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Game 1 – #8 Georgetown (22-9) vs. #5 Marquette (22-10)
One way to win is to shoot 69.2 percent from the floor in the second half. Another way to win is to force 17 turnovers. Those two factors combined propelled Georgetown as they avenged a pair of regular season losses to Syracuse by getting a 91-84 win in the first game of the day. The Orange were game, hitting 11-of-20 from downtown, but a 22-4 Hoya run in the middle of the second half turned the fortunes of the game. Chris Wright led the Hoyas with 27 points, while Austin Freeman had 18 and Jason Clark 17. Greg Monroe, however, was the best player on the floor for the winners, as he had 17 points, ten rebounds and seven assists while helping shut down Syracuse’s interior offense. Wes Johnson led the Orange with 24 points and had help from the bench duo of Scoop Jardine and Kris Joseph, who added 19 and 18 points, respectively. Andy Rautins had a double-double of 14 points and ten assists in a losing effort.

Marquette played a back-and-forth game with Villanova in the second quarterfinal and strung together a 17-5 run over six minutes late in the second half to take an eight-point lead with under five minutes to play. The Wildcats stormed back to tie the score twice, but Marquette got a three from Lazar Hayward to take the lead back for good. Three-pointers were the name of the game for the Golden Eagles, as they connected on 11-of-18 from behind the line, including a 5-of-7 effort by Darius Johnson-Odom, who had a game-high 24 points. Hayward backed up Johnson-Odom with 20 points while David Cubillan dropped in 17 points and Jimmy Butler kicked in with 14. Villanova also shot well, hitting over 50 percent of their shots from inside and outside the circle. Corey Stokes was a marksman, burying 8-of-9 shots, including 6-of-7 from deep for 22 points. Corey Fisher had 16 and Antonio Pena 14 in supporting roles.

In the regular season, Marquette traded scores with Georgetown down the wire in Milwaukee and had just enough to bring home a 62-59 win. Marquette lived by the three in the contest, burying 12-of-26 treys, including Cubillan’s six makes without a miss, accounting for his team high 18 points. Hayward had a double-double of 12 points and 11 assists in the win, as well as coming up with four steals. The Hoyas, who never trailed by more than eight points and held a pair of two-point leads in the second half, got 20 points from Freeman and 12 from Julian Wright.

Georgetown has shown up for and won three games in a row for the first time in over two months, so they seem to have turned a corner. Marquette, however, will not back down for a second throughout the game and has turned into an expert group at playing tight games down the stretch. The big question for Marquette is if they can slow down Greg Monroe, whose height will provide a tremendous advantage. Of course, if they continue hitting three-pointers at the 58.3 percent rate (21-of-36) that they have in these two games in Madison Square Garden, the Golden Eagles. Marquette should play a lot better on defense than either of the Hoyas’ first two opponents, so give them the advantage for another tight win.

Game 2 – #7 Notre Dame (22-10) vs. #3 West Virginia (25-6)
Someone has stolen the Notre Dame team we have grown accustomed to and replaced them with a gritty, walk-it-up, defend as if your life depended on it squad… and the results are better than they were previously. The Fighting Irish uglied up another game and seized another win, beating Pittsburgh at their own game, 50-45. The Irish made a mere 18 field goals, but shot 54.5 percent from the floor and got assists on 14 of those buckets. More impressively, they snuffed out the Panther offense, holding a team that won eight of their last nine to 37.0 percent shooting from the field. Notre Dame, who won their sixth consecutive game, only had six players score, but each of those players had at least five points, led by Luke Harangody and Tory Jackson with 12 apiece, the former coming off the bench again. Brad Wanamaker had a game-high 16 and Jermaine Dixon ten for Pitt, but center Gary McGhee and the four bench players who saw action made only three of 18 shots.

West Virginia escaped their rugby scrum with Cincinnati with a pair of fortuitous plays in the last six seconds. First, Dion Dixon could not handle the ball in the Bearcats’ attempt to get off a last-second shot, then Da’Sean Butler banked an off-balance shot off the glass and into the hoop after the buzzer expired for a 54-51 win. As the score suggests, neither team did much on offense, as the Mountaineers were the better shooting team at 35 percent. The Bearcats were remarkably awful to start both halves, missing their first ten shots of the game, then shooting blanks on their first seven attempts of the second half. WVU exploited the first cold streak to take a commanding 18-4 lead nine minutes into the game and the second to push a three-point halftime lead to eight with seven minutes elapsed after the break. Cincinnati, who had that 14-point margin down to one in the first half, was led by Lance Stephenson, who had a game-high 19 points. Kevin Jones led West Virginia with 17 points and Butler’s game-winning heave gave him 15 to go with six rebounds and five assists, the last of which was a bounce pass from his knees after collecting a loose ball with the shot clock about to elapse.

Notre Dame claimed the January 9 contest, barely holding on to an early second half lead of 22 points for a 70-68 lead at home. The Fighting Irish stuck for their first nine field goals in the game to take a 25-4 lead just over eight minutes into the game then withstood second half runs of 11-0, 10-2, and 9-2 even though they missed all four field goals and three of four charity shots in the final four minutes. Harangody paced Notre Dame with 24 points, while Tim Abromaitis added 17 points and Tyrone Nash 13. Ben Hansbrough had a terrific all-around game with six points, nine rebounds, and ten assists. In fact, the Irish logged assists on 21 of their 23 buckets. West Virginia’s leading man was Jones, who had 17 points and ten rebounds. Butler had 13 points in a terrible shooting game (4-of-20) and “Truck” Bryant had 11.

Notre Dame’s style reversal makes them a hard read. A team that used to be freewheeling and uptempo is now slowed to a crawl. Clearly, it is working for them as they have secured an NCAA at-large berth. It also plays into West Virginia’s hands. As a superior rebounding team, particularly on the offensive end, the Mountaineers should be able to exploit the Irish on the glass, particularly when Harangody, Notre Dame’s best rebounder, is on the bench. It should be enough for them to earn a place in the championship game.

Game 1 – #8 Georgetown (21-9) vs. #1 Syracuse (28-3)
Georgetown rolled to a 69-49 win in their second round contest against South Florida, holding the perimeterally-challenged (is that a word?) Bulls to 29.1 percent field goal shooting in the contest. The Hoyas had runs of 8-0 and 7-0 in the first half and led by as many as 14 points in that time. South Florida got within six points early in second half, but Georgetown closed them out with a late 15-4 run. Three Hoyas were in double figures, as Jason Clark and Greg Monroe each had 16 points and Chris Wright had 15. USF, who got 21 points from Dominique Jones, got their first three-pointer in two Big East Tournament games with under 30 seconds left in the contest and ESPN play-by-play man Dave Pasch reported that they had two baskets that came outside the paint in their games. Maybe you guys want to work on that this summer?

A quarterfinal game with Syracuse, the top seed, is the reward for Georgetown. The Orange led the Big East in scoring differential at +15.3, more than five points ahead of the second place team. Of course, that is pretty easy to do when you have the league’s best shooting offense (51.5 percent) and second-best field goal defense (39.4 percent). One of the keys to that impressive defensive standing is the way the Syracuse defense forces opponents to take three-pointers that they cannot make. Orange foes put up over 25 threes per game (Villanova was second at just under 22 attempts per contest) and made only 30.9 percent of them. Syracuse also finished third in the conference in blocks with 6.6 per game and topped the Big East in steals with ten per night. The Orange feature a balanced offense where five players averaged in double figures in points and seven players scored at least 8.3 points per game. Big East Player of the Year Wes Johnson leads the squad in points (15.7/game) and rebounds (8.5/game).

