Musketeers in Manhattan: Xavier history, field, projections for Big East Tournament
The Big East Tournament tips off Wednesday under the glitz and glamour of Madison Square Garden in New York City. The NCAA's longest running conference tournament at one location (1983) always brings fans in droves to The Mecca, eager to see high-level basketball in a conference rooted with a rich history.
"It's the best conference basketball tournament in the world," Georgetown head coach Ed Cooley said after a loss to Xavier earlier this month.
Xavier head coach Sean Miller, who played in the Big East Tournament while at Pittsburgh, said, "there's nothing like it."
Miller's Musketeers, the No. 9 seed in the Big East Tournament, opens the event Wednesday afternoon (4 p.m.) against No. 8 Butler.
Big East Tournament bracket
Ready for the @TheGarden 😤 pic.twitter.com/zaPRqtcc12
— BIG EAST MBB (@BIGEASTMBB) March 10, 2024
Xavier's chances are slim
Feeling lucky? Well, Xavier's odds to win the Big East Tournament are +5000, which is an implied probability of 1.96% that the Musketeers will cut down the nets at MSG.
That number also represents Xavier's lone remaining path to the NCAA Tournament. Xavier would truly have to shock the world in the second round, by beating No. 2 UConn, the betting favorite to win the national championship.
Has Xavier ever won the Big East Tournament?
Since Xavier joined the Big East prior to the 2013-14 season, the Musketeers have won at least one game in the Big East Tournament in seven of 10 years. Xavier is 10-10 overall in the conference tournament but is still searching for the program's first title. X
Xavier has made the Big East Tournament Championship game twice, losing to Marquette last season and Villanova in 2015.
A look at the Big East field
The Big East includes three top-10 teams in the latest AP Top 25 poll and four teams on the NCAA Tournament bubble. Here's a glance at the clubs in order by seed.
No. 1 UConn (28-3, 18-2 Big East, No. 2 AP): UConn is the favorite to win the Big East Tournament and to repeat as national champions. Head coach Dan Hurley and two first-team all-Big East guards Tristen Newton and Cam Spencer led UConn to its first outright Big East regular-season championship since 1999. UConn was the first Big East team to win 18 conference games.
No. 2 Creighton (23-8, 14-6 Big East, No. 8 AP): Creighton is trying to build off last season, when the program made its first Elite 8 appearance since 1941. Creighton won seven of its final eight regular-season games.
No. 3 Marquette (23-8, 14-6 Big East, No. 10 AP): Marquette was a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament last season. Led by reigning Big East Player of the Year Tyler Kolek, Marquette went on an 11-1 stretch to crack the AP Top-5 for the first time since 1979. Kolek missed the final three regular-season games, and his status is still up in the air heading into the conference tournament.
No. 4 Seton Hall (20-11, 13-7 Big East): In his second season in Newark, Shaheen Holloway has Seton Hall on the bubble for an NCAA Tournament bid. Seton Hall had wins over UConn and Marquette during the regular season.
No. 5 St. John's (19-12, 11-9 Big East): Rick Pitino's first season in Queens could see the Red Storm in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019. St. John's won its last five regular-season games to earn the final first-round bye in the Big East Tournament.
No. 6 Villanova (17-4, 10-10 Big East): Villanova was sunk by Creighton at the buzzer Saturday, and it moved the Wildcats to the Last Four Out category of bracketology. Second-year coach Kyle Neptune has work to do for Villanova, the Big East's most successful team in recent years with national titles in 2016 and 2018.
No. 7 Providence (19-12, 10-10 Big East): Kim English's first season at Providence had its ups and downs. Providence lost star forward Bryce Hopkins to a torn ACL, but the duo of Devin Carter and Josh Oduro kept the team afloat. Providence lost three of its final four games entering the tournament.
No. 8 Butler (18-13, 9-11 Big East): Butler will likely miss the NCAA Tournament for the fifth consecutive year. The Bulldogs were on the bubble before a five-game losing streak in February.
No. 9 Xavier (15-16, 9-11 Big East): Barring an improbable run to a conference tournament title, Xavier, battle-tested with injuries and one of the nation's toughest schedules, will miss the NCAA Tournament.
No. 10 Georgetown (9-22, 2-18 Big East): Ed Cooley's first season at Georgetown was tough. The Hoyas were 7-4 in the non-conference but won just twice against Big East foes.
No. 11 DePaul (3-28, 0-20 Big East): DePaul moved on from head coach Tony Stubblefield in January. Interim head coach Matt Brady went 0-13. DePaul was the first Big East team to go 0-20 in league play.
Projection
Sean Miller said it best on Saturday.
"There's a huge difference between UConn and everybody."
The Huskies are just on a different level and will find a way to run the table at Madison Square Garden and what is going to be a huge turnout from the UConn faithful.
Championship: UConn d. Marquette
Semifinals: Marquette d. Creighton; UConn d. St. John's
Quarterfinals: UConn d. Xavier; St. John's d. Seton Hall; Creighton d. Providence; Marquette d. Villanova
1st Round: Xavier d. Butler; Providence d. Georgetown; Villanova d. DePaul
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Xavier Musketeers seed, schedule in Big East Tournament
