BIG EAST Notes - 2.15.17
Postseason Picture
With just three or four regular-season games remaining per team, the postseason picture gets clearer as each contest ends. The regular-season title and the top seed in the BIG EAST Tournament presented by Jeep can only go to No. 17/15 DePaul or RV/RV Creighton, with the Blue Demons holding a crucial season sweep of the Bluejays and a one-game lead in the standings. Seton Hall, Providence and Butler are all locked into playing in the Tournament’s First Round, while Georgetown can solidify Xavier’s spot on Day 1 with just one more win, leaving the Hoyas out of the reach of the Musketeers. National postseason berths also remains up for grabs, with DePaul, Creighton, Marquette, Georgetown and Villanova all listed in the top 50 of the NCAA RPI, while St. John’s is three wins shy of yet another 20-win season.
On The National Scene
Riding a six-game winning streak, DePaul moved up one spot in each national poll this week, improving to No. 17 in the Associated Press Top 25 and No. 15 in the
USA Today Coaches’ Poll. The No. 15 ranking is the Blue Demons’ best since matching that on Dec. 6. Creighton continued to receive votes in both polls for a third consecutive week. DePaul remained in the top 20 of the NCAA RPI for a fourth consecutive week, coming in at No. 19, while Creighton maintained its spot at No. 22 for a second straight week. The most notable improvement came from Villanova, which jumped 18 spots to No. 50, its highest of the season. The Wildcats have won three straight and eight of their last 10. Along with No. 42 Marquette and No. 49 Georgetown, the BIG EAST has five teams in the top 50 of the NCAA RPI for the first time since conference realignment.
Tune-In Television
Four BIG EAST women’s basketball games will be featured on the FOX Sports Networks this weekend, including two nationally televised tilts. Butler and Georgetown tip things off on FOX Sports Regional Networks on Friday at 7 p.m., in Washington, D.C. The Hoyas will clinch a BIG EAST Tournament First Round bye with a win (or Xavier loss), while the Bulldogs will aim to climb out of its current tie for ninth place for a more favorable matchup. FS1 takes over at 7:30 p.m., with Xavier at Villanova live from The Pavilion. The Wildcats can finish no lower than sixth but can still rise as high as the No. 2 seed, depending on other outcomes. The Musketeers need to win out (four games) in order to have a shot at a first-round bye. Action continues on Sunday with a notable rematch of No. 17/15 DePaul and Marquette. Tipoff in Milwaukee is slated for 2 p.m. on FS2. The two longtime foes played one of the highest scoring games in BIG EAST history on Jan. 21, with the Golden Eagles handing the Blue Demons their lone BIG EAST loss of the season, 102-101 in overtime. The television slate wraps up at 6:30 p.m., in Omaha, as a rematch of the 2016 BIG EAST Tournament title game pits RV/RV Creighton versus St. John’s on FOX Sports Regional Networks. The Red Storm will look to add to its tally of five top-50 wins while the Bluejays still have regular-season title aspirations.
Weekend Schedule
Friday
St. John’s at Providence, 7 p.m.*#
Butler at Georgetown, 7 p.m.*%
Xavier at Villanova, 7:30 p.m.*^
Seton Hall at RV/RV Creighton, 8 p.m.*#
Sunday
Seton Hall at Providence, 1 p.m.*#
Butler at Villanova, 1 p.m.*#
Xavier at Georgetown, 2 p.m.*#
17/15 DePaul at Marquette, 2 p.m.*&
St. John’s at RV/RV Creighton, 6:30 p.m.*%
All times Eastern
*BIG EAST contest
#BEDN
^FS1
&FS2
%FSN