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Connecticut, Creighton, Marquette, and Xavier are among the favorites in the Big East men’s basketball conference tournament.
The men’s Big East tournament is set to get underway this week from legendary Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Marquette wrapped up the regular season title last week, with their win last Tuesday over Butler. But a number of teams enter the tournament with a chance to make a run to the championship, and with a few teams in the conference on the tournament bubble at the moment, how the Big East tournament unfolds will go a long way towards setting the final field.
We can start with the Golden Eagles. Shaka Smart has built a contender at Marquette, and while Smart is known for his defensive approach, it is their offense which has made them a force this season. Our own Ricky O’Donnell put together a deep dive into what makes their offense click, and it starts with their spacing. The offense flows around Oso Ighodaro, their 6’9 center who averages 11.9 points per game. Their spacing, and his presence inside, opens up opportunities for the Golden Eagles from deep. Over 40% of their attempts this season have been from behind the three-point line, and the Golden Eagles are converting at a 35% rate from three. Kam Jones, their sophomore guard is Marquette’s best shot-maker from deep, hitting at a 35.5% clip this season.
Xavier enters the Big East tournament as the second seed, thanks to their 15-5 record in conference play. The Musketeers split their season series with Marquette, with each team winning at home. Xavier is efficient on offense, and they enter the tournament ranked seventh in the nation in Ken Pomeroy’s Adjusted Offensive Efficiency, behind only Marquette out of the Big East teams. They’re led by their guards, as both Souley Boum and Colby Jones average more than 15 points per game.
Creighton, the third seed in the tournament, could be a sleeper not just for this week, but for beyond. It starts with center Ryan Kalkbrenner, who was just named the Big East’s Defensive Player of the Year for the second-straight season. Kalkbrenner averages 2.2 blocks per game, placing him 19th in the nation. But he does it on the offensive end as well, as his 15.1 points per game leads the Bluejays. Creighton gets big contributions from their guards around Kalkbrenner, as Trey Alexander, Baylor Scheierman, and Ryan Nembhard all average more than 12 points per game. Alexander’s 3-point percentage of 43.2% is tops in the conference.
Finally, it might be hard to call Connecticut a dark horse, considering they are the top-ranked team in Ken Pomeroy’s rankings, but the Huskies enter play as the fourth seed and face a tough opening matchup with Providence. Connecticut has also won five-straight games, and they work hard to earn extra possessions every night. Their Offensive Rebound Percentage of 39.0% is tops not just in the conference, but in all of college basketball. Adama Sanogo, their 6’9 center, is a huge part of that effort.
2023 men’s Big East tournament bracket
Big East Conference
2023 men’s Big East tournament schedule (all games at Madison Square Garden)
March 8 First Round
Game 1: No. 8 St. John’s vs. No. 9 Butler, 3 p.m., FS1
Game 2: No. 7 Seton Hall vs. No 10 DePaul, 5:30 p.m., FS1
Game 3: No. 6 Villanova vs. No. 11 Georgetown, 8 p.m., FS1
March 9 Quarterfinals
Game 4: Winner Game 1 vs. No. 1 Marquette, 12 p.m., FS1
Game 5: No. 4 Connecticut vs. No. 5 Providence, 2:30 p.m., FS1
Game 6: Winner Game 2 vs. No. 2 Xavier, 7 p.m., FS1
Game 7: Winner Game 3 vs. No. 3 Creighton, 9:30 p.m., FS1
March 10 Semifinals
Game 8: Winner Game 4 vs. Winner Game 5, 6:30 p.m., FS1
Game 9: Winner Game 6 vs. Winner Game 7, 9 p.m., FS1
March 11 Championship
Game 10: Winner Game 8 vs. Winner Game 9, 6:30 p.m., FOX
UConn: +190
Creighton: +320
Marquette: +320
Xavier: +425
Villanova: +1500
Providence: +1500
Seton Hall: +5000
St. Johns: +6000
Butler: +80000
DePaul: +100000
Georgetown: +100000
