Big East Tournament 2012 Bracket Reactions: St. John's Fans Break Down The Final

The 2012 Big East champion has officially been crowned. On Saturday, the Louisville Cardinals defeated the Cincinnati Bearcats to take home the conference title and accompanying 2012 NCAA Tournament bid.

It wasn't the most thrilling of games and local fans are likely disappointed that New York teams were left out of the Big East final altogether, but there were still plenty of area fans tuning in to see who would take home the top prize. Picodulce at St. John's blog Rumble in the Garden had an interesting take on the implications of this Big East final and what it might mean for some NCAA Tournament favorites.

The Bearcats started showing the cracks in the Syracuse Orange armor - a defensive player of the year who is a big man but can't rebound, a team that jacks up a lot of jump shots, and a team that, apparently, can be sloppy with the ball - perhaps even "arrogant" with their talent.

The Bearcats are aggressive, they can defend, and Yancy Gates and crew are playing really good fundamental ball. Like St. John's, they're on a slow rise from the morass of scandal. Personally, I think we should be behind Mick Cronin's crew. Also, his daughter - his "good luck charm" - is really adorable.

Louisville has some New York talent, a kind of exciting style, and the ability to be really good on a good day. And the ability to be really bad on a bad day.

With Syracuse and Louisville now both headed to the dance, it will be interesting to see how each team fares following the Big East tourney.

For more coverage of the Big East, be sure to check out Big East Coast Bias and SB Nation New York for all your college hoops needs. For lots more on the 2012 NCAA Tournament, stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated college basketball hub.

Louisville-Cincinnati Final Score: Louisville 50, Cincinnati 44

Louisville was able to put on a defensive clinic Saturday night, stifling the fourth-seeded Bearcats 50-44 en route to its second Big East Championship.

The Cardinals (27-9, 10-8) jumped out to an early lead and never looked back. Louisville went on a 9-0 run early in the first half to take a 14-6 advantage and didn't relinquish it.

Chris Smith led the charge for the Cardinals with 15 points including three baskets from beyond the 3-point arc.

A huge scare was also alleviated when Peyton Siva returned in the second half after landing oddly on his ankle. Siva was injured on a layup attempt and left for the final 3:19 of the first half. He played excellently after returning:

At one point the Cardinals held a 16-point cushion with just over eight minutes remaining before Cincinnati made one last push for glory, only to be turned away. Ultimately free throws cost the Bearcats, who shot a disastrous 1 of 7 from the line.

Cincinnati (24-11, 12-6) was paced by Cashmere Wright, who poured in 16 points on 7 of 12 shooting from the field.

With the Big East Tournament now over, both of these squads can gear up for March Madness. Louisville has as much momentum as any team entering the Big Dance while Cincinnati also has to be feeling pretty good.

For more coverage of the Big East, be sure to check out Big East Coast Bias and SB Nation New York for all your needs.

Peyton Siva Injury: Siva Leaves Big East Championship Game

After coming down awkwardly on his ankle in the first half of the Big East Championship Game, Peyton Siva left the action and hasn't returned. On the play, Siva went into stumbling into the stands after coming down from an attempted layup.

This would be a major loss for Louisville not just tonight but even more so in the NCAA Tournament.. While Rick Pitino would love to claim a Big East Title, this could be a crippling blow to the Cardinals long-term.

Siva leads the team with five and a half assists per game and ranks second on the squad with just under two steals per contest. He's really stepped up his overall game in this tournament and become a huge contributor offensively, scoring at least 13 points in every game.

His best night was Saturday evening, when Siva accompanied those 13 points with nine assists and eight rebounds to beat Notre Dame.

For more on the Big East Tourney and Peyton Siva's injury, be sure to check out our tournament stream, Big East Coast Bias and SB Nation New York.

Louisville Vs. Cincinnati Score Update: Louisville 24, Cincinnati 14

In what was a brutal first half of basketball, Louisville had jumped ahead of the Bearcats 24-14 at the intermission.

The big story right now is the status of Louisville junior guard Peyton Siva. Siva went up for a layup before coming down awkwardly and careening into the stands. He hasn't yet returned to the game as we await word on his condition.

