Lieberman: Looking ahead to the Big East tournament

Let’s all rest assured. The Big East has it right in terms of basketball.

Big East… Let’s all rest assured. The Big East has it right in terms of basketball.

Big East basketball doesn’t need a BCS — it has a tournament. And conference expansion? Pfft. The Big East sends 16 teams to Madison Square Garden in early March, but only one comes out a champion.

It’s March, it’s spring break and it’s time for the Big East tournament to take center stage.

The favorites are obviously the top four. I’m looking at Syracuse, Villanova, West Virginia, Pitt and I’ll throw in Marquette, too.

As for the underdogs, they’re the bottom four — DePaul, Providence, St. John’s and Rutgers. Let’s just say these teams will see a lot of “Mamma Mia!” on Broadway rather than battle in the orange paint.

It’s the best conference tournament in the nation, and here’s what you need to know.

Players to Watch

Wesley Johnson, Syracuse — This guy is third in the Player of the Year voting, unofficially, behind Ohio State’s Evan Turner and Kentucky’s John Wall, in my book. Johnson has extraordinary athleticism and versatility for a small forward. He’ll be the guy making sure the Orange’s victories end in regulation, as opposed to six overtimes, with his ability to drive past defenders.

Dominique Jones, South Florida — Remember a while back when South Florida shocked the world with upset victories? Sure the Bulls hit a rut down the stretch, but Jones fits the mold of a player who appears out of nowhere to lead his team to victory in the Big East tournament. He struggles against quicker opponents, such as Villanova and Louisville, but if he puts up a Gerry McNamara-like effort, South Florida could go a long way in the tournament.

Scottie Reynolds, Villanova — It’s Reynolds’ last hurrah at Madison Square Garden as a Wildcat. I’m willing to bet he wants to make his final memory of his collegiate career at the Garden full of net snipping and “Big East Champions” T-shirt wearing.

Greg Monroe, Georgetown — The wildly inconsistent Hoyas have to rely on Monroe in the paint. But Monroe has to take a more active role in rebounding and take better shots. With Monroe not rebounding, the Hoyas won’t go anywhere. In the last 10 games, six times Monroe has failed to notch double-digit rebound totals. The Hoyas lost all six of those games.

Teams Needing Wins

Connecticut — The Huskies are in trouble, especially after a home loss to Notre Dame. That gives the Huskies a guaranteed losing record in the Big East, despite wins against upper-echelon teams such as Texas, West Virginia and Villanova. Beating top-tier teams isn’t easy, but the Huskies should’ve realized they can’t stink the rest of the season and hope these wins get them a spot in the field of 65.

Seton Hall — An NCAA Tournament team needs a signature win to reaffirm its place in the field. Seton Hall has that, sort of. The Pirates beat Pitt by three earlier in the year, but then lost to Pitt by 25 two weeks later. Other than that win, and ones against mediocre Louisville and Notre Dame, the Pirates haven’t competed with other top Big East teams. The Big East tournament could be a chance for the Pirates to notch one, maybe two, solidifying victories.

South Florida — The Bulls beat the Pirates, which in my book should count for something. I would argue they are less on the bubble than the Pirates with wins against Pitt, Georgetown and two close losses to Notre Dame. But their nonconference schedule was about as competitive as playing 10 games against a Pitt club basketball team. They need to make it to the third round to assert themselves as an NCAA Tournament team.

Tip-ins

Fourteen of the 16 teams in the Big East have one or more players from New York state on their roster. You didn’t think this tournament was all about winning it solely on the court, did you?

My dark horse to win the tournament: Notre Dame. Why not? It’s shooting the lights out, 40 percent from the field, in its last three games. Sometimes the hottest team takes this tournament.

Awards:

Big East Player of the Week

Ben Hansbrough, Notre Dame — Hansbrough averaged 18 points, six rebounds and four assists to help the Irish beat ranked foes Pittsburgh and Georgetown.

Big East Team of the Week

Notre Dame — Hansbrough is the player of the week for Notre Dame, because its leading scorer and arguably best player, Luke Harangody, is out with an injury. Just when Harangody goes down, the Irish find their three-point touch.

Big East Matchups to Watch

Villanova at West Virginia — Two weeks in a row that the Mountaineers host the premier matchup in the Big East after beating Georgetown 81-68 Monday. This one is all about the guards. We know West Virginia’s athletic forwards will try to utilize their height advantage against smaller Villanova defenders. But the question is, which Mountaineer guards Reynolds?

Who’s Hot

Rashad Bishop, Cincinnati — Bishop who? Averaging eight points all year, Bishop came off the bench against Villanova to score 19 points and almost brought the Bearcats to a victory over Villanova.

Who’s Cold

Georgetown — The decline of Georgetown has been steep and sudden. It seems like yesterday the confident Hoyas, coming off a five-point loss to Villanova, waltzed into the Petersen Events Center and dispatched the Panthers with ease. Not anymore. The Hoyas are 5-6 since that road win against Pitt.