Big East Tournament 2012: Predictions for Friday's Semifinal Matchups

Now that we've reached the business end of the Big East tournament, things really start to get interesting. The quality of play should continue to improve as each of the four teams continue their quest to cut down the Madison Square Garden nets.

With that in mind, let's examine each of the semifinal matchups, which will be played on Friday night.

Syracuse vs. Cincinnati

The Orange and Bearcats played earlier in the season with Syracuse coming out on top by seven. Cincinnati received strong games from Yancy Gates and Cashmere Wright, but their teammates provided them with no support.

That could actually be viewed as good news heading into tonight's game, though. The Bearcats should receive much better performances from Sean Kilpatrick and Dion Dixon this time around. If Gates and Wright can match their production, Cincinnati will be in great shape.

Syracuse is still favored for a reason. The Orange have only dropped one game, a road loss to Notre Dame, and have won 11 straight games. They get balance on offense while their zone defense continues to stifle opponents.

This should be another close game that goes right down to the wire. When the dust settles, I think Kris Joseph will have made enough key shots down the stretch to send Syracuse to the championship game.

Prediction: Syracuse 65, Cincinnati 60

Notre Dame vs. Louisville

Louisville will be looking to keep its surprising run alive by getting some revenge against Notre Dame. The Cardinals lost a double-overtime thriller to the Fighting Irish in January after letting a four-point halftime lead slip away.

The Cardinals' performance against Marquette yesterday was probably their best of the season. They were active on defense for all 40 minutes and appeared to be playing with a level of confidence that didn't exist in earlier games against ranked teams.

It will take another strong showing to get by Notre Dame. The Irish are flying under the radar this season, but they have handled the loss of Tim Abromaitis incredibly well. Everybody on the roster stepped their game up a little bit to fill the void.

These are always tough games to forecast. It's either the team with momentum or the team with better full-season results. Considering how well Louisville is playing right now, I think they'll squeak out another victory.

Prediction: Louisville 59, Notre Dame 56