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

1. Syracuse (28-3)  

The Orange got caught up in the last game at Freedom Hall.  While watching the pageantry, they forgot they still had to play against a fired up Louisville team, and took a 78-68 loss.  I’m not worried about this loss at all.  This team has Final Four written all over it, and won't see too many teams in the NCAA tournament that stack up talent-wise to what they go against in the Big East every day.

2. West Virginia (24-6)

The Mountaineers finished the regular season with three impressive wins over Villanova, Georgetown, and Cincinnati.  Right now they’re my pick for to match up with Syracuse in the Big East tournament championship game.  They have gone toe to toe with every team in this conference, and either have a close loss or a win.

3. Pittsburgh (24-7)

The Panthers have a first-round bye in the Big East tournament, and finished the regular season with three Big East cupcakes.  This team hasn’t been challenged much since the 70-65 win over Villanova and the 68-53 loss to Notre Dame.  This may lead to some rusty performances when the Panthers finally get back into action.

4. Villanova (24-6)

The Wildcats haven’t looked too impressive this last month.  They’re 4-5 since the Georgetown loss in February, losing to all the Big East’s top teams.  If this is any indication how they’ll play in the NCAA tournament, they’ll be bounced quickly.

5. Notre Dame (21-10)

The Irish are peaking right now at the prefect time.  They wrapped up the regular season with a four-game winning streak against Pittsburgh, Georgetown, Connecticut, and Marquette.  If they have any kind of success comparable to how they finished the season, expect to see this team in the NCAA tournament.

6. Marquette (20-10)

The Golden Eagles had their four-game win streak snapped in the 63-60-overtime loss to Notre Dame.  They had one three straight overtime games going into that contest. The only exception was the drubbing they gave Louisville, 69-48, in what can be argued as their best performance this season.

7. Louisville (20-11)

The Cardinals have been a tough team to figure out in their last four games.  They’ve either lost by double figures against good teams or beaten them in close games.  Their win over Syracuse is impressive, no matter which way you look at it, but the losses to Georgetown and Marquette could have been more competitive.

8. Georgetown (20-9)

The Hoyas ripped the Bearcats, 74-47, to finish the regular season.  This performance, along with the announcement that Austin Freeman has diabetes, has this team playing tough right now.  They’ve come together in the last week, and have a real shot of winning the Big East tournament this season.

9. South Florida (19-11)

The Bulls have had a very impressive season for their standards.  They’ve beaten Pittsburgh, Georgetown, and Connecticut this year.  Dominique Jones and Augustus Gilchrist are a formidable combination on both sides on the court, making USF a tough team to beat right now.

10. Connecticut (17-14)

The Huskies have their backs against the wall right now.  Their bubble has burst and the only chance to go dancing this season is by winning the Big East tournament, something much easier said than done.  They finished the regular season on a three-game slide that included two road losses and a home loss to Louisville, 78-76.

11. Seton Hall (18-11)

The Pirates are taking a two-game winning streak into the Big East tournament this week.  This momentum, along with Hazell’s 21 points per game should get them past Providence, but it’s always hard playing a team in back to back games.

12. Cincinnati (16-14)

The Bearcats look like they gave up in the Georgetown loss after two close games to Villanova and West Virginia.  They need to end this three-game slide when they play Rutgers in the opening round of the tournament.  If they have any shot at going to the NIT, they’ll need a few more wins against some quality teams.

13. St. Johns (16-14)

The Red Storm got the short straw in the Big East matchups.  They will face a desperate and hungry Connecticut Huskies team in the opening round.  Connecticut has already blown them out once this season, back in January, 75-59.  I wouldn’t expect anything different when these two teams tip off on Tuesday.

14. Rutgers (15-16)

The Scarlet Knights haven’t enjoyed March so far.  They’ve been steamrolled in both games this month.  They’ll meet up with Cincinnati in the opening round of the Big East tournament, and are looking to avenge the 65-58 loss they had early on in conference play.  They have the talent to beat the Bearcats, but with they way they’ve been playing don’t count on it.

15. Providence (12-18)

The Friars extended their losing streak to 10 games, finishing the regular season with 92-80 loss to Seton Hall.  This can be looked at two ways going into the Big East tournament. Providence meets up in the first round with the Pirates once again. They’ve should know what’s coming and how to prepare, as they try to avenge their last loss of the regular season to Seton Hall.

16.  DePaul (8-22)

The Blue Demons end the regular season on a 12-game slide, finishing last in the Big East standings.  They will once again match up with USF, this time Big East tournament.  Mac Koshwal gave the Bulls all they wanted in the last meeting, finishing with 24 points and 11 rebounds.