BETology 3-2

This is The Rant’s daily look in at the Big East conference as we creep closer to the BET in New York City, which begins March 10th.

STANDINGS:
Big East Official Tie-Breaking formula
**-Connecticut Huskies 15-2
**-Louisville Cardinals 14-2
*-Pittsburgh Panthers 13-3
*-Marquette Golden Eagles 12-4
*-Villanova Wildcats 11-5
*-Providence Friars 10-7
Syracuse Orange 9-7
West Virginia Mountaineers 9-7
Cincinnati Bearcats 8-8
Notre Dame Fighting Irish 7-9
T-Seton Hall Pirates 6-10
T-Georgetown Hoyas 6-10
T-St. John’s Red Storm 5-11
T-South Florida Bulls 3-13
T-Rutgers Scarlet Knights 1-15
T-DePaul Blue Demons 0-16
**-clinched a 2-day bye
*-clinched a 1st day bye
T-clinched a Tuesday game

THIS WEEKEND:
SATURDAY
Georgetown Hoyas 56
Villanova Wildcats 54
Is it crazy to think that Georgetown still might have some life left? The Hoyas are currently 40 in the RPI. They have played the toughest schedule in the nation. They have quality wins versus Memphis and Syracuse and on the road against Villanova and UCONN. Plus, they still have two more games remaining and they are against DePaul and St. John’s. I said last week that Georgetown had to split the Louisville and Villanova games, and then take care of business against DePaul and St. John’s. They did the tough part and got the split with Nova and Louisville. Now, they Hoyas could climb as high as the 10-seed and get Rutgers on Tuesday of the BET. If they can get hot and win these next three games, I think they are in the field of 64. As for Villanova, what is happening? Since being blown out in Morgantown this Villanova team has seemed incredibly average. A ten point win at home to Rutgers that could have gone either way with about 10 to play, surviving last second shots against Syracuse and DePaul for wins and then losing at home to Georgetown. This team looked like it could be a serious player in the BET, not I am not sold they will win a game there. Jay Wright has to find the reason for these struggles and fix them fast.

St. John’s Red Storm 84
DePaul Blue Demons 63
Can you believe that this was actually the Big East Game of the Week? Who is their right mind would want to sit down and watch these two teams play? DePaul is pathetic and honestly should not even be in the Big East. St. John’s at least has some players and show some effort and fight on the court. The Red Storm play Notre Dame and Georgetown to close out the year and could be the spoiler to one or both of them. St. John’s has a young team that has improved and with the BET and maybe a game or two in that new post-season tournament, the Red Storm could be a player in the Big East again in the new future.

UCONN Huskies 72
Notre Dame Fighting Irish 65
Notre Dame is a team a lot like Georgetown fighting for a spot to dance. Georgetown had an opportunity to improve their chances this weekend and took it. The Irish had the same chance and let it slip away. Notre Dame was within one point in the last minute of play, but missed their final three shots. Although ND has a better conference record than Georgetown, looking at the resumes, the Hoyas should get the nod if it came down to those two teams. Notre Dame has one quality win against Louisville, and that was at home. Their best road win was Providence. Tonight against Villanova becomes a “must-win” game if Notre Dame wants to get into the Big Dance. UCONN struggled in this game, but did enough for the W. The Huskies maintain the top spot in the standings and are off until they finish the season at Pitt. That game could be for the Big East Title (depending on what Louisville does this week against Seton Hall and West Virginia).

Pitt Panthers 89
Seton Hall Pirates 78
Pitt bounced back from the loss to Providence with an easy win against the Pirates. Pitt has two difficult games coming up this week. Pitt takes on Marquette Wednesday and UCONN Saturday. Both games are at home, where Pitt has yet to lose this season and currently has the third longest home win streak in the nation with 19 straight. The Panthers could move to the 1-seed in the BET with two wins, (if everything else in the conference play goes their way) or they could fall out of the coveted top 4 and find themselves playing Wednesday if they were to lose both games. The loss Saturday clinched a Tuesday game for Seton Hall. They could however move all the way up to the 9-seed (top seed of teams playing Tuesday) if they win out against Louisville and Cincinnati.

