2009 Big East Conference Tournament Predictions

Perhaps the best conference tournament of them all tips off Tuesday, March 10th when the Big East power conference hits the Madison Square Garden stage. Unlike some conferences where only the top so many teams gain entry, all 16 teams get to participate for a chance to gain automatic entry into the NCAA Tournament field. The preliminary round action can be seen on Big East TV with the remaining coverage being broadcast on ESPN. Pittsburgh has traditionally performed very well in this tournament and defeated Georgetown in the championship game a season ago with Sam Young taking home MVP honors. The Panthers are among the favorites to win it again. In this article, I’ll analyze the favorite and the team with the next best shot at winning the tourney. Bet the 2009 Big East Men’s Basketball Tournament at BetUS.

The Favorite: Pittsburgh Panthers
The Panthers finished tied with UConn for second place in the Big East standings behind Louisville with a 15-3 league mark, but it is hard to argue against the Panthers as the favorite, considering they are 28-3 on the season and the No. 2 ranked team in the country. The Panthers, of course, won this tournament a season ago so they know what it takes to get the job done. They have proven to have No. 3 seed UConn’s number with a pair of wins over the Huskies this season. The Panthers did lose their only meeting this season with Louisville by 6 points on the road, but you have to like Pitt’s chances on a neutral floor, especially when the Cards have not shown well in this tournament. Last season’s tournament MVP Sam Young leads the way for Pitt with 18.8 points per game. The Panthers also get great contributions from low-post bruiser DeJuan Blair, and floor leader Levance Fields.

Another Team That Can Win: Connecticut Huskies
UConn seemed to have the Big East title all but locked up until Jerome Dyson was injured. Pitt beat the Huskies twice in their last five games to let Louisville slip right in and steal the league. Losing their last game of the season and a Big East regular season title is going to have UConn playing with a great amount of passion in this tournament. While Pitt appears to be a lock for a Number one overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, UConn could be slipping to a No. 2 seed, but a win over the Panthers in the semis and a Big East Tournament championship would surely change all that. That’s what the Huskies will be gunning for. The Huskies crushed Louisville by 17 on the road in the only meeting this season as their size and ability to beat the pressure could not be compensated for by the Cards. Jeff Adrien, Hasheem Thabeet, and A.J. Price lead a very balanced attack.

2008 Big East Conference Tournament Recap:
As a No. 7 seed, Pitt pulled off the stunning feat of winning 4 games in 4 days to be crowned Big East Conference Tournament champion. Along the way, Pitt knocked off No. 2 seed Louisville in overtime and defeated No. 1 seed Georgetown in the championship game. The win marked Pitt’s second Big East Tournament title and first under coach Jamie Dixon.

Beat the college basketball odds this March with Jimmy Boyd’s college basketball picks. It’s time you took your basketball betting to the next level by wagering alongside a world champ.

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• 2009 Big East Conference Football Predictions

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