Among Big East teams projected to make the NCAA tournament, there are two tiers.
For the last six weeks, this series has only seen four Big East teams included in the projected NCAA Tournament field. Now, a late-season run might add another.
Xavier is riding a five-game win streak and coming off its most impressive win of the season in an 83-61 thumping of Creighton on Saturday. The Musketeers are solid defensively and efficient shooting the basketball, ranking top 10 in both 3-point and free throw percentage. They have relied on those strengths during this streak, averaging 81.6 points per game (which would rank 26th in the country over the season) and winning games by an average margin of 13.6.
The Musketeers finish the season at Butler Wednesday and then vs. Providence Saturday, neither of which will help with the biggest flaw in their resume: their 1-9 record in Quad 1 games. They are currently outside the tournament projections in the first four teams out, which is why they do not get their own dedicated section here. However, a seven-game win streak to close the regular season and a solid run in the Big East Tournament would put some juice behind their resume.
As a bubble team Xavier must play desperate from here on out. Let’s look at the teams with less to worry about for their NCAA Tournament standings:
No. 6 St. John’s Red Storm
Projected seed: 3
This week’s schedule: at Marquette Sat.
The season has already been a resounding success for St. John’s with a Big East regular season title in hand just two years into Rick Pitino’s tenure. The Red Storm still have a little something to prove against elite competition, as their 3-4 Quad 1 record indicates. Going to Milwaukee is a great opportunity to tick the last box on the resume.
No. 20 Marquette Golden Eagles
Projected seed: 5
This week’s schedule: at UConn Wed., vs. St. John’s Sat.
The Golden Eagles got a few needed, confidence-building wins by double-digits over Providence and Georgetown last week. It is an exceedingly difficult conclusion to the season for Marquette, but it comes with the territory of being a consistent presence atop the Big East. Sometimes, your toughest games will stack up at the end of the season, and you must be ready to meet the moment.
Creighton Bluejays
Projected seed: 8
This week’s schedule: at Seton Hall Tue., vs. Butler Sat.
The Bluejays have not beaten a team ranked higher than 85 in NET since the Feb. 8 win over Marquette. This team has definitely fallen off from the hot play of its nine-game win streak, as evidenced by that ugly loss at Xavier. Creighton should use the final two games to work out the kinks before the Big Ten Tournament.
Connecticut Huskies
Projected seed: 8
This week’s schedule: vs. Marquette Wed., vs. Seton Hall Sat.
Similar to Marquette, the Huskies handled their business against Georgetown and Providence. They finish the season with two home games, where they have a 12-2 record on the season. It is perfect timing for a final statement against the Golden Eagles before they tune up for the Big East Tournament with the finale against Seton Hall.
