A quick glance at the odds for the Big East Tournament tells us one thing: There is no clear-cut favorite. Oh, the defending national champion Villanova Wildcats surged late in the regular season to claim the title. But that was more because Marquette stubbed its toe by losing four straight to close the year. They were the only two teams to finish above .500 in conference play and they both lost their final regular season game, so expect chaos to ensue when the Big East takes over the Garden starting on Wednesday.
Big East Tournament
Dates: Wednesday, March 13 - Saturday, March 16, 2019
Location: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
College Basketball Odds at BookMaker.eu: Check Back Later
Big East Tournament TV Coverage: FS1, FOX
Villanova has been the dominant team in the conference for the past several years. The Cats have won two straight Big East tournament titles and three of the last four. They’ve also won a pair of national championships in the last three seasons. However, it’s been an up-and-down year for Jay Wright’s squad. They dropped from the national rankings earlier in the season and regained their footing, only to lose four of five games in February.
The Cats ended that slide with a win over Marquette, and they overtook the Golden Eagles for the top spot in the conference, only to get knocked off by Seton Hall last Saturday. The title was Marquette’s for the taking, but a four-game losing streak to close the regular season has them reeling heading into the tournament.
Odds to Win 2019 Big East Tournament at BookMaker.eu
Villanova +212
Marquette +232
Creighton +539
Seton Hall +663
Saint John’s +991
Xavier +1,133
Georgetown +1,292
Butler +1,885
Providence +3,232
DePaul +4,500
Neither of the favorites is playing well enough to deserve the title, but someone has to take it. Since we have to declare a winner, the smart money would be on Villanova given the experience of guys like Phil Booth, Eric Paschall and Colin Gillespie. The rest of the Cats are young and inexperienced, especially in a tournament setting. Villanova might be the favorite, but the Cats are far from a lock.
We were saying that about Marquette two weeks ago. Then the roof caved in. Villanova tried hard to give the regular season crown away and the Golden Eagles stubbornly refused to take it. Losses to Nova, Creighton, Seton Hall and Georgetown to close the regular season leave UM wondering what it has to do to get a win.
The hottest team entering the tournament is Creighton with five straight victories getting them to the break-even point in Big East games. The Bluejays have put themselves squarely on the bubble with their late-season run and need another win and likely two to be considered for an at-large berth to the Dance.
It looked like Seton Hall would be an afterthought heading into the final week of regular season play riding a three-game losing streak with games against Nova and Marquette. Two upset wins later and the Pirates are not only thinking Big East Tournament title, they are also entertaining thoughts of a trip to the dance.
Can anyone figure St. John’s out? Two wins over Marquette, a takedown of Nova and just five other victories against the rest of the conference. Their play sums up the entire Big East. They do have a dynamic scorer in Shamorie Ponds, and if the streaky shooter gets hot, look out. I just don’t think the Johnnies have what it takes to win this.
Player to Watch
Things were looking good for Marquette, until they weren’t. They didn’t lose a key performer to injury and there was no in-fighting among players and coaches, so it’s hard to figure out exactly what went wrong over the last two weeks. Again, maybe it’s just the league. The Golden Eagles do need Markus Howard to be at his best if they want to turn things around.
Howard averaged 25 points per game during the regular season, the sixth-highest in the country, and he went off for over 40 three times. However, he’s also been careless with the basketball, turning it over 21 times during the four-game slide. I’m sure UM would exchange a few less points from Howard for additional possessions, considering they lost those four games by an average of less than six points.
ACC Tournament Free Picks
It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Seton Hall or Creighton make a run to the title since the league has been whacky all season. Villanova has the experience to make them the favorite, but we’ve seen them struggle. Marquette didn’t suddenly become a bad team, though they’ve played like it. I think the Golden Eagles are going to figure it out and with Howard leading the way I like them to finish off as tournament champions.
Big East Tournament Pick: Marquette Golden Eagles
