Big East?

Using KenPom, the Big East is the third best conference. The Big 14 stands head and shoulders at number one with the Big XII at 2. For awhile, the Big East was threatening to send 7-9 schools to the dance. This is no longer the case but the league will get between 5 and 7 teams into the dance. Are they contenders?

Two teams look like they’re separating themselves. Seton Hall sits at 7-0 and Villanova is at 7-1. Not surprisingly, they both are top 20 KenPom teams. Villanova’s only blemish is at Marquette. The Pirates challenged themselves in non-conference and went an uninspiring 8-4 but have now won 9 straight including 4 road league games. They’ve yet to travel to Villanova, Marquette or Creighton, though. Nova beat Kansas out of league but got clobbered by Ohio State. As of now, their two matchups in February seem likely to decide the league regular season champ.

The next tier is Butler, Creighton and Marquette. Butler worked its way into the top 5 at one point before a 3 game skid sent them back to reality. Quite honestly, they should probably have lost 4 in a row but they stole a win from Marquette last Friday at Hinkle. Creighton is 29th in KenPom but their best wins at the moment are over Texas Tech and Marquette. As for Marquette, they’ve been giving games away in league play. Losses in overtime to Providence and Butler are the difference between 6-2 and looking like a 5 seed versus 4-4 and hugging the 7/8 line.

The rest of the league isn’t chopped liver and any night can be a loss. Georgetown is 54th in KenPom but roster attrition has probably left them a spoiler. Xavier is 59 and injuries have left them on the bubble. They are a major disappointment this year. DePaul is bringing up the rear but are not the worst team in the league, even at 1-6. The conference season has been a disappointment but if you want to take a flyer on a February bounce back team, you could do worse. Providence started league play hot but have lost 3 in a row. Unless they get hot, it’s autobid or bust after a bad non-conference slate. They’re another disappointment. To their credit, St. John’s has been better than expected but lack the horses. Nonetheless, I think Mike Anderson has done a good job and might be the guy that finally finds them some consistency.

I’d say we don’t have a national title contender here but who knows in 2020. Seton Hall has a great defense and a good enough offense. They are certainly a seasoned team, though I wonder about the coach. They seem the most legit squad as Villanova’s 60th rated defense is a major concern regarding a deep run.

Let’s see how things look at the end of February but I’d guess this is a 5-bid league with 1 Final 4 contender in the group.