Fansided

NCAA basketball: Predicting who wins every major conference tournament

By Mike Phillips

MADISON, WISCONSIN - MARCH 06: Johnny Davis #1 of the Wisconsin Badgers reacts after hitting the first shot of the game during the first half of the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Kohl Center on March 06, 2022 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images)
MADISON, WISCONSIN - MARCH 06: Johnny Davis #1 of the Wisconsin Badgers reacts after hitting the first shot of the game during the first half of the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Kohl Center on March 06, 2022 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) /
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INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – MARCH 05: Collin Gillespie #2 of the Villanova Wildcats passes the ball during the second half against the Butler Bulldogs at Hinkle Fieldhouse on March 05, 2022, in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Brady Klain/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – MARCH 05: Collin Gillespie #2 of the Villanova Wildcats passes the ball during the second half against the Butler Bulldogs at Hinkle Fieldhouse on March 05, 2022, in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Brady Klain/Getty Images) /

Big East Conference Tournament predictions

  • Dates: March 9-12
  • Location: New York, NY
  • Venue: Madison Square Garden
  • TV: FS1 (1st Round, QF, SF), FOX (Final)
  • Top Seed: Providence
  • Bracket

The Big East Tournament is back to its usual form with fans in attendance and the 2022 edition should be a doozy. Providence is the top seed heading into New York after winning the Big East’s regular-season title for the first time but the Friars did get swept by Villanova over the final few weeks of the year.

That performance, combined with the fact that Providence had three games canceled due to COVID issues that weren’t made up, has raised eyebrows about how good the Friars really are. The good news for Ed Cooley’s team is that their half of the bracket is extremely manageable with a potential path of struggling Xavier followed by the Creighton-Marquette winner to reach the final.

The bottom half of the Big East bracket is a beast as three of the league’s hottest teams face off in it as No. 3 seed UCONN will have to take down No. 6 Seton Hall before a potential semifinal showdown with No. 2 Villanova. There isn’t a more difficult path to the final than the one UCONN possesses although the Huskies are more than capable of navigating it.

The pick in the end here is Villanova, which is the lone Big East team with true Final Four upside. Jay Wright’s team has done good work in New York in recent years and that trend should continue here.

Prediction: Villanova