As the Big East Tournament rolls on with UConn-Syracuse and Louisville-Notre Dame highlighting a star-studded semifinals, Selection Sunday is just three days away. But look no further than the Big East; plenty of important basketball still remains before then, with bubbles bursting, favorites falling and top seeds still up for grabs.
Championship week has already provided some thrilling games, and it’s sure to continue through the weekend. For up-to-date lines and analysis on college hoops all weekend and a list of some of the best bracket contests, visit SB Nation lines partner Odds Shark.
Big East Tournament 2011: The Seminfinals Arrive, And Selection Sunday Is Near
Without further ado, here's a look from Oddshark.com at what to expect from the Big East Tournament on Friday, as well as a look at the action out west, in the Big 12.
No. 14 Louisville Cardinals vs. No. 4 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
While the other two Big East quarterfinal games were exciting right down to the finish, Notre Dame (26-5) and Louisville (24-8) left absolutely no doubt in theirs. Notre Dame cruised to an 89-51 win over Cincinnati, and Louisville crushed Marquette 81-56.
These two teams needed overtime to decide their matchup back in February in a game that Notre Dame went on to win 89-79. Of note, the Irish have dominated the Cards against the spread with a 6-1 mark in seven games.
"Considerable early money went on Notre Dame and for good reason," said Mark Presley of OddsShark.com. [ Matchup Report ]
No. 21 Connecticut Huskies vs. No. 11 Syracuse Orange
With the game tied 74-74 and the clock winding down, Kemba Walker provided the heroics once again with a jumper at the buzzer to seal Connecticut’s (24-9) upset win over Pittsburgh yesterday. Will Syracuse (26-6) have an answer for the red-hot Huskies?
They certainly did back on February 2, winning 66-58 in Connecticut and holding Walker to a season-low eight points. Six of the past 8 meetings have played UNDER the total. [ Matchup Report ]
Texas A&M Aggies vs. No. 10 Texas Longhorns
Both Texas (26-6) and Texas A&M (24-7) are coming off huge wins in the Big 12 quarterfinals, and will play this heated rivalry game Friday for the chance to face the winner of the Kansas vs. Colorado game in the Big 12 Championship this weekend.
Despite an excellent season, the Aggies have had no answer at all this season for the Longhorns, losing both games to Texas by 20+ points. Will the third time be the charm?
Weekend Championship Games
This weekend’s slate will be chock full of conference championship games, with the Big East, Big 12, Mountain West, and Pac-10 wrapping up on Saturday and the ACC, SEC and Big Ten wrapping up on Sunday.
With 14 of the top 15 teams in the AP Top 25 still alive heading into today, the nation’s top talent will be on display while trying to build momentum for deep runs in the NCAA Tournament. For updated odds and analysis throughout the weekend, be sure to check out Oddshark.com.
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