The Way I See It: Big East Power Rankings (Feb. 7)

1.    Syracuse (23-1)

      The Orange regains the top spot this week after picking up two blowout wins against Providence and Cincinnati this week. Several tough games remain, but this team looks like a No. 1 seed going into the tournament.

2.    West Virginia (19-3)

      The Mountaineers have lost one game this year at home, a 72-71 loss to the Orange last month. They’ll get challenged again as Villanova come calling this week.

3.    Villanova (20-2)

      The Wildcats were hoping to replicate the success USF had in Georgetown earlier in the week. Unfortunately for them, the Hoyas played an almost flawless game a cruised to a 13-point victory.

4.    Georgetown (17-5)

      How do you rebound from a stunning loss at home? Knock off the No. 2 team in the country, and do it with force. This week’s schedule is much less daunting, and should provide a break before they take on Syracuse.

5.    Pittsburgh (17-6)

      The Panthers need to find that consistency they had earlier in the season. This team seems to either win big or lose big the last two weeks. The remaining schedule is a mix of Big East elite teams all the way down to the bottom feeders.

6.    Notre Dame (17-7)

      The Irish rebounded from poor performance last week to beat two tough Big East foes. They ended the Bulls win streak, and should pick up a pair of wins this week starting their own win streak.

7.    Louisville (15-8)

      The Cardinals rolled Connecticut and Rutgers this week. They should extend that win streak to three before taking on Syracuse next weekend. The schedule is going to get tough from here on out, but this team should make the tournament.

8.    Marquette (15-8)

      The Golden Eagles have extended their win streak to four as they got wins over Providence and DePaul this week. They host the Bulls and Panthers this week; both will be tough games but are winnable.

9.    Cincinnati (14-9)

      The Bearcats suffered two blowout losses this week to Notre Dame and Syracuse. With the remaining schedule, I don’t think this team is going dancing this year. It’s going to take some serious upsets, and I just don’t think this team has it in them.

10. South Florida (15-8)

      The Bulls finally had their four-game win streak snapped in South Bend. Even though they lost, it was only by three and on the road. The Bulls have confidence for the first time this season, and the rest of the Big East should pay attention.

11. Connecticut (14-9)

      This Huskies team has really surprised me this season. I felt after the Texas game they had turned the corner, I was wrong. Since then, they’ve gone 1-3, with that lone win coming against DePaul. This team has a manageable schedule, but based on the performance to date, don’t count on them in the tournament.

12. Seton Hall (12-9)

      The Pirates are in a slump right now, as they trudge through this three-game losing streak. It’ll most likely end when they play DePaul this weekend. The schedule from here on out is very manageable. Having Jeremy Hazell on the court doesn’t hurt, either.

13. St. Johns (12-10)

      The Red Storm’s five game losing streak is their second multiple game losing streak of conference play. The poor performance against the Big East teams continues to show this team is just not ready to compete this year and is over matched.

14. Providence (12-11)

      I can’t really fault the Friars much this season. We all knew it wasn’t going to be a banner year this season. They’ve won the games they should, and lost the games we all knew they would. The win over Connecticut was the high point of a very mediocre season for this rebuilding program.

15. Rutgers (11-12)

     The Scarlet Knights might win another conference game this season. They play DePaul twice before the end of the season, but don’t expect much. This team is a year away from becoming a possible force in the Big East.

     16. DePaul (8-15)

      I’m still trying to figure out how Syracuse only managed to beat the Blue Demons by two points last week. This team has looked awful all season except for that game and its win over Marquette. I see at least three to four more blowout losses before the end of the season.