Madison Square Garden is one of the grandest stages in all of sports, which is what makes it so special that the Big East Tournament is held there every season. It’s a stadium that induces special moments, and the echoes of Ray Allen vs. Allen Iverson in 1996, Syracuse over UConn in six overtimes in 2009, Kemba Walker leading the Huskies to five wins in five nights in 2011 and other special memories resound every year when the conference comes together to decide a champion.
If the last week of the regular season was any indication, we are in for more great moments this year. In the last seven days alone, Marquette lost two heartbreakers to UConn and St. John’s (with the latter coming at the buzzer), and Georgetown and DePaul both rode furious second-half surges to dramatic wins over Villanova and Providence, respectively. These should be competitive contests, and as the exclusive host of five games between the first two rounds, Peacock is the place to watch the action.
There is less than a week to go until Selection Sunday. Here is how things stack up for NCAA Tournament seeding at this moment in the Big East:
Big East Tournament: No. 1 seed, First-Round Bye, vs. Providence/Butler Thu. (Peacock)
The Red Storm put the finishing touches on a stunningly successful season with Zuby Ejiofor’s game-winning buzzer-beater against Marquette Saturday. My favorite stat this season is that St. John’s has last only four games and by a combined total of seven points. This crew can beat any team any day and is one of the best stories in college basketball.
Big East Tournament: No. 5 seed, First-Round Bye, vs. Xavier Thu. (Peacock)
Marquette was looking to enter the Big East Tournament on a hot streak. Instead, it suffered two close losses to UConn and St. John’s, two of the other NCAA Tournament-caliber teams in the conference. The Golden Eagles’ reliance on Kam Jones was evident in those two losses, as the star guard scored 52 points but took 50 shots to do it. Someone else needs to lighten Jones’ load.
Big East Tournament: No. 3 seed, First-Round Bye, vs. Villanova/Seton Hall Thu.
The Huskies might be playing their best ball at the right time, heading to MSG coming off four consecutive wins, including three by double digits. Although UConn has taken a major step back this season, its recent postseason history is obviously a cause for concern to any opposing team.
Big East Tournament: No. 2 seed, First-Round Bye, vs. Georgetown/DePaul Thu.
The Bluejays bounced back from that ugly loss to Xavier by beating Seton Hall and Butler by double digits last week. Ryan Kalkbrenner scored a combined 47 points on 22-of-30 shooting in those games, so he appears to be 100% after his injury scare a few weeks ago. Creighton should have a solid path to the semifinal at MSG.
Big East Tournament: No. 4 seed, First-Round Bye, vs. Marquette Thu. (Peacock)
The Musketeers are as “on the bubble” as a team can be. Do they need to beat Marquette to secure a spot in the tournament? Even if the answer is “no,” Xavier obviously cannot know that before taking the court. The challenge provides opportunity, though; the Musketeers’ most likely opponents at MSG are Marquette, St. John’s and the winner of Creighton vs. UConn.
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