For much of the Big East regular season, barring two games, it's been Villanova and then the rest of the field. The Wildcats closed 2015 with their second consecutive regular season title. But Villanova hasn't won an actual Big East Tournament championship in 20 years (last and only year: 1995). If anything, that'll be the main talking point for most of the tournament: "can anyone beat the Wildcats again?"
Big East Tournament 2015: Bracket, schedule and scores
Potential Villanova and Seton Hall’s 2014 quarterfinal, DePaul hanging out and more fun from Madison Square Garden
Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports
And there’s been much discussion on a possible rematch from the 2014 quarterfinal game last season between Seton Hall and Villanova, a game where the Hall upset the Wildcats in their first postseason game of the year after rattling off impressive regular season wins. The Pirates knocked off Villanova in the Wildcats’ first true road game this season, too.
On the other side of the bracket, Georgetown and Butler, the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds respectively, could also meet up in the semifinals of the tournament, both teams who were ranked at one point and time this season, both holding six conference losses this year.
Then there's the duo of Kris Dunn and LaDontae Henton awaiting a very hot St. John's team that's won seven of their last nine games behind their own First-Team All Big East player: D'Angelo Harrison, which has turned them into a potential NCAA tournament team.
Creighton, the Hall and Marquette all can play spoiler And DePaul, well, DePaul’s just hanging out.
SB Nation presents: College hoops teams sweating it out as Selection Sunday approaches
The format
Each of the league’s 10 teams will head to New York City and Madison Square Garden for the Big East Tournament starting March 11th. The opening night will feature two play-in games between eight-seed (Marquette) and nine-seed (Seton Hall) and seven-seed (DePaul) and 10-seed (Creighton). The winners from the first night will play the one-seed (Villanova) and two-seed (Georgetown). The three-seed (Butler) will play the six-seed (Xavier) and the four-seed (Providence) and five-seed (St. John’s) will play the same day.
Play NCAA Bracket Game
The teams
- Villanova
- Georgetown
- Butler
- Providence
- St. John’s
- Xavier
- DePaul
- Seton Hall
- Marquette
- Creighton
The Bracket
Here's the road each team will take to the championship, the Big East will likely have six NCAA Tournament teams, before the automatic bid takes place. (H/T: VUHoops)
Schedule and Results (all times Eastern and all games on Fox Sports 1)
Wednesday, March 11 (first round)
Game 1: No. 9 Marquette 78, No. 8 Seton Hall 56 (Game reaction from our Marquette blog and Seton Hall blog)
Game 2: No. 10 Creighton 78, No. 7 DePaul 63 (Game reaction from our Big East basketball blog)
Thursday, March 12 (Quarterfinals)
Game 3: No. 1 Villanova 84, No. 9 Marquette 49 (Game reactions from our Villanova blog and Marquette blog)
Game 4: No. 4 Providence 74, No. 5 St. John’s 57 (Game reaction from our Big East blog and St. John’s blog)
Game 5: No. 2 Georgetown 60, No. 10 Creighton 55 (Game reaction from our Georgetown blog and Big East blog)
Game 6: No. 6 Xavier 67, No. 3 Butler 62 (Game reaction from our Xavier blog and Big East blog)
Friday, March 13 (Semifinals)
Game 7: No. 1 Villanova, 63 vs. No. 4 Providence, 61
Game 8: No. 6 Xavier 65, No. 2 Georgetown 63
Saturday, March 14 (Championship)
Game 9: No. 1 Villanova 69, No. 6 Xavier 52
SB Nation presents: The science behind a college basketball upset
See More:
