Big East Conference Basketball Tournament Predictions 2008
June 6, 2008
The Big East conference features 16 teams this season as the most competitive league from top to bottom. Only 12 teams make the 2008 Big East conference tournament with the top 4 squads from the regular season getting byes in the opening round. These teams have now been set and Larry Cook will give you his 2008 Big East tournament predictions along with a preview of what’s to come below.
Location: Madison Square Garden
Dates: March 12th - March 15th
Television: Every single game in the 2008 Big East Tournament will be broadcast live on ESPN. The nation’s top sports station has always favored the Big East conference. This could be due to the fact that it’s the most competitive conference in all of the land from top to bottom with 16 teams fighting it out. From the opening round on March 12th at 12:00 EST to the championship game on March 15th at 9:00 EST, you can find your favorite Big East teams on national television through ESPN.
2008 Big East Tournament Preview:
Starting in 2009, the Big East conference will extend their tournament to fit all 16 teams into the field. This would only make sense considering every other team in the nation gets their shot at making the Big Dance, while the last 4 teams out of the Big East conference tournament to not get this same chance. It’s not like any of the four teams left out would make much of an impact on the tournament. The four teams that will not be participating with season will be South Florida, Depaul, St. John’s and Rutgers. Seton Hall and Providence squeaked into the field in the closing weeks with solid play down the stretch to round out the No. 11 and 12 seeds. Due to the fact that the Big East is such a deep conference, it would be likely that 8 teams will make the NCAA Tournament this season. The No. 1 through 4 seeds in Georgetown, Louisville, Notre Dame and Uconn are shoe-ins to make it. Marquette is the other team that could lose their opening round game to Seton Hall and still get in. West Virginia and Pittsburgh are likely in as well, but the last couple spots are up for grabs between Villanova and Syracuse. These two teams will meet up in the opening round with the most at stake starting out. If Syracuse wins that game they will have a great shot at getting in no matter what happens in their quarterfinals match-up with Georgetown. Their strength of schedule in non-conference plays outweighs that of Villanova, leaving a big question mark over the Wildcats if they were to beat Syracuse. Georgetown took down the regular season crown and will be the favorite to win the 2008 Big East Tournament as well.
2007 Big East Tournament Winner:
The Georgetown Hoyas took down the 2007 Big East Tournament with close wins over Villanova and Notre Dame in the quarters and semis. The Hoyas went on to dominate the Pittsburgh Panthers in a 65-42 blowout in the championship game. Remarkably, this became the Hoyas’ first Big East Tournament title since 1989. It gave this storied program 7 titles in their school’s history. The Panthers had to be suffering from exhaustion after a hard-fought win over Louisville the night before where Pitt had to rally from a double-digit deficit to overcome Rick Pitino’s Cardinals. This was the 6th trip in 7 years for the Panthers to the Big East title game, winning it only once back in 2003.
Larry’s 2008 Big East Tournament Predictions:
The 2008 Big East Tournament will be won by the Louisville Cardinals. Rick Pitino has stated that this is the most talented team he has ever had. We believe in his ability to make use of this talent and turn it into a Big East Tournament crown. Louisville fell short by just 3 points to the Hoyas last Saturday in a game that decided the regular season title. Now that this game will be played at a Neutral Site, we have no doubts that the Cardinals are the best team in this tournament. They will also be very hungry after coming so close to the regular season title that they won’t let a second chance slip through their hands. Pittsburgh would be a solid choice for a long shot at 12/1 odds considering they have made it to the championship game in 6 out of the last 7 seasons. Any of the top 9 teams in this field could make the championship game, but it’s very unlikely that Cincinnati, Seton Hall or Providence make it out of the opening round Tuesday. Your best bet is with Louisville at 5/2 odds where you will profit $250 for every $100 wagered.
2008 Big East Tournament Odds:
Cincinnati
30/1
Connecticut 5/1
Georgetown 3/2
Louisville 5/2
Marquette 12/1
Notre Dame 5/1
Pittsburgh 12/1
Providence 40/1
Seton Hall 30/1
Syracuse 12/1
Villanova 15/1
West Virginia 10/1
