Big East Tournament 2015: Semifinals Schedule, Live Stream, Bracket Predictions
A pair of blowout contests in Round 1 of the 2015 Big East tournament may have put the writing on the wall, as Thursday's early quarterfinal games didn't get much closer.
Villanova reminded the nation why it's deserving of a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament after handily disposing of Marquette 84-49. Providence was able to right the ship in a big way, following up a loss in its regular-season finale with a huge 74-57 win over St. John's. Just in case you weren't counting, those two contests resulted in a combined winning margin of 52 points.
Thursday's evening games saw a little more competition, as Georgetown won its third consecutive contest, defeating Creighton 60-55. That was followed by a 67-61 Xavier win over Butler in an overtime thriller. We'll see if this trend of tighter action continues into Friday's semifinals.
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 🤑
As we anxiously await the remaining four teams to return to the hardwood, let's take a look at the essential viewing information and bracket picks for the impending semifinal showdowns.
Semifinals Schedule
| 7 | No. 1 Villanova vs. No. 4 Providence | 7 p.m. | Fox Sports 1 |
| 8 | No. 2 Georgetown vs. No. 6 Xavier | 9:30 p.m. | Fox Sports 1 |
Live Stream: Fox Sports Go
Bracket Predictions
No. 1 Villanova vs. No. 4 Providence
The Villanova Wildcats continue to show why they are one of the nation's most dangerous teams. They may not have the flashiest, big-name players, but they possess a versatile and well-rounded roster that boasts plenty of experience. That goes a long way during the postseason.
Ranked 21st in points scored and 47th in points allowed this season, Villanova continues to flourish on both ends of the court. The team's rout of Marquette displayed its ability to win in all phases of the game—not only did the Wildcats shoot 52.6 percent from the floor as a team, but they held the sharpshooting Golden Eagles to just 39.1 percent and 27.8 percent from downtown.
A great guard rotation was key for Villanova's big win, as Darrun Hilliard II led the trio of starters with 13 points and eight assists, and Josh Hart put up 20 points—including hitting 5-of-7 from three-point range—off the bench. While the team's shooting was excellent, the way it facilitated to create open looks was simply brilliant, as the Wildcats finished the game with 22 assists.
Providence stepped up in a big way Thursday against a St. John's team that swept it during the regular season. The Friars haven't been playing like the nation's 146th-ranked defense of late, holding opponents to 68 points or fewer in each of their last four games.
The Red Storm couldn't seem to get any good looks against the Friars, shooting 31.0 percent from the floor as a team while all five of its starters were held to single-digit point totals. Conversely, Providence shot just 40.3 percent as a team, but it continued to show patience and work its way inside to create its shots. That physicality also allowed the Friars to finish with 49 rebounds to St. John's 36.
Patience will be key for Providence against Villanova. The Wildcats have a tremendously gifted offense that can light up the scoreboard in the blink of an eye, and the Friars would do well to slow the pace of the game down and look for high-percentage shots. While Providence has the size to get that done, it's difficult to bet against the experience of the Wildcats in this situation.
Predicted Winner: Villanova
No. 2 Georgetown vs. No. 6 Xavier
Both Georgetown and Xavier will be looking to create a huge head of steam before the NCAA tournament, and a trip to the Big East final will provide plenty of necessary momentum.
Xavier doesn't have much of a defense to speak of, but it continues to win games with a blend of consistent shooting and the ability to create scoring chances off turnovers. Against Butler, the Musketeers shot 43.6 percent from the floor and forced 14 turnovers en route to a thrilling overtime victory while five different players reached double-digit point totals.
Center Matt Stainbrook finished with the game's only double-double, coming away with 13 points and 10 boards. Both Trevon Bluiett and Dee Davis made the most of their limited three-point attempts, as each hit 2-of-3 from downtown and finished with 11 and 13 points, respectively. Bench players Jalen Reynolds and Myles Davis combined for 25 points, highlighting the team's depth.
While the Musketeers did allow 22 points to Butler's Alex Barlow, they held strong on the perimeter, forcing the guard to attempt 14 three-pointers—he connected on five. That was an ongoing theme for Xavier's defense, as the Bulldogs took 24 shots from downtown as a team, hitting seven of them. A similar strategy could work against Georgetown, as the Hoyas aren't afraid to shoot from distance.
During its quarterfinal contest against Creighton, Georgetown struggled with its accuracy, hitting 36.8 percent of its shots from the floor. That's not a good omen considering the Hoyas were facing the 180th-ranked defense of Creighton. Still, the return of guard D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera proved to be the difference, as he went 7-of-13 for 25 points, also bucketing four of his seven three-point attempts.
Although, while Smith-Rivera's performance was brilliant, the same can't be said for the remainder of the team's starters, as L.J. Peak, Isaac Copeland and Jabril Trawick combined to hit exactly zero of their seven attempts from downtown.
At this point in the postseason, teams need a strong showing from more than just one player to consistently win games, and that's why Xavier gets the nod here.
Predicted Winner: Xavier
.png?w=480 "NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Championship")
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