Chris Smith is leading the way for Rick Pitino's Cardinals with 10 points, two rebounds and two assists. Grogui Dieng is also playing with some fight, nabbing six rebounds in the first 20 minutes.

For Cincinnati, the offense hasn't been there to say the least. While doing a good job on the defensive end by holding Louisville to just 37.5 percent shooting, the Bearcats are only hitting on a pathetic 24.1 percent of their shots.

Another problem for Cincinnati has been its inability to get to the free throw line. The Bearcats are still looking for their first free throw attempt of the evening.

The good news for Cincinnati is there's still another half of basketball and its only down 10.

For more Big East tourney coverage, be sure to check out our tournament stream, Big East Coast Bias and SB Nation New York for all your needs.

Big East Championship 2012, Cincinnati Vs. Louisville Game Time, TV Schedule And More

The 2012 Big East Championship is scheduled for Sunday night and it features two unlikely teams – the no. 4 seed Bearcats from Cincinnati and the no. 7 seed Cardinals from Louisville. Both teams have rattled off impressive wins en route to the title game. Louisville knocked off Marquette and Notre Dame, while Cincinnati beat Georgetown and Syracuse.

This will be the second meeting between the two teams this season. Cincinnati won the first, 60-56.

Where: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY

When: 9:00 PM ET, March 10, 2012

TV Schedule: ESPN and ESPN3

Betting Line: Louisville is three point favorites. The Over/Under has been set at 123.5 points

For complete coverage of the Big East Tournament, check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream. For more on the Big East Conference, visit the SB Nation blog Big East Coast Bias, and check out SB Nation's college basketball hub for all the NCAA hoops action.

Big East Tournament 2012 Championship Game Set: Cincinnati To Take On Louisville Saturday Night

And then there were two. The Cincinnati Bearcats and the Louisville Cardinals, two schools that are less than two hours drive away from each other, are facing off in the Big East Conference Tournament Final on Saturday night at 9 p.m. on ESPN.

The Bearcats defeated the No. 1 seeded Syracuse Orange on Friday evening by a score of 71-68, and the Cardinals took down the Notre Dame Fighting Irish after that by a score of 64-50. The Bearcats met the Cardinals once during the regular season and Cincinnati walked away with a 60-56 win.

Here's the updated Big East Tournament bracket and TV Schedule:

Tuesday, March 6 (First Round):

Noon ET/ESPN2, ESPN3D: (16) DePaul Blue Demons 67, (9) Connecticut Huskies 81
2 p.m./ESPN2, ESPN3D: (12) St. John's Red Storm 59, (12) Pittsburgh Panthers 73
7 p.m./ESPNU, ESPN3D: (15) Providence Friars 47, (10) Seton Hall Pirates 79
9 p.m./ESPNU, ESPN3D: (11) Rutgers Scarlet Knights 49, (14) Villanova Wildcats 70

Wednesday, March 7:

Noon/ESPNU: (8) West Virginia Mountaineers 67, (9) Connecticut Huskies 71 (OT)
2 p.m./ESPNU: (13) Pittsburgh Panthers 52, (5) Georgetown Hoyas 64
7 p.m./ESPNU: (10) Seton Hall Pirates 55, (7) Louisville Cardinals 61
9 p.m./ESPNU: (14) Villanova Wildcats 47, (6) South Florida Bulls 56

Thursday, March 8:

Noon/ESPN, ESPN3D: (9) Connecticut Huskies 55, (1) Syracuse Orange 58
2 p.m./ESPN, ESPN3D: (5) Georgetown Hoyas 70, (4) Cincinnati Bearcats 72 (2OT)
7 p.m./ESPN, ESPN3D: (2) Marquette Golden Eagles 71, (7) Louisville Cardinals 84
9 p.m./ESPN, ESPN3D: (6) South Florida Bulls 53, (3) Notre Dame Fighting Irish 57 (OT)

Friday, March 9:

7 p.m./ESPN, ESPN3D: (1) Syracuse Orange 68 vs. (4) Cincinnati Bearcats 71
9 p.m./ESPN, ESPN3D: (3) Notre Dame Fighting Irish 50 vs. (7) Louisville Cardinals 64

Saturday, March 10 (Championship Round on ESPN):

9 p.m./ESPN, ESPN3D: (4) Cincinnati Bearcats vs. (7) Louisville Cardinals

For complete coverage of the Big East Tournament, check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream. For more on the Big East Conference, visit the SB Nation blog Big East Coast Bias, and check out SB Nation's college basketball hub for all the NCAA hoops action.

