2-13 BETology

A fairly big day of action to recap from yesterday, so lets get right to the action.

SATURDAY’S RECAP:
NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH 78
South Florida Bulls 55
Notre Dame is now winners of 7 straight games and has gotten a little separation between themselves and the big group behind them. Notre Dame also has a game in-hand against most of the teams in the conference, with just 5 remaining as opposed to the 6 the majority of the conference has. The Irish still have 2 more road games in this 3 game road stretch, next up is a trip to Morgantown next Saturday. South Florida has now lost 4 straight and have all but locked up a date to play on Tuesday in Manhattan. The Bulls, like Notre Dame, only have 5 conference games remaining, two of which are against first place Pitt.

LOUISVILLE CARDINALS 73
Syracuse Orange 69
This game had more ups and downs than a roller coaster. The Cuse were up 7 in the first half before Louisville went on a tear and took a 10 point lead into halftime. They built that lead up to 20 before nearly giving it all back. Syracuse cut it to 3, but with the help of good foul shooting and shaky officiating, Louisville held on. This is the 6th lose in the past 8 for Syracuse and the team that started 18-0 is suddenly just 7-6 in the conference and sitting in 11th place. Louisville seems to be gelling at just the right time, like Pitino teams almost always do. The Cardinals toughest two games remaining are Connecticut and Pitt, both of which have to travel to Louisville. If the season ended today Pitino and Co. would be the 4th seed getting a double bye.

WEST VIRGINIA MOUNTAINEERS 82
DePaul Blue Demons 71
A win is a win in the Big East and I’m sure that WVU was thrilled to snap their mini losing streak, but it was not very impressive at all. DePaul is a team that you hope to get down and then put them away, West Virginia never did that. They built a 9 point lead in the first half, but never really added much to it. Kind of just cruising to that 11 point win. WVU is now sitting in 6th place, but only a half a game out of 10th. West Virginia has a brutal schedule to close. The Mountaineers still have 5 of their final 6 games against teams either within a game of them or ahead of them in the standings. As for DePaul, well, they really stink. We still have 3 full weeks remaining in the regular season and DePaul is the first team to clinch a start date for the tournament. Sure we all figure that South Florida and Providence will be playing Tuesday, maybe Seton Hall, Rutgers and St. John’s will join them, but DePaul has clinched that.

SETON HALL PIRATES 69
Rutgers Scarlet Knights 64
I’m sure this is not the way that Rutgers would have like to follow up their big win against Villanova, splitting with their hated state rival Seton Hall, each team winning on the road. Both teams were tied coming into this one at 4-8, so the Hall has the upper hand right now in the standings, but both teams currently look destined to be playing on Tuesday once the tournament starts. Seton Hall closes the season with a slightly more difficult schedule including games with Villanova and Notre Dame as well as a pair still with Marquette. Rutgers has it’s toughest 2 games remaining at home, which they have proved to make tough place to play. The Scarlet Knights end the season with games on the road at Providence and DePaul, which has to be the easiest of any team. That could give them some nice momentum going into the BET.

PITT PANTHERS 57
Villanova Wildcats 54
Philly boys Brad Wanamaker and Nasir Robinson showed off in front of their friends and family combining for 36 of the Panthers 57 points in the win. Pitt built up a 10 point lead in the second half before holding off a late rally. Villanova shouldn’t be hitting the panic button just yet, but they might want to locate it and have it within reach. This is now the Wildcats 4th loss in their last 6 games after starting 5-1 in the conference. Nova is still sitting in a nice position, but just not where many fans thought they would be at this point. Losses on the road to Providence and Rutgers has Nova sitting in 5th place, 1 game out of the double bye spot. The good news is that Nova has Seton Hall and DePaul the next two games. The bad news is that 4 of their last 6 are on the road. Pitt on the other hand is sitting pretty with a game and a half lead on the rest of the conference with 6 games to go. Pitt, with help. could actually clinch a first day bye as early as Wednesday when they host South Florida.


