Let the season begin. Last night marked opening night for the 2025-26 college basketball campaign. While most teams strolled to easy wins over the bottom dwellers of Division I, the Hall of Fame series in Las Vegas gave fans two fantastic games. Among the many games, nine Big East teams took the floor (sadly, mostly on ESPN+). With college basketball fans getting back into the fold, there are a few takeaways from the Big East that will be worth monitoring for the season.
Takeaways from the Big East on Opening Night
Jaylin Stewart’s role for Connecticut
With the injury to highly-touted freshman Braylon Mullins, Connecticut forward Jaylin Stewart was primed to see his role increase. Center Tarris Reed Jr. also missed Tuesday’s opener against the New Haven Chargers with a hamstring injury. Already down two projected starters to begin the season, Stewart’s performance becomes even more important.
Against the Chargers, Stewart’s 24 minutes trailed Alex Karaban and Solo Ball. The junior forward shot 5-8 to finish with 11 points, third on the Huskies. While the team won’t rely on his scoring, it may be his rebounding that will come in handy. Freshman Eric Reibe got the start in place of Reed and, despite standing at 7-foot-1, grabbed just one rebound in 18 minutes. Stewart showed his aggressiveness on the glass by secured eight boards, two of which were on the offensive end.
Hamstring injuries are always tough to deal with. They can heal quickly or linger for a long time. UConn’s first big matchup is against BYU on Nov. 15. It’s not out of the realm for Stewart to be matched up against AJ Dybantsa. If the big man situation is not figured out, Stewart’s defense and rebounding will be a crucial thing to watch.
Villanova is a work in progress, but should be fine
Speaking of BYU, the No. 8 Cougars were the only Power Conference team to face against the Big East. The meant the Wildcats had their first real game from the get go. While the loss didn’t cripple March Madness chances, a win would’ve gone a long way for Villanova and the conference. But the good news is, at least Villanova looks like they are going to be a good team.
The Wildcats worked from a 10-point first half deficit and led 59-57 after a Bryce Lindsey three with over six minutes left in the game. From there, BYU went on a run and won 71-66.
Moral victory cliches aside, head coach Kevin Willard should be happy with how close the game was. Dybantsa scored 21 points while Villanova’s own prized freshman, Acaden Lewis, scored five before being benched for the final 15 minutes. Meanwhile, transfer Devin Askew, who is coming off an injury, went scoreless in 13 minutes. And despite all of that, the team kept the game close
The Wildcats were undersized but won the rebounding battle 49-43. They secured 17 offensive boards, leading to 31 second chance points. Even if it takes time for Villanova to come together, the effort is already there. As long as Willard can keep up the team’s fire, they should work things out in time for Big East play.
Xavier might be in trouble
The Big East brought in two new coaches this season who have essentially new rosters. While Willard got his team to fight for a five-point loss, new Xavier coach Rich Pitino‘s team had to rally just to beat Marist 66-62. The Red Foxes actually led 60-59 with 3:22 left in the game. Reminder, Marist finished 273rd in the KenPom ratings last season. A double-digit favorite, the Musketeers blew a 20-point second half lead.
Yikes.
Shooting 34% from the field is one thing, and not having chemistry is understandable, but not playing defense is a bad sign. Marist shot 60% in the second half. Tre Carroll shot 4-14 and turned the ball over 15 times. Robbie Anderson III, the lone returner, shot 1-8.
Malik Moore, Jovan Milicevic, and All Wright combined for 44 points and shot decently well as a trio. Already behind a lot of teams in talent, shooting will only go so far if the Musketeers don’t get stops. This team may have to win ugly this season, but it’s not a great sign when the schedule only gets harder.
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