Syracuse swept the regular season games, rocketing out of a 14-0 hole to take a 73-56 home win in January and escaping with a 75-71 road win in February after holding a 23-point lead with 12:37 to play. Andy Rautins averaged 20.5 points in the two games for the Orange, hitting seven threes in the contests, while Johnson averaged 15 and Kris Joseph 13. Austin Freeman led the Georgetown offense in both games, tallying 23 points on the road and 21 at home. Monroe and Wright each had 20 points in the home loss while Clark had 15 at the Carrier Dome. The Hoyas played very well in their first tournament game, but Syracuse is a much better shooting team, as well as having a zone defense that forces outside shots. The Orange have also gotten Monroe into foul in both regular season contests and will look to do so again. Look for the Orange to win, but in a game without a double-figure lead going either way.

Game 2 – #5 Marquette (21-10) vs. #4 Villanova (24-6)
As per their usual script, Marquette edged St. John’s in their second round game, pulling out a 57-55 win. The Golden Eagles had a ten-point lead at the eight-minute mark of the game and pushed it out to 14 points in the first half, but the Red Storm used an 18-6 run to take a four-point lead with seven minutes left. Marquette clawed back and got a dagger three from David Cubillan to take the lead with 1:15 to go and held on. Lazar Hayward led the Golden Eagles with 20 points, nine rebounds, and an uncalled moving screen on Cubillan’s three while St. John’s, who shot almost 64 percent inside the arc in the second half to rally, had three players in double digits.

Villanova tripped up frequently late in the season, dropping five of their final nine games after an 11-game win streak. The Wildcats play at a pace that is just behind Providence in the conference, only they do it at a much higher level of capability than the Friars. Villanova led the conference in scoring and finished 14th in points allowed. However, they ended up third in scoring differential at +10.1 points per game. The Wildcats’ defense is quite active, harassing their opponents into shooting only 40.5 percent from the field and 15.4 turnovers per game (third in the Big East). The downside of this activity is that Villanova fouls a lot. Their opponents shoot almost 27 free throws a game, which ranks sixth nationally. Scottie Reynolds leads three players who average double-figure scoring at 18.8 points per game. Corey Fisher averages 13.6 points and 4.0 assists per game while Antonio Pena racked up 10.8 rebounds and a team-best 7.4 rebounds per game. Reserve forward Taylor King has been suspended and will not suit up for Villanova.

The Wildcats swept the regular season contests with Marquette, getting two-point wins a week apart in January. Marquette had an early ten-point lead in the home game, but a Scottie Reynolds jumper gave Villanova the lead with under 20 seconds left and the Wildcats held on for a 74-72 win. Seven days later, the Wildcats held a 22-point lead with under seven minutes gone in the second half, but a furious Golden Eagle rally made them need three-of-four free throws in the final ten seconds to hold on for a 78-76 win. Reynolds led Villanova in scoring, averaging 19 points in the two contests, while three other players (Fisher, Reggie Redding, and Maalik Wayns) averaged 11 points per game in head-to-head play. Hayward led Marquette with 18.5 points and 11 rebounds per game and got offensive help from Jimmy Butler (16.5 pts/game) and Dwight Buycks (13.0 pts/game). Villanova exploited the Golden Eagles’ defense to make 51.8 percent of their field goals combined in the two games, which bodes well for their hopes. Marquette made 18 threes in the two games and will need to shoot that well to keep it close.

Game 3 – #7 Notre Dame (21-10) vs. #2 Pittsburgh (24-7)
Seton Hall found things to be a lot less fun in their second round game against Notre Dame, who took the air out of the ball and left with a 68-56 victory over the Pirates. The Pirates jumped out to an 11-2 lead before the game was five minutes old, but the Fighting Irish erased that deficit and used a 16-2 run to take a seven-point halftime lead, then scored the first seven of the second half to blow it open. Luke Harangody came off the bench and announced his presence as the best player in the gym, triggering the comeback with 15 points in the first half en route to a 20-point, 10-rebound night (and 64th career double-double). The Irish stifled the Pirates’ offense a night after they scored 109 points, forcing them into shooting a mere 34.5 percent from the field and 2-of-18 from three.

Pittsburgh closed very strong, but a rout at Notre Dame sticks out as the blemish in their final nine games. The Panthers ride their very stingy defense (39.8 percent field goals allowed, 30.9 percent three-point field goal allowed) to the lowest points allowed in the Big East at 61.7 per game. Their walk-it-up offense leads to them playing at the slowest pace in the conference, further slowing down their foes. Pitt is an average offensive team, ranking ninth in field goal percentage and seventh in three-point shooting, but it has resulted in a well-rounded offense featuring four players who average double figures. Ashton Gibbs tops the scorers at 16.2 points per game while Brad Wanamaker, Jermaine Dixon, and Gilbert Brown average between 10.7 and 12.0 points per game apiece.

Notre Dame started their five-game winning streak with a 68-53 blowout of Pitt at home. The Irish opened the game with a pair of threes and never looked back, holding an 11-point first half lead before going up 24 midway through the second session. Four players hit double digits in scoring for the Irish, who were without Harangody, led by Tim Abromaitis with 17 and Ben Hansbrough with 15 points and nine rebounds. Dixon had 13 and Gibbs 11 in a losing effort for the Panthers. The Panthers will have revenge on their minds, but Notre Dame is teeming with confidence and they know they can defeat Pitt in a slowdown game, having done it a little over two weeks ago. Look for the Irish to pull the upset and advance to the semifinals.

Game 4 – #11 Cincinnati (18-14) vs. #3 West Virginia (24-6)
Cincinnati trailed by as many as 12 points in their second-round game with Louisville, but used a run of 11 straight points to get back into the game and later a 13-2 run to take the lead for good with just over six minutes left and hold on for a 69-66 victory. The Bearcats pounded the Cardinals on the glass, 46-29, which enabled them to overcome a terrible shooting night (34.7 percent overall, 4-for-18 from three). Yancy Gates paced Cincy with 16 points while Lance Stephenson and Darnell Wilks chipped in with a dozen apiece. Louisville got 28 points from Edgar Sosa and 16 from Reginald Delk, who combined to make 9-of-10 from beyond the arc.

West Virginia is the last of the big fish to be released into action and rides a three-game win streak, including victories over Georgetown and Villanova, into the Garden. The Mountaineers’ slower-than-average pace has them giving up the third-fewest points in the conference at 64.8 points per game. While only seventh in points scored, their slow pace factors in again, as West Virginia actually ranks third in points per possession. In fact, the Mountaineers rank 12th in field goal percentage offense and 11th in field goal percentage defense. Their rebounding rates are where West Virginia really shines and makes up for some inadequacies. They are third in defensive rebounding percentage and tops in offensive rebounding percentage, collecting just over 42 percent of their misses. West Virginia features a strong trio of wings in Da’Sean Butler, Kevin Jones, and Devin Ebanks, who combine for over 43 points and 22 rebounds per night. Darryl “Truck” Bryant also averages double figures, scoring 10.6 points per contest.

