NCAA Basketball: Arizona State’s rise, flawed San Diego State and other key questions

4. How many Big East teams are truly capable of a Final Four run?

Kinander

One. Seton Hall is the only team in the country that I have locked into my Final Four. In a wild Big East, the Pirates have really been the only constant. Myles Powell and Mamu are the most underrated duo in the country, and the Pirates are the clear top team in the big east.

Foley

I’ll take two – Creighton and Seton Hall. CU’s ball movement on offense is mesmerizing, and even though Creighton lacks frontcourt depth, Greg McDermott’s proactive game plans force opponents to adjust on the fly or whither under a barrage of threes and layups. Seton Hall needs Myles Powell to find his footing again (he’s shooting 25 percent from three in Big East play), but in a tournament setting, the Pirates’ ability to park a seven-footer in the paint for 40 minutes will spook teams. Villanova is rolling again, and could certainly make a run off of a favorable draw, but a more athletic team may overwhelm the Wildcats.

Larson

I’ve been singing Seton Hall’s praises for a while now. And I think Marcus Zegarowski rings like the exact player you want in March for Creighton. You also can never doubt Jay Wright and Villanova. I think I’ll draw the line there, as Marquette seems too reliant on Markus Howard and I’ve lost a little trust in Butler due to their recent stretch of poor games.

Chessler

Seton Hall and Creighton both have the ability to be a dark horse in March. Seton Hall has only gotten better as the season has gone by and they continue to climb in the rankings. They are a team that has shown how strong they can be both offensively and defensively down the stretch. They also have Myles Powell, a National Player of the Year candidate who will without a doubt make an impact as they enter the tournament.

Creighton is a balanced team on both sides of the court. They have beaten the other top two teams in the Big East and have beaten multiple ranked teams on the road, an extremely difficult task this year. Creighton has finally cracked the top 10 in the AP Poll and have three more regular-season games to help them gain even more momentum heading into the tournament.