Busting Brackets
Fansided

Big East Basketball: Evaluating early season tournaments for 2018-19

By Brian Foley

LAHAINA, HI - NOVEMBER 22: Fans pack the Lahaina Civic Center to watch the Maui Invitational NCAA college basketball game between the North Carolina Tar Heels and the Oklahoma State Cowboys at the Lahaina Civic Center on November 22, 2016 in Lahaina, Hawaii. (Photo by Darryl Oumi/Getty Images)
LAHAINA, HI - NOVEMBER 22: Fans pack the Lahaina Civic Center to watch the Maui Invitational NCAA college basketball game between the North Carolina Tar Heels and the Oklahoma State Cowboys at the Lahaina Civic Center on November 22, 2016 in Lahaina, Hawaii. (Photo by Darryl Oumi/Getty Images) /
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PROVIDENCE, RI – JANUARY 5: Henry Ellenson #13 and Haanif Cheatham #25 of the Marquette Golden Eagles defend as Junior Lomomba #32 of the Providence Friars drives toward the basket in the first half on January 5, 2016, at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)
PROVIDENCE, RI – JANUARY 5: Henry Ellenson #13 and Haanif Cheatham #25 of the Marquette Golden Eagles defend as Junior Lomomba #32 of the Providence Friars drives toward the basket in the first half on January 5, 2016, at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images) /

Georgetown: Jamaican Classic

Field: South Florida, Ohio, Loyola Marymount, Central Connecticut, Campbell, Austin Peay, Florida A&M

Obviously, Hoyas head coach Patrick Ewing returning to Jamaica – where he lived for the first 12 years of his life – is a fantastic nod to heritage and furthers the growth of basketball around the world. On the court, though, this tournament is not exactly thrilling for Georgetown hoops fans. The seven other teams in the Jamaican Classic field finished a combined 95-133 last season, which won’t move the needle much after GU’s horrific non-conference strength of schedule last season (347th in the country).

Marquette: NIT Tip-Off

Field: Kansas, Tennessee, Louisville

The NIT Tip-Off in Brooklyn only features four teams, but it still fields one of the better collections of talent among the early season tourneys. Kansas could enter the Tip-Off as the top team in the nation, with the Volunteers not too far behind as a potential preseason top-five squad. Louisville and Marquette are far from the same kind of certainties, as they could realistically spend March anywhere from the postseason NIT to a top-four seed in the NCAA tournament. This Thanksgiving event will provide a nice litmus test for the future of the two programs.

Providence: Hall of Fame Tip-Off

Field: Michigan, South Carolina, George Washington

Michigan is the clear headliner at the Hall of Fame Tip-Off, but it wouldn’t be at all surprising to see Providence walk away with the championship crown. The Friars continue to rise in the new Big East, and Ed Cooley’s units always seem to match his own grit and intensity. Providence’s first game against South Carolina should be a grind-fest; both squads ranked in the top-40 in adjusted defensive efficiency last year, per KenPom.

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