Big East Tournament 2014 bracket: Villanova looks to solidify No. 1 seed, but might need to overcome Creighton in final

This might not be the Big East Championship that you’ve grown used to over the years, but plenty will be on the line this week at Madison Square Garden.

After a doubleheader on Wednesday night to set the table, Thursday’s quarterfinals should be full of bracket implications. A loss from Villanova on Thursday afternoon would be a huge hit to the Wildcats’ one-seed hopes. They’ll face either Seton Hall or Butler, two teams that are below .500 on the season.

Then, Providence meets St. John’s in what could be an NCAA Tournament elimination game. The loser will have a tough time sneaking into the field, while the winner will likely set itself up for a big opportunity against Villanova in the semifinals.

Xavier might be safe for right now, but a loss to Marquette Thursday night would hurt. The Musketeers have already lost two in a row, but own wins over Creighton, Cincinnati and Tennessee.

Here is the full tournament schedule (All times Eastern):

Wednesday:

No. 8 Seton Hall vs. No. 9 Butler, 7 p.m., Fox Sports 1
No. 7 Georgetown vs. No. 10 DePaul, 9:30 p.m., Fox Sports 1

Thursday:

Seton Hall/Butler vs. No. 1 Villanova, noon, Fox Sports 1
No. 4 Providence vs. No. 5 St. John’s, 2:30 p.m., Fox Sports 1
Georgetown/DePaul vs. No. 2 Creighton, 7 p.m., Fox Sports 1
No. 3 Xavier vs. No. 6 Marquette, 9:30 p.m., Fox Sports 1

Friday:

Thursday afternoon winners, 7 p.m., Fox Sports 1
Thursday night winners, 9:30 p.m., Fox Sports 1

Saturday:

Championship Game, 8:30 p.m., Fox Sports 1