Louisville-Notre Dame Final Score: Louisville 64, Notre Dame 50

The Big East Tournament is down to the championship game after Louisville handled the Fighting Irish 64-50 in the semifinals at Madison Square Garden.

The Cardinals (25-9, 10-8) are a huge surprise to have made it this far as the seventh seed. Few expected Louisville to beat Marquette and Notre Dame on their way to a match-up with fourth-seeded Cincinnati.

Gorgui Dieng led all scorers with 16 points to compliment his six rebounds. Peyton Siva also put forth a great effort with 13 points, eight boards and nine assists.

The Fighting Irish (22-11, 13-5) on the other hand were ice cold. As a team Notre Dame only shot a paltry 35.2 percent from the field and hit on just 10 of 19 free throws.

Only Jack Cooley and Eric Atkins could get anything going. Cooley recorded a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds while Atkins had a respectable game, scoring 12 points to accompany five rebounds and four assists.

However, it's onto the Big East Conference Final for Louisville. The Cardinals will square off with the Bearcats tomorrow night at 9 p.m. ET.

For more Big East tourney coverage, be sure to check our tournament stream along with our blog Big East Coast Bias. For Louisville news and updates, check Card Chronicle while Notre Dame followers should take a look at Rakes of Mallow.

Louisville Vs Notre Dame Score Update: Louisville 35, Notre Dame 19

If you're into masonry, Notre Dame is putting on a clinic. The Fighting Irish and Louisville are dueling in the semifinals at Madison Square Garden, with the Cardinals leading 35-19 at the half.

Rick Pitino's group is shooting 57.7 percent from the field with Peyton Siva leading the charge. Silva has 11 points with seven rebounds and four assists. Gorgui Dieng has also chipped in with 10 points to help Louisville take a commanding lead.

On the other bench, Mike Brey must be at a loss for words. His team has played pour defense but even worse offense. Notre Dame is only hitting 24.1 percent of its attempts while knocking down just 1 of 11 shots from beyond the arc.

Junior forward Jack Cooley is the only bright spot at the moment in an otherwise dark first half for the Irish. Cooley has five points but also contributed seven rebounds, six of them on the offensive end.

The winner of this game will move on to face Cincinnati in the Big East Tournament Final.

For more coverage of the Big East Tourney, be sure to check out our tournament stream for constant updates and our blog Big East Coast Bias.

Syracuse Vs. Cincinnati Final Score: Bearcats Shock Top-Seeded Orange, 71-68

In what was the biggest stunner of the day, Cincinnati beat Syracuse 71-68 in a nail-biter to end the 2012 Big East Tournament for the top seed.

The fourth-seeded Bearcats (24-9, 12-6) toppled the heavily-favored Orange with a barrage of 3-point shots early in the game. Cincinnati ran out to a 22-8 lead early on and never relinquished the advantage.

Syracuse (31-2, 17-1) just couldn't get it going on either end for long stretches. Jim Boeheim saw his famous 2-3 zone thrashed by the Bearcats hot shooting from the perimeter, which led to easy buckets down low.

On offense, the Orange could only shoot a pedestrian 40.4 percent from the field. Dion Waiters did all he could off the bench with a game-high 26 points and seven 3-pointers, but it wasn't enough. Fab Melo was his only teammate to play up to standards with 11 points and eight rebounds.

Cincinnati was able to provide a balanced attack throughout the evening with four starters scoring in double digits. Sean Kilpatrick had a tremendous evening with 18 points, five steals, four assists and three rebounds. Cashmere Wright also played well with 11 points complimented by eight assists and five boards.

While the loss will leave a bad taste in Syracuse's mouth, it will still likely be a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Bearcats on the other hand continue to see their stock rise. They'll now await the winner of Louisville and Notre Dame in the Big East Tournament Final.

For more coverage of the Big East Tournament, be sure to check out Big East Coast Bias and our constantly updated tournament stream. For Syracuse news and updates, head on over to Nunes Magician.

Big East Tournament 2012, Syracuse Vs. Cincinnati