As good as how No. 2 Villanova’s played this season, nothing is certain during this time of the year when upsets are the norm. The reigning national champions would definitely agree to that after falling short to Seton Hall in last season’s Big East championship game. Can ‘Nova go all the way this time around, or will the unexpected happen again? Read on below for our preview of the Big East tournament.
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2017 Big East Tournament Preview and Prediction
Favorites
Villanova Wildcats (-120)
The Wildcats placed an exclamation point to their 28-3 (15-3 in conference play) regular season via an 81-55 road win against lowly Georgetown. Josh Hart, Kris Jenkins and Jalen Brunson led the show there with no less than 17 points each, and will all be expected to continue being major headaches for opponents.
Hart averages a team-leading 18.7 points while Jenkins and Brunson are relatively not too far off with 14.8 and 13.4 points, respectively.
Those three are the central figures of a Villanova offense that puts up nearly 80 points per contest this season. And when you combine that with a defense that yields just 63.1 points a game, tied for 20th in the nation, it only makes this team even more impossible to beat.
Butler Bulldogs (+200)
Thirteenth-ranked Butler has something to say about that, though. This team took down Villanova twice this season, winning both games by eight points. The Bulldogs also have wins over notable ranked teams in No. 7 Arizona and No. 18 Cincinnati to further boost their solid resume.
The Bulldogs, the second seed, have the necessary ingredients to claim the conference title. They can score (76.9 PPG), they have a disciplined defense (68.6 points allowed); they’re a deep team that plays smart and brings in a lot of experience, headlined by Kelan Martin who puts up 16.1 points on 29.1 minutes per contest.
HONORABLE MENTION(S) (as favorites): Creighton Bluejays (+500)
Sleeper
Providence Friars (+2,800)
If the mentioned favorites don’t end up winning the Big East title, then it’s probably because of Providence.
The Friars enter the conference tournament as the third seed and the hottest team. They finished regular-season play with six-consecutive wins, including victories over Butler, Xavier Creighton and Marquette.
Like ‘Nova and Butler, Ed Cooley’s group are well-balanced with four juniors, led by Rodney Bullock (16.1 PPG), scoring in double digits. They can also flex their muscles on the defensive end, where they’ve held five of their last six opponents below 70 points each.
HONORABLE MENTION(S) (as sleepers): Marquette Golden Eagles (+1,000), Xavier Musketeers (+1,000) and Seton Hall Pirates (+2,000)
Long Shot
St. John’s Red Storm (+6,000)
St. John’s finished as the eight seed with a 13-18 (13-18 overall) conference record. The Red Storm, at best, will make it to the quarterfinal round only to be likely blown out by top-seeded Villanova. But Shamorie Ponds, Marcus LoVett and Bashir Ahmed can make things interesting for St. John’s, which carries a potent offense that collects 77.2 points per game this season.
The Red Storm’s biggest wins this season were against Syracuse (90-63) and Butler (76-73).
HONORABLE MENTION(S) (as long shots): DePaul Blue Demons (+15,000)
Complete 2017 Big East Tournament Odds
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Villanova | -120 |
| Butler | +200 |
| Providence | +2,800 |
| Creighton | +500 |
| Xavier | +1,000 |
| Georgetown | +2,500 |
| DePaul | +15,000 |
| St. John’s | +6,000 |
| Marquette | +1,000 |
| Seton Hall | +2,000 |
Writer’s Prediction
Go with Villanova (-120) to win all the way. Enough said.
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