Big East Tournament 2018: Bracket, TV Schedule, Dates and Predictions

Villanova and Xavier are expected to steal the spotlight at the Big East tournament at Madison Square Garden, but as we've seen over the last four years, surprises can't be ruled out.

The Wildcats have won the Big East tournament twice in the last four years, but Providence and Seton Hall have also captured the conference crown in New York City.

Head coach Jay Wright's team enters this year's edition of the tournament as the favorites alongside Xavier, whom it beat twice in the regular season.

However, there's a group beneath the Wildcats and Musketeers that have proven it can challenge the top two teams on any given night.

With that taken into consideration, we should be set for an electric few days in New York City.

Bracket

Big East Tournament Schedule (All Times ET)

Wednesday, March 7

No. 8 Georgetown vs. No. 9 St. John's (7 p.m., FS1)

No. 7 Marquette vs. No. 10 DePaul (9:30 p.m., FS1)

Thursday, March 8

No. 1 Xavier vs. No. 8/No. 9 seed winner (Noon, FS1)

No. 4 Creighton vs. No. 5 Providence (2:30 p.m., FS1)

No. 2 Villanova vs. No. 7/No. 10 seed winner (7 p.m., FS1)

No. 3 Seton Hall vs. No. 6 Butler (9:30 p.m., FS1)

Friday, March 9

Semifinal No. 1 (6:30 p.m., FS1)

Semifinal No. 2 (9 p.m., FS1)

Saturday, March 10

Final (6:30 p.m., Fox)

Predictions

1st-Round Predictions

No. 8 Georgetown def. No. 9 St. John's

No. 7 Marquette def. No. 10 DePaul

Quarterfinals Predictions

No. 1 Xavier def. No. 8 Georgetown

No. 5 Providence def. No. 4 Creighton

No. 2 Villanova def. No. 7 Marquette

No. 6 Butler def. No. 3 Seton Hall

Semifinals Predictions

No. 1 Xavier def. No. 5 Providence

No. 2 Villanova def. No. 6 Butler

Final Prediction

No. 1 Xavier def. No. 2 Villanova

Villanova, Xavier Jockeying for No. 1 Seeds

Gary Landers/Associated Press

If everything goes to plan, Villanova and Xavier should represent the Big East as No. 1 seeds in the NCAA tournament.

The Wildcats are in better position to earn a spot on the top-seed line because of their pair of victories over Xavier, but the Musketeers are in solid shape thanks to their resume.

Villanova's struggled of late with overtime battles against Creighton and Seton Hall, while Xavier has hit its stride since suffering a second loss to Villanova February 17.

With victories over Gonzaga and Tennessee, as well as over mid-major success stories Penn and Western Kentucky, the Wildcats have a solid resume, but they may need a Big East tournament victory combined with a loss by Virginia in the ACC tournament to earn the No. 1 overall seed.

Xavier's two losses to Villanova put a damper on its resume, but a victory over Wright's team at Madison Square Garden should solidify its position as a No. 1 seed given the chaos everywhere else.

The biggest competition for Villanova and Xavier is Kansas, as well as Michigan State. It's likely the pair of Big East teams end up as No. 1 seeds, but they can't assume that's a guaranteed fate entering the Big East tournament.

Marquette Fighting for Life on the Bubble

Dylan Buell/Getty Images

Marquette created momentum for itself during the last few weeks of the season, with wins in four of its last five games.

The Golden Eagles finished off the regular season with an 85-81 victory over Creighton, but they're still stuck in the No. 7 seed in the Big East because of a rough start to their conference schedule.

With confidence on their side, the Golden Eagles should be able to make a push against Villanova in the quarterfinals in an attempt to earn a needed quality victory.

What plays into Marquette's advantage is the parity that exists in the Big East beneath Villanova and Xavier.

There have even been times when the Wildcats and Musketeers have looked susceptible to an upset, which is what the Golden Eagles are hoping to exploit at Madison Square Garden.

The Golden Eagles are top heavy, with Markus Howard averaging 20.8 points per game and Andrew Rowsey close to that number with 19.7 points per contest.

Howard and Rowsey combined for 51 points in Saturday's win over Creighton, while Sam Hauser added 18 of his own.

The only glaring concern for the Golden Eagles is their depth behind the top three scorers, as they received 16 points from players not named Howard, Rowsey or Hauser against Creighton.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from ESPN.com.