West Virginia trailed by as many as 13 in their regular season game with Cincinnati, but bounced back with runs of 11-0 and 10-2 to pull out a 74-68 home win. The two teams combined to shoot just over 40 percent in the game, but the Mountaineers finished with +11 mark in rebounding, beating the Bearcats at their own game. Jones scored 15 points to lead WVU while “Truck” Bryant scored 14 and Devin Banks had a 12-point, 10-board double-double. Deonta Vaughn scored 15 for Cincinnati and Stephenson had 14 points and nine rebounds. The quarterfinal finale will resemble a rugby scrum at many times and the game will likely be a “first one to 60 wins” affair. Cincinnati needs another win to keep their NCAA hopes on life support, but a group of gifted wing players, including the big shot capability of Butler, should lift West Virginia to a tight victory.

Game 1 – #9 South Florida (20-11) vs. #8 Georgetown (20-9)
South Florida had a fairly easy go of it to kick off of the tournament, beating DePaul, 58-49. USF led by 19 points late in the first half before the Blue Demons got a 9-0 run to make a game of it, but they never got within five points. DePaul lived up to their poor offensive reputation, making just under 30 percent of their field goal attempts in the game and posting an entire 15 points before halftime. Dominique Jones did a little bit of everything for the Bulls, finishing the game with 20 points, nine rebounds and four steals. Perhaps the most interesting thing about the game is that it took 26 minutes for anyone to make a three-pointer.

Georgetown is the first of the four teams with a one-day bye to enter tournament action. Possibly the most talented team in the conference, the Hoyas have been rather erratic. Along with wins over Duke, Villanova, and Pitt, they also lost to Rutgers. The Hoyas run their Princeton offense efficiently, finishing second in the conference with a 49.8 percent field goal mark, including a third-best 38.8 percent mark from three. Their weakness is a lack of depth, as they rarely go more than seven deep and the seventh man usually sees very limited minutes. Georgetown’s leading scorer is Austin Freeman, who averaged 17.3 points on the season and had 24 in his return after being diagnosed with diabetes. Freeman is not even the Hoyas’ top player, as multi-talented center Greg Monroe averaged 16.0 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game. Chris Wright (14.2 points/game) and Jason Clark (10.3 points/game) complete a well-balanced offense.

South Florida won the regular season tilt between the two squads in early February, 72-64. Jones, as expected, had a big game, finishing with 29 points and eight rebounds as USF roared back from a 13-point first half deficit and used a 15-2 run to take the lead for good. Monroe and Freeman paced the Hoyas with 21 apiece. With Freeman back in the lineup and clicking, the Hoyas should exact revenge against the Bulls and advance to the quarterfinals.

Game 2 – #13 St. John’s (17-14) vs. #5 Marquette (20-10)
St. John’s had a surprisingly easy time of it in the first round against Connecticut, running away with a 73-51 blowout in which they led wire-to-wire. The Red Storm led by nine points less than seven minutes into the game and pushed that margin up to 17 before intermission. The Huskies, who made 37.5 percent of their shots and turned it over 19 times to throw an anvil through their NCAA Tournament bubble, got within eight points a couple times, but ten straight points by St. John’s late blew the lid off the game. The Red Storm got good efforts from a variety of players, most notably a 19-point, 10-rebound game from Sean Evans.

Marquette closed the season 9-2, including going 3-1 in overtime games and pulling out another pair of tight victories. The Golden Eagles play at the second-slowest pace in league action, which is reflected by their second place finish in points allowed in the conference at 63.6 points per game. That high ranking is a little deceptive, as they finished 15th in field goal percentage allowed at 44.1 percent. To continue Marquette’s quirky ways, they finished first in three-point percentage allowed at 30.8 percent. The result? Opponents made 49.7 percent of their two-point tries. The Golden Eagles are okay with that, though, as they led the conference in three-point percentage at a 39.9 clip and finished fourth in threes per contest. Lazar Hayward and Jimmy Butler finished 1-2 on the team in points and rebounds, combining for over 33 points and 14 boards per game.

The Golden Eagles won (what else) an overtime game against the Red Storm less than three weeks ago, 63-61. Butler capped his 18-point effort with a jumper that provided the winning points and Hayward led the Golden Eagles with 22 points. The Red Storm forced only eight turnovers in the game, but held Marquette to 34.4 percent shooting in the game. D.J. Kennedy was the top scorer for St. John’s with 20 points. This rematch will likely be a walk-it-up affair. Marquette, who will be wary of a St. John’s team brimming with confidence after their first-round rout, should pull it out.

Game 3 – #10 Seton Hall (19-11) vs. #7 Notre Dame (21-10)
Seton Hall escaped their first round track meet with Providence after squandering almost all of a 29-point second half lead, 109-106. The Friars, who play at the pace of a blender on puree and offer next to no resistance on defense, allowed the Pirates to make 53.7 percent of their field goal attempts, including a 16-of-19 stretch to close the first half. The Hall, who gave up 67(!) points in the second half, had four players score at least 15 points, led by Herb Pope’s career-high 27 points and 11 rebounds. Jamine Peterson paced Providence with 38 points, tying for second-most in a Big East Tournament game, and 16 rebounds.

Notre Dame, who rose to the seven-seed by winning their last four games, looks stingy on defense compared to what Seton Hall just saw, ranking 12th in the conference at 70.6 points allowed per game and 14th in field goal defense at 43.8 percent. The Irish are proficient at filling it up, however, sporting the highest points-per-possession rate in the Big East. Their marksmanship is key to their success, as they have connected on 47.4 percent of their field goal attempts on the season, including the second-best mark from deep at 39.8 percent, and hitting the third-highest number of threes in the conference. Luke Harangody, who averaged 23.3 points and 9.7 rebounds a night, returned from an injury in the season finale, but is still slated to come off the bench. Tim Abromaitis averaged 17.2 points per game and the starting backcourt of transfer Ben Hansbrough and Tory Jackson combined for almost 22 points and ten assists per outing.

The Hall pulled out a 90-87 home win over the Irish four weeks ago in an episode of “The Jeremy Hazell Show,” as the Pirate guard racked up 35 points on 12-of-16 shooting, including banging home 8-of-11 from downtown. As might be expected in a game where 177 points were scored in regulation, both teams shot over 54 percent from the field and 52 percent from deep in the game. Notre Dame, who got a personal-best 25 points from Tory Jackson in the loss, trailed by a dozen early in the first half and climbed within a single point on three occasions, but could not get over the hump. The two teams should be able to exploit each other’s questionable defense, but look for the Irish to continue to play well on their quest to sew up an NCAA bid.

Game 4 – #11 Cincinnati (17-14) vs. #6 Louisville (20-11)
Cincinnati had a 15-2 second half run and a +16 advantage on the glass, but needed Lance Stephenson to draw a foul and make a tiebreaking free throw with 1.8 seconds on the clock to pull out a 69-68 win over Rutgers in the opening day’s nightcap. The Bearcats shot only 38.2 percent from the floor, which probably is not a big surprise, but took advantage of all those misses, grabbing 19 offensive rebounds and turning them into 20 second chance points. Five Cincy players scored at least seven points, led by Stephenson and surprise starter Jaquon Parker with 13 points apiece. The latter replaced Rashad Bishop, who is suspended for the tournament for breaking an undisclosed team rule. The Scarlet Knights were led by Mike Rosario’s 26 points and Jonathan Mitchell’s 15-point, 12-rebound effort.

