Crowning the Irish King

The Big East tournament kicks off today in just under ten minutes.  The conference has stood out as the cream of the crop this season having up to nine teams in the AP Top 25 at one time.  Despite beating each other up throughout  the season they are looking to get up to eleven teams into the NCAA tournament.  Each team has had the whole season to prove their worth to the committee, but who needs to shine this week before the dance?

Marquette is currently sketched in as a ten seed for March Madness.  The Golden Eagles had big wins over Syracuse, Notre Dame, and Connecticut this season, but they fell hard at the end of the season to Cincinnati and bottom feeder Seton Hall.  Stumbling into the tournament doesn't secure your place or your chances of winning once you get in the door.  Marquette gets a favorable first round match-up against Providence with a rematch against West Virginia looming in the next round.  They already topped the Mountaineers on New Year's Day and could use the big win if they beat them again.  Should they get past West Virginia, the Golden Eagles would find a short handed Louisville team waiting, which could prove to be favorable.

There is not a team colder than Villanova right now.  Nova started the season 16-1 before stumbling through the heart of their Big East schedule only to finish on a four game losing streak against top 25 competition.  If the Wildcats don't get their footing in the Big East tournament they could be looking for an early exit in the NCAA tournament.  Over a few weeks their seeding has dropped tremendously and currently looks like a seven.  They should have an easy win over South Florida to build their confidence and will have to battle through Cincinnati to get to a big game against Notre Dame.  Beating the Irish could put Villanova back on the map from pretender to contender.

Then there is the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame.  You ask why do they need to shine?  The Irish are ranked fourth in the nation in both the AP polls and the Coaches poll and are just a win away from being a one seed. If Notre Dame can fare better than Pittsburgh and potentially win the Big East tournament, look for them to be a lock as the top Big East team as a one seed heading into the NCAA tournament.  Notre Dame's path to the finals on Saturday at Madison Square Garden is more favorable than the road Pittsburgh or Syracuse must travel.  I like the Fighting Irish to not only win their half of the bracket but to solidify their strong second half of the season with a Big East title.