NCAA Basketball: 8 bold predictions for conference play in 2019
By Brian Rauf
1) Marquette will end Villanova’s reign atop the Big East
Villanova has won four of the last five Big East regular season titles and three of the last four Big East Tournament titles, and they began the season as the favorite to add another pair of championships to their trophy case.
That will not be the case.
Nova’s weaknesses were on full display in losses to both Furman and Penn, and those weaknesses have been persistent all year long. They’re shooting more threes than ever but aren’t making a high percentage, lack athleticism and quickness, and, for the first time in what feels like forever, they don’t have good guard play.
The Wildcats are still a good team and will make the NCAA Tournament. However, there is a team waiting to seize the opening at the top of the conference in Marquette.
The Golden Eagles have become a top-20 team thanks to an eight-game win streak that includes wins over Louisville, Kansas State, Wisconsin, and Buffalo, proving they can consistently beat the level of competition they’ll face in the Big East. Markus Howard has also emerged as the best player in the conference and a legitimate National Player of the Year candidate.
The story of the Big East is that there doesn’t appear to be much separation between teams ranked No. 1-8. Marquette has the personnel and experience to take advantage of the wide-open race and will win the conference by a game or two.