2-18 BETology

Due to the fact that I am in Florida on vacation and the fact that both DePaul and Providence stink, I did not update after that game Thursday night, and hopefully none of you were stuck watching it either. Here is a look back at the last 2 nights in the best conference in basketball.

THURSDAY’S RECAP:
DEPAUL BLUE DEMONS 79
Providence Friars 76
This is a game that would give ESPN 2nd thoughts about agreeing to broadcasts rights for the Big East Conference. In the conference’s contract agreements with ESPN they state that each team must be on ESPN/ESPN2 a certain number of times. ESPN sucked it up and put them on together to killed 2 birds with 1 stone. Can’t say that I disagree with that strategy actually. Anyway, DePaul wins their first game in 25 attempts in Big East play. Providence drops to 3-10 in conference play and makes themselves a solid 14 seed.

FRIDAY’S RECAP:
LOUISVILLE CARDINALS 71
Connecticut Huskies 58
The complete opposite of scheduling for ESPN on this one. ESPN normally has the NBA on Friday nights, but with this being NBA All-Star Weekend, they had a void in their schedule and put on a elite caliber match-up from the best conference in the country. Another smart move by ESPN scheduling. This game matched up the 4 and 7 seeds in the conference coming in, both with identical records of 8-5. Louisville kind of gets a little breathing room from that large clump behind them with the win last night. The Cards are now tied with Georgetown in the 3-4 spot, both would secure a double bye as of right now. Louisville is sitting pretty at holding on to that spot too, as they have a fairly favorable schedule the rest of the way out. Still on the schedule for Louisville is road games at Rutgers and WVU as well as home games versus Providence and Pitt. The loss hurts UCONN because they are now behind a group of 4 fighting for that double bye. They are also with another group of 4 within one half game of dropping all the way to the 10 seed, which plays on the opening day. UCONN also has a little tougher schedule to close, their final 4 games are road games at Cincinnati and WVU, and home games versus Marquette and Notre Dame. Notre Dame is obviously ahead of the Huskies in the standings and both Cincy and WVU sit just one half game behind. Marquette isn’t out of the running for a bye either, just one and a half games behind UCONN.

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

TODAY:
Villanova @ DePaul NOON, Regional TV
Pitt @ St. John’s NOON, ESPN
Notre Dame @ WVU 1:00 pm, CBS
Rutgers @ Syracuse 4:00 pm, Regional TV
Georgetown @ South Florida 7:00 pm, Regional TV
Cincinnati @ Providence 7:00 pm, ESPNU
Seton Hall @ Marquette 9:00 pm, Regional TV

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

WEDNESDAY
March 9th:
NOON
8 – Connecticut
Vs
Tuesday NOON winner
2:00
5 - St. John’s
Vs
Tuesday 2:00 winner
7:00
7 – Syracuse
Vs
Tuesday 7:00 winner
9:00
6 – Villanova
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!