The latest bracketology from ESPN’s Joe Lunardi shows good news for the Big East.
Villanova (27-2) has replaced Gonzaga as a No. 1 seed, along with Kentucky, Virginia and Duke. The ZAGS were upset on Saturday by BYU.
Paced by projected Big East Player of the Year Darrun Hilliard, the Wildcats are now positioned as the 1 seed in the West where they could face another set of Wildcats, No. 2 Arizona, in the Regional Final at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Six Big East teams are currently safely into the field, per Lunardi, meaning 60 percent of the league would go dancing.
Butler would be a 5 seed, Georgetown and Providence would be 6 seeds and Xavier an 8.
Following back-to-back home wins over Xavier and Georgetown, St. John’s is now up to an 8 seed and would face No. 9 Texas A&M with the winner likely getting No. 1 Duke in Charlotte. Duke beat St. John’s, 77-68, on Jan. 25 at Madison Square Garden.
As I wrote in this column, the Big East may get six teams in, but they need to advance a couple of them to the second week in order to boost the league’s credibility going forward.
Elsewhere locally, Iona would be a 13 seed and St. Francis-Brooklyn a 16 which would get Villanova in Pittsburgh.
Photo: USA Today Sports
