The stage is set for the Big East Tournament at the most famous arena on earth.
On Wednesday, March 11, one of the most historic conferences in college basketball will take over Madison Square Garden for four days in one of the most exhilarating experiences any sports fan can have: the Big East Tournament.
If you’ve never experienced a basketball game at MSG, add it to your bucket list and then promptly check it off. And that goes double for the Big East Tournament. The energy inside that building is electric and truly unlike anything else in sports.
With the game times and seeding now set, let’s look ahead to the matchups.
First Round: Wednesday, March 11
Game 1: No. 8 Butler vs. No. 9 Providence | 4 p.m. on Peacock
Game 2: No. 7 Marquette vs. No. 10 Xavier | 6:30 p.m. on Peacock
Game 3: No. 6 DePaul vs. No. 11 Georgetown | 9 p.m. on Peacock
Quarterfinals: Thursday, March 12
Game 4: No. 1 St. John’s vs. Game 1 winner | Noon on Peacock
Game 5: No. 4 Seton Hall vs. No. 5 Creighton | 2:30 p.m. on Peacock
Game 6: No. 2 UConn vs. Game 2 winner | 7 p.m. on FS1
Game 7: No. 3 Villanova vs. Game 3 winner | 9:30 p.m. on FS1
Semifinals: Friday, March 13
Game 8: Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner | 5:30 p.m. on Fox
Game 9: Game 6 winner vs. Game 7 winner | 8 p.m. on FS1
Big East Championship Game: Saturday, March 14
Game 10: Game 8 winner vs. Game 9 winner | 6:30 p.m. on Fox
Round 1 Look Ahead
Butler vs Providence
This game is a tough one to predict since both teams finished with the same conference record at 7–13 and split their regular-season matchups.
Providence is extremely efficient on offense (top 35 nationally), but Butler has the better defense and should hold up against the Friars just enough to send them home.
Marquette vs Xavier
Both teams split their regular-season series, with each winning on their home court.
Marquette has struggled this season with shooting efficiency, but they excel at forcing turnovers. Xavier has the edge on the boards and is 5–0 when they win the rebounding battle which will be the key against a smaller Marquette team.
Xavier wins this one and gets UConn as their reward.
DePaul vs Georgetown
DePaul enters this matchup with an 8–12 record in the Big East, while Georgetown sits at the bottom of the conference standings.
The Blue Demons’ defense has improved significantly under head coach Chris Holtmann, and senior NJ Benson will likely prove to be too much for the Hoyas to handle. Georgetown has been inconsistent all season and that is going to catch up to them.
DePaul takes this one.
Let’s Jump to the Only Known Matchup on Thursday
Seton Hall vs Creighton
Seton Hall made it a priority this offseason to acquire talent through the transfer portal, and with a limited budget of $1.5 million, head coach Shaheen Holloway made it happen.
Early predictions have this game as a pick ’em and it’s easy to see why.
The Hall has a top-10 scoring defense nationally, while Creighton can be extremely dangerous from beyond the arc.
If Seton Hall stays aggressive defensively, they should be able to hand the Bluejays a loss.
Let’s Talk About the Big Three
St. John’s, Villanova, and UConn.
While we don’t yet know who these teams will ultimately face until Wednesday’s games wrap up, we do know one thing: it will be a tall order for whoever draws them.
St. John’s
The defending tournament champions and the reason the city has re-ignited its love for college basketball.
The Johnnies enter the tournament as the No. 1 seed and the heavy favorite to repeat as conference champions.
Speaking of re-igniting, that’s exactly what they did against Villanova a week ago after their brutal 72–40 loss to UConn. A get-right game against the Wildcats was exactly what they needed.
Villanova
Whether Villanova ends up facing DePaul or Georgetown remains to be seen, but the Wildcats swept both potential opponents in the regular season.
Head coach Kevin Willard has resurrected the men’s basketball program which is something that has been needed desperately since the Jay Wright days.
Even with some roster setbacks this season, the Wildcats remain balanced offensively and still possess a lethal three-point attack.
UConn
The Huskies will face either Marquette or Xavier in the quarterfinals.
UConn just lost to Marquette in its regular-season finale, so a matchup against the Golden Eagles would provide a quick chance at redemption.
The Huskies may be a little banged up, but they’re still regarded as a national power by analysts and are expected to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.
Stay with ONNJ Sports for all of your Big East Tournament and March Madness coverage. #marchmadness #bigeastbasketball
