Big East Tournament 2016: First Round Open Thread

The 2016 Big East Tournament begins tonight with the "play-in" games between the bottom four teams in the conference. Before the season, DePaul and St. John's were relatively easy picks to finish in the cellar, and a young Marquette team was expected to have some growing pains as well. Nobody could have expected Georgetown to finish 8th, however.

While injuries to Paul White and Bradley Hayes have taken their toll on the Hoyas, they still have plenty of talent and are rightfully heavy favorites against the Blue Demons in the first game. Villanova will play the winner of this game tomorrow at noon, so you'll likely have a rooting interest in this game.

The nightcap will feature the hometown Johnnies against Henry Ellenson and the Golden Eagles. All four teams need to be cutting down the nets on Saturday night to extend their season.

Schedule

7:00pm ET -- (8) Georgetown Hoyas vs. (9) DePaul Blue Demons

9:30pm ET -- (7) Marquette Golden Eagles vs. (10) St. John's Red Storm

Both games will be broadcast on FS1. Use this as your open thread to discuss the games.