Big East Breakdown: Notre Dame on nine-game winning streak

With just over two weeks until Selection Sunday — the day when the NCAA Tournament Selection… With just over two weeks until Selection Sunday — the day when the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee releases its annual bracket to decide which 68 teams will compete for the National Championship — it’s time for the 16 teams in the Big East Conference to prove themselves.

At least 10 of those teams believe that an at-large bid into the Tournament is a real possibility, but the remaining six teams — including Pitt — could only make it with a run to the Big East Tournament Championship in two weeks’ time.

This is what makes college basketball so entertaining: Every team gets a second life in the postseason tournament of its respective conference.

As the Big East teams continue to shuffle in the standings leading up to the Big East Tournament, here are my rankings of the conference’s 16 teams:

1. Syracuse — Wednesday night’s victory over South Florida not only stretched the Orange’s (28-1, 15-1 Big East) winning streak to eight games, but also pulled Syracuse to within one win of clinching the Big East’s regular season title. The Orange have been the most talented and consistent team in the conference all season, so it should be no surprise when they lock up No. 1 seeds in both the Big East and NCAA Tournaments in the coming weeks.

2. Notre Dame — With their winning streak at nine games, the Irish (20-8, 12-3 Big East) have been on an even more impressive run than Syracuse. Head coach Mike Brey has done an incredible job with Notre Dame this season, and it’s scary to think that the team has spent the better part of this season without injured star Tim Abromaitis. As Wednesday’s dominating performance against West Virginia showed, the Irish’s success this season should no longer be a surprise.

3. Marquette — Lost in the shuffle behind Syracuse and Notre Dame, the Golden Eagles (23-5, 12-3 Big East) might be the best team that no one is talking about in the conference. With a young coach like Buzz Williams and a tournament-tested, experienced group of players led by stud guard Darius Johnson-Odom, Marquette continues to win and has established itself as one of the best basketball programs in the Big East.

4. Georgetown — Inconsistency away from home plagued the Hoyas (20-6, 10-5 Big East) once again this week as they were smacked by 18 points in a putrid performance at Seton Hall. Four of the five conference losses Georgetown has suffered this season came on the road. Fortunately for the Hoyas, their next two games will take place on their home court against Villanova and Notre Dame.

5. Louisville — Winner of seven of their last eight games, the Cardinals (21-6, 9-5 Big East) seem to be hitting their stride. An overtime win over lowly DePaul last weekend wasn’t easy, but Louisville showed the determination of a typical Rick Pitino-coached team to overcome an early deficit. Tough road games against Cincinnati and Syracuse down the stretch will put the Cardinals’ winning ways to the test.

6. South Florida — The Bulls (17-11, 10-5 Big East) gave Syracuse all it could handle Wednesday. Although South Florida didn’t record what would have been a huge win, it may have impressed the NCAA Tournament committee enough to earn an at-large bid into the Big Dance. With the extremely stingy defense the Bulls play, combined with double-digit victories in one of the toughest conferences in the country, South Florida will likely earn a bid on Selection Sunday.

7. Cincinnati — Believe it or not, the under-the-radar Bearcats (19-8, 9-5 Big East) have won four of their last five games. None of the wins came against elite Big East competition, but confidence can be a dangerous thing in college basketball. Upcoming home match-ups with Louisville and Marquette will serve as the perfect opportunities for the Bearcats to stay hot and lock down their place in the NCAA Tournament.

8. Seton Hall — The Pirates (19-9, 8-8 Big East) are on the brink of their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2006 after this week’s blowout win at home against Georgetown. Quality wins against teams ranked in the national top 10 are exactly what the Selection Committee is looking for. If Seton Hall can finish up the regular season with victories over Rutgers and DePaul, the Pirates should find treasure on Selection Sunday.

While the top eight teams should all feel confident about their chances of making the NCAA Tournament on Selection Sunday, teams like Connecticut (9) and West Virginia (10) know recent struggles have certainly hurt their candidacy. St. John’s (11) will be happy with the back-to-back wins they recorded this week, but Rutgers (12) and Pitt (13) just can’t find a victory.  As for Villanova (14), DePaul (15) and Providence (16), a trip to Madison Square Garden in New York City for the Big East Tournament in a few weeks will likely bring each team’s season to an end.