BETology 2-23

I’m back from vacation and ready for the stretch run. Look for my Rants about the Jim Calhoun slap on the wrist punishment and the Top 25 Rankings, but this is the BETology so let’s take a look at the last 2 days of hoops in the Big East and look ahead a little bit at what is still to come.

MONDAY’S RECAP:
SYRACUSE ORANGE 69
Villanova Wildcats 64
Syracuse starting to get their act together now after losing 6 of 8 the Cuse have now won 3 in a row and are putting themselves back into discussion for a double bye in 2 weeks. As of right now Syracuse is just a half of a game out of 4th place, with two games to play. Their game Saturday at Georgetown will be a huge game for both teams fighting for a top-4 finish. The Orange close the season at home versus DePaul the last Saturday of the season. As for Nova, they are not closing the season the way they would have wanted. The Wildcats have now lost 3 of 5 and struggled in those 2 wins against Seton Hall and DePaul. Things don’t get an easier for Villanova either with St. John’s, Notre Dame and Pitt remaining on the schedule. Villanova went from looking like a sure thing for a bye and probably a double bye to being in real danger of dropping all the way out of the top 8 and playing Tuesday.

TUESDAY'S RECAP:
LOUISVILLE CARDINALS 55
Rutgers Scarlet Knights 37
Yes, you read that right, 37 points for Rutgers. Louisville is a great defensive team, but if you can’t score more than a point a minute you should just join the Big Ten basketball conference. Then again, Rutgers was one of the schools considered by the Big Ten, maybe this was their audition, if so they passed with flying colors, but for Big East basketball it is pathetic. Louisville keeps pace for a double bye with the win. They are tied with Georgetown for 3rd place with just 3 games to go. Louisville closes the season with a home game Sunday against Pitt, another one next week versus Providence, and a road game in Morgantown. Rutgers has just 3 games remaining. They can finish no better than 12th place, but technically could drop all the way into last place. Rutgers finishes out the year with hosting WVU, then going on the road against DePaul and Providence before the Big East Tournament.

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

TODAY:
Notre Dame @ Providence 7:00 pm, Regional TV
DePaul @ St. John’s 7:00 pm, Regional TV
Cincinnati @ Georgetown 9:00 pm, Regional TV

NATIONALLY TELEVISED GAMES COMING UP:
Thursday - Marquette @ Connecticut 7:00 pm, ESPN2
Thursday - West Virginia @ Pitt 9:00 pm, ESPN
Saturday - Syracuse @ Georgetown NOON, CBS
Saturday - St. John’s @ Villanova 2:30 pm, ESPN
Sunday - Pitt @ Louisville 2:00 pm, CBS
Monday - Villanova @ Notre Dame 7:00 pm, ESPN

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