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Big East Basketball: 2018 Conference Tournament bracket and preview

By Lukas Harkins

CINCINNATI, OH - FEBRUARY 28: Xavier Musketeers players celebrate after winning the Big East Conference regular season title with an 84-74 win over the Providence Friars at Cintas Center on February 28, 2018 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OH - FEBRUARY 28: Xavier Musketeers players celebrate after winning the Big East Conference regular season title with an 84-74 win over the Providence Friars at Cintas Center on February 28, 2018 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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PHILADELPHIA, PA – MARCH 03: Booth
PHILADELPHIA, PA – MARCH 03: Booth /

Predictions for the bracket

First Round

St. John’s over Georgetown: This is an interesting matchup. Even though the Hoyas won both regular-season matchups between these teams, the Red Storm has Shamorie Ponds. In a single-elimination tournament such as this one, having the best player in the game can go a long way. I expect the sophomore stud will do everything he can to avoid an early trip home.

Marquette over DePaul: I cannot stress this enough: Marquette needs this win. Without a victory over the Blue Demons, the Golden Eagles will have no shot at reaching the Big Dance. However, this should be an easy matchup. Even though Marquette lost to DePaul on the road earlier this year, they know how much of a must-win game this is.

Quarterfinals

(1) Xavier over (9) St. John’s: It’s not going to happen again. St. John’s has pulled off some incredible upsets this season but I do not think their Cinderella story gets past Xavier. The Red Storm are talented but just not consistent enough for 40 minutes to snag a neutral-site win over the Musketeers.

(4) Creighton over (5) Providence: This game is not as important as DePaul-Marquette but it is up there. Providence is in a precarious position in terms of reaching the Big Dance but they can put doubt out of their minds with a win over Creighton. These teams split the regular season series but I think the Bluejays simply out-score the Friars in this one.

(6) Butler over (3) Seton Hall: In order for Butler to become a lock for the NCAA Tournament, they only need one win in the BET. However, they drew one of their worst matchups. Seton Hall beat Butler by double-figures in both regular-season matchups but it is hard to beat the same team three times, especially in back-to-back contests. With strong performances from Baldwin and Martin, Butler could take the much-needed W here. (Side note: Butler has never won a BET game.)

(2) Villanova over (7) Marquette: This is where things get interesting for Marquette. Can they still reach the Big Dance if they fall to the Wildcats? Obviously, a large amount of this answer relies on external factors. For Golden Eagle fans, though, it would be safer for your blood pressure if the team just went out and upset Jay Wright’s team. Yet, I don’t see it happening. Villanova is a team that takes the conference tournament seriously and is looking to come away with another tournament title.

Semifinals

(1) Xavier over (4) Creighton: This might seem like an odd prediction but I have a feeling that Xavier will roll over Creighton if they are matched up in the semis. The Musketeers swept the Bluejays during the regular season. Even though they only won by one point in Omaha, the home-court advantage of Creighton is well-documented. Now on a neutral floor, I would expect a result that more closely resembles the 22-point beatdown Xavier put on Creighton at the Cintas Center.

(2) Villanova over (6) Butler: It is definitely fair to say that Butler matches up well with Villanova. The Bulldogs have won three of the last four meetings against the Wildcats and gave them a run for their money on the road earlier this year. However, I find it unlikely that the Dawgs, who struggle away from Hinkle Fieldhouse, will beat Seton Hall and Villanova on back-to-back days at a neutral site.

Championship

(2) Villanova over (1) Xavier: So far this season, the Musketeers have had no answer for the Wildcats. Even though Xavier was the regular-season champion in the Big East, they were blown out in both matchups against Villanova. For some teams, bad matchups are just bad matchups and there is no way around that. While I expect this game to be closer than the regular-season battles, I think that Jay Wright cuts down the nets at MSG once again.

Next: Bracketology update (March 6)

This will surely be a fun end to the season for Big East schedule as teams make their final preparations for the NCAA Tournament. Depending on the results from this week, the conference could send as many as eight teams to the tournament (yeah, this would take a miracle) and as few as four (would also be difficult).

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