Quarterfinals Preview

An otherwise boring Wednesday of blowouts and chalk found a bit of the chippiness in its finale, as Syracuse and Seton Hall stood toe to toe and clenched fist to clenched fist. It’s the kind of no-backing-down, up-to-the-challenge attitude you expect from so many talented players fighting for their postseason lives. Will Thursday bring more extra curricular activity, and perhaps even a competitive game or two? We look at six Top 25 participants and two very motivated bubble teams in the quarterfinal match-ups.

#1 Louisville v. #8 Providence (noon EST, ESPN)
The team with the most to gain from another BET win takes the floor for the Thursday opener as Providence meets the league’s top seed in Louisville. The Friars will have to come a little more motivated than their tourney opener, where they struggled with cellar dweller DePaul for better than 35 minutes before dispatching them 83-74. What amounted to a two-on-two game saw DePaul’s Dar Tucker and Will Walker combine for 61 points while Providence’s Weyinmi Efejuku and Sharaud Curry pitched in 48. The recent play of both Curry (16.8ppg in last 6) and Efejuku (23.9ppg in his last 7) should give the Cards a considerable challenge on the perimeter, but defensive stoppers Preston Knowles and Andre McGee should be up for it after allowing the Friars to shoot 75% in the first half of their only meeting this season. If Louisville can involve Samuels and Clark early in the offense and protect the defensive glass, it should be on to the BET semis for the Cards for the first time ever.
Louisville 72, Providence 64

#4 Villanovoa v. #5 Marquette
Now that’s the Marquette we all remembered and feared early in the Big East season. A 4-game losing streak following the loss of team leader Dominic James gave way to a dominating performance against St. John’s as the Golden Eagles held the Red Storm to just 10 first-half points in a 74-45 undressing Wednesday. Wesley Matthews found his stroke, knocking down an efficient 5-of-12 from the field (including three triples) for a team-high 20 points while Lazar Hayward dominated SJU’s big men for 17 points and 9 rebounds. Now the Eagles move on to face their Big East doppelganger, better known as the Villanova Wildcats. With guards to spare and a lanky big man outplaying his thin build, both teams will look to take control with similar tempos and 3-guard approaches. Scottie Reynolds proved to be the difference-maker in the teams’ regular season series split, going for 27 points in VU’s 102-84 home victory after managing just 15 in a 79-72 defeat five weeks prior. But a motivated Marquette team has something to prove to the selection committee. Matthews and Jerel McNeal come up victorious in this guard showdown and the Eagles move one.
Marquette 81, Villanova 74

#2 Pittsburgh v. #7 West Virginia
It looks like Alex Ruoff is having a better week already. After being held scoreless by Louisville in the season-finale (on Senior Night no less!), the 6-6 sharp-shooter came ready to play against Notre _ame (D removed until further notice) Wednesday night. Four 3-pointers and 25 points later, the Mountaineers were on to the quarterfinals. And if Seton Hall-Syracuse can turn into a street fight with almost nothing on the line, how will the Backyard Brawl play on basketball’s biggest stage? Da’Sean Butler and Devin Ebanks come in to this one playing as well as any Big East front line (25.5ppg, 21.5rpg, 7.0apg combined in last 4), but keeping pace with the COUNTRY’S best in DeJuan Blair and Sam Young will be a daunting challenge. Ebanks was average in the team’s first meeting (9 points, 5 rebounds) while Butler managed just 4 points in 18 foul-plagued minutes in the second. While Ebanks has come on strong in the last month, this match-up still figures to be too much for the wiry freshman. Pitt flexes its considerable muscle and rolls on to the semis.
Pittsburgh 77, West Virginia 63

#3 Connecticut v. #6 Syracuse
Another traditional rivalry game wraps up Day 3 when UConn and Syracuse meet for the 84th time ever and 11th time in the Big East Tourney. After splitting the first ten BET games 5-5, Eric Devendorf and company look to continue their hot hand dispatch the Huskies for the 50th time in school history. To get past UConn, Syracuse will need a repeat of their unselfish play from Wednesday night, where they dished out a tourney-record 30 assists (11 by Johnny Flynn) on 37 made baskets and shot nearly 57% from the field. That’s a stark contrast to the scant 10 dimes the Orange managed in a 63-49 loss to Connecticut just a month ago. Hasheem Thabeet tossed back 7 Syracuse shots and dominated the glass for 16 boards, overcoming the loss of Jerome Dyson early in that matchup. With a month to figure out new rotations and responsibilities, the Huskies won’t be any easier to take down this time. Devendorf and Andy Rautins drop a few more from the MSG rafters, but Price rises to the occasion of facing one of the country’s best guards and Thabeet and Jeff Adrien prove too much for the Syracuse big men.
Connecticut 67, Syracuse 63