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2009 Big East Men’s Basketball Tournament Predictions


Written March 10, 2009 by Jason Lowry

 

big-east-basketball

For the first time the Big East Tournament is going to allow all 16 teams to take part in their conference tournament to finish the season,  and with the talent this conference has, it has all the makings of a one of the best conference tournaments of the 2009 season. The tournament is set to start on Tuesday, March 10 with the bottom 8 teams playing in first round action, and then on Wednesday seeds 5-8 join the action, while the top 4 seeds sit back and relax, as they receive a double-bye all the way to the quarterfinals. Louisville earned the No.1 seed going an outstanding 16-2 in conference play, but right behind them is No.2 seeded Pittsburgh and No. 3 seeded Connecticut. Here is a look at how these 3 teams got to where they are, and a sleeper team that I feel could either win this thing or really increase their chances of receiving an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. Bet Big East Basketball at Bookmaker.com. 

1. Louisville Cardinals (25-5, 16-2 Big East)

The Cardinals don’t get the credit they deserve, as Connecticut and Pittsburgh have got the majority of the attention, but the Cardinals just kept on winning, and are headed into the tournament with a 7 game winning streak. Its not going to be easy to win this thing, as nearly every team in this conference can beat the other team on a given night, but you have to like the Cardinals chances of making it deep in this tournament. The Cardinals have 3 players averaging in double figures this season, with Earl Clark leading the way with a solid 13.6 points and 8.8 rebounds per game, but also get a ton of production out of Terrence Williams, as he averages 12.8 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game. 

2. Connecticut Huskies (27-3, 15-3 Big East)

The Huskies once again were unable to beat Pittsburgh this season, and its pretty much the only team in this conference that seems to give this team trouble, but if both teams win their quarterfinal matchups they will face off once again in the semifinals, so the Huskies still have a shot at getting some revenge. The Huskies are led by the big man Hasheem Thabeet, as Thabeet is not only a beast on the boards averaging 10.8 rebounds per game, but is a shot blocking machine averaging 4.5 blocks a game. Thabeet is also the teams second leading scorer with 13.6 points per contest. If the Huskies are going to win this tournament they need strong performances not only from Thabeet, but Jeff Adrian and A.J. Price as well. 

3. Pittsburgh Panthers (28-3, 15-3 Big East)

The Panthers might be the 3rd seed in the tournament, but they are going to be the highest ranked team in action this week, as the Panthers should be no worse than No.2 in the nation after beating previously No.1 UConn. The Panthers have been strong all season long, but this tournament could prove to be to much even for a team as highly ranked as the Panthers, as there could be 6-7 teams ranked when this tournament gets underway. The Panthers are led by the outstanding play of Sam Young and DeJuan Blair, as Young averages 18.4 points and 6 rebounds a game, while Blair chips in 15.9 points and 12.6 rebounds per game. 

Sleeper: West Virginia Mountaineers (21-10, 10-8 Big East)

The Mountaineers are proof of just how loaded this conference is, as they are the No.7 seed, and yet are a near lock to make it into the NCAA Tournament no matter what they do in this tournament. I expect the Mountaineers to beat whoever they play in the quarterfinals, and then go on and give the Panthers everything they got in the semifinals. The Mountaineers are led by Da’Sean Butler and Alex Ruoff, as Butler leads the way with 17.1 points per game with Ruoff close behind with 15.7. 

Prediction: Connecticut Huskies

Need some help with NCAA basketball betting this tournament season? Check out our expert college basketball picks, and make sure you have the best college basketball odds for every game at Betfirms.

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2 Responses to “2009 Big East Men’s Basketball Tournament Predictions”

  1. Keiran on March 12th, 2009 1:54 pm

    Hey man where is the love for the ORANGE????

    Reply

  2. Peter Ebeling on March 12th, 2009 2:30 pm

    Villanova, Marquette and Syracuse are all ranked higher and had a better record than West Virginia in 2008-2009. WVA not a real sleeper any more than above 3, but Notre Dame and Georgetown were the big disappointments in the Big East Basketball Conference this season. If they had played to their potential, the Big East would have sent 9 teams to the NCAA tournament. Now only 7 teams will go. Providence showed great improvement at season end, but seems just a win or 2 away from making the big dance.

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