2017 Big East Tournament: Villanova captures second title in four years

By Carmine Carcieri | Mar 11, 2017

Mar 10, 2017; New York, NY, USA; Villanova Wildcats head coach Jay Wright reacts against the Seton Hall Pirates during the Big East Conference Tournament at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports /

Behind a sold out crowd, Villanova toppled Creighton in the 2017 Big East Tournament final.

Since conference realignment four years, the Villanova Wildcats have been the flagship program of the Big East. They’ve lost just nine regular season games during that time period, won the postseason conference tournament two years ago and of course, cut down the nets, winning the 2016 National Championship on a buzzer-beating three-pointer by forward Kris Jenkins.

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Well, the Wildcats can add another conference tournament crown to their resume as they pounded the Creighton Bluejays in the 2017 Big East Tournament final, 70 to 64, in front of a sold-out crowd at Madison Square Garden on Saturday evening.

The Wildcats, who are likely to be the number one overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, were led by their two top players, Big East Player of the Year Josh Hart and superb sophomore point guard Jalen Brunson. One night after playing hero in a win over the Seton Hall Pirates, Hart scored 29 points on 9-of-18 shooting and grabbed six rebounds. He made plays on both ends of the floor, guarding both Khyri Thomas and Marcus Foster, and making shots from both inside and out on offense.

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Brunson (17 points on 5-of-7) was also terrific, playing with the poise and composure that has made him this team’s second best player all season long.

And then there was Kris Jenkins, who broke out of his shooting slump as he scored 14 points on 6-of-13 shooting.

Villanova had 15 turnovers (an uncharacteristic amount for a team of their caliber) but they shot 46 percent from the field and 35 percent from beyond the arc. They were in command of the game from the get-go as they defended Marcus Foster (13 points on 5-of-13 shooting) terrifically and while Justin Patton played well (10 points on 5-of-8 shooting), he wasn’t dominant, even against Villanova’s thin front line.

The Bluejays offense is one of the most efficient in the country, especially from beyond the arc, but they couldn’t find their three point touch against the Wildcats. Creighton shot just 25 percent from long range and Foster was ice cold from the start.

In fact, Creighton’s offense was practically non-existent until Ronnie Harrell Jr. came off the bench in the second half and scored nine points in a matter of just minutes. Despite not playing the entire first 20 minutes, Harrell was Creighton’s leading scorer at one point.

And while we could blame the loss on the loss of Maurice Watson Jr., this is more about Villanova’s dominance.

They may not be as deep as last season or have a post presence of the caliber of Daniel Ochefu, but they still have experience, an efficient offense, a team that never gets rattled and a defense that is elite. Add in the fact that Jay Wright is a top notch head coach and that they don’t lack confidence, and Villanova is clearly a team that can cut down the nets in April.

Next: Five takeaways from Duke versus UNC - Round Three

This Big East Tournament only confirmed what we already knew: the Wildcats are by far the best program in the Big East and they are also one of the best programs in the country.