SUNDAY
Louisville Cardinals 62
Marquette Golden Eagles 58
The Cardinals clinched a 2-day bye with the win over Marquette. The worst Louisville can do right now is be a 3-seed. However, they have their eyes set on the regular season championship. Winning out will clinch at least a tie for the title, but a UCONN loss on Saturday give Louisville the out-right title and the #1-seed in NYC. Marquette is in a tough spot right now. The Golden Eagles are at the number 4 spot right now, and still have both Pitt and Syracuse remaining on the schedule. A loss to either of those teams and that could bump Marquette from a possible 2-day bye. Villanova sits 1-game behind the Eagles and would win the head-to-head tiebreaker.

Syracuse Orange 87
Cincinnati Bearcats 63
Syracuse seems to be playing better basketball over the past 2+ weeks. The Orange have won their past two games by a combined 53 points. You should take into consideration the competition, but they are play better ball now then they were a month ago. The Cuse have Rutgers and Marquette remaining and need every win they can get. Syracuse is currently sitting in the 7-spot, but there are still four teams vying for the Wednesday bye and only two spots available. Any slip up and the Orange could find themselves playing on Tuesday as the 9 or 10 seed. Cincinnati could have really cemented themselves as the top dog in this four team race with a win yesterday following the win over WVU on Thursday. Now the Bearcats are in the 9-spot (not one you would like to be in) as of now, but they do have two very winnable games remaining and the easiest schedule of the four teams. Cincy finishes the season at South Florida and home against Seton Hall.

Providence Friars 73
Rutgers Scarlet Knights 66
Providence followed up their win Tuesday against Pitt with another one against Rutgers. The win assured the Friars of a bye on Tuesday. Providence only has one game remaining, at Villanova on Thursday, so they cannot move up enough to get the 2-day bye. Providence is at the 6-spot now and with a win Thursday and a WVU loss this week, they will lock up that spot for the BET. Rutgers has Syracuse Tuesday, if the knights can pull of the upset in up-state New York then their season finale Saturday against USF will be for the 14-seed in the BET.

West Virginia Mountaineers 64
South Florida Bulls 50
WVU put a bad loss to Cincinnati behind them and beat up on South Florida. The win puts WVU in the 8-seed for the time being. West Virginia still has DePaul and Louisville to close out the season. Since they do not hold the tiebreaker with either Cincinnati or Syracuse, the season finale against Louisville could be the make or break game for the Mountaineers having an extra day off before playing in the BET.


TONIGHT:
Villanova Wildcats @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish
7:00 ESPN

UP COMING GAMES ON NATIONAL TV:
Monday:
Villanova @ Notre Dame ESPN
Tuesday:
Rutgers @ Syracuse ESPN 360
Cincinnati @ South Florida ESPNU
Wednesday:
Marquette @ Pitt ESPN2
Thursday:
Providence @ Villanova ESPN/ESPN2
Saturday:
UCONN @ Pitt CBS
DePaul @ Georgetown ESPNU
Louisville @ West Virginia ESPN

BETology:
TUESDAY
March 10th:
NOON
9 – Cincinnati
Vs
16 – DePaul
2:00
12 – Georgetown
Vs
13 – St. John’s
7:00
10 – Notre Dame
Vs
15 – Rutgers
9:00
11 – Seton Hall
Vs
14 – South Florida

WEDNESDAY
March 11th:
NOON
8 – West Virginia
Vs
Tuesday NOON winner
2:00
5 – Villanova
Vs
Tuesday 2:00 winner
7:00
7 – Syracuse
Vs
Tuesday 7:00 winner
9:00
6 – Providence
Vs
Tuesday 9:00 winner

THURSDAY
March 12th:
NOON
1 – UCONN
Vs
Wednesday NOON winner
2:00
4 – Marquette
Vs
Wednesday 2:00 winner
7:00
2 – Louisville
Vs
Wednesday 7:00 winner
9:00
3 – Pitt
Vs
Wednesday 9:00 winner

Check back tomorrow for another update!