If you believe in conspiracy theories, then the Big East got exactly what it needs to get precisely what it wants.
Twenty years after the Big East became the only conference to send three teams to the Final Four, commissioner Mike Tranghese is hoping to send eight schools to the Big Dance. Five – Boston College, Connecticut, Syracuse, Villanova and Pittsburgh – are almost surely in.
That leaves Georgetown (16-11), Notre Dame (17-10) and West Virginia (18-9) needing to improve their postseason resumes. St. John’s is not eligible for postseason play due to self-imposed sanctions.
The league tournament opens Wednesday in the Garden with the Hoyas, Irish and Mountaineers in favorable position to make a late push. The odds are long of all three, or even two of three, doing enough to springboard into the NCAAs.
West Virginia, with an RPI of 53, and Notre Dame (50) are in a dead heat. The Mountaineers have one more win but Notre Dame has a winning record in league play (9-7) whereas West Virginia is 8-8 after being upset by Seton Hall, 66-63 on Saturday.
The Mountaineers, who face Providence (14-16) in a first round game, are 7-3 in their last 10 games. Should West Virginia get past Providence, it would face top-seeded BC. A win there would grab the selection committee’s attention.
“We all know that we’re in a situation where one game might be pivotal,” West Virginia coach John Beilein said after the Seton Hall loss. “But we have an option on Wednesday now. We just need to advance in the Big East tournament to be in the hunt.”
Notre Dame once again provided more fodder for those who believe when the going gets tough, these Irish step aside. They got manhandled by Pittsburgh Saturday, dropping an 85-77 decision at home. ND is 5-5 in its last 10.
The Irish play Rutgers (9-18) in a first-round game. A win sends them to a quarterfinal-round showdown against Syracuse, which swept the Irish.
“We need to approach the games in a better tone,” said point guard Chris Thomas. “Our body language has to be more confident. We have to get that swagger back.”
Georgetown had the swagger midway through the season when the Hoyas were 16-6 after a 67-60 triumph over West Virginia. The Hoyas, with an RPI of 66, have lost five straight. They play Seton Hall, with the winner taking on Connecticut, the toughest and hottest team in the league.
“We’re a team that came a long way, had our ups and downs, and if people could find it in their hearts to give us a postseason invitation, we would take it,” said Georgetown forward Brandon Bowman.
Georgetown, Notre Dame and West Virginia will likely get NIT invitations. The Big East office is looking for invites with the return address marked “NCAA.”
