By Mike Ivcic
Conference tournaments kick off in earnest this week as automatic bids to the NCAA tournament will be handed out every day between today and Sunday. There’s one that stands out among the rest, however – the Big East tournament at Madison Square Garden. Tip-off in the first game is at noon on Tuesday, but before it gets started, we tell you who is likely to come out on top.
Favorite
1. Syracuse (28-3, 15-3)
The Orange absolutely love playing at MSG in NYC, and nearly every year Jim Boeheim’s crew makes a run at the Big East title. With the best team by two games in arguably the best conference in the country, and widely considered one of the front runners to win the national championship, this group provides no reason to think they should be anything less than Big East champions on Saturday night.
Contenders
2. Pittsburgh (24-7, 13-5)
3. West Virginia (24-6, 13-5)
4. Villanova (24-6, 13-5)
6. Louisville (20-11, 11-7)
All four of these teams are capable of knocking off Syracuse and winning the title as well. For ‘Nova, they’ll get first crack at redemption from two weeks ago as the likely semifinal opponent for ‘Cuse, while the other three teams will battle to win the bottom of the bracket. Don’t underestimate Louisville guard Edgar Sosa’s motivation playing back in his hometown for the final time as a collegian, which could spur Louisville to a deep run with an upset or two.
Underdogs
5. Marquette (20-10, 11-7)
7. Notre Dame (21-10, 10-8)
8. Georgetown (20-9, 10-8)
12. Connecticut (17-14, 7-11)
There may not have ever been a more dangerous 8-seed in this tournament than Georgetown. Likewise with UConn at 12. With a Wednesday matchup of Connecticut and Marquette looming, this year’s tournament could provide some of the best early-round games in its history. All four of these teams could get hot and win it, though Calhoun’s group has a decidedly more difficult road with a Tuesday game against pseudo-host St. John’s. They’ll also need to make the biggest impact out of anyone in this group, as anything short of a trip to the finals likely means that they’ll be playing to get back to MSG in the NIT.
Longshots
9. South Florida (19-11, 9-9)
10. Seton Hall (18-11, 9-9)
11. Cincinnati (16-14, 7-11)
13. St. John’s (16-14, 6-12)
14. Rutgers (15-16, 5-13)
15. Providence (12-18, 4-14)
16. DePaul (8-22, 1-17)
Sure South Florida and Seton Hall had a better conference record than Connecticut, but neither team has UConn’s talent or experience to make a real shot at winning this whole thing. Add to that USF has Georgetown and Syracuse after its game with DePaul, while Hall has Notre Dame and Pitt after Providence – and that’s just to get to the semifinals. Playing Tuesday is a huge disadvantage to teams in this tournament, and all of the above will do just that. Any of the other teams in this group playing past Wednesday would be a major shock to everyone.
Prediction
South Florida over DePaul
Seton Hall over Providence
Cincinnati over Rutgers
Connecticut over St. John’s
Georgetown over South Florida
Notre Dame over Seton Hall
Louisville over Cincinnati
Connecticut over Marquette
Syracuse over Georgetown
Notre Dame over Pittsburgh
Louisville over West Virginia
Villanova over Connecticut
Syracuse over Villanova
Louisville over Notre Dame
Syracuse over Louisville
NCAA Tournament Teams
Syracuse, Pittsburgh, West Virginia, Villanova, Marquette, Louisville, Notre Dame, Georgetown
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Final Regular Season Standings
|
Syracuse |
15-3 |
28-3 |
|
Pittsburgh |
13-5 |
24-7 |
|
West Virginia |
13-5 |
24-6 |
|
Villanova |
13-5 |
24-6 |
|
Marquette |
11-7 |
20-10 |
|
Louisville |
11-7 |
20-11 |
|
Notre Dame |
10-8 |
21-10 |
|
Georgetown |
10-8 |
20-9 |
|
South Florida |
9-9 |
19-11 |
|
Seton Hall |
9-9 |
18-11 |
| Cincinnati | 7-11 | 16-14 |
| Connecticut | 7-11 | 17-14 |
| St. John’s | 6-12 | 16-14 |
| Rutgers | 5-13 | 15-16 |
| Providence | 4-14 | 12-18 |
| DePaul | 1-17 | 8-22 |
