UConn has cut down the nets at Madison Square Garden for the first time as Big East Tournament champions in 13 years.
In this season’s final edition of Big East Baller Update, we recap the best games from the Big East Tournament, along with recapping the teams that did and did not make it to the NCAA Tournament.
Most Outstanding Player: Tristen Newton, G, UConn (17 PPG, 8 APG, 6 RPG, 1 SPG, 48.3 FG%, 40 3P%, 81.2 FT%)
The best player on the best team in college basketball won the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player honor after helping lead the Huskies to an eighth Big East Tournament title, tying Georgetown for the most in conference history. His best game came in Friday’s semifinal win over St. John’s, where Newton had 25 points, nine assists and six rebounds while shooting 10-12 from the free-throw line. He had 13 points and 10 assists in the championship win over No. 10 Marquette. Ten assists made Newton the first player to record 10 or more assists in a Big East title game since Syracuse’s Pearl Washington in 1986.
Best Games
Villanova survives scare on Wednesday, escaping DePaul 58-57
DePaul’s 2023-24 season may be the worst in Big East history. However, they almost pulled off an incredible upset on Wednesday night. The Blue Demons were 24.5-point underdogs. Justin Moore helped Villanova’s sliver of a chance left to go dancing by sinking a 3-pointer with eight seconds left, which gave the Wildcats the win.
Providence helps tournament resumé, advances to semifinal round over No. 8 Creighton, 78-73
Devin Carter has been carrying the Friars since star forward Bryce Hopkins went down for the season. Carter looked like the Big East Player of the Year in a five-point win over Creighton, scoring 22 points and 11 rebounds. Forward Josh Oduro, named an All-Big East Honorable Mention, added 17 points and nine rebounds. Creighton center Ryan Kalkbrenner had 19 points and 12 boards for the Bluejays. Unfortunately for Creighton, their national title hopes are small since every national champion since 1998 has reached the semifinal round of their conference tournament.
No. 10 Marquette heads to semifinal Friday in OT win over Villanova, 71-65
Despite star guard Tyler Kolek remaining out for the Golden Eagles, Marquette got past a desperate Villanova team. Kam Jones nearly had the game-winner in regulation for his team, driving to the basket and laying it in as time expired. However, he was a few tenths of a second off as the ball was still in the Memphis, Tennessee native’s hand. With 18 seconds left in overtime, forward Oso Ighodaro’s only basket of the game ended up putting Marquette ahead for good.
Big East in the NCAA Tournament
UConn earns first top overall seed in program history
UConn has proven to be the best team in college basketball, sweeping the Big East regular season and tournament championships while also having Houston and Purdue lose in their conference tournaments. Dan Hurley’s team, in the East Region, will face No. 16 seed Stetson on Friday at 2:45 p.m. on CBS.
Marquette with back-to-back years of being on No. 2 seed line
Despite falling to UConn in Saturday’s Big East Championship game, head coach Shaka Smart has his team in the NCAA Tournament as a No. 2 seed. The status of Kolek remains in question, but guard Kam Jones and forward Oso Ighodaro helped lead the Golden Eagles to a second-straight Big East Championship Game appearance. Marquette will begin their hunt through the South Region in Indianapolis, facing No. 15 seed Western Kentucky on Friday at 2 p.m. on TBS.
Creighton earns No. 3 seed, looks to avenge Elite Eight loss in 2023
Creighton was one win away from a ticket to Houston for the program’s first Final Four appearance. However, their run ended in the regional final. The Bluejays still have the core from last year’s team: Kalkbrenner and guards Baylor Scheierman and Trey Alexander. When they get hot, they’re almost impossible to beat. There could be another second weekend run this year, with a ceiling for a trip to Glendale. In the Midwest Region, Creighton begins with No. 14 seed Akron on Thursday at 1:30 p.m. on TNT.
Creighton earns No. 3 seed, looks to avenge Elite Eight loss in 2023
There were a lot of surprises on Sunday as the field of 68 was revealed. Michigan State was safely in the field as a No. 9 seed. Virginia and Boise State earned trips to Dayton for play-in games. Three bids for the Big East, rated the second-best conference on KenPom, is atrocious and wrong.
Seton Hall has looked like an NCAA Tournament team all season, with five quad 1 wins. However, the committee gave the benefit of the doubt to UConn for star center Donovan Clingan getting injured early in the second half, despite the Pirates having the lead. 19 teams across Power 6 conferences won at least 13 conference games. 18 of those teams made the NCAA Tournament. The one team that didn’t make it was Seton Hall. It seems that having historically bad seasons from DePaul and Georgetown did not help their tournament chances, but there’s nothing head coach Shaheen Holloway can do about that.
St. John’s seemed like they punched their ticket to the Big Dance with a win over Seton Hall in the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Tournament. They are No. 25 in KenPom and No. 32 in the NET rankings with four quad 1 wins. The Red Storm won six of their last seven games of the season, with the loss being a five-point loss to UConn in the semifinal round. Head coach Rick Pitino was understandably upset, calling the NET ranking “fraudulent.”
Providence had six quad 1 wins and didn’t hear their name called on CBS on Sunday evening. They were the only team in the country who did not see their name in the bracket with that stat. To put it in perspective, Michigan State, Virginia and Florida Atlantic had seven combined quad 1 wins.
It’s sad to see the Big East only get three bids. However, those three teams are national title contenders.