After Jhamir Brickus transferred to Villanova from La Salle this past offseason, some raised questions as to whether the point guard’s game would translate to the Big East. Never mind that Brickus scored a school-record 2,531 points at Coatesville High School, more than former fellow Red Raiders and Big East players John Allen (Seton Hall) and Richard Hamilton (UConn). And never mind that he recorded 1,254 points in four seasons at La Salle while shooting 37.4 percent from three-point range in 119 career games for the Explorers.
Some questioned whether Brickus’s height — he is listed at 5 feet, 11 inches — would be an impediment against Big East talent. Yet, Brickus has played brilliantly through the Wildcats’ first 13 contests, averaging 11.5 points and 5.6 assists while shooting an eye-opening 52.7 percent from the field, including 50 percent (26 of 52) from beyond the arc.
But he does so much more than a stat line or a box score can tell you. Brickus’s chest and bounce passes are perfectly placed, setting up his teammates for good looks at the basket. He calmly directs Villanova’s offense, getting in and out of pressure as needed, seeing the floor, scoring when it’s needed, passing most of the time.
“(Brickus) is just a great basketball player,” Villanova coach Kyle Neptune said earlier this season. “He sees the game at such an elevated level and sees the plays before they happen. Can handle (the ball), can shoot it, obviously makes great decisions. Can make plays for other guys. He just does so many different things for our team. Dangerous player out there for the opposition.”
With Brickus directing the offense, the Wildcats are among the best in the country on that side of the floor. Through Sunday, they were seventh in KenPom’s adjusted offensive efficiency ranking, averaging 1.22 points per possession. Their Big East-leading 40.6 percentage from three is eighth in the country. Villanova is just behind UConn for the league’s best field goal mark at 49.0 percent. Much of that is because of Brickus. “He’s a guy that is always making the right read,” Neptune said.
Brickus has formed a strong partnership with senior forward Eric Dixon, the nation’s leading scorer at 25.8 points per contest who had many on-court battles with Brickus while at Abington High School. The duo has given headaches to opponents in the pick-and-roll game. “I love playing with Jig,” Dixon said, using Brickus’s nickname.
For his part, Brickus tries to keep things simple. “Not to make the fantastic play, just the solid play,” he said. He leads the Wildcats (8-5, 1-1 Big East) back to action for the first time in 11 days at 6:30 p.m. on New Year’s Day at Butler. They will look to continue their offensive efficiency while shoring up the defensive end.
Neptune knows that the Wildcats are in great hands on offense with Brickus and has been harping on defense for much of this season. “That’s something we want as a calling card for this team,” Neptune said. “We want to defend and rebound at an extremely high level. We know we have enough talent offensively that if we’re doing that, we put ourselves in a great spot. That’s our goal coming into every game.”
St. John’s Three-Point Defense
Entering the Big East opener against DePaul, St. John’s coach Rick Pitino knew the Red Storm would have to be stout guarding the perimeter. DePaul’s David Skogman (48.5 percent), Jacob Meyer (46.7) and Isaiah Rivera (46.6) were all shooting greater than 46 percent from three-point range before the December 17 game at St. John’s. The Blue Demons entered leading the conference by making 12.8 three-pointers per contest.
But DePaul wouldn’t have anywhere near that success against the Red Storm, as Pitino got just what he wanted. The Blue Demons’ sharpshooting trio combined to miss all eight attempts from beyond the arc in the Red Storm’s 89-61 victory. Skogman, Meyer, and Rivera finished with just eight points between them while missing 13 of 15 field goals overall.
“Our defense tonight was absolutely brilliant,” Pitino said afterward.
But St. John’s didn’t shut down the perimeter on December 28 in a 97-76 home win over Delaware as Blue Hens guard John Camden drained 9 of 11 three-pointers, tying a school record for shots converted from long range, on his way to 35 points. Through Sunday, the Red Storm ranked eighth in the conference in three-point defense (34.6 percent).
Around The Rim
• David Skogman (lower leg injury) didn’t play in DePaul’s 84-65 win over Loyola Maryland on December 28. With Skogman sidelined, NJ Benson elevated his game and finished with 22 points and 17 rebounds. A 6-foot-8 forward, Benson had 10 double-doubles at Missouri State last season. His 17 rebounds are the most in the Big East since December 20, 2022.
• In its conference-opening 81-57 win over Creighton on December 18, Georgetown held the Bluejays under 40 percent shooting overall from the field (39.6 percent) and three-point range (36.4). The Hoyas also had 12 steals and finished with 20 points off 16 Creighton turnovers, leaving coach Ed Cooley beaming afterward. “I thought it’s the best defensive effort that we’ve had since our tenure here,” the second-year coach said. “I just thought that our attention to detail and our preparation was outstanding.”
Thomas Sorber continued his impressive rookie season in Georgetown’s 61-60 win at Seton Hall on December 22, finishing with 19 points, eight rebounds, four blocks, and two steals while making 8 of 12 field goals. The Hoyas held on despite not scoring a point in the last 3 minutes, 51 seconds. They were helped by the Pirates’ continued struggles from long range, as Seton Hall shot just 12.5 percent (3 of 24) from the arc. Isaiah Coleman remained a bright spot for the Pirates, tallying a career-high 25 points along with nine rebounds.
The Hoyas finished up the calendar year by defeating Coppin State 83-53 at home on December 28 to improve to 11-2. In the contest, Sorber notched his fourth double-double with 22 points and 12 rebounds, upping his season average to 15.7 points and 8.3 rebounds entering the January 3 Big East game against Xavier.
• Villanova got a key contribution from Tyler Perkins in its 79-67 home win over Seton Hall on December 7. Perkins continued his hot streak from long range, making 5 of 6 three-pointers for a season-high 17 points. The Penn transfer made it 14 of 24 (58.3 percent) from long range over a five-game stretch.
• The box score of Marquette’s 80-70 win over Butler on December 18 is eye-opening. The Golden Eagles committed just two turnovers, held a 20-4 advantage on offensive rebounds and took 75 field-goal attempts, compared to just 47 by Butler. Stevie Mitchell led the way on the glass, finishing with a career-high nine rebounds to go with 15 points. Kam Jones had 23 points and seven rebounds for Marquette.
• UConn continued its dominance of Butler, defeating the Bulldogs 78-74 in Indianapolis on December 21 to improve to 10-0 all-time against the Bulldogs and 5-0 at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Huskies freshman Liam McNeeley had 17 points, seven assists, and five rebounds, making all three of his three-point attempts, and Alex Karaban led the team with 21 points.
• St. John’s came back from a 16-point first-half deficit and defeated Providence 72-70 on December 20 when Zuby Ejiofor rebounded Deivon Smith’s miss and scored on a follow basket at the buzzer. The Red Storm overcame a horrid night at the free-throw line, where they went 11 of 26 (42.3 percent). Ejiofor finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds.
Upcoming Games to Watch
Xavier at Georgetown, Friday, 8 p.m., CBSSN
The Hoyas are arguably the best early-season story in the Big East. They were picked ninth in the preseason poll but look like a team on the rise. A win over a good Xavier squad would continue to raise hopes around the program.
DePaul at Villanova, Saturday, Noon, FS1
If you like offense, this is the game for you. Two of the league’s elite three-point shooting teams will meet at Villanova’s Pavilion in a game of huge importance to both. The Blue Demons are looking to make a statement that they are not the easy Big East win of the past while Villanova is trying to snap a two-year NCAA drought and can’t afford a home slip-up.
Providence at UConn, Sunday 2 p.m., NBC
A national television audience gets the Big East battle of the Northeast. The two-time defending national champion Huskies are looking to continue their stranglehold on the conference, but the Friars are always a tough out – especially with a healthy Bryce Hopkins in the fold.
Aaron Bracy has covered sports in Philadelphia for the Associated Press and several other outlets for nearly three decades. His website, Big5Hoops.com, is a leading voice for coverage of the Philadelphia Big 5. His first book, A Soaring Season: The Incredible, Inspiring Story of the 2003–04 Saint Joseph’s Hawks (Brookline), will be available wherever books are sold on March 1, 2025. It can be preordered by clicking HERE. Follow Bracy on social media by clicking HERE. Contact him by email: aaron@big5hoops.com.
