Big East Tournament 2012 Bracket: Teams with Best Shot at Upsetting Syracuse

The Syracuse Orange are the clear-cut favorites to win the 2012 Big East Tournament, but there are a few teams that can give them a run for their money. 

As the No. 1 seed in the tournament, Syracuse gets to sit back and relax for a few days while others fight it out and hope to pull off a magical run.

Since there are 16 teams in the Big East, the odds of one of the lower seeded teams winning it all is very slim. Expect the higher seeded teams to be playing in the semis and finals. 

With that said, here are three teams with the best shot at upsetting Syracuse. 

Notre Dame 

Being the only team to beat Syracuse this year, the Fighting Irish have the best shot to shock the world and take down the Orange in Madison Square Garden this weekend. 

While Notre Dame has had some rough losses this year, it has the potential to beat anyone. The Fighting Irish have great confidence coming into the tournament, and that doesn't bode well for others. 

This is a fresh start for Notre Dame, so it will need to forget about the last few weeks of the season and focus on the big prize. Winning the 2012 Big East Tournament is a strong possibility, but the Fighting Irish will have to get hot. 

As the No. 3 seed, Notre Dame is in a great position to reach the finals and beat Syracuse just like it did in lat January. 

Marquette

The Golden Eagles gave Syracuse a tough battle back in early January, and have been improving ever since. 

Led by Darius Johnson-Odom and Jae Crowder, Marquette can hang with any team not just in the Big East but in the entire nation. 

Having faced a great deal of adversity this year, the Golden Eagles are fully prepared for the tournament. 

As the No. 2 seed, Marquette will sit tight and cruise to the semifinals. Once there, they'll likely play Notre Dame, a team that crushed them earlier in the year. The Golden Eagles can still win the whole thing because of their strong senior leadership. 

Georgetown

The Hoyas took Syracuse to the wire earlier this year, but lost in overtime.

They know they can compete with the best of the best, and that will motivate them to perform at a high level in the Big East tournament.

Since Georgetown is the No. 5 seed, it will need to get on a hot streak. Having to play that additional game puts them at a disadvantage as the tournament wears on.

However, if the Hoyas get on a roll, they could be very tough to beat. No doubt they will be tired, but they're fully capable of taking down everyone in their path, including Syracuse. 

2012 Big East Tournament Bracket 

*All games played in Madison Square Garden in New York City. All times ET.

First Round—Tuesday, March 6th, 2012 

Game 1: No. 16 DePaul vs. No. 9 Connecticut, 12:00 p.m on ESPN2 

Game 2: No. 13 Pittsburgh vs. No. 12 St. John's, 2:00 p.m on ESPN2

Game 3: No. 15 Providence vs. No. 10 Seton Hall, 7:00 p.m on ESPNU

Game 4: No. 14 Villanova vs. No. 11 Rutgers, 9:00 p.m on ESPNU 

Second Round—Wednesday, March 7th, 2012 

Game 5: Game 1 Winner vs. No. 8 West Virginia, 12:00 p.m. on ESPN

Game 6: Game 2 Winner vs. No. 5 Georgetown, 2:00 p.m. on ESPN 

Game 7: Game 3 Winner vs. No. 7 Louisville, 7:00 p.m. on ESPN

Game 8: Game 4 Winner vs. No. 6 South Florida, 9:00 p.m. on ESPN

Quarterfinals—Thursday, March 8th, 2012

Game 9: Game 5 Winner vs. No. 1 Syracuse, 12:00 p.m. on ESPN

Game 10: Game 6 Winner vs. No. 4 Cincinnati, 2:00 p.m. on ESPN

Game 11: Game 7 Winner vs. No. 2 Marquette, 7:00 p.m. on ESPN

Game 12: Game 8 Winner vs. No. 3 Notre Dame, 9:00 p.m. on ESPN

Semifinals—Friday, March 9th, 2012

Game 9 Winner vs. Game 10 Winner, 7:00 p.m. on ESPN

Game 11 Winner vs. Game 12 Winner, 9:00 p.m. on ESPN

Championship—Saturday, March 10th, 2012 

Semifinal Winners, 9:00 p.m. on ESPN