Big East Tournament 2016: Bracket, Schedule and Championship Odds

The Big East tournament has always been one of the best in the nation, and although some of the teams are different, this year's version should once again be a thrill to watch.  

While the conference is often overlooked nationally, the league currently has two teams battling for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament with three more hoping to get into the field of 68. In a conference of just 10 teams, this is an impressive group.

Between the talent at the top and the potential spoilers at the bottom, this could be an exciting week at Madison Square Garden. Here is everything you need to know about the week ahead in New York City.

Schedule

Date	Game No.	Matchup	Time (ET)	TV
March 9	1	No. 8 Georgetown vs. No. 9 DePaul	7 p.m.	Fox Sports 1
March 9	2	No. 7 Marquette vs. No. 10 St. John's	9:30 p.m.	Fox Sports 1
March 10	3	No. 1 Villanova vs. Game 1 winner	Noon	Fox Sports 1
March 10	4	No. 4 Providence vs. No. 5 Butler	2:30 p.m.	Fox Sports 1
March 10	5	No. 2 Xavier vs. Game 2 winner	7 p.m.	Fox Sports 1
March 10	6	No. 3 Seton Hall vs. No. 6 Creighton	9:30 p.m.	Fox Sports 1
March 11	7	Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner	6:30 p.m.	Fox Sports 1
March 11	8	Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner	9 p.m.	Fox Sports 1
March 12	9	Championship Game	5:30 p.m.	Fox

Bracket

Odds

Team	Odds
Villanova	+105
Xavier	+250
Butler	+650
Seton Hall	+900
Providence	+1000
Creighton	+1200
Georgetown	+1800
Field	+2500

Preview

Mel Evans/Associated Press

There is no question Villanova enters the tournament as the obvious favorite. The Wildcats just won the regular-season title for the third year in a row and are the defending postseason champions as well after winning a year ago.

They have lost just four games this season, one in overtime and the other three against teams currently in the top six in the RPI, per ESPN.com.

The talent is obvious, with a defense that shuts down the interior without letting anyone get to the paint to go with an offense that features five scorers averaging double figures. The guard play is as good as any in the country with Ryan Arcidiacono leading the attack, while Josh Hart, Kris Jenkins and others can be almost unguardable.

In reality, the only reason to doubt this squad is its history, which will be a major question mark in the coming weeks. Villanova was a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament last year and a No. 2 seed a season earlier, yet it failed to reach the Sweet 16 either time.

Arcidiacono explained that the key for the Wildcats is to not get ahead of themselves, per Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer:

"

We prepare for one day at a time and one game at a time. If we try to do anything special because it's the Big East tournament or the NCAA tournament, everyone would be messed up and not know where they should be on the floor. If we defend and we rebound, we'll be in games because offensively we'll start making shots.

"

This will be key, because if the Wildcats slip up even a little bit, there are a number of quality teams that will be all over them. 

The obvious challenger will be Xavier, a team that beat Villanova just two weeks ago. This is a rare team in the conference (and possibly nationally) that can actually match the No. 1 seed when it comes to backcourt play.

John Minchillo/Associated Press

Myles Davis and Edmond Sumner take turns running the offense, although eight to 10 players get regular minutes and can put up big numbers on a given night. Everyone passes the ball well and puts the team in a great position to win.

If the shots are falling, the Musketeers have a great chance of pulling off an upset in the conference finals if it gets to that point.

Of course, there are a few teams unwilling to concede this finals battle. This includes Seton Hall, which was a bubble team for much of the year but is now just playing for seeding. The Pirates have been red-hot toward the end of the season, ending the year winning nine of their final 11 games behind the elite play of Isaiah Whitehead.

Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports had high praise for the sophomore:

David Woods of the Indy Star provided some backup as well:

Whitehead averaged 17.9 points per game this season, including 22.1 points per game during the recent 11-game stretch as Seton Hall turned into one of the scariest teams in college basketball. During this same time frame, Providence has gone 5-6 without a single win over a projected tournament team. Both should go dancing this March, but only one is really dangerous.

If you are looking for potential spoilers, Butler has a chance as the most desperate team in the field. The Bulldogs should be able to get an NCAA tournament bid based on their performance to this point, but a win over Providence in the quarterfinals and possibly Villanova in the semifinals would end any doubt. With Roosevelt Jones playing well as his college career nears an end, this team has all the tools to make a run.

Finally, Marquette should not be overlooked with projected lottery pick Henry Ellenson averaging almost a double-double this season (16.8 points, 9.8 rebounds). He can win a game almost by himself and could lead the Eagles to great heights in this tournament.

At this stage of the year, nothing should be surprising with everyone on alert. With so many teams capable of making noise, the entire week in NYC could feature plenty of drama.

Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter for year-round sports analysis.