So for the power conference tournaments (and the Mountain West) I will be picking every game of the tournaments, bracket style. Enjoy reading my failures during my dry-run for next week. Today we start with the Big East.
Tuesday – First Round
9UConn vs 16DePaul – Connecticut is bad and plays like a collection of talented player that don't really like each other. DePaul is awful though. UConn wins.
12St. John's vs 13Pittsburgh – At some point Pitt might play up to its talent level again. Of course at some point needs to be now because there is no more down the road. Of course I think the Panthers will manage it, at least in this game since I don't believe in St. John's at all.
10Seton Hall vs 15Providence – Seton Hall is in meltdown mode. Have fun in the NIT guys.
11Rutgers vs 14Villanova – We just saw this game last week. It was ugly on Thursday and Villanova won. It will be just as ugly this week and Villanova will win again.
Wednesday – Second Round
8West Virginia vs 9UConn – An NCAA play-in game will be won by West Virginia. The Mountaineers just play better together, allowing them to overcome the Connecticut talent advantage.
5Georgetown vs 13Pittsburgh – Pitt is traditionally very good in this event. Georgetown often seems to not care. Combine that with Pitt having beaten Georgetown once this season and I'm picking the upset.
7Louisville vs 15Providence – Louisville can't score. Providence can. Providence can't defend, Louisville can. This will be a closer than expected game (though nothing like the 30 point beatdown Providence laid on Louisville in January). And Louisville will win, much to the dismay of those who like to see scoring.
6USF vs 14Villanova – USF has to have this game for its surprise NCAA Tournament hopes. It will get it, especially against this season's awful Villanova team.
Thursday – Quarterfinals
1Syracuse vs 8West Virginia – Syracuse is going to roll. West Virginia just doesn't have the talent to make this work.
4Cincinnati vs 13Pittsburgh – Pitt will be exhausted by this point after two tough games. And they will be dispatched by a Cincy team that still might need a win or two to make the NCAA's (thank you awful non-conference schedule)
2Marquette vs 7Louisville – Louisville can't score. Marquette can. Both teams can defend. This bodes ill for Louisville.
3Notre Dame vs 6USF – USF is going to the tournament. I just don't believe in Notre Dame, even with Mike Brey's great coaching job.
Friday – Semifinals
1Syracuse vs 4Cincinnati – Cincy just isn't going to be able to hit enough shots against the Syracuse zone to outscore the Orange and outscore it will have to be.
2Marquette vs 6USF – The run ends here for USF as Marquette is clearly better than the Bulls and will show it, sending USF right back to the bubble.
Saturday – Final
1Syracuse vs 2Marquette – A rare 1 vs 2 matchup will end with the better team hoisting the trophy. Syracuse is just a better team than Marquette and they have the size to exploit Marquette's lack of post defenders.
Tournament Questions
Are there any possible bid thieves that bubble teams should be scared of?
Probably not in this tournament. There are teams good enough at the bottom, but five game in five days is nearly impossible and I see no chance for anyone to pull that off for the second year in a row. Also, any of the bubble teams won't be bid thieves with a big run. If Connecticut, West Virginia, Cincinnati, South Florida or Seton Hall make the final, it will be in win or lose there.
Most likely flame-out
Georgetown. The Hoyas might draw the roughest matchup possible in its first game against the only lower division team in the league to beat them. Also, Georgetown just doesn't bother in this tournament quite often, preferring the time off when a tourney bid looks assured.
Can anyone beat Syracuse?
No. Nobody can. Had Fab Melo not been suspended I think we are looking at a perfect Syracuse team right now. With him, nobody comes close to this team.
How many NCAA bids for the league?
8. Syracuse, Marquette, Georgetown, Notre Dame and Louisville are locks. Cincinnati, USF and West Virginia will win their way in during this tournament (though either USF or West Virginia will be ticketed for Dayton and the First Four) while Connecticut and Seton Hall will fall short.
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