as a big-game player, and that was more apparent than ever this past weekend.
Carda tallied 26 points against Georgetown and 29 against Seton Hall, averaging 23 points per game overall throughout the Bluejays’ run to the semifinals and landing a spot on the All-Tournament Team. While she could return for another season, if this was it for her, she went out on her terms. Let’s give Temi Carda her flowers while we can.
The future is very bright
Lastly, this tournament featured several dazzling performances from the future (and present) of the Big East, as underclassmen across the conference showed out on the biggest stage.
Paige Bueckers scored 23 points on her way to Most Outstanding Player;
Creighton’s Emma Ronsiek dropped 20 points and this lethal dagger to upset the Pirates;
Not to be outdone, her teammate Morgan Maly had 18 points and a double-double of her own;
And UConn’s Nika Muhl finished in double figures with a black eye and an ankle injury in a gritty performance.
These players, along with others like Villanova’s Siegrist, St. John’s Correa, and Seton Hall’s Lauren Park-Lane, shone when the lights were brightest. These performances go to show that the conference is definitely in good hands for many years to come.
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