The Way I See It: The Big East's Power Rankings (Jan.18)

1. Syracuse (17-1)

The Orange are 4-1 in conference play so far this season with that one loss coming against Pittsburgh. They escaped Morgantown this weekend with a one-point win over West Virginia. Their remaining schedule is a grab bag of Big East teams, and while difficult, is very manageable.

2. Villanova (16-1)

Villanova is undefeated so far in Big East Play at 5-0. They escaped Georgetown and handled Louisville last week. This week is drastically easier with Rutgers and St. Johns coming up on the schedule. The last month of the Wildcats' schedule looks daunting and will be tough to navigate through successfully.

3. Pittsburgh (15-2)

The Panthers are a perfect 5-0 this season in conference play but needed overtime to dispel Louisville this weekend. They get challenged again when Georgetown comes calling, and the Hoyas look to break the Panthers 10-0 home record.

4. Georgetown (13-3)

The Hoyas are 4-2 in conference and just lost a heartbreaker to Villanova 82-77. The schedule doesn’t get any easier as they play Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Duke, and Villanova again within the next two weeks.

5. West Virginia (13-3)

The Mountaineers have an impressive Big East resume so far this season. They currently are 4-2, with both losses coming by two points or less. They get a shot at a surging Ohio State team this week, and a win against the Buckeyes would add to that tournament resume.

6.  Notre Dame (14-4)

The Irish are quietly having a terrific season and are flying under the Big East radar. They currently are 3-2 in conference, including a win over West Virginia. The 12-1 home record they’ve put together this season helps, too.

7. Marquette (11-6)

The Golden Eagles are 2-3 in conference, but all three losses are by two points each, and two of the losses are to Villanova. They’ve beaten Georgetown this season and just blew out Providence by 30 points. This team will take any Big East team wire to wire and has a favorable schedule coming up.

8. Louisville (12-6)

The Cardinals are 3-2 in conference play, but their wins are against lesser Big East foes. They gave Pittsburgh a thriller that went into overtime, but came up short in the end, proving this squad can compete but has problems coming up with a win against the big boys.

9. Connecticut (11-6)

The Huskies are a tough team to figure out this season. Currently, they are going through a three-game losing streak and only have two conference wins this season. The loss to a 10-7 Michigan team doesn’t help either.

10. Providence (11-7)

The Friars are a talented enough team to handle the lower Big East squads, but get exposed against the upper echelon teams. The 30-point loss to Marquette this week is a good example of that. When they win, it’s by double digits, but when they lose it's by the same margins.

11. St. John's (12-5)

The Red Storm gets the nod over the Bearcats, considering they just beat them this week. They started out conference play 0-3 but currently have a two-game winning streak going into the Connecticut game this week.

12. Cincinnati (12-6)

The Bearcats have been a roller coaster this season with wins against Connecticut and Notre Dame, but losses against Seton Hall, and St. Johns. They are a perfect example of a team that plays to its competition's talent level.

13. Seton Hall (10-6)

The Pirates are just 1-4 in conference play, but have been competitive on their home court this season. 

14. South Florida (11-6)

The Bulls have one conference win, as they beat a struggling Rutgers team. They have the talent to upset a top team, just not the consistency on offense.

15. Rutgers (9-8)

The Scarlet Knights are on a six-game losing streak and are winless in conference play. When does football season start?

16. DePaul (7-10)

The Blue Demons are 0-5 in conference play and have really separated themselves as the worst team in the Big East.