Big East Tournament: Da’Sean Butler Does It Again; No. 6 West Virginia Prevails, 60-58

Over the course of the 2010 Big East Tournament, Georgetown has taken on a reputation to brute, overpowering force while West Virginia has found a way to eek out win after win. Both of those reputations were evident Friday night as each team advanced to the conference tournament finals.

Greg Monroe dominated the paint with 23 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists, and 22nd-ranked Georgetown returned to the Big East Tournament final for the third time in four years with an 80-57 victory over Marquette. Just like against Syracuse, the Hoyas shot down the opposing offense in the 2nd half and overpowered Marquette in the paint.

Friday’s slate of Big East Tournament games shakes out thusly:

— Follow the game live once it starts here.

Here are the full (and somewhat choppy) highlights of Thursday night’s thriller at MSG between WVU and Cincy. The shot you’re looking for comes around the 1:40 mark, when Da’Sean Butler banks in a three-pointer for the win.

Thanks to that little prayer being answered, the Mountaineers move on to face Notre Dame in the Big East Tournament semifinals Friday night at 9 p.m. ET.

It took a buzzer-beater but at least one of the four Big East high seeds is advancing.

Da’Sean Butler didn’t call “bank” but his three-pointer off the glass as time expired was just in time for the 4-seed Mountaineers to top Cincinnati 54-51. Butler finished with 15 and Kevin Jones added 17 for West Virginia.

Marquette blog Anonymous Eagle joined the SBNation platform on Wednesday. Just in time, it seems.

Buzz Williams’ squad continues it’s late-season surge, defeating Villanova 80-76, thanks to its hot-hand beyonf the arc. The Eagles hit 9-of-16 three-pointers on the day, five of which were courtesy of Darius Johnson-Odom, who finished with 24. Lazar Hayward added 20.

A little over a week ago, Syracuse was on top of the college basketball world. No. 1 during the regular season for the first time in twenty years and a lock for a one-seed, Orange fans were practically booking tickets to Indianapolis.

The Orange should still be on pace for a one-seed but expect SU fans to be rooting for Kentucky, Kansas and Duke to win their tournaments from here on out just in case.

Syracuse can breathe easy, Louisville is out of the Big East Tournament.

The only team to beat the top-seed Orange twice this season couldn’t beat the 14-loss Bearcats on Wednesday night. Cincy advanced with a 69-66 victory in the Big East 2nd round.

Fortunes change very quickly in the Big East Tournament. Just ask South Florida and St. John’s.

The Hoyas now move on to the Quarterfinals where they’ll face-off against the top-seeded Syracuse Orange. SU beat the Hoyas twice during the season and the all-time Big East Tournament record against one another is 6-6.

In last year’s epic six-overtime Big East Tournament battle, Syracuse and UConn scored 127 and 117 points, respectively. This year, Seton Hall and Providence nearly hit those same numbers without the aide of even one extra period.

All five of 10-seed Seton Hall’s starters scored in double-figures in a 109-106 shootout win over 15-seed Providence in the early evening game.

The Big East Tournament is only two games old and already things have been shaken up.

The Huskies are now 17-15, their worst record since 1987. They’re not even a lock to get invited to the N.I.T. St. John’s may have just swiped that spot from them.

What

The 2010 Big East Men’s Basketball Tournament brought to you by New York Life