Here we are again. March is upon us, this time with 70 degree weather in New York City and four straight days of Big East basketball in the world’s most famous arena, Madison Square Garden. The conference is likely to follow up last season’s six-bid NCAA Tournament mark with five teams, all of which will be vying for better seeding this week. The other five teams are looking at a frenzied series of as many as four straight games, their only avenue to the Dance via what would be a surprising run to the Big East Championship. Often the most vulnerable teams are the most comfortable teams, so the target on Villanova’s back as the defending champ as well as this season’s regular season winner is bigger than ever.
Here’s a printable version of the bracket: 2016 Big East Tournament Bracket
And the Winner is: Villanova
It’s a boring pick, but given the Wildcats’ continuing success, it’s hard to build an argument against them winning this thing again. Villanova posted a 16-2 Big East record this season and has no shortage of experienced players on its roster. Junior Josh Hart played his way into the Big East Player of the Year discussion as one of the league’s best all-around players; Kris Jenkins has developed into a deadly sharpshooter; and seniors Ryan Arcidiacono and Daniel Ochefu continue to provide their typical steady contributions. The team’s balanced, inside-out attack utilizes a heavy dose of screening that keeps opponents off-balance and sets up quality outside looks. But even on bad shooting days, Jay Wright’s club can grind out wins with tremendous team defense. Should the favorite somehow falter this week, Xavier and Seton Hall are the most likely candidates to supplant Villanova as the Big East Tournament champion.
Dark Horse With a Chance: Butler
As a #5 seed with a brutal schedule in front of it (Providence, likely followed by Villanova), Chris Holtmann’s team will be written off by many pundits this week as a likely one-and-done entrant. But despite a 7-2 finish that included two wins over #3 seed Seton Hall, the Bulldogs have flown under the radar over the last six weeks. Butler sports a deliberate offense that takes care of the ball and thrives on positioning highly productive wing players Kellen Dunham and Kelan Martin for scoring opportunities. In fact, the Bulldogs own the conference’s second most efficient offense, behind only Villanova. Keep an eye out for this team, because if Butler can get past an ailing Providence outfit, it has the firepower to challenge Villanova in the semifinals.
Cinderella Potential: Creighton
Hardly a Cinderella in the typical sense of the word, Creighton would qualify as an unexpected party crasher should the Bluejays make a run this week. Behind transfer Maurice Watson, Jr., this team has thrived in transition with a proven ability to score in bunches. Their first round game against Seton Hall may seem like an unfavorable matchup on paper, but the Bluejays defeated the Pirates once this season and are only projected by Kenpom to lose the game by two points. A defeat of the Pirates would likely match Creighton up in the next round with Xavier, a team it also beat once and nearly knocked off again last Saturday. Greg McDermott’s team can be incredibly dangerous when it is hitting shots, so avoid the mistake of dismissing the Bluejays based on seeding and record alone.