STANDINGS:
Big East Official Tie-Breaking formula
Pitt Panthers 11-1
Remaining Schedule:
2/16 vs South Florida
2/19 @ St. John’s
2/24 vs West Virginia
2/27 @ Louisville
3/2 @ South Florida
3/5 vs Villanova
Notre Dame Fighting Irish 10-3
Remaining Schedule:
2/19 @ West Virginia
2/23 @ Providence
2/26 vs Seton Hall
2/28 vs Villanova
3/5 @ Connecticut
Georgetown Hoyas 8-4
Remaining Schedule:
2/13 vs Marquette
2/16 @ Connecticut
2/19 @ South Florida
2/23 vs Cincinnati
2/26 vs Syracuse
3/5 @ Cincinnati
Louisville Cardinals 8-4
Remaining Schedule:
2/16 @ Cincinnati
2/18 vs Connecticut
2/22 @ Rutgers
2/27 vs Pitt
3/2 vs Providence
3/5 @ West Virginia
Villanova Wildcats 7-5
Remaining Schedule:
2/15 @ Seton Hall
2/19 @ DePaul
2/21 vs Syracuse
2/26 vs St. John’s
2/28 @ Notre Dame
3/5 @ Pitt
West Virginia Mountaineers 7-5
Remaining Schedule:
2/14 @ Syracuse
2/19 vs Notre Dame
2/24 @ Pitt
2/27 @ Rutgers
3/2 vs Connecticut
3/5 vs Louisville
Cincinnati Bearcats 6-5
Remaining Schedule:
2/13 vs St. John’s
2/16 vs Louisville
2/19 @ Providence
2/23 @ Georgetown
2/27 vs Connecticut
3/2 @ Marquette
3/5 vs Georgetown
St. John’s Red Storm 6-5
Remaining Schedule:
2/13 @ Cincinnati
2/15 @ Marquette
2/19 vs Pitt
2/23 vs DePaul
2/26 @ Villanova
3/2 @ Seton Hall
3/5 vs South Florida
UCONN Huskies 6-5
Remaining Schedule:
2/13 vs Providence
2/16 vs Georgetown
2/18 @ Louisville
2/24 vs Marquette
2/27@ Cincinnati
3/2 @ West Virginia
3/5 vs Notre Dame
Marquette Golden Eagles 6-5
Remaining Schedule:
2/13 @ Georgetown
2/15 vs St. John’s
2/19 vs Seton Hall
2/24 @ Connecticut
2/27 vs Providence
3/2 vs Cincinnati
3/5 @ Seton Hall
Syracuse Orange 7-6
Remaining Schedule:
2/14 vs West Virginia
2/19 vs Rutgers
2/21 @ Villanova
2/26 @ Georgetown
3/5 vs DePaul
Seton Hall Pirates 5-8
Remaining Schedule:
2/15 vs Villanova
2/19 @ Marquette
2/26 @ Notre Dame
3/3 vs St. John’s
3/5 vs Marquette
Rutgers Scarlet Knights 4-9
Remaining Schedule:
2/19 @ Syracuse
2/22 vs Louisville
2/27 vs West Virginia
3/2 @ DePaul
3/5 @ Providence
Providence Friars 3-8
Remaining Schedule:
2/13 @ Connecticut
2/17 vs DePaul
2/19 vs Cincinnati
2/23 vs Notre Dame
2/27 @ Marquette
3/2 @ Louisville
3/5 vs Rutgers
South Florida Bulls 2-11
Remaining Schedule:
2/16 @ Pitt
2/19 vs Georgetown
2/26 @ DePaul
3/2 vs Pitt
3/5 @ St. John’s
DePaul Blue Demons 0-12
Remaining Schedule:
2/17 @ Providence
2/19 vs Villanova
2/23 @ St. John’s
2/26 vs South Florida
3/2 vs Rutgers
3/5 @ Syracuse

TODAY:
St. John’s @ Cincinnati NOON, Regional TV
Marquette @ Georgetown 1:00 PM, ESPN
Providence @ Connecticut 7:00 PM, Regional TV

BETology:
TUESDAY
March 8th:
NOON
9 – Connecticut
Vs
16 - DePaul
2:00
12 – Seton Hall
Vs
13 – Rutgers
7:00
10 – Marquette
Vs
15 – South Florida
9:00
11 – Syracuse
Vs
14 – Providence

WEDNESDAY
March 9th:
NOON
8 – St. John’s
Vs
Tuesday NOON winner
2:00
5 - Villanova
Vs
Tuesday 2:00 winner
7:00
7 – Cincinnati
Vs
Tuesday 7:00 winner
9:00
6 – West Virginia
Vs
Tuesday 9:00 winner

THURSDAY
March 10th:
NOON
1 - Pitt
Vs
Wednesday NOON winner
2:00
4 – Louisville
Vs
Wednesday 2:00 winner
7:00
2 – Notre Dame
Vs
Wednesday 7:00 winner
9:00
3 – Georgetown
Vs
Wednesday 9:00 winner

Check back tomorrow for another update!