Big East Coast Bias Power Rankings: Villanova unanimous No. 1

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This team has the best win of the Big East season so far with their victory in Ann Arbor over Michigan. Xavier mauled the Wolverines on the boards. It was the first time this year that they went without a lengthy scoring drought and if their offense is beginning to click like that, this team will be a force. - Christopher Novak

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Providence improved to 3-0 overall after opening with a solid victory over a good Harvard team in the season opener, behind a career high 32 points from Kris Dunn. PC's first win this week came against Big Ten foe Illinois -- part of the Gavitt Tipoff Games -- in a game where Dunn was human. Ben Bentil picked up the scoring that night and led the Friars to the 1-point victory behind a double-double (18 points and 12 rebounds). Providence routed crosstown rival Brown for their second victory of the week. Dunn -- while struggling from the field -- had an excellent floor game and was able to create offense for his teammates. This was the most complete team win that Providence has had in some time. Five Friars scored in double figures in the 21-point victory, including career high's for freshman Ryan Fazekas (17 points; 5/8 3FG) and redshirt sophomore Rodney Bullock (24 points: 9/12 FG). Bullock also had 10 rebounds, giving the Friars at least one player with a double-double in all 3 games this season. - Mike Hopkins

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All things considered, it's been a really strong start for the Bulldogs through four games. After a record-setting offensive performance against The Citadel, the team stayed hot through the first two rounds of the Puerto Rico Tip-Off, steamrolling Missouri State and battling a tougher Temple squad. Miami is substantially better than their current ranking reflects (they'll be Top 15 this week), and while there's no denying that Butler struggled early in that contest, the team should feel good about fighting back in the second half before coming up short. With a win, this team could've been No. 1 in our power rankings this week, but they've solidified their place in the conference's upper tier with a hot start. - Mike Murtaugh

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It took a "game of their life" effort for Radford to defeat the Hoyas in the first game of the year, and after their performances this week, it seems like an anomaly. Certainly you wish that Georgetown could have defeated Maryland but they more than held their own and the Terps just got it done in the end. This team is so deep and their efforts against Wisconsin and Duke at MSG have me thinking this team is way too good to be 1-3 right now - Christopher Novak

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While a 3-0 start is nice, St. John's hasn't exactly played the cream of the crop in the country. Here's who St. John's has faced, with their KenPom rankings in parentheses: Wagner (244), UMBC (331), and Rutgers (210). For reference, the Red Storm are currently 155th in the KenPom rankings. Perhaps they'll continue this momentum and upset Vanderbilt in Maui on Monday afternoon, but it's highly unlikely. Regardless, it's a good confidence builder so far for the young team. - Robert O'Neill

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The Bluejays shouldn't dwell too long on their 21-point loss at Indiana. Tough enough they have to go to Assembly Hall against a top Big Ten team, but truth be told, as consistent as Creighton has been over the years, they are not a good road team when they are the underdogs. Their record on the road versus ranked opponents is a staggering 3-66 all-time, with their only win coming in 2014 at No. 4 Villanova. - Pierce Roberson

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Love what I’ve seen from SHU so far. Desi Rodriguez is off to a really hot start and has been dynamic on offense. Whitehead’s presence has been felt in the lineup and hopefully he recovers from his head injury soon. This team will definitely be a competitor if nothing else in the Big East this year. - Christopher Novak

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Through three games, what can we make of this Golden Eagles squad? They're 1-2, and their only win was in overtime against IUPUI. Belmont's a really solid mid-major program, but the wheels just kind of fell off against Iowa early in the week, and no one should feel good about a 28 point loss at home. However, Marquette has as much talent on their roster as any team in the conference, so it's hard to count them out against anyone. Henry Ellenson is one of the top freshman in the nation, regardless of the dud against Iowa, and Luke Fischer and Duane Wilson can explode at any time. It's been a rocky start, but we'll know a lot more about this team after a tough contest with Ben Simmons and LSU on Monday night. - Mike Murtaugh

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The more things change, the more they stay the same. The Blue Demons have shown some signs of improvement so far this season, but not enough to get them out of the cellar of our power rankings. The Blue Demons took losses to Penn State in the Gavitt Games, and South Carolina and Florida State in the Paradise Jam. They'll try to salvage their trip to the Virgin Islands as they look to defeat Norfolk State on Monday. Myke Henry and Billy Garrett continue to be solid overlooked players, but Tommy Hamilton's mysterious absence in Saturday's loss to FSU is cause for concern. At least DePaul got a free trip to the Virgin Islands while Chicago got hammered with snow. - Robert O'Neill