The Sun’s Arizin: Updating the Big East Tournament Seedings

Happy Monday Nova Nation! First off, congrats to the Providence Friars on winning the Big East Regular Season Championship. But just because the title is off the table doesn’t mean the Wildcats don’t have something to play for on Tuesday. First off, a win over the Friars means that for a full decade Villanova has either won the regular season title or swept the team that did. But secondly, and more importantly, it locks up the #2 seed for Villanova in the Big East Tournament.

As mentioned last week, either a Villanova win or a UConn loss this week secures the #2 seed for the Wildcats. As the #2 Seed, Nova would play the winner of the 7 v 10 game. The 10 seed will be either Butler or DePaul. Butler has just Nova left on the schedule this Saturday, while DePaul will take on Marquette and UConn. DePaul is the more likely 10 seed of the two, but they also just pulled out a win against St. John’s so who knows.

As for the 7th seed, that’s going to come down to St. John’s and Xavier (Seton Hall can’t drop to 7th due to tie breakers). This completely comes down to the game these two will play in New York on Wednesday night. Due to tiebreakers, whichever team wins that game will be locked into the #7 Seed, while the loser will be locked in as the #8 Seed. In other words, whoever wins on Wednesday will likely play Villanova one week later in Maddison Square Garden.

My preference would be Xavier. It’s never easy to beat a team three times in a season, but Xavier just doesn’t matchup well against the Wildcats. St. John’s would be playing on a home court and can always cause some issues with their pressure. Of course nothing is set in stone until it these games get played, but we’ve got a pretty good idea where it’s heading.

In other news...

Villanova vs Providence

No. 11 Providence visits No. 8 Villanova after Reeves' 23-point performance | titusvilleherald.com
Providence Friars (24-3, 14-2 Big East) at Villanova Wildcats (21-7, 14-4 Big East)

No. 8 Villanova seeks sweep over Big East champ No. 11 Providence | Sportsnaut
Villanova will look for a season sweep of Big East regular-season champion Providence when the two teams battle on the Main Line Tuesday night.

Villanova vs. Providence: Live Stream, TV Channel, Start Time | Sports Illustrated.
Find out how to watch, live stream or TV channel and game time information for the March 1, 2022 college basketball matchup between Villanova and Providence.

Villanova Men’s Basketball

'Nova system preps Justin Moore for pros | AP News
Villanova's Justin Moore has been one of the most dependable and productive guards in the Big East over three seasons and has developed in a program that produces guards capable of making smooth transitions to the pros.

Stuggling to find a rhythm hasn't stopped Villanova from winning | Delco Times
For a team that is struggling to find an offensive rhythm due largely to injuries, primarily to guards Collin Gillespie and Justin Moore according to head coach Jay Wright, Villanova sure has been successful lately.

Villanova Women’s Basketball

SIEGRIST SCORES 31 TO LEAD VILLANOVA PAST BUTLER | Villanova University
INDIANAPOLIS, IND. – The Villanova Wildcats traveled to Hinkle Fieldhouse on Friday night where they tallied a 72-36 win over the Butler Bulldogs. With the victory,

Women's Basketball to Close Out Regular Season at Xavier Sunday | Villanova University
The Villanova Wildcats will close out the 2021-22 regular season on Sunday afternoon with a road game at Xavier. Villanova enters play with a 20-7 overall record

Big East

As Georgetown men's basketball struggles, optimistic coach Patrick Ewing still 'hoping that I'll be back' | ESPN
Georgetown fell to UConn on Sunday, giving Patrick Ewing's team its first last-place Big East finish since the conference began in 1979 and raising doubts about whether Ewing will be coach next year as the once-proud program tries to right the ship.

Bracketology

Bracket Watch: On the whole, we’d rather (No. 3 seed) Villanova not be in Philadelphia | The Athletic
North Carolina re-enters our field of 68 this week, while some Big Ten teams are barely hanging on.

Villanova Swimming

Women’s Swimming & Diving secures ninth-consecutive BIG EAST title | Villanova University
LONG ISLAND, N.Y. – With seven medals on the final day of competition, five of those gold, Villanova women's swimming and diving won its ninth-consecutive BIG EAST

2022 Big East Women’s Championships: Villanova Women Win 9th Straight | Swimming World
Villanova got a run for its money in the 2022 Big East Women's Championships, but the Wildcats steadily pushed to a ninth straight title.

Villanova Women, Georgetown Men Win 2022 Big East Championships | Swim Swam
The Big East Championships went down to the final relay on the men's side as the Georgetown men topped the Xavier men by 9.5 points.

Villanova Athletics

Fast Start Sparks Wildcats Past East Carolina, 7-3 | Villanova University
GREENVILLE, N.C.—A two-run home run by graduate Paige Rauch (Windsor, N.Y.) just four pitches in to the game had Villanova (5-7) off and running in a 7-3 victory

Sade Meeks Named Outstanding Field Performer at BIG EAST Championships | Villanova University
CHICAGO, Ill.—Graduate thrower Sade Meeks (North Babylon, N.Y.) became the first Villanova thrower to be named the Outstanding Field Performer at the BIG EAST Championships

Fourth-quarter Salem surge downs Villanova | Villanova University
VILLANOVA, Pa. – Villanova faced a five-goal Salem scoring surge in the final quarter of action, falling 10-8 at the Villanova Swim Complex on Sunday morning.

Keating’s Four Goals Lift Villanova in 15-9 Victory over Fairfield | Villanova University
Villanova, Pa.- The Villanova Wildcats opened home play with a 15-9 win over the Fairfield Stags on Saturday afternoon. Luke Keating led the Wildcat's attack with

Stuba serves up seven-goals in win over Mercyhurst | Villanova University
VILLANOVA, Pa. – Villanova picked up its largest win of the season in a 20-8 victory over Mercyhurst on Sunday at the Villanova Swim Complex.

‘Cats overpower Tigers to win fifth-straight | Villanova University
POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. – Nine Wildcats found the back of the net while the defense allowed the second-fewest goals on the season to defeat Salem, 11-6, to close out

Wildcats edge Saints to open Courtney Fisher Invite | Villanova University
POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. – Villanova overcame a three-goal deficit after halftime to defeat Siena, 13-12 on Saturday morning in the opening game of Marist's Courtney Fisher

Men's lacrosse: Drexel, Villanova earn victories; Lehigh bows to Cornell | PhillyLacrosse.com
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 2/26/22From Press Releases Aidan Coll (Hill School) tied a career-high with five goals and Max Semple added four as Drexel

Villanova women's soccer signs five newcomers for 2022 campaign | SoccerWire
Villanova head coach Samar Azem and her staff have announced the addition of five student-athletes to join the Wildcats.

Early Scoring and Three Home Runs Power Wildcats Past Gardner-Webb on Saturday Morning | Villanova University
GREENVILLE, N.C.—Senior shortstop Megan Kern (Royersford, Pa.) hit two home runs and junior first baseman Victoria Sebastian (Ridgewood, N.J.) connected on a two-run

Kern Continues Torrid Hitting, Hits Game-Winning Home Run in 3-1 Win over Fairleigh Dickinson | Villanova University
GREENVILLE, N.C.—Senior shortstop Megan Kern (Royersford, Pa.) continued her power binge with a game-winning home run in the top of the seventh inning and Villanova