Offering a brand new format and a couple of top-25 teams, the men’s Big East may reveal a dark horse or two for the NCAA tournament.

Home Safe: Georgetown

Only one Big East team has secured its fate going into the conference tournament, and that is Georgetown. The Bulldogs have lost just twice and boast a handful of impressive wins. And with the possibility of a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament still possible, this team has extra motivation to win it all.

Work to Do: Seton Hall, Providence, Connecticut, St. John’s, Akron, Xavier

This conference is jam-packed with teams on the edge of an at-large spot. Any one of these teams could secure a bid with an upset of Georgetown or a trip to the final, but what is certain is less than half will probably get into the NCAA tournament.

Win and In: Creighton

With only four wins in a disappointing follow-up to an NCAA Final Four trip last season, Creighton must win the Big East crown to finish with a winning record, let alone receive a bid to the NCAA tournament.

Quarterfinals Preview:

No. 8 Seton Hall at No. 1 Georgetown

Georgetown won when these two met in the regular season, but that was six games into the year. Recent form would suggest Georgetown, who lost just once in the last months, is rightfully heavily favored.

No. 7 Akron at. No. 2 Xavier

This regular season matchup started the slide Akron is experiencing with that draw at Xavier stopping a four-game winning streak while simultaneously beginning a run where the team is winless in its last four, including its first loss of the season. There is no better way to banish those demons than by returning to Cincinnati, Ohio, and making amends.

No. 6 Creighton vs. No. 3 Providence

Creighton has not had a fun season, and even when it has had bright moments, like handing Akron its first loss on October 18th, that light is overshadowed by that being its only win in seven games to close out the season. And with Providence having figured out its early season defensive woes, it is hard to see a way through for Creighton.

No. 5 Connecticut vs. No. 4 St. John’s

The stat sheet says St. John’s ended the regular season with an eight-game unbeaten run, but with half of those games ending in a draw, this team is more likely than most to end up in an overtime game. And for a Connecticut group that has not won two games in a row in over a month, there is no telling which version of the team will show up.

Final Notes

• Georgetown won the East Division and overall regular season championship.

• Xavier won the Midwest Division.

• Creighton returns to defend the 2022 title.

• Xavier, Connecticut, and Akron chasing first Big East tournament title.

• No. 10 Georgetown and No. 17 Akron are the two nationally ranked Big East teams.

• Jason Shokalook of Akron and Nicolas Fleuriau Chateau of St. John’s lead the nation in goals with 14.

• Shokalook’s 33 points lead the nation. 

• 7 TDS TOP 100 Players in Attendance: No. 5 Jason Shokalook (Akron), No. 24 Jacob Murrell (Georgetown), No. 29 Kieran Sargeant (Georgetown), No. 39 Joel Sangwa (Akron), No. 77 Dyson Clapier (Akron), No. 91 Dylan Kropp (Xavier), No. 100 Nicolas Fleuriau Chateau (St. John’s).

• 4 TDS Top 100 Freshmen in Attendance: No. 25 Pearse O’Brien (Providence), No. 36 Andrija Savic (Creighton), No. 42 Lucas Almeida (Connecticut), No. 67 Miguel Arilla (Creighton).

• The semifinals are November 9, and the final is on November 12.