Big East Tournament preview
(8) Villanova vs. (9) Syracuse Time: Noon today
Season series: Tied, 1-1 (Villanova won 81-71 on Jan. 19 on the road; Syracuse won 87-73 on Feb. 2 on the road).
Quarterfinals: Winner plays No. 1 Georgetown (25-4, 15-3).
As the league's two most desperate NCAA bubble teams, the winner of this game may have enough of an argument for an at-large bid; the loser will most likely be in the NIT.
"Both of us are in a great position, and I wouldn't really want it any other way," said Villanova coach Jay Wright. "If we're going to be an NCAA tournament team, we have to beat a tournament-caliber team, and that's what Syracuse is. If we beat them, then I think we deserve (a bid), and if we don't, then I don't think we do."
The teams are very similar. They each rely upon young stars, Syracuse in All-Rookie team picks Donte' Greene and Jonny Flynn and Villanova in All-Big East second team selection Scottie Reynolds. Syracuse upset Marquette in its home finale while Villanova won on the road against a highly motivated Providence team.
Syracuse was also the No. 9 seed two years ago when it made history as the lowest-seeded team to ever win the league tournament title.
(7) Pittsburgh vs. (10) Cincinnati Time: 7 p.m. today
Season series: Tied, 1-1 (Cincinnati won 62-59 on Jan. 19 at home; Pittsburgh won 73-67 on Feb. 27 at home)
Quarterfinals: Winner plays No. 2 Louisville (24-7, 14-4)
Coincidently, every pair of first-round opponents has played each other twice this season. No series was as competitive as Pittsburgh and Cincinnati's.
"There are adjustments that you have to anticipate the other team making," Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin said of playing one team three times in a season. "If you were four-for-five scoring on running your favorite play, the odds are going to be they'll make some adjustment and not let you run that play. … It makes it tougher."
Cincinnati stayed in Connecticut following its 45-point loss at UConn on Sunday, practicing three times Monday before traveling to New York.
Pittsburgh, meanwhile, hasn't felt better about itself in weeks. With point guard Levance Fields finally settled in after returning from injury, the Panthers have won three of their last four, including one against the Bearcats.
(6) Marquette vs. (11) Seton Hall Time: 9 p.m. today
Season series: Marquette, 2-0 (Won 61-56 on Jan. 8 at home; won 89-64 on Jan. 12 on the road)
Quarterfinals: Winner plays No. 3 Notre Dame (24-6, 14-4)
Seton Hall may have a distraction to deal with in the season's most important game. The Star-Ledger (Newark) reported Tuesday that the league is looking into coach Bobby Gonzalez and his criticism of an official following the Pirates' 64-61 loss to Rutgers Sunday.
According to the report, Gonzalez, who had harsh remarks for referee Wally Rutecki, may be issued a reprimand. Rutecki is the same official UConn coach Jim Calhoun was reprimanded for criticizing following a win over Northeastern in December.
There are other interesting storylines in this series, particularly the one between Marquette's Dominic James and Seton Hall's Jamar Nutter. Nutter was called for a flagrant foul on James in the teams' first match-up on a play that left the Golden Eagles guard with an injured wrist. He was then ejected in the second meeting for elbowing James in the throat.
(5) West Virginia vs. (12) Providence Time: 2 p.m. today
Season series: West Virginia, 2-0 (Won 77-65 on Feb. 2 on the road; won 80-53 on Jan. 23 at home)
Quarterfinals: Winner plays No. 4 UConn (24-7, 13-5)
The Friars backed into the tournament thanks to a loss by DePaul on the season's final day, and the match-up probably couldn't be worse for them.
The Mountaineers' 27-point win over Providence was their largest win in Big East play this season, and West Virginia's Joe Alexander may be the league's hottest player. The All-Big East First Team pick has scored a career-high 32 points twice and added another 29 in the season's final three games. In two games against the Friars, he's averaged 20 points.
West Virginia also ended Providence's run in the Big East tournament last season, 92-79.
"They took away some of the things we do better," Providence coach Tim Welsh said. "We have to make some adjustments, (and) try some new schemes as far as making sure we attack them better."
Norwich Bulletin