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BIG EAST DANCE CARD (2/23/2009)

by Jeff Borzello

With the last week of February set to begin and the always-fun month of March right around the corner, all eyes are on the final few games of the regular season in the Big East. After last week’s win at Connecticut by Pittsburgh and a few other key games from around the conference, four teams are tied in the loss column at the top of the standings, with Villanova just two games back. After West Virginia and Syracuse, there are four teams fighting for at-large spots at the back end of the NCAA Tournament pool. Sure, there are only a couple of game left for each team in the Big East, but there is plenty of basketball to be played and postseason destinations to be determined.

Pittsburgh: After the Panthers win over Connecticut on Monday and losses by North Carolina and Oklahoma, Pittsburgh is now arguably the top overall seed in the country. They have the No. 1 RPI in the country, a top-15 SOS and six wins against the top-25 – the most in the country. The Panthers face winnable road games against Providence and Seton Hall before coming home and finishing with a tough two-game stretch against Marquette and Connecticut. Projected Seed: 1

Connecticut: The Huskies were the top overall seed heading into the week, but their loss at home to Pittsburgh drops them down to second in the conference pecking order. Plus, they will have to prove they are worthy of a top seed without Jerome Dyson. Average wins against Seton Hall and South Florida don’t convey that. The Huskies face a very difficult final stretch, with a road game at Marquette coming up on Wednesday, and a road game with Pittsburgh on the final day of the season. Projected Seed: 1

Louisville: The Cardinals have bounced back nicely from their 33-point thrashing at the hands of Notre Dame. They obliterated DePaul last week and beat bubble teams Providence and Cincinnati this past week. With the upheaval on the top seed line, it’s not out of the question that Louisville could win the Big East and get a No. 1 seed. The Cards have a road game at Georgetown on Monday before coming home to face Marquette and Seton Hall. Projected Seed: 2

Villanova: The Wildcats stay slightly ahead of Marquette this week after wins over Rutgers and Syracuse, the latter coming on the road on Sunday. They are in fifth place in the conference, two games back of the four-game pack at the top of the standings. The win over the Orange brought them to 5-5 against the top-50 in the RPI and 11-5 against the top-100. They face a very manageable finishing stretch, facing DePaul and Notre Dame on the road, and Georgetown and Providence at home. Projected Seed: 3

Marquette: The Golden Eagles are still in the hunt for a Big East title, sitting at 12-2, after winning their third straight game, a 10-point victory at Georgetown. However, Marquette faces one of the most difficult final stretches in the country. It has to play Connecticut at home on Wednesday, heads on the road to face Louisville and Pittsburgh, and then finishes up with Syracuse at home. If Marquette wins the Big East, it will have certainly deserved it. Projected Seed: 3

West Virginia: The Mountaineers were teetering dangerously close to the bubble just a few short weeks ago, but they have cleared that hurdle and are making a run at a top-six seed in the Big Dance. They have won three in a row, including wins over Villanova and Notre Dame. They have to go to a desperate Cincinnati team this week, but then face DePaul and South Florida before ending the season at home against a Louisville team who could be fighting for a title. Projected Seed: 6

Syracuse: The Orange’s big knock was that they struggled to win away from home; now, they are struggling to win at the Carrier Dome. They barely beat Georgetown last week and then were defeated by Villanova by three on Sunday afternoon. They do have a chance to get their legs back under them, as they face St. John’s on Tuesday before coming home to play against Cincinnati and Rutgers. If not for very good computer numbers, this team could be in trouble. Projected Seed: 7

Cincinnati: The Bearcats had a real shot at picking up a marquee win and solidifying themselves into the projected brackets of most experts against Louisville on Saturday, but they could not survive the Cardinals’ multitude of runs and lost. Cincinnati is 0-8 against the top-25 of the RPI, but 6-2 against the rest of the top-100. They face a must-win against West Virginia at home on Tuesday before heading to Syracuse on Sunday in a game they need to get. Projected Seed: None

Notre Dame: The Fighting Irish were left for dead just a few short weeks ago. Now, they might have jumped ahead of Providence and Georgetown and back into the serious at-large discussion after their blowout of the Friars on the road on Saturday. They have now won three of their last four, and get three of their final four at home. The lone road game is at Connecticut, and the only difficult home game is against Villanova. This team has a shot at getting a bid. Projected Seed: None

Providence: The Friars were in a few prominent projected brackets heading into the week, but I guarantee it will be very tough to find their name this week. They were destroyed in the second half by Louisville during the week, and then were blown out at home by fellow bubble dweller Notre Dame. They are 1-6 against the top-50 of the RPI and just 5-11 against the top-100. Despite a Big East record above .500, this team is not NCAA-worthy right now. Projected Seed: None

Georgetown: The Hoyas are pretty much out of the at-large discussion after their home loss against Marquette. They are just 4-10 since their win over Connecticut in December, and have lost eight of their last 10. In the Big East, though, they are not done yet. They face Louisville at home on Monday and then head to Villanova on Saturday. If they can pull off both wins, Georgetown will be right back in the mix. Life in the Big East can be a blessing and a curse. Projected Seed: None

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