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Game 1 – #16 DePaul (8-23) vs. #9 Cincinnati (18-13)
Cincinnati’s NCAA hopes are barely registering a blip on the medical equipment they are hooked up to. However, Mike Williams rejoined the Bearcats for the regular season finale against Seton Hall after missing the previous three games. The bruising forward averaged 11.6 points and 5.6 rebounds per game in conference play, so his return is welcomed and he could be the spark that gets the Bearcats moving again. DePaul was one of only three teams in Division One to run the table in conference play in a bad way, and had one victory away from their homecourt, defeating Saint Louis by four points in Las Vegas. The Blue Demons aren’t without talent, though. Dar Tucker averaged 18.2 points per game as a volume scorer (over 16 fga/game, 38.6 FG shooting) and Mac Koshwal finished a handful of rebounds shy of averaging a double-double for the season.

The Bearcats won the lone contest between the two squads on January 17, riding Deonta Vaughn’s five triples to a 59-55 victory. Now that Cincy is back at full strength, there is no reason they shouldn’t win again, as the Blue Demons have nothing to play for.

Game 2 – #13 Saint John’s (15-16) vs. #12 Georgetown (16-13)
The Red Storm began to show some life late in the season when their schedule eased up, earning wins over Seton Hall, DePaul, and Georgetown in their final five games. Their poor offense is their weakness, as they shot 40.5 percent from the floor and a mere 30.9 percent from three in conference play. The Saint John’s defense did not help, either, as they allowed Big East foes to make 47.6 percent from the field and 38.0 percent from deep. The Hoyas are quite possibly the most disappointing team in the nation, peaking at #9 in the country before flopping after the calendar turned to 2009, including a five-game losing skid that featured dropping games to Seton Hall and Cincinnati. How far have they fallen? A victory in this game would give Georgetown consecutive wins for the first time since mid-January. The Hoyas possess a balanced attack on offense, with four players averaging between 11 and 14 points per game and six different players having earned top scorer honors in individual games.

Saint John’s knocked off the Hoyas in overtime a week ago, 59-56, on the strength of finishing the game +21 in rebounding and getting 16 points and seven rebounds off the bench from Rob Thomas. That is unlikely to happen again. With a very deep run being the only thing that can get a talented Georgetown team into the NCAAs, look for them to avenge last week’s loss.

Game 3 – #15 Rutgers (11-20) vs. #10 Notre Dame (17-13)
Rutgers held off South Florida in their season finale, snapping an eight-game losing skid. Freshman Mike Rosario has been the top scorer for the Scarlet Knights, averaging 16.3 points on the season and 15.4 per game in conference play. Unfortunately, he has very little help, as the rest of the team posts 45.8 points a night against the Big East. Throw in that the team was last in turnover differential at -3.4 turnovers a game in conference play and it’s easy to understand how Rutgers came close the cellar. The Fighting Irish are the other significant disappointment in the Big East, peaking at #7 in the national rankings before later going four weeks between victories. The team is potent on offense, though, tallying 75 points per game in conference play. Luke Harangody has been a horse, hanging 25.2 points and 12.8 rebounds per game in the Big East. He has a full complement of outside shooters flanking him, as the team led the conference in three-pointers made (152) and three-point percentage (39.1) in Big East action. Kyle McAlarney (56 treys, 39.2 percent in Big East games) and Ryan Ayers (48 treys, 42.9 percent) lead Notre Dame’s bomb squad.

Luke Harangody had his way in the regular season matchup, posting 20 points, including 16 after halftime, and 15 rebounds as the Irish stormed back from an eight-point halftime deficit for a 70-65 win in late February. The offensive firepower disparity is evident and the Irish fans in the New York area should provide a comfortable atmosphere for Notre Dame, helping them to what should be an easy win.

Game 4 – #14 South Florida (9-21) vs. #11 Seton Hall (16-14)
South Florida is very weak away from home, having won one neutral court game (Murray State in Puerto Rico) and one road game (DePaul) on the season. Dominique Jones toils in obscurity for the Bulls, averaging 19 points per game in conference play, which ranks fourth in the Big East. The team lacks overall depth, as only four players average as many as 24 minutes per game. Seton Hall started off their season well, getting wins over Southern Cal and Virginia Tech in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off, but started conference play with a stretch of six losses in a row against five NCAA Tournament locks and one bubble team. They rebounded by winning their next five against lesser competition (in that span of foes, only Georgetown finished higher than the Pirates), then wilted against stronger competition. Jeremy Hazell is a dynamite player for the Hall, averaging 22.6 points per game in conference play, good for second in the league. Outside shooting is a weakness for the team (32.6 percent from three during conference action), but not as big as their play on the glass, where they averaged a -10.9 rebounding margin against the Big East.

Seton Hall won handily in the regular season bout at home less than two weeks ago, defeating the Bulls, 75-60. USF dominated the boards in the game, 44-22, but their 19 turnovers (compared to six for the Pirates) led to their undoing, as did their poor second half defense, as Seton Hall shot 60 percent from the floor after halftime. Look for a similar result with the Hall advancing, as they should have enough offense to get by.