Louisville took a lot of pressure off themselves by rolling top-ranked Syracuse at home in their season finale and “locking up” a bid for the big dance. Aside from sweeping the Orange, the Cardinals have not shown the ability to beat upper echelon teams (0-4 against the other teams in front of them in the Big East and a loss to Kentucky). The Cards are statistically average almost all the way across the board, excelling in only threes made on the season and offensive rebounding percentage. There are two top-notch players on the squad, however, in Samardo Samuels, who topped the squad in points per game at 15.4 and boards per night at 7.1, and Edgar Sosa, who adds 12.8 points and 4.6 assists per contest to their attack.

Louisville employed a 21-10 start to the second half to grab a 12-point lead en route to a home win over Cincinnati, 68-60. The Bearcats had an 11-point lead six minutes into the game, but watched it evaporate in part due to the Cardinals’ pressure defense that forced 11 steals. Samuels and Sosa each had 14 points, but Reginald Delk’s surprise double-double of 13 points and 11 boards powered the Cards to the win while four different Cincy players had a dozen points. Both teams play at a normal pace for the conference, but the Cardinals average about a tenth of a point more per possession than the Bearcats in Big East play. That and Cincinnati’s offensive difficulties point to the Louisville moving on to the quarters.

Game 1 – #16 DePaul (8-22) vs. #9 South Florida (19-11)
South Florida has taken a major step forward this season, improving from nine wins last season to 19 and counting this time around. The Bulls, however, are a rather mediocre team even with that major on-court improvement. The team ranks in the top half in the conference in a grand total of three statistical categories (5th in three-point percentage allowed, 7th in defensive rebounds per game, and 8th in scoring defense). Dominique Jones is the star providing the push for this team, ranking second in the conference with 21.3 points per game. While the Bulls are below average statistically, DePaul makes them look pretty good in comparison. Last in scoring, last in point differential, last in field goal percentage, 13th in defensive field goal percentage. It is a gruesome picture. There are two bright spots for the Blue Demons, though. Mac Koshwal averages a double-double at 16.6 points and 10.1 rebounds while Will Walker tallied 16.0 points per night, but shot 36.0 percent on the season. Koshwal, in particular, closed the season very well, posting averages of 22.7 points and 10.7 rebounds per game in his last six contests.

South Florida broke a tie late en route to winning the game at DePaul a week ago, 63-59, on the strength of holding DePaul to 2-of-14 from deep and winning the board battle by 12. As expected, Jones led the Bulls with 20 points, including a tie-breaking three and a pair of free throws to ice it. Mac Koshwal had 24 points and 11 rebounds for the Blue Demons, who also got 16 points from Will Walker. Koshwal could make this game interesting, but DePaul has nothing to play for, not even their interim coach. USF moves one step closer to a bid.

Game 2 – #13 St. John’s (16-14) vs. #12 Connecticut (17-14)
The Huskies are fading, having lost their last three games. Their saving grace is their difficult schedule, which is rated third in the nation (the top four in the nation all come from the Big East). Unfortunately, their schedule has led to their double digit losses and Jim Calhoun is responding to some lackluster play by benching some of his better players. UConn is a very good defensive team again, leading the conference in field goal percentage allowed at 38.9 percent, and blocked shots at 7.8 per game (which is second in the nation). Unfortunately, their lack of consistent inside scoring and propensity for turnovers have been major weaknesses. Jerome Dyson leads the team with 17.7 points per game while Stanley Robinson and Kemba Walker both average 14.9 points. St. John’s lacks offensive punch, beating only cellar-dweller DePaul in scoring and field goal percentage. The Red Storm try to offset these offensive deficiencies by playing a slowdown game and a win here would go a long way toward ending their seven year postseason drought. DJ Kennedy leads St. John’s in points (15.3), rebounds (6.2), assists (3.0), and steals (1.1) per game.

Connecticut blew out the Red Storm in their regular season matchup in Hartford, 75-59, in their first game without Calhoun during his medical absence. The Red Storm had a lead late in the first half, but a 19-7 Husky run that bridged halftime turned the tide. UConn’s big three scorers were just that in the game, racking up 56 points, while Kennedy paced the Red Storm with 19. With their backs to the wall, look for an inspired performance from Connecticut to secure a victory.

Game 3 – #15 Providence (12-18) vs. #10 Seton Hall (18-11)
This one screams “track meet.” Seton Hall finished fourth in the conference in scoring at 80.3 points per game, but their defense was next-to-last at 74.2 points per game allowed. The Pirates spread it around, featuring six players who scored at least eight points per game. Jeremy Hazell leads the way at 21.2 points per game while New Mexico State transfer Herb Pope scores 11.1 points per game and grabs a league-best 11.2 rebounds per night. Keno Davis’ Friars play at the fastest pace in the conference and have a pretty fair offense (on the surface, anyway). However, their defense puts them in a bad spot, as they allow more points per possession than any other unit in the Big East. Their uptempo style hides their offensive inefficiency, as they shoot only 43.3 percent from the field, but does nothing to shield their inept defense (a league-worst 46.8 percent field goal percentage allowed) from public consumption. The Friars had four players average double digits in scoring, led by Jamine Peterson, who averaged 19.0 points and 10.0 rebounds per game, including single-game highs of 29 points and 22 rebounds.

Seton Hall won the regular season finale between the two teams, outrunning the Friars in Providence, 92-80. Jordan Theodore led six Pirate players in double figures with 19 points as the Hall scored to open the game and never looked back. Vincent Council led the Friars with a season-high 25 points and Sharaud Curry added 19. Seton Hall has enough offensive talent to win again, not to mention that they are chasing an at-large bid.

Game 4 – #14 Rutgers (15-16) vs. #11 Cincinnati (16-14)
Cincinnati has played themselves into this spot where they likely need to win at least three games just to get back into serious NCAA bubble contention. Of course, getting three ranked foes in a row to close the season gave them no help. The Bearcats have a tough go of it on offense, ranking 11th in points and field goal percentage while dead last in three-point shooting (29.2 percent), but get after it on defense, allowing their foes to make only 41.1 percent of their shots, and on the glass, finishing the season with a +6.1 rebounding margin and ranking tops in conference in defensive rebounding percentage. Freshman Lance Stephenson led Cincy with 12.0 points per game, which is the lowest mark for any team leader in the Big East. Rutgers may not be even as good as their 14th seed would suggest. They had the second-worst point differential in conference at -4.3 points per game and made only 42.4 percent of their field goal attempts. The Scarlet Knights have issues on the glass, too, but they compiled the second-most blocked shots in the league, returning 7.1 attempts per game. While Rutgers have three players who averaged in double figures on the season, one of them, Gregory Echenique, missed all but the first seven games of the campaign. Mike Rosario led the way with 16.4 points per game while Hamady Ndiaye topped the team with 7.1 rebounds and 4.5 blocks per game.

The Bearcats proved to be rude guests at Rutgers, knocking off the Scarlet Knights, 65-58. Cincy trailed by six early in the second half, but used an 18-7 to take control and made 5-of-6 from the line in the final 40 seconds to hold on. Deonta Vaughn was the top scorer in the game, tallying 17 for Cincinnati, while Jonathan Mitchell topped Rutgers with 14 points and seven rebounds. The combination of Rutgers’ weak offense and Cincinnati’s dogged defense should result in a repeat of the regular season game.

