Big East Basketball: 3 bold predictions for the 2019-20 season

3) Two Big East teams make the Final Four

Those two teams that make up the clear top-tier in the Big East – Seton Hall and Villanova – should have their sights set on ending their seasons in Atlanta.

I already talked about how much I love Myles Powell and the Pirates, and I think they’ll earn a surprise Final Four berth because of all the reasons I mentioned previously.

Villanova making the Final Four will never be a surprise as long as Jay Wright is on the sideline, but it feels like many are underrating just how talented this Wildcats team is. Losing Phil Booth and Eric Paschall hurts but a number of young players look capable of handling bigger roles, particularly Saddiq Bey, who I also project a breakout season from.

They have some experience with Collin Gillespie, Jermaine Samuels, and Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree, another promising sophomore in Cole Swinder, and those two star freshmen in Robinson-Earl and Antoine. All of those players are versatile offensive threats who can be deadly on the perimeter and also defend, meaning they should execute Wright’s offense at a very high level. Obviously, Villanova’s prospects change if Antoine does indeed redshirt, but I expect he’ll play before the end of the season.

If Villanova and Seton Hall have both their pieces, they’ll be two of the country’s best teams all season long – and should help the Big East make up half of the Final Four.