It is a tradition synonymous with college basketball. For the 41st consecutive year, the Big East Tournament hits Madison Square Garden this week. Coverage of the first round, quarterfinals and semifinals will air on FS1 before Saturday’s championship game hits FOX at 6:30 p.m. ET.
In the 10th year since the conference reconfigured to a basketball-centric league, this season carries a vibe that the tournament is as wide open as it’s been in this current iteration.
Why? For starters, the Big East Tournament has been the Villanova Invitational for the better part of the last decade. The Wildcats have won five of the last seven conference tournaments, and of those seven, they’ve been in every tournament championship game except one. While Kyle Neptune’s team has won six of its last eight and has found a rhythm behind the return of senior guard Justin Moore, it’s going to be rather hard for the Cats to repeat and steal a bid to the NCAA Tournament.
You could make an argument for upwards of six, maybe even seven teams to win the crown in Manhattan this week. Here’s a whip-around of storylines to watch for this week.
The front-runner: UConn
Over the last month, the Huskies have played like a dark horse to reach Houston in April. They’ve played much more like the team that started the year 14-0, having won five in a row and eight of their last nine entering the Big East Tournament. What’s gone right? Connecticut has Jordan Hawkins and other teams don’t, and Dan Hurley is playing through his superstar sophomore guard. Also, Adama Sanogo continues to be strong and Andre Jackson Jr. worked through a midseason slump to get back on track. A silent assassin from deep, Alex Karaban is such a key to what the Huskies do, and when this team is connecting on perimeter shots, pack your bags.
The matchup to watch: Thursday, 2:30 p.m. ET on FS1 — No. 4 Providence vs. No. 5 Connecticut
There’s zero love lost between these two schools. None. Madison Square Garden will be an absolute zoo on Thursday afternoon when the Friars and Huskies meet at the Big East Tournament for the first time since 1998. These two teams enter New York going in very different directions. The Friars lost back-to-back home games last week to Xavier and Seton Hall, getting humiliated 82-58 by the Pirates on Saturday. Ed Cooley’s team is still likely to hear its name on Selection Sunday, but Providence needs to regain its defensive identity or…
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