Big East Tournament Predictions

The Big East currently has only one team guaranteed of a spot in the upcoming NCAA Tournament, which makes the Big East tournament very important for the rest of the teams that are currently sitting on the bubble. We will take a quick look at the best teams in the conference, and make our NCAA basketball picks on which teams have a chance of winning the tournament.

Villanova is currently sitting at the top of the Big East standings at 24-2, and will have a spot at the NCAA Tournament. If they are able to win the Big East championship, they will able to clinch a number 1 seed, if one or two of the other teams ahead of them in the top 25 rankings lose a game. The Wildcats have won 11 of their last 12 games, and are looking very good right now. They have also gone 5-0 against ranked opponents this season.

Darrun Hilliard II currently leads the team in scoring, and is averaging 14.3 points and 3 rebounds per game. As a team, the Wildcats are averaging 74.7 points per game, which is 31st in the country, and on defense, they are holding their opponents to 60.2 points per game, which is 39th in the country. 

Butler is currently second in the Big East, and is 19-7 for the year. The Bulldogs have won eight of their last 10 games, and finished the season undefeated against ranked opponents, with the exception of Villanova, who defeated them twice. Kellen Dunham is the team's leading scorer, and he is averaging 16.8 points and 2.7 rebounds this season.

Butler has played very well on offense this season, the Bulldogs average 71 points per game, which is the 86th best average this year, and they are even better on the defensive end, and hold their opponents to 61.1 points, which is 52nd in the country. They will be the favorites to win the Big East conference if Villanova falls in the tournament.

Georgetown is in 3rd place in the Big East standings, and at 17-8, they are sitting on the bubble right now, and will need a strong showing in the Big East basketball championship to earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament. The Hoyas have been playing very well lately, and have won seven of their last 10 games, which includes a win over 4th ranked Villanova. D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera leads all scorers for Georgetown, and is averaging 15.4 points and 3.9 rebounds per game.

The Hoyas are averaging 71.9 points per game this season, which is the 79th best in the country, and are allowing opponents to score an average of 64.8 points per game, which is 135th in the country. They are one of the few teams that can defeat Villanova in the Big East championship this year.

Providence is sitting in 4th place in the Big East right now, and is 19-8 this season. Like Georgetown, they are sitting on the bubble, and need a good performance in the Big East tournament, to earn a place in the NCAA tournament. The Friars started the season well, but have run into some trouble lately. They are 7-4 in their last 11 games, and 2-2 in their last four, so they will need to win out to improve their tournament chances.

LaDontae Henton leads all scorers for the Friars, he is averaging 20.5 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. Providence averages 64.4 points per game, which is 114th in the country, and allow opponents to score 64.9 points per game, which is 137th in the country.

Xavier is 5th in the Big East standings, with a 17-10 record, and from the look of things, they will probably need to win the Big East basketball championship to get a spot in the NCAA tournament. The team is 6-5 in their last 11 games, but they have started playing better, and are 3-1 in their last four games.

Trevon Bluiett is the leading scorer for the Musketeers, and is averaging 12.5 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. As a team, the Musketeers are averaging an impressive 76.5 points per game, which is the 23rd best average in the country. Their defense needs a lot of work, because they are allowing opponents to score an average of 68.2 points per game, which is 229th in the country.

Based on their position in the standings and how well they have played this season, Villanova, Georgetown and Butler are considered the top three contenders, going into the tournament. If Villanova should lose before the finals, Georgetown will be considered the favorite to win the Big East conference. 

NCAA Basketball Picks: Villanova will win the Big East tournament.

The teams in the bottom half of the Big East weren't included because only one of them has a winning record this season, but unfortunately they also have a losing record in conference play. This shows that the teams in the bottom half of the Big East don't have a good chance of making an impact in the tournament, and would likely get sent home early in the tournament.