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Good morning Big East FANS!
Last week gave us a better idea of how seeding will look for the Big East Tournament. In other words, the divide between the reals and fakes is becoming clearer.
The top six teams are separated by just three games.
Xavier won a tough game at Providence and an even tougher game at DePaul (lol) and is just a game behind Villanova for 1st.
Providence and G`Town split their two outings and are tied for 3rd, just two games back.
Creighton, who looked like a legitimate threat in conference play, dropped both their games last week and sits in a tie for 4th place. Seton Hall has the tiebreaker over them.
With teams right on top of each other, there are no off-games allowed. One loss can bump you in the standings, rankings, and with March fast approaching, seeding.
Let's look at the week ahead.
| Day | Time | Away | Home | TV |
| Tuesday | 7:00pm | Georgetown Hoyas | Butler Bulldogs | FS1 |
| Tuesday | 9:00pm | (10) Providence Friars | DePaul Blue Demons | FS1 |
| Wednesday | 6:30pm | St. John's Red Storm | Xavier Musketeers | FS1 |
| Wednesday | 8:00pm | Creighton Bluejays | (6) Villanova Wildcats | CBSSN |
| Wednesday | 8:30pm | Marquette Golden Eagles | Seton Hall Pirates | FS1 |
| Saturday | 12:00pm | Marquette Golden Eagles | (7) Xavier Musketeers | FS1 |
| Saturday | 2:00pm | DePaul Blue Demons | Creighton Bluejays | FSN |
| Saturday | 2:30pm | (6) Villanova Wildcats | (10) Providence Friars | FS1 |
| Saturday | 4:30pm | Butler Bulldogs | St. John's Red Storm | FSN |
| Saturday | 9:00pm | Georgetown Hoyas | Seton Hall Pirates | CBSSN |
Games of the Day
Tuesday
Georgetown vs. Butler
Remember Butler was ranked not too long ago, and ranked very high. While now sitting in 7th place, a home win could right the ship for the Bulldogs down the final stretch. This game is equally important for the Hoyas, as a loss would put them 1.5 GB of a top two seed in the conference tournament and that could very well be the final blow for their hopes at the quasi-bye.
Wednesday
Marquette vs. Seton Hall
Five teams are separated by just three games in the middle of the standings. Marquette is currently a 7-seed in the Big East Tournament and would have to play an extra game, but with a win over SHU they would flip with the Pirates. That extra game break is huge, even though the 7-seed would likely play St. John's.
Saturday
Villanova vs. Providence
As I write this on a Sunday night, this currently sets up a top-10 matchup. The Friars fell last week to Xavier, however rankings can be very confusing.
1. OU 2. UNC 3. Md 4. Iowa 5. Xav 6. Tex A&M 7. Prov 8. Nova 9. Mich St 10. KU 11. Iowa St 12. West Va 13. Ore 14. Baylor 15. SMU 16. Va
— Seth Davis (@SethDavisHoops) February 1, 2016
Even though Providence went 1-1 and Villanova 1-0, Seth Davis has them jumping the `Cats and I am very confused.
Nevertheless, the Friars are still in the hunt for a top two seed and a Wildcat loss could push Xavier ahead of them for the Regular Season Championship. The Wildcats will look for revenge against the Friars, who have struggled at home in conference play.
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Enjoy this Vine with Dom's Friars coming up.