College Basketball Big East Power Rankings Tiers: Butler’s Ascent

Tier V: Georgetown, DePaul

It's just getting worse and worse for both of these programs. The firing of Tony Stubblefield hasn't seemed to spark much of anything inspirational for DePaul. The Hoyas also continue to underachieve preseason expectations dramatically.

The penultimate toilet bowl will commence on February 24, where the Blue Demons will host Georgetown for a chance at some revenge.

Tier II: Marquette, Creighton

This tier has primarily been the same group all season long, but Creighton is dangerously close to falling out. Back-to-back defeats to Butler and Providence in the past week have shown some serious vulnerability for the Bluejays.

They are seeing any chance of a protected seed falling out of their hands. To take it a step further, it wouldn't be a shocker to see Creighton slip down the Big East standings and fall outside the top six. If that happens, it would force them to play on Wednesday for the Big East Tournament. We'll see how they respond this weekend with a trip to Xavier.

Tier III: Butler, St. John's, Seton Hall

This group is clinging to NCAA Tournament hopes and has been slightly a cut above the fourth tier. Butler had an impressive week, defeating Creighton and giving UConn a solid test in Hartford, while Seton Hall got back on track with wins over DePaul and Georgetown.

As for St. John's, they are getting closer to that bubble with each passing week. They need some Quad 1 wins to stick on their resume, and they'll get a pair of cracks at it on Saturday and Tuesday with road trips to Marquette and Providence.

Tier IV: Providence, Villanova, Xavier 

These three are currently on the wrong side of the bubble but have shown some flashes throughout the season. It's more about putting it all together over the course of a few weeks and making a real push for an at-large bid.

Providence did well to get a statement home win over Creighton on Wednesday night, but it comes on the back of a stretch where they haven't looked the same without Bryce Hopkins.

As for Villanova and Xavier, the chances to add resume-building wins are running thin, and both may be entering Madison Square Garden next month with some work to do.

Tier V: Georgetown, DePaul

It's just getting worse and worse for both of these programs. The firing of Tony Stubblefield hasn't seemed to spark much of anything inspirational for DePaul. The Hoyas also continue to underachieve preseason expectations dramatically.

The penultimate toilet bowl will commence on February 24, where the Blue Demons will host Georgetown for a chance at some revenge.