Adam Zagoria covers basketball at all levels. He is the author of two books and an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Sports Illustrated, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide.
Villanova Wins Big East Title; Top 2 Seeds Set for Big East
Nobody on the current Villanova roster was born the last time the Wildcats won the Big East Conference regular-season title.
That was back in the 1981-82 season.
With Thursday’s 77-70 win at Xavier, the Wildcats (27-3, 15-2) clinched their fifth Big East crown and the No. 1 seed in next week’s Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden.
Villanova is also still in play for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and could land it by winning next week in New York.
“You’re not going to win championships unless you win on the road,” Villanova coach Jay Wright said after his team set a school record with 27 regular-season wins. “To win this league is a hell of an accomplishment.”
Despite two victories over Villanova by a combined 49 points, Doug McDermott and Creighton will be the No. 2 seed in New York.
Here’s how the rest of the scenarios play out, with Saturday featuring several critical games.
**Providence is currently the No. 3 seed at 10-7 in the league but finishes out at Creighton on Saturday. A win gives them the No. 3 seed, while a loss ties makes them the No. 4 behind Xavier. Xavier holds the tiebreak over Providence.
**St. John’s and Marquette are tied for fifth with 9-8 Big East marks and meet Saturday in Milwuakee. The winner will be the No. 5 seed.
**Georgetown can move from No. 7 to No. 6 by winning Saturday’s game against Villanova at the Wells Fargo Center and with a St. John’s loss. That way, the Hoyas would avoid having to play Wednesday night. The Hoyas cannot move ahead of Marquette for No.6.
**Seton Hall is the only team locked in. The Pirates will be the No. 8 seed and play in the first game Wednesday night against the No. 9 seed. Butler can be ninth outright with a win over Seton Hall on Saturday. If Butler loses, tiebreakers with DePaul would come into play for 9 and 10.
Adam Zagoria is a Basketball Insider who covers basketball at all levels. A contributor to The New York Times and SportsNet New York (SNY), he is also the author of two books and is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker. His articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide. He also won an Emmy award for his work on the SNY mini-documentary on Syracuse guard Tyus Battle.
A veteran Ultimate Frisbee player, he has competed in numerous National and World Championships and, perhaps more importantly, his teams won the Westchester Summer League (WSL) championships in 2011 and 2013.
He lives in Manhattan with his wife and children.
Nobody on the current Villanova roster was born the last time the Wildcats won the Big East Conference regular-season title.
That was back in the 1981-82 season.
With Thursday’s 77-70 win at Xavier, the Wildcats (27-3, 15-2) clinched their fifth Big East crown and the No. 1 seed in next week’s Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden.
Villanova is also still in play for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and could land it by winning next week in New York.
“You’re not going to win championships unless you win on the road,” Villanova coach Jay Wright said after his team set a school record with 27 regular-season wins. “To win this league is a hell of an accomplishment.”
Despite two victories over Villanova by a combined 49 points, Doug McDermott and Creighton will be the No. 2 seed in New York.
Here’s how the rest of the scenarios play out, with Saturday featuring several critical games.
**Providence is currently the No. 3 seed at 10-7 in the league but finishes out at Creighton on Saturday. A win gives them the No. 3 seed, while a loss ties makes them the No. 4 behind Xavier. Xavier holds the tiebreak over Providence.
**St. John’s and Marquette are tied for fifth with 9-8 Big East marks and meet Saturday in Milwuakee. The winner will be the No. 5 seed.
**Georgetown can move from No. 7 to No. 6 by winning Saturday’s game against Villanova at the Wells Fargo Center and with a St. John’s loss. That way, the Hoyas would avoid having to play Wednesday night. The Hoyas cannot move ahead of Marquette for No.6.
**Seton Hall is the only team locked in. The Pirates will be the No. 8 seed and play in the first game Wednesday night against the No. 9 seed. Butler can be ninth outright with a win over Seton Hall on Saturday. If Butler loses, tiebreakers with DePaul would come into play for 9 and 10.
