JEREMIAH ROBINSON-EARL

Devin Booker had 25 points, 12 assists and a career-high six steals to help the NBA-leading Phoenix Suns beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 124-104 on Thursday night.

The Hoyas are back in the Big East Tournament semifinals for the first time in six years, with the former Georgetown and Knicks star leading the way. Georgetown last reached the Big East semifinals in 2015. “We played against the Cadillac, the Bentley, whatever you want to call them, of the Big East — the class of the Big East. The quarterfinal day at the Garden is often the best of the Big East Tournament. They had not won even a single Big East Tournament game since 2016 before beating Marquette in the first round Wednesday.

(AP Photo/Stew Milne)David Duke made a tiebreaking tip-in with 2.8 seconds left on Saturday and Providence held on after blowing a 20-point lead to beat No. Duke and Nate Watson scored 20 points apiece, and Noah Horchler had 10 points and 13 rebounds for Providence (13-12, 9-10 Big East). PC led 38-18 in the first before Villanova scored the first 11 points of the second. He joined Gillespie on the bench for the second half, wearing a boot. SECOND HALF WOESProvidence took an 11-point lead into halftime in its last game, against St. John’s on Wednesday.

McDermott’s use of a phrase evoking slavery overshadowed what was expected to be fantastic showdown between the top two teams in the Big East. 10 Villanova capture the Big East title with a 72-60 win over 14th-ranked Creighton. “The pain I saw in their eyes was immense,” McDermott said after the game. The Big East title was a formality on the Main Line — Villanova is 114-26 with two national titles since the conference was reconfigured in 2013. BIG PICTURECreighton: McDermott isn’t off the hot seat yet.

(AP Photo/Michael Conroy)INDIANAPOLIS – Chuck Harris scored 20 points and Jair Bolden added 15 on Sunday to lead Butler to a 73-61 victory over No. Jeremiah Robinson-Earl finished with 16 points and 16 rebounds to lead Villanova (15-4, 10-3), which had won 13 of its previous 15 and was favored by 10 1/2 points. Clearly, Villanova wasn't itself during the first half — shooting 28% from the field, grabbing just one offensive rebound and giving up 34 points. But the Bulldogs produced two solid performances this week by beating Seton Hall and now Villanova. AdTWO MEN OUTThe Bulldogs seem to have been playing short-handed all season and Sunday was no exception.

Alexander scored 16 points and St. John's smothered No. The latest victory gave St. John's its first four-game Big East winning streak since the 2014-15 NCAA Tournament team. '”AdVillanova was the first top-5 opponent to play in the Queens gym since St. John's lost 72-71 to No. If we can get a Big East game, we’ve got to play the Big East game. St. John's: Saturday at Providence, which has won nine of the past 11 meetings.

3 Villanova went up by 16 points in the second half, Jay Wright never felt comfortable against Seton Hall. Jeremiah Robinson-Earl scored 23 points in a foul-plagued 21 minutes and Villanova rolled to ninth straight victory with an unexpectedly easy 80-72 decision over Seton Hall on Saturday. Seton Hall coach Kevin Willard was disappointed. That kills you against really good teams.”UP NEXTVillanova: at St. John's on Wednesday. Seton Hall: at Providence on Wednesday.

3 Villanova win its first game in 27 days, 76-74 over Seton Hall on Tuesday night. Mamukelashvili scored 23 points and Rhoden had 19. Myles Cale pulled Seton Hall to 72-70 with 2:33 left and Nova’s Justin Moore was whistled for an offensive foul. Mamukelashvili tied it and the Seton Hall bench started chanting “Defense! Gillespie missed a 3 and Shavar Reynolds grabbed the defensive board to set up a late look for Seton Hall.

