NCAAB · 1 year ago

College Basketball Big East Tier Rankings: UConn Makes Statement

David Connelly

Host · Writer

Tier V: Georgetown, DePaul
Twenty-eight games, and one win between them that came when Georgetown beat DePaul back in early January. It's clear both teams have mailed it in for the rest of the season and have done very little to play a factor in the outcome of the conference standings at season's end.

The only thing to keep an eye on is a surprise win out of either team down the stretch here, one that would be an immediate seed-line loss or kill shot to any at-large hopes for whoever is on the losing end. Be sure to avert your eyes when these two rematch in Chicago on Saturday night.
Tier I: UConn
If there were a tier zero, we'd put the Huskies in it. They are light years ahead of everybody else in this conference, and it was on full display in their dismantling of Marquette at the XL Center over the weekend. Undeniably, they are the best team in the country, and if they were to run the table to a national championship, they'd be in the conversation for the best team to ever play.

Their sheer domination, no matter the game style, opponent, or circumstance, makes them a terrifying matchup for anybody in their path. It's over a month away, but we could be looking at the first back-to-back national champions since 2007.
Tier II: Marquette, Creighton
Marquette had a chance to get on the same tier as UConn on Saturday but fell flat on their face with one of their worst performances of the season. Their hopes of a top seed in the NCAA Tournament have mostly withered away, but they still possess a strong enough resume to compete among the two-seed line. They've got a relatively tough run of games to close out the season, headlined by a rematch with the Huskies in Milwaukee. The whispers will turn to shouts if it's another rollover performance from the Golden Eagles.

Creighton quietly picked up an impressive road victory over Butler on Saturday, getting revenge after the Bulldogs knocked them off at home a few weeks back. There is little flair to the Bluejays' top wins outside of a home triumph over Alabama. They'll get a golden opportunity to catapult themselves into the protected seed conversation with a home win over UConn on Tuesday night.
Tier III: Butler, Seton Hall, Villanova, Providence
As we've been saying, you've got four teams left for one, perhaps two at-large bids from now until Selection Sunday. Butler is on the right side of the bubble for the time being, while Seton Hall remains one of the most highly-discussed bubble teams in the country right now.

Villanova and Providence find themselves on the wrong side of our projected bubble, but a few notable results going their way in the coming weeks could quickly change things. This is the group to monitor for peak drama out of the Big East down the stretch.
Tier IV: Xavier, St. John's
We're not saying the season is over for either of these teams, barring a Big East Tournament triumph, but things are starting to look bleak. Both sit below the selection committee's typical threshold of three wins above .500, while each seriously lacks wins over the projected field. Two matchups against Marquette for Xavier and a home stand against Creighton for St. John's means it is still in reach for both squads. That said, we are entering win-out territory unless you want work to do when getting to Madison Square Garden in a few weeks.
Tier V: Georgetown, DePaul
Twenty-eight games, and one win between them that came when Georgetown beat DePaul back in early January. It's clear both teams have mailed it in for the rest of the season and have done very little to play a factor in the outcome of the conference standings at season's end.

The only thing to keep an eye on is a surprise win out of either team down the stretch here, one that would be an immediate seed-line loss or kill shot to any at-large hopes for whoever is on the losing end. Be sure to avert your eyes when these two rematch in Chicago on Saturday night.
Tier I: UConn
If there were a tier zero, we'd put the Huskies in it. They are light years ahead of everybody else in this conference, and it was on full display in their dismantling of Marquette at the XL Center over the weekend. Undeniably, they are the best team in the country, and if they were to run the table to a national championship, they'd be in the conversation for the best team to ever play.

Their sheer domination, no matter the game style, opponent, or circumstance, makes them a terrifying matchup for anybody in their path. It's over a month away, but we could be looking at the first back-to-back national champions since 2007.

College Basketball Big East Tier Rankings: UConn Makes Statement

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