Big East Tournament 2013: Catalysts That Will Determine Their Teams' Success

There is no shortage of star power and national powerhouses in the Big East. Those teams and stars will be on display in the Big East tournament. The tournament began on Tuesday with first-round games, but those were the lower seeds and frankly those teams don't have much chance to emerge victorious in New York.

Technically, any team can win the conference tournament, but when looking at overall talent and regular-season track record, only Georgetown, Louisville, Marquette, Syracuse and Pittsburgh are logical picks.

There isn't much to separate these five teams, and the difference will likely be strong individual performances.

The most talented player or the leading scorer isn't always the guy that holds the key to ultimate success. In some instances, that player is going to be productive either way.

The catalyst for success is often a secondary offensive option, or the player that anchors the defense. Here is the player from each team who will most determine how far his team advances.

Marquette: Davante Gardner

Vander Blue is the team's leading scorer, but he's not the player that will determine how far Marquette advances in the Big East tournament.

At 6'8", 290 pounds, Gardner is a presence inside, but he plays with a great deal of energy. When he's on, the Golden Eagles are a tough team to handle.

He is the Big East Sixth Man of the Year (per Milwaukee-Journal Sentinel) and plays just over 21 minutes per game, but he needs to make an impact when he's on the floor.

For the season, Gardner averages 11.5 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. In the team's seven losses he's averaging just 6.5 points and 3.7 rebounds. If they are going to knock off any of the other elite teams in the conference, they will need a bigger performance from their big man.

Georgetown: Nate Lubick

Without Greg Whittington, who was ruled academically ineligible mid-January (per CBS Sports), the Hoyas have needed players to step up on the glass. Of course do-it-all star Otto Porter has responded, but so has Lubick.

He must continue to be the second rebounder for the Hoyas. The regular rotation doesn't offer much size, and at 6'8" Lubick is definitely one of the players John Thompson III has to count on as an inside presence.

If Lubick plays at a high level, it will be tough to knock the Hoyas off in New York.

Louisville: Peyton Siva

Siva isn't the leading scorer, and some may even debate if he's an NBA prospect, but the Cardinals point guard is the engine that makes the team go.

It's not just his team-leading 5.9 assists per game, it's his defensive pressure on the perimeter and up the floor.

This balanced with Gorgui Dieng's rim-protection is a big part of what makes the Cardinals a solid defensive team and adept in transition.

Siva is very aggressive, and that can lead to foul trouble. When he isn't on the floor, Louisville simply isn't the same team. Even more than his defensive pressure and floor leadership, Siva's outside shooting is important to Louisville.

He isn't shy about taking the shot, but when he's making them the Cardinals have been great this season. In games that Siva has made more than two three-pointers, the Cardinals are 7-0. In their five losses, he is 3-for-16 from deep.

Pittsburgh: Steven Adams

When the season began, many had the freshman seven-footer in the top two on their mock drafts. After an underwhelming regular season, most would suspect he'll be heading back to school for his sophomore year.

He's averaged seven points, six rebounds and two blocks per game, which isn't bad by most freshman centers' standards. But Adams was expected to make a bigger impact.

If he can step his game up in the Big East tournament and then subsequently in the NCAA tournament, he could find himself back on draft boards for 2013.

Adams has had only a few standout performances this season, but he's the one player with the size and talent to take this Panthers' team to another level.

If Adams can become at least a 10-point, 10-rebound, two-block performer in the Big East tournament, he would greatly improve his team's chances of winning. No other team in the conference has a player that can match his combination of size and athletic ability.

Syracuse: James Southerland

The senior forward has been inconsistent since he returned to the lineup on Feb. 10. after being ruled ineligible, per Yahoo Sports, and the Orange desperately need his scoring.

He's always been a volume scorer, but his shooting has looked especially spotty of late. He's coming off an 0-for-8 shooting performance against Georgetown, and he's only shooting 30 percent from the field in his last five games.

The Orange have lost four of those five games. For the season, he's connecting on just under 45 percent of his shots.

If this team is going to make any noise in the Big East or NCAA Tournament, they will need Southerland to shoot the ball the way he was before he was suspended.

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