Big East Breakdown: Syracuse leads conference, Pitt moves up a spot

After finally picking up its first Big East win on Wednesday, the Pitt men’s basketball team… After finally picking up its first Big East win on Wednesday, the Pitt men’s basketball team no longer sits at the bottom of my Big East standings.

The 12-point victory over Providence snapped the Panthers’ eight-game losing streak, and with starting point guard Travon Woodall finally looking healthy, Pitt might slowly climb the league rankings in the coming weeks.

As the rest of the league continues to shuffle for positioning in the Big East, here are my latest rankings of all 16 teams in the conference:

1. Syracuse — With sophomore center Fab Melo out with academic issues, the Orange (21-1, 8-1 Big East) lost their first game of the season and their No. 1 national ranking at Notre Dame last Saturday. However, Syracuse didn’t dwell on the setback. Head coach Jim Boeheim’s team rebounded impressively with a strong victory on the road at Cincinnati on Monday to show both the Big East and the entire country that the Orange remains one of the best teams in the nation ­­­— with or without Melo.

2. Georgetown — There’s something to be said for a team that can play awfully and still come away with the win. That’s exactly what the Hoyas (16-3, 6-2 Big East) did this Saturday. Georgetown shot a miserable 13 percent in the first half against Rutgers, yet still found a way to pull out a two-point victory against the pesky Scarlet Knights. Starting with Pitt this Saturday, the Hoyas’ schedule gets tougher and tougher over the next few weeks.

3. Marquette — The Golden Eagles (17-4, 6-2 Big East) are on a five-game winning streak and are officially the hottest team in the conference. Star senior guard Darius Johnson-Odom is finally getting the support he expected when Marquette entered the season with high hopes after last season’s surprising run to the Sweet 16. If the Golden Eagles’ role-players continue to play at a high level, Marquette’s winning ways won’t end anytime soon.

4. Cincinnati — After taking the No. 2 spot in my standings last week, the Bearcats (15-6, 5-3 Big East) dropped both games this week after close, disappointing losses against West Virginia and Syracuse. On paper, Cincinnati benefits from an easier schedule in its next few games, but picking up victories during road trips to Rutgers and St. John’s is always easier said than done in the always unpredictable Big East conference.

5. Notre Dame — For a program that has searched for a breakthrough victory in recent seasons, the Irish’s (13-8, 5-3 Big East) win over No. 1 Syracuse last Saturday might be just that. Notre Dame’s students rushed the court after pulling off the biggest shock this college basketball season, and the team managed to avoid a letdown Wednesday night by picking up a nice road victory at Seton Hall. The Irish found wins tough to come by earlier this season, but they seem to be gaining momentum at just the right time.

6. West Virginia — Unlike Notre Dame, the Mountaineers (15-6, 5-3 Big East) did suffer a letdown following one of their best wins of the season. West Virginia pulled out an overtime win over Cincinnati on Saturday, but didn’t show up at all on Wednesday as the Mountaineers were blown out by St. John’s in New York. Playing inconsistent basketball like the Mountaineers have done this season isn’t a great recipe for success, but with a star like Kevin Jones on their roster, West Virginia will always be dangerous.

7. Connecticut — The Huskies (14-5, 4-3 Big East) have struggled to win close games this season with last year’s late-game hero Kemba Walker now playing in the NBA. UConn recently dropped tight affairs with Cincinnati and Tennessee by three points each and has now lost four of its last six after a 12-1 start. The talent is still there, but the Huskies need to start turning the corner soon before they find themselves on the verge of missing out on the chance to defend their NCAA title.

8. Louisville — Many people expected Pitt to pick up its first Big East win Saturday night with College GameDay in town to watch the Panthers and Cardinals play. Head coach Rick Pitino’s team, however, had other plans. Louisville (16-5, 4-4 Big East) came into the Petersen Events Center and took the crowd out of the game down the stretch to pick up a crucial win. Now back at .500 in conference play, Louisville will hope the win over Pitt can jump-start its season.

In the rest of the Big East, South Florida (9) and Seton Hall (10) continue to have pleasantly surprising seasons. Both the Bulls and the Pirates have winning records in conference play almost halfway through the season. Rutgers (11) and St. John’s (12) are still trudging their way through rebuilding years by picking up wins when they can. DePaul (14) won its second Big East game and the Blue Demons have made big strides in the right direction this season. Finally, Pitt (15) ended its losing streak, but it wasn’t much of an achievement when you consider that the victory came against lowly Providence (16).