No Popping of Bubbles

The Big East Tourney started yesterday and UConn and Seton Hall both had bubble hopes that would have been dashed with a loss. Luckily, for both, we saw the Huskies and Pirates dominate their games and avoiding a bubble losing loss. Seton Hall, in particular, added a little drama by letting Providence take an 9-0 lead to start the game, before finishing the first half outscoring the Friars 36-14. We saw a lot of Jordan Theodore and Herb Pope in this game, as Theodore set a career high with 13 assists, but also, Brandon Mobley was instrumental early to pull Seton Hall out of the early rut.

Disappointments Survive

Pittsburgh and Villanova both had awful seasons, but get to continue them after the Panthers knocked off St. John's and the Wildcats defeated Rutgers. Pitt turned their game around late in the first half, ending it on a 13-2 run and never looked back. Meanwhile, Villanova rallied in the second half, overwhelming the Scarlet Knights after Maalik Wayns dropped 28 points on them.

Wednesday's Next

The second round will begin at noon. Pittsburgh will continue their quest to steal a NCAA bid when they play Georgetown. Meanwhile, the other three games will have major bubble implications. South Florida will play Villanova and the Bulls aren't in a position to lose this game. A win, and I say USF is in, but a loss will make they sit and wait on Sunday. Seton Hall needs to beat Louisville after the losses they suffered to Rutgers and DePaul. Rick Pitino says the Pirates are in; does he know something we don't? Should I take the points tonight? Finally, the opener today will have UConn and West Virginia face off. Will the loser stay in the tournament? I think if UConn loses, they will stay because they have great computer numbers. West Virginia should also stay, but they will be more vulnerable to bubble thieves than UConn will.