The Big East is not the sixteen team behemoth it once was, but it has not lost a step in competitiveness on the national scene. Villanova won a national championship in 2016 and this year, both Villanova and Xavier are expected to be given top seeds in the NCAA Tournament, which is the only conference with that distinction as of right now (The ACC would get two if Duke supplanted Kansas). Unless one or both teams lose before the Big East final, this current projection will not change either.
The Big East will feature all ten teams playing if four rounds. The top six teams received a bye to the quarterfinals. The entire tournament will take place in Madison Square Garden in New York.
First Round-Wednesday, March 7th
#9 St. John's vs. #8 Georgetown
#10 DePaul vs. #7 Marquette
Quarterfinals-Thursday, March 8th
#9 St. John's vs. #1 Xavier
#5 Providence vs. #4 Creighton
#7 Marquette vs. #2 Villanova
#6 Butler vs. #3 Seton Hall
Semifinals-Friday, March 9th
#5 Providence vs. #1 Xavier
#3 Seton Hall vs. #2 Villanova
Final-Saturday, March 10th
Xavier and Villanova were miles ahead of the Big East this year, though they both took multiple losses during the season. Two of Xavier's three losses in conference were to Villanova in lopsided affairs. I would not be surprised if the Musketeers broke through this time, but it is more likely the Wildcats get the sweep and the automatic bid.
Villanova 84, Xavier 78
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