7 Villanova, and coach Jay Wright won his 600th career game in an 85-66 victory over Butler on Wednesday night. Wright (600-268) was already Villanova's winningest coach and he became the 39th coach in Division I history to reach 600 wins. Wright is 478-183 since he was hired in 2001 and he has built the Wildcats into one of the elite programs in college basketball. Villanova: The Wildcats hit 10 3s and showed they have the talent to again win the Big East. ___More AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

(AP Photo/Michael Thomas)AUSTIN, Texas – After opening the season in a Connecticut “bubble,” Villanova went all the way down to Texas to get a big win. 17 Texas 68-64 Sunday, handing the Longhorns their first loss after a strong start. BIG PICTUREVillanova: The Wildcats won in their first trip to Texas since winning the 2018 national championship in San Antonio. STAT LINE:Kai Jones, who doesn’t start for Texas but is averaging 20 minutes per game, is shooting 19 of 22 this season. Texas hosts Texas State on Wednesday night in the Longhorns’ final non-conference game before starting Big 12 play.

2 Baylor will play in Indianapolis on Saturday for the ninth meeting between the top two teams in AP Top 25 since 2005. 2 Kentucky met last season in the previous 1-vs.-2 meeting, a game won by the Wildcats 69-62. Playing in Las Vegas, Baylor opened with a 112-82 win over Louisiana-Lafayette and followed with an 96-52 thumping of Washington. Jay Wright's Wildcats opened the season in Bubbleville and opted to stay in Connecticut to face Hartford. Villanova won that game 87-53 to bounce back from its first loss of the season, 81-73 to No.

FILE - Gonzaga players celebrate after defeating Saint Mary's in an NCAA college basketball game in the final of the West Coast Conference men's tournament in Las Vegas, in this Tuesday, March 10, 2020, file photo. Gonzaga will begin the college basketball season No. 1 for the first time after coach Mark Few's bunch earned 28 first-place votes in the preseason AP Top 25 poll released Monday, Nov. 9, 2020. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)

Iowa was picked fifth behind national player of the year front-runner Luka Garza, its highest preseason ranking in school history. The Bears, who also have their highest preseason ranking, spent five weeks at No. THE REST OF THE POLLCreighton lost Ty-Shon Alexander to the NBA and Davion Mintz to Kentucky but still landed the highest preseason ranking in school history at No. 17, its highest preseason ranking since the final Phi Slama Jama team of Hakeem Olajuwon began the 1983-84 season at No. 6 in the final poll last season but losing Mountain West player of the year Malachi Flynn and two other elite producers.

“It was a great college basketball game," Villanova coach Jay Wright said. You can’t be afraid to miss.”Sandro Mamukelashvili led Seton Hall (21-8, 13-4) with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Seton Hall rushed the ball up the court but didn't get a shot off before the buzzer. Seton Hall: The Pirates head into Saturday with a one-game lead over Villanova and No. Seton Hall: Finishes the regular season at No.

Butler forward Sean McDermott (22) shoots next to Villanova coach Jay Wright during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Indianapolis, Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2020. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)

Butler forward Sean McDermott (22) shoots next to Villanova coach Jay Wright during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Indianapolis, Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2020. – Butler guard Kamar Baldwin ignored the anxious fans, the tie score and the running clock Wednesday night. 19 Butler a 79-76 victory over No. Baldwin, who was 5 of 15 from the field, claimed he knew it was good as soon as the ball left his hand. Butler sent two maintenance workers up to the catwalk, trying to find a solution that would allow play to resume.

Georgetown head coach Patrick Ewing yells to his team during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Villanova, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2020, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Georgetown head coach Patrick Ewing yells to his team during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Villanova, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2020, in Philadelphia. Bey gave the Wildcats and coach Jay Wright a glimpse of just how effective he can be from long range. Bey hit eight 3-pointers and scored a career-high 33 points to lead No. 16 Villanova to an 80-66 win over Georgetown on Saturday. Bey, a 6-foot-8 sophomore forward, hadn't been much of a 3-pointer shooter this season for the Wildcats (12-3, 3-1).

Kansas head coach Bill Self talks to his team during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Kansas City in Kansas City, Kan., Saturday, Dec. 14, 2019. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

(AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)PHILADELPHIA, PA – The Kansas vs. Villanova rivalry has become glorious to view for college hoops fans. 18 Villanova (8-2) at the Wells Fargo Center, the home of the 76ers and their All-Star big man and former Jayhawk Joel Embiid. Embiid scored 10 points against the Wildcats in his only game of the series, unranked Villanova's 63-59 win over No. "That's always been the beauty of the Kansas games," Villanova coach Jay Wright said. Again, Villanova used the Kansas game as a sort of measuring stick for the program.