Big East men’s basketball tournament predictions. How far will Butler basketball go?

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The Big East is heading to the Big Apple for the Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden. No. 9 seed Butler will start the event at 4 p.m. ET Wednesday, March 12, against No. 8 Providence on Peacock.

Butler’s postseason opportunities are slim. The Bulldogs (13-18 overall, 6-14 in conference play) won’t qualify for the NCAA Tournament unless they win the Big East Tournament. They aren’t projected to make the College Basketball Crown, a new tournament created by Fox Sports for teams not playing in March Madness. Butler isn’t projected to be invited to the NIT, and it’s unclear if the Dawgs would pay to play in the CBI.

Watch Butler basketball on Peacock

Can the Dawgs make a magical Big East Tournament run? Here are my predictions:

Butler Bulldogs prediction for the Big East Tournament

Butler split its regular-season matchups against Providence. Both teams won at home, so a neutral site game adds an interesting element. Providence dominated Butler on Jan. 8 for an 84-65 win. Butler held on for an 82-81 win on Feb. 8.

I don’t think the Providence team that played Butler in January is the same team that’s heading to NYC. The Friars have lost five straight games. The Friars and Seton Hall (six-game losing skid) are the only teams colder than Butler (four) right now.

I think Butler’s senior-heavy squad will not let the program end its season in the first round, beating Providence before falling to St. John’s in the quarterfinals.

Big East Tournament winner prediction

St. John’s is the No. 1 seed, but I don’t think the Red Storm will win the tournament. St. John’s averages the second fewest made 3-pointers in the conference at six per game. In a single-elimination setting, all it takes is for a team to get hot from 3 to pull an upset.

Conncecticut has had an up-and-down season, but the Huskies enter the tournament on a four-game winning streak. I think a semifinal matchup between Creighton and UConn will be an instant classic, but the Huskies prevail in a close game, setting up a…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/article/big-east-mens-basketball-tournament-155211858.html

Author : IndyStar | The Indianapolis Star

Publish date : 2025-03-09 15:52:00

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