Big East Tournament 2015: TV Info, Teams, Odds and Championship Predictions
The official March Madness begins next week, but the conference tournaments help set the bracket.
In years past, the Big East tournament was one of the most critical events leading up to the Big Dance. Now, it's a bracket that has just 10 teams, with only a handful that are actually expected to make a run.
Defending tournament champion Providence is in a good situation to do the same again this year. However, the Friars will have to get past a Villanova program shooting for a No. 1 seed next week.
TOP NEWS
NCAA Tournament Expansion Official 🚨
.png?w=256 "NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Championship")
UConn's STACKED Schedule ☠️
Report: Biggest Spenders in Men's CBB 🤑
Before the Big East tourney gets underway, here's a look at the full schedule, personal odds and championship predictions.
| Game 1 | Seton Hall vs. Marquette | 7 p.m. | Fox Sports 1 |
| Game 2 | DePaul vs. Creighton | 9:30 p.m. | Fox Sports 1 |
| Game 3 | Villanova vs. Game 1 Winner | 12 p.m. | Fox Sports 1 |
| Game 4 | Providence vs. St. John's | 2:30 p.m. | Fox Sports 1 |
| Game 5 | Georgetown vs. Game 2 Winner | 7 p.m. | Fox Sports 1 |
| Game 6 | Butler vs. Xavier | 9:30 p.m. | Fox Sports 1 |
| Game 7 | Game 3 Winner vs. Game 4 Winner | 7 p.m. | Fox Sports 1 |
| Game 8 | Game 5 Winner vs. Game 6 Winner | 9:30 p.m. | Fox Sports 1 |
| Game 9 | Game 7 Winner vs. Game 8 Winner | 8:00 p.m. | Fox Sports 1 |
| Villanova | 11-4 |
| Georgetown | 5-1 |
| Butler | 7-1 |
| Providence | 8-1 |
| Xavier | 11-1 |
| St. John’s | 15-1 |
| Seton Hall | 25-1 |
| Creighton | 40-1 |
| Marquette | 50-1 |
| DePaul | 75-1 |
Championship Prediction
See those odds above? How about the most recent Associated Press poll? Let's just say it would take a massive upset for Villanova to lose in the Big East tournament.
With all that said, it seems pretty obvious which team should pull out the title over the weekend. Following a dismantling of St. John's in the final regular-season game, Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports offered his take on the Wildcats:
Much of Villanova's success has been courtesy of one of the most prolific offenses in the country. Currently averaging 76.7 points per game, Nova ranks 21st in the country and 13th overall with 15.8 assists per contest.
That high-powered offense was on full display against the Red Storm, as the Wildcats finished with 105 points. With senior leaders JayVaughn Pinkston and Darrun Hilliard, Nova has a versatile offense that can score in the paint or behind the arc.
ESPN Stats & Info points out just how effective the Wildcats were against St. John's:
The offensive fireworks caused St. John's coach Steve Lavin to call them one of the best teams in the NCAA:
The Wildcats can prove that over the next week. It won't be easy, though.
Both losses for Villanova came in the Big East to Seton Hall and Georgetown. Since dropping those games, Nova has avenged the losses by beating both teams by an average of 21 points. Those wins came during a 12-game winning streak to close out the season.
Suffice to say, the Wildcats are rolling at the right time of the season. Only needing two wins over teams seeded between Nos. 4 and 9 to reach the final, Villanova should easily advance to Saturday's game. With a No. 1 seed on the line, look for the Cats to tear the Big East apart.
Follow @RCorySmith on Twitter.
.png?w=480 "NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Championship")
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
