Big East Basketball: Villanova, St. John’s, Hoyas, and other podcast topics

With so much craziness in Big East Basketball, which teams are in the best position to earn an NCAA Tournament bid after Marquette and Villanova?

This week, on the Busting Brackets Podcast, Brian and Connor sat down with Site Co-Expert and resident bracketologist Lukas Harkins to discuss the state of Big East Basketball and the NCAA Tournament bubble.

To start, the trio discussed whether or not San Francisco’s loss to Saint Mary’s popped their bubble. Following that discussion, Brian brought up Indiana’s victory and questioned whether or not the Hoosiers had earned their way back into the bubble conversation.

Getting into the Big East, at the 3:40 mark, Lukas discussed how the craziness in conference play makes it difficult to determine where the teams will be seeded. We also discussed the strongest resumes in the conference behind Villanova and Marquette. Lukas biggest takeaway regarding St. John’s is their importance to the resume of the other Big East teams who desperately need them to be a good win.

After discussing the bubble teams, the three took a look the battle between Marquette and Villanova at the top of the conference. Following that discussion (11:05 mark), Brian brings up Patrick Ewing’s job security as head coach of Georgetown and the team’s position in the bubble conversation.

Are there any true dark horse contenders to win the Big East Tournament? Connor struggled to answer that question, while Brian and Lukas were adamant that Marquette and Villanova are the only two who can win.

While the favorites for the Big East Championship are clear, there is a real discussion for who can win Player of the Year. Learn who the guys have as contenders at the 17:30 mark.

Moving to the bubble talk, Brian asks Lukas which teams are in the most trouble entering the last month of the season. Lukas also identifies the mid-major teams he thinks have the best chance at getting an at-large bid.

To end the podcast, the Brian, Connor and Lukas each identify the teams they believe can make a surprise second weekend appearance.

Tune in next week to hear the Busting Brackets Podcast take on the ACC!