The mega-conference is invading Madison Square Garden again, as the Big East is bringing all 16 of their members in waves to New York to determine who gets the conference title and its accompanying automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament. Tuesday is the first of three days of quadruple-headers, featuring the lowest eight seeds in the tournament. The teams who finished fifth through eighth get introduced in Wednesday’s second round and the top four seeds get to take their shots at picking off survivors in Thursday’s quarterfinal round. Oh, and you never know if there will be a six-overtime game.

The conference is not quite as top-heavy as last year, as there were three teams vying for top seeds in the NCAA Tournament last year, but this year’s version features a team that has all but secured a #1 seed in the big dance and three other teams who can grab #2 seeds. In fact, there are essentially seven locks for the NCAA Tournament already and one team that can realistically grab an eighth spot, should they continue their current hot streak. Beyond that, teams will need at least two wins and likely get some help in the form of other teams having their bubbles burst. With the overall quality of the conference, it is very hard to imagine a team seeded ninth or lower swiping the title, not to mention that pesky “winning five games in five days” thing.

How the squads break down, in order of seeding from top to bottom (with one exception):

Playing for top seeds in the NCAAs: Syracuse, Pittsburgh, West Virginia, Villanova
Syracuse allegedly wrapped up a top seed in the NCAA Tournament when they throttled Villanova a little over a week ago. However, that spot could be in jeopardy if they drop their opening game and teams like Duke, Kansas State, and Ohio State win their respective conference titles. Pittsburgh has won their last three and eight of their last nine to sneak into the two-hole. They will need to win at least one game, but more likely two, to sew up a top-two seed. West Virginia has won five of their last six and their worst loss on the season is at Notre Dame. They, like the Panthers, will need a couple wins to lock in a second seed. Villanova has tripped up lately, but that is a product of the meat grinder portion of their schedule kicking in late. They have lost to each of the other three teams in this group as part of a 2-4 slide to end their season.

Playing for NCAA seeding: Marquette, Louisville, Georgetown
If you want to watch a tight game, just tune in whenever Marquette is in action. The Golden Eagles, who have closed strong, winning nine of their last 11, have gone to overtime in each of their last four games and have had 13 of their games decided by four points or less. Louisville may have secured an at-large bid by finishing their season sweep of Syracuse on Saturday. The Cardinals have been inconsistent, however, failing to win more than three games in a row since the calendar reset. Georgetown welcomed back Austin Freeman, who was diagnosed with diabetes, by drubbing Cincinnati in their season finale. That victory snapped a 4-6 stretch for the Hoyas, which included losses at home to South Forida and at Rutgers. Georgetown, who is actually the eight seed, currently has the top strength of schedule rating in the country, which puts them in this group.

Playing to get off the bubble: Notre Dame
Notre Dame has turned the injury to Luke Harangody into a good thing. While it took a week to get things figured out, the Fighting Irish turned into a machine, getting edged in overtime by Louisville before closing with four straight wins, including knocking off NCAA locks in Pitt, Georgetown, and Marquette. Now, Harangody is back and coming off the bench.

Playing to get on the bubble, then in the NCAAs: South Florida, Seton Hall, Cincinnati, Connecticut
Each of these teams need two wins and possibly a third to get seriously considered for an NCAA bid. South Florida and Seton Hall are both at .500 in conference, which is pretty impressive, considering where they came from. Both teams righted their respective ships late, with USF winning their final three games to get even in Big East play and the Pirates getting their final two in the win column. The Bulls have a pair of impressive conference victories in beating Pitt at home and Georgetown in our nation’s capital. Seton Hall also has a home win over Pitt, as well as defeating Ivy League champ Cornell. Those thin resumes, however, create another big problem for each team, as they both reside in the 60’s in the RPI. Two wins may not be enough for either of them. Both Cincinnati and Connecticut will definitely need three wins and an appearance in the semifinals, especially because they would each get two marquee wins. The Bearcats seem to have a slim chance of doing that as they are reeling, having lost their last three and seven of nine. It’s also hard to forget how they laid down in the first round to DePaul last year after the Blue Demons went 0-18 in conference action. The Huskies are also in turmoil. Like Cincy, they have also lost their last three games. Head coach Jim Calhoun also announced after their finale at South Florida that three players are benched for their first round game. Welcome back to the bench, Jim.

Playing to get an NIT bid: St John’s, Rutgers
St John’s has had another rough season, but can at least point to their wins over Louisville and Notre Dame as signs of improvement. In fact, the fact that they are playing for a postseason bid (they may get an NIT berth, anyway) is a positive. Rutgers would really like to get two wins to guarantee a record of .500 or better, which would be a huge victory in light of their nine-game losing streak that included most of January. They have shown moments of being lively, having knocked off Georgetown and Notre Dame.

Playing on Tuesday and Tuesday alone: Providence, DePaul.
Providence is reeling. Ten straight losses. An average of 88.1 points per game allowed in that span. Ten games with 90 or more points allowed on the season. The Friars play track meets, which explains how they have four double-digit scorers and still finished 4-14 in conference and 12-18 overall. DePaul won a game in conference play this year, which is one more Big East victory than they secured last year. The Blue Demons’ victim? Marquette. 51-50. Since then, it has been a dozen losses. The team is 1-14 since Jerry Wainwright was shown the door. Of course, they did win a game in the tournament last year.

Most intriguing first-round matchup: Rutgers vs. Cincinnati
The Scarlet Knights have a shot at a .500 record, which would be a significant move for Fred Hill, whose job was in jeopardy during the season. Cincinnati has been reeling and was a no-show last year with an NCAA bid on the line. They could be ripe for the picking.

Most intriguing potential second-round matchup: Seton Hall vs. Notre Dame
A second win in the Big East tourney would give Notre Dame 22 on the season, which when combined with ten conference victories, would make them an appealing choice. Seton Hall, on the other hand, would be playing for victory #20, not to mention could knock the Irish off the bubble and perhaps even replace them.

Most intriguing potential quarterfinal matchup: Louisville vs. West Virginia
Based on their sweep of Syracuse, Louisville has shown they are capable of defeating anyone. West Virginia’s tough defense should make this an absolute dogfight, especially since the Cardinals could use another marquee victory for their resume.

The 2009 bracketology season is in its death rattle phase, as the actual thing is 10 hours away from reality. I have to think that L’ville wrapped up a 1 seed by adding the conference tourney title to their regular season Big East title. Strong. For my money, UNC, Pitt, and UConn will join them, giving the Big East three #1 seeds, a first for a conference.

—Updated bubble musings from sportsline.com.

—Gary Parrish’s thinking at sportsline is that Auburn’s tournament dreams died with its loss yesterday, among other notes as we head into bracket day. He’s perhaps very on point with this:

Final thought: Duke’s 67-61 win over Maryland in the ACC tournament semifinals was the Blue Devils’ third against the Terrapins, their 10th against a team included in Jerry Palm’s Saturday morning bracket projections. To put this in perspective, consider that possible No. 1 seed Pittsburgh has eight such wins, Connecticut has eight, Louisville has seven, North Carolina has six, and Memphis has two. So I ask: If the Blue Devils (No. 2 in the RPI) win the ACC tournament, should they get a No. 1 seed? There would certainly be a case to be made. And I think I could make it well.

