Big East Tournament 2023: Top Storylines for Men's Round 1 Games

The two programs responsible for winning the last five Big East Men's Backetball Tournaments face off in the headline match of the three-game first-round slate inside Madison Square Garden on Wednesday.

The Villanova Wildcats are in a transitional year under first-year head coach Kyle Neptune. They struggled until February, when Justin Moore returned to full strength from an Achilles injury.

Even at full strength, Villanova faces an uphill climb in New York to continue the legacy established by Jay Wright. The Wildcats won four of the last five Big East tournaments.

The Georgetown Hoyas have been awful under Patrick Ewing for the last few seasons, with the exception of their Cinderella run to the 2021 Big East tournament title.

Ewing is under pressure to get something positive out of the Big East tournament to save his job.

The other four teams competing on Wednesday share the same long-shot aspirations as Villanova and Georgetown. First-round wins would provide upset opportunities against the two top teams in the conference on Thursday.

Villanova Looking to Conjure Up MSG Magic

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NEWARK, NJ - FEBRUARY 28: Cam Whitmore #22 of the Villanova Wildcats in action against the Seton Hall Pirates during a game at Prudential Center on February 28, 2023 in Newark, New Jersey. Villanova defeated Seton Hall 76-72. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)

Villanova resides in an unfamiliar position in the Big East tournament.

The Wildcats come into New York as the No. 6 seed and far outside the projected NCAA men's basketball tournament bracket.

Nova won six of its last eight regular-season games to create a bit of momentum going into the Big East tournament. The uptick in form coincided with Moore's return.

Moore, who tore his Achilles in the 2022 NCAA tournament, returned on January 29. He scored in double figures in five of the last six contests, including two 20-point showings in the last two weeks.

Villanova is bringing the best version of its team to New York. Moore, Eric Dixon, Brandon Slater and Caleb Daniels carry a ton of experience from the team's past Big East triumphs. Nova also has a star freshman in Cam Whitmore.

A win over Georgetown will not do much for Nova's NCAA tournament chances, but it must win to have chances to spring multiple upsets over the next three days.

To keep their Big East crown, the Wildcats need to win four games in four days, which is something they did not have to do in any of their five tournament wins between 2015 and 2022.

Could Patrick Ewing Be Headed Toward the End at Georgetown?

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INDIANAPOLIS, IN - FEBRUARY 19: Georgetown Hoyas head coach Patrick Ewing on the sidelines during the men's college basketball game between the Butler Bulldogs and Georgetown Hoyas on February 19, 2023, at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN. (Photo by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Ewing's future at Georgetown is the other main storyline of the first round.

The Hoyas legend failed to get the program back to national prominence.

He has a 75-108 career record and went to the NCAA tournament once in his six seasons. The one Big Dance berth came through a Big East tournament win after a 13-13 regular season.

Georgetown has as many wins in the last two seasons as it did entering the 2021 Big East tournament.

A loss to Villanova could spell the end of Ewing's tenure. It may be time for another coach to attempt to lead the Hoyas back into the national spotlight.

The Hoyas' only conference wins were over the DePaul Blue Demons and Butler Bulldogs. They lost twice to every other opponent, including Villanova.

It seems unlikely that the Hoyas will come away with an upset, especially with Villanova peaking at the right time.

A loss would turn all the attention to Georgetown to see whether Ewing is let go or is held on for another season.

St. John's-Butler Rubber Match Opens First Round

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MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - MARCH 04: O'Mar Stanley #4 of the St. John's Red Storm shoots the ball against Oso Ighodaro #13 of the Marquette Golden Eagles in the second half at Fiserv Forum on March 04, 2023 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

The St. John's Red Storm and Butler Bulldogs should take part in the most entertaining game of the three first-round contests.

The No. 8 and No. 9 seeds split their regular season series. St. John's won the first meeting by 16 points, and Butler took the second clash by two points.

Both teams are looking to get a win after rough finishes to the regular season. Butler lost four of its last five games, and St. John's finished with a 1-3 mark.

Butler's defense could be the X-factor in the contest, and that would help take the New York crowd out of the game for St. John's.

The Bulldogs conceded 67.7 points per game, which is eight points fewer than the Red Storm.

St. John's allowed over 80 points in nine of its 14 Big East losses. The Red Storm held two opponents under 70 in those defeats.

Butler can win with the defensive advantage or if it scores better than its 65.3 points per game average.

St. John's only has one path to victory, and that is through a high-scoring game.

The St. John's-Butler winner may last one extra day in New York since that team faces the top-seeded Marquette Golden Eagles in Thursday's quarterfinals.