That’s somewhat compelling. Duke in place of UConn as a #1 seed? I could see that. Chatter continues on all the tournaments, the #1 seed uncertainty, and will certainly include bracket chatter in the Swamp. Swing by with a thought or two.

…is announced.

The jockeying for position and entrance into the NCAA tournament this year has been epic. Having so many bubble teams from large conferences will do that. Not to mention the fact that the top seeds behind North Carolina and likely Pitt are so unsettled. Time for one last spin around the bracket guessers before it all gets locked in tomorrow evening:

—Joe Lunardi says the A-10 has shortened the bubble, as the winner of the Duquense/Temple final will join Xavier and Dayton in making it a three bid league. Ouch.

—Who should bubble teams (Creighton, Minnesota, Penn State and Providence to name a few) be rooting for today? Memphis (or else C-USA becomes a two bid league), Utah State over Nevada in the WAC, Missouri over Baylor in the Big 12 (Baylor had lost 10 of 12 before their rather improbable run in the conference tourney was launched), among others.

—Bracketology

—si.com’s Bubble Watch update notes that the SEC may only be a two-bid league (LSU and Tennessee) despite Kentucky being a 20-win team after UK’s loss to LSU in the conference quarterfinals. They’ve also still got Maryland on the outside looking in and needing to beat Duke to dance.

—Jerry Palm’s guess on cbssports.com

—Best reading out there? In my view, Gary Parrish’s wrap-up of Friday and look ahead to Saturday in his Gettin’ In series on cbssports.com, including this note on the Terps:

Maryland was out of Jerry Palm’s Friday morning bracket, which wasn’t good for Gary Williams’ long-term career plans. But a 75-64 victory over Wake Forest in the ACC tournament quarterfinals might’ve fixed that problem, because the Terrapins now have wins over North Carolina, Michigan State and Wake Forest — i.e., a pair of possible No. 1 seeds and another likely top-four seed — to help offset a questionable 13-12 record against the top 200 of the RPI.

What a bizarre resume. A win over Duke would likely settle the question for them.

Full day of games today, with tournament impacts all over the place. Enjoy. Plenty of chatter in the Swamp, drop by with a thought or two.

Fourteen games (almost fifteen when you account for all those overtime periods) are in the books, leaving only one remaining on the docket. The Big East Championship is the big prize, waiting to be claimed by either Louisville or Syracuse. With two teams that are already shoo-ins for the NCAA Tournament involved, it may seem that there is not as much at stake as if a team was playing to seize the automatic bid. However, there is a lot more on the line than it would appear at first beyond a shiny trophy and some souvenir clothing.

Louisville is trying to win their first Big East Tournament, which should also nail down a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, specifically in the Midwest, er, Indianapolis region. Rick Pitino is probably dreaming about a potential trip to the Final Four in Detroit (317 miles) with stops in Dayton (136 miles) and Indianapolis (115 miles) along the way. Few teams with a legitimate shot at the title have the possibility of more home cooking. Syracuse, on the other hand, especially as their RPI and strength of schedule continue to rise with each win while some other teams in the same seeding range get knocked off in their respective conference tournaments, could creep into a top-four seed and get themselves some more favorable travel arrangements, as well. A trip to Philadelphia (221 miles) could help them get to a Sweet Sixteen appearance in Boston (262 miles). Light travel in March has benefited Syracuse before. In 2003, the Orange made trips to Boston and Albany en route to a national title in New Orleans.

Big East Championship – #1 Louisville (27-5) vs. #6 Syracuse (26-8)

The first semifinal was a tale of two halves. Villanova converted 11 turnovers into 13 points and outrebounded the Cardinals by nine en route to a 34-26 halftime lead. Louisville, however, used two big runs to blitz the Wildcats in the second half. The first burst was fueled by their pressure defense, which caused turnovers that they converted into a three-point barrage to quickly take the lead with a 17-2 run to open the half. The second was ten straight points to blow open a tie game and grab a lead they would not relinquish. The Cardinals’ defense was stifling, forcing 23 turnovers in the game and holding Villanova to 34.6 percent shooting from the field. Earl Clark led the way with 17 points while Jerry Smith tallied 16. Louisville hit 13-of-28 triples in the game. Terrence Williams had his second consecutive bad shooting night, going 2-for-9 after a 1-for-7 performance in the quarterfinal, but had 11 rebounds and six assists.

Syracuse came off their six-overtime quarterfinal game and somehow found the fortitude to win a game that only went to single overtime, knocking off West Virginia, 74-69. The Orange trailed until shortly after the midpoint of the first half, where they utilized a run of 11 straight points to take the lead. When Eric Devendorf buried a 65-foot heave before the buzzer, Syracuse took a 36-29 lead into the half, in major part because they had converted 13 offensive rebounds into 15 second chance points. West Virginia came roaring out of the break and rattled off a streak of 11 points to take the lead. The Mountaineers came back from a five-point deficit in the final two minutes and freshman Devin Ebanks sent the game to extras with a pair of free throws. The Orange scored the first six points of overtime, but allowed West Virginia to get within two late before holding on to earn their 14th appearance in the Big East Tournament Final and a shot at their sixth conference title.

The regular season game between the two schools was at the Carrier Dome and Louisville prevailed by a 67-57 margin. The Cardinals’ defense propelled them to victory, holding the Orange to 35.3 percent field goal shooting, including only 27.3 percent in the second half. In the game, Syracuse took a one-point lead with three minutes left, but Louisville finished with a 13-2 closing kick. Earl Clark was a monster in the game, finishing with 16 points, 13 rebounds, and five assists for the winners while Terrence Williams had 15 points and nine rebounds. Eric Devendorf led the Orange with 20 points while Jonny Flynn had 12 and Arinze Onuaku had 11. Andy Rautins left the game late in the contest for the Orange after spraining his ankle.

KEYS FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME:

How much of an effect will Louisville’s press have? The Cardinals have forced 49 turnovers in two Big East Tournament games. Syracuse committed 13 turnovers against West Virginia’s fairly low-pressure defense after only committing 16 in the marathon against Connecticut. The Orange have been susceptible to committing mistakes, as evidenced by their average of 15.3 turnovers per game on the season. How will their tired legs and minds handle Louisville’s pressure defense, especially with only one true point guard on their roster who has played almost 150 minutes in the last three days?

Will Terrence Williams be able to break out of his shooting slump? Williams had posted double figures in scoring in his last six games prior to the Big East Tournament, shooting 50 percent in that span. Perhaps his woes are linked to playing at Madison Square Garden. In addition to his 3-for-16 shooting in his two postseason games, Williams went 0-for-7 in Louisville’s regular season appearance there against Saint John’s.

Who wins the three-point shooting battle? In this tournament, Eric Devendorf is 12-of-23 from three-point range while Andy Rautins is 13-for-28 from behind the line for Syracuse. The 2-3 zone utilized by the Orange encourages bad three-point shots, having gotten their tournament opponents to attempt 88 threes while making only 24 of them for a 27.3 percent success rate. Louisville sizzled from deep against Villanova in the semifinals and took almost half of their shots (28 of 59) from beyond the arc. Can Syracuse continue to knock down their open looks? Will Louisville exploit the Orange zone?

Can Syracuse continue to exert themselves and play at such a high level after playing almost four entire games with such charged emotional changes in three days? Minutes played in the last three days for the Orange guards and wings – Jonny Flynn 147, Eric Devendorf 139, Andy Rautins 115, Paul Harris 100.

Will Louisville continue their excellent defense, which has held opponents to 34.2 percent shooting in the tourney? This one seems likely, as Syracuse has shot under 40 percent from the floor combined against Connecticut and West Virginia. All those minutes played won’t help.

Pretty much everything points toward Louisville as the winner, save for the “destiny” tag, which may have settled on the Orange. Then again, with what Syracuse has shown, they have earned their victories. Maybe they’ll have enough in the tank. Louisville has to be the pick, though, as Syracuse should hit the wall sometime soon. Their pressure should exacerbate the heavy minutes played by the Syracuse backcourt and heavy legs are not normally able to make long-range shots. Louisville will claim their first Big East Tournament.

Wow. A buzzer-beater to win the second game of the quadrupleheader, an impressive upset in the third game, and a mere sextuple-overtime game to close it out. Just another day in the Big East Tournament.

Game 1 – #1 Louisville (26-5) vs. #4 Villanova (26-6)
Louisville cruised in their quarterfinal matchup with Providence, leading for all but about 30 seconds in the opening minutes on their way to a 73-55 win. The Cardinals’ defense was excellent, forcing 26 turnovers and holding the Friars to 33.9 percent shooting (and 2-of-17 from three) in the contest. Two players carried the offensive load for Louisville. Earl Clark tallied 24 points on 10-of-15 shooting and grabbed 10 rebounds while freshman Samardo Samuels rang up 22 points on 10-of-13 field goals. Outside of those two, the cupboard was pretty bare, as the remaining Cardinals made under 30 percent of their shots. The upside of the blowout for Louisville was that eleven different players saw action for them, but their three top players (Clark, Samuels, and Terrence Williams) all played at least 34 minutes.

Villanova seemed to be on a similar path to an easy win, leading Marquette by as many as 17 points in the first half. However, the Golden Eagles clipped the margin to seven in the first four minutes of the second half, then remained in striking distance before eventually taking a one-point lead with just over 90 seconds remaining. Marquette could not score on a pair of possessions and they got burned for it as Dwayne Anderson was left unattended under the basket and curled in the winning lay-up for the Wildcats as the buzzer sounded. Villanova got 21 points from Scottie Reynolds and 20 from Corey Stokes but, more importantly, held Marquette to only 33.3 percent shooting in the game, which helped offset the Golden Eagles’ 33-for-39 shooting at the charity stripe.

In the regular season game between these two schools, Louisville pulled out a 61-60 win. It was a tight defensive battle, as both teams shot under 39 percent from the floor. Clark (16 points, 11 rebounds) and Williams (10 points, 14 rebounds) both posted double-doubles for the winners, while Samuels had 15 points. The Wildcats had three players in double figures, led by Dante Cunningham with 21. Save for one tie at 22 apiece, Louisville led for the first 36:48 of the game, only to have Villanova take a late lead. The two teams traded scores, then the Cardinals got the winning basket from Terrence Williams with under ten seconds remaining.

This contest should be another tight one, but Louisville should advance. They had a less stressful opening contest and boast one of the conference’s best players in Terrence Williams. Since the Cardinals cruised past Providence while getting little production from Williams (six points on 1-of-7 shooting, six rebounds, four assists), a bounce back game from him should help the Cardinals pull it out.

Game 2 – #7 West Virginia (23-10) vs #6 Syracuse (25-8)
West Virginia got revenge for a pair of losses during the season to Pittsburgh, using a stifling 1-3-1 zone defense in the second half to shut down the Panthers and grab a 74-60 victory in the biggest upset of the tournament. The game was also marked by some curious officiating, with both calls and non-calls going both ways. Pitt’s top player, Dejuan Blair, picked up two fouls in the first four minutes of the game, then sat for the rest of the half. The Mountaineers’ defense was suffocating in the second half, forcing Pitt into ten straight missed field goal attempts, which allowed the Mountaineers to pull away. West Virginia was led by freshman Devin Ebanks, who scored 20 points and grabbed eight rebounds in front of his hometown fans. Alex Ruoff (18 points) and Da’Sean Butler (16) cracked double digits in the scoring column for the victors, who outscored Pitt by ten points at the free throw line.

The other quarterfinal was simply both the most dramatic and longest game of the year. Syracuse survived the classic, outlasting Connecticut in six overtimes, 127-117. This game nearly ended at the regulation buzzer, as Syracuse’s Eric Devendorf hit a potential game-winning three, but video review determined the ball left his fingertips about one-tenth of a second too late. The Orange never led in any of the overtime sessions until scoring on the opening possession of the sixth overtime, then extended their lead to as many as ten before holding off the Huskies, who simply ran out of gas. Syracuse survived by being uncharacteristically good at the free throw line. In spite of ranking 14th in the Big East in free throw shooting, the Orange hit 40-of-51 at the stripe, including 23-of-26 after regulation ended. Syracuse also committed a mere 16 turnovers in 70 minutes of play compared to UConn’s 28, offsetting the Huskies’ +18 rebounding advantage.

Jonny Flynn was nearly superhuman for the Orange, playing 67 minutes, scoring 34 points. and handing out 11 assists. Paul Harris had 29 points and 22 rebounds, while Eric Devendorf scored 22 points and Andy Rautins had 20, including a huge three-pointer to start that sixth open. The Huskies had four players score in double figures and four grab double figure rebounds. A.J. Price had 33 points and 10 assists while Stanley Robinson had a career night with 28 points and 14 rebounds.

Syracuse won the regular season game over West Virginia, riding Flynn and Devendorf, who each scored 22 points, to a 74-61 victory in early February. Harris also helped out the Orange cause with 14 points and 13 rebounds, while Butler led West Virginia with 23 points. That game is completely irrelevant, though. Given the events of what happened tonight, it is simply impossible to believe that the survivor of such an emotional roller coaster will have enough to win a game that starts about 20 hours after the sextuple-overtime game ended. Factoring in West Virginia’s tough defense and smart, patient offense, the Mountaineers should simply be able to gradually pull away from the Orange over the course of the game. Yes, there is a chance that the Orange will ride the momentum from the win over UConn past West Virginia. However, the three-hour, 45-minute length of the quarterfinal game followed by the short turnaround combined with the fact that Syracuse also played on Wednesday should turn their legs to cement and allow them to be exploited by the Mountaineers on both ends of the court.

The second day of the Big East Tournament was the one where order was restored. With some of the cream of the conference getting going against the second division teams who had played the day prior, it came as no surprise that the teams seeded fifth through eighth all advanced, three of them doing so rather easily. With the quarterfinals come the true elites, as the top four seeds making their tournament debuts are all ranked in the top ten of the final regular season AP poll. The bad news for the top four seeds is that most of the teams they face were able to save their starters a little bit in their second round games. That bodes well for the overall quality of all four quarterfinal contests.

Game 1 – #8 Providence (19-12) vs. #1 Louisville (25-5)
In the first second round game, Providence used a 15-1 run late in the second half to finally grab the lead for good over DePaul and hung on for an 83-74 win. Sharaud Curry led Providence with 25 and Weyinmi Efejuku backed him up with 23. Will Walker had 31 points and Dar Tucker had 30 for the more than game Blue Demons, who led for roughly 30 minutes of the contest, but wilted down the stretch. The Friars’ reward is a date with regular season champ Louisville and a huge opportunity to sew up an NCAA bid.

The Cardinals boast a very tough defense, finishing second in the Big East in both points allowed (63.2) and field goal defense (40.3 percent), as well as leading the league in steals and ranking second in blocks. Louisville has a solid offense that stands out in their perimeter shooting (fourth in three-point percentage, second in threes made). Winners of seven in a row and 17 of their last 19, the Cardinals run eight deep and are led by Earl Clark and Terrence Williams. Clark averaged 14.2 points and 8.9 rebounds per game in the Big East while Williams posted conference averages of 13.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 5.3 assists. Louisville also had five players make over 20 three-pointers in conference games, so the Friars their strong offensive balance must be kept in check..

Louisville routed Providence late in the regular season game at Freedom Hall, 94-76. The Cards forced 22 turnovers and committed only nine while getting six players in double figures in the scoring column. The Friars, who held a one-point halftime lead, shot only 30 percent after intermission after making 75 percent of their shots before the break. It is hard to think that a Providence team that showed up a little flat for its opener and had to claw back into a game late against the worst team in the league will be up to the task against a hot Cardinal squad that has had four days off to rest. Look for Louisville to win this one by a dozen.

Game 2 – #5 Marquette (24-8) vs. #4 Villanova (25-6)
Marquette cruised in their second round game, flattening Saint John’s, 74-45, on the strength of a stellar defensive performance (to be fair, the Red Storm threw up a number of ill-advised shots) and an excellent effort on the glass. The Golden Eagles got 20 points and nine rebounds from Wesley Matthews and 17 points and nine rebounds from Lazar Hayward while holding the Red Storm to 39.1 percent shooting from the field and outrebounding them by 16. That “accuracy” rate from Saint John’s was massively improved in the second half after they made a woeful 3-of-22 attempts in the first half.

A quarterfinal contest with Villanova is Marquette’s reward. The Wildcats run a proficient and efficient offense, having tallied the most points in Big East play at 79.5 points per game while finishing third in field goal percentage and second in three-point percentage. Villanova complements this offense with an aggressive defense that led the Big East at 15.9 turnovers forced per game and finished tied in steals at 8.2 per contest. Dante Cunningham was one of the most improved players in the conference this year, jumping up to 16.4 points and 7.3 boards per game as the primary inside player for the ‘Cats. Scottie Reynolds was close behind him for team scoring honors at 15.7 points per game and a pair of Coreys, Fisher and Stokes, combined for just over 20 points a night.

The Wildcats rolled to a 102-84 win in the regular season, pulling away in the second half after holding a five-point lead at the break. Four Villanova players scored at least 15 points, led by Scottie Reynolds with 27 and Corey Fisher with 21, as the two combined for nine treys. Jerel McNeal had 23 points and Lazar Hayward had 22 for Marquette. The absence of Dominic James, who had 14 points and nine assists in the regular season tilt, should sink Marquette’s upset hopes. His replacement, Maurice Acker, played eight scoreless minutes when the two teams met in the regular season and 27 unimpressive minutes in Marquette’s second round game against Saint John’s. Reynolds’ ability to dominate the point guard battle should give ‘Nova a solid win.

Game 3 – #7 West Virginia (22-10) vs. #2 Pittsburgh (28-3)
West Virginia stepped onto the Madison Square Garden floor ready to play, scoring the first seven points of the game en route to grabbing a 17-2 lead on Notre Dame before eight minutes came off the clock. The Mountaineers led by as many as 20 points in the first, then withstood a pair of second half runs from the Irish, who never got within seven points, for a 74-62 victory. Alex Ruoff had 25 points and Da’Sean Butler 20 as West Virginia shot 11-of-20 on threes (and 12-of-44 inside the arc), while Devin Ebanks grabbed 17 rebounds to key a +15 advantage on the glass. The Irish were led by Luke Harangody, who bounced back from a bad first round game with 27 points.

Pittsburgh waits for the Mountaineers with their brutally efficient offense at the ready. The Panthers shot 48.8 percent from the floor in conference action, good for second in the league, including 36.5 percent from deep (third in the Big East). A major part of Pitt’s effective offense is their rebounding ability. The Panthers grabbed a league-best 14.6 offensive rebounds per game and posted a league-best +10.4 rebounding differential. The squad boasts four double-digit scorers, including Sam Young at 17.7 points per game and DeJuan Blair, who posted 12.3 rebounds to go with his 16.1 points per night. Floor general Levance Fields doled out 8.2 assists to go with his 11.2 points per contest.

Pitt won both regular season meetings between the two, getting a 79-67 win in Morgantown in late January, then grabbing a 70-59 home win two weeks later. Young was the top performer for the Panthers, scoring 22 and 20 points in the two contests while Fields tallied 13 in each game. Butler had 21 for WVU in the first game, then was held to two before fouling out in the sequel. Ruoff scored 16, then 17 points in the two games while Ebanks picked up the slack with 16 in the second matchup. Pitt is at the tournament as the defending champs and West Virginia is the first step in defending their crown. The popular maxim is that it is difficult to beat the same team three times in one year, but the Mountaineers’ surprisingly easy win over Notre Dame should grab Pitt’s attention, leading them to show up ready to play and grab a hard-fought win.

Game 4 – #6 Syracuse (24-8) vs. #3 Connecticut (27-3)
The final game of the second round was perhaps the most interesting. Early in the second half, there was a brief span where Syracuse and Seton Hall combined to earn an intentional foul and four offsetting technical fouls. The Orange responded from the raised intensity, using an 18-3 run to blow open a close contest and cruised from there for an 89-74 win. Syracuse had five players in double figures, led by Jonny Flynn and Eric Devendorf, who each had 19 points, while Flynn tallied 11 assists. Jeremy Hazell of the Pirates took game-high honors with 27 points in a losing cause and Robert Mitchell aided their cause with 15 points and 12 rebounds.

Syracuse’s longtime rival Connecticut will be the last of the top seeds to play. The Huskies bring their trademark excellent defense to the Garden, leading the Big East in points allowed (62.1 per game), field goal defense (37.6 percent), three-point field goal defense (29.4 percent), and blocked shots (8.2 per game). Need I go on? UConn’s offense is average for Big East play, save for finishing third in offensive rebounding and fourth in field goal percentage. UConn’s power up front comes in the form of Hasheem Thabeet and Jeff Adrien, each of whom averaged over 13 points per game, with Thabeet grabbing almost 11 boards a game and Adrien collecting just under ten. Thabeet also averaged (ho-hum) 4.5 blocks per game. A.J. Price runs the show at the point, also scoring over 13 points per game, in part by hitting 68 treys on the season at a 42.2 percent clip.

The Huskies suffocated Syracuse in their regular season matchup, winning 63-49 in Hartford on the strength of holding the Orange to 31.7 percent shooting from the field, including not allowing the visitors a field goal in the final 5:33. That stifling defense helped Connecticut overcome their 20 turnovers. A.J. Price led the Huskies with 17 points while Hasheem Thabeet was a dominant force, scoring eight points, grabbing 17 rebounds, and blocking seven shots. Flynn was one of two Syracuse players in double figures, scoring 16 points. Barring an absolutely explosive outside shooting display by the Orange, UConn’s dominant inside game should carry the day, helping them comfortably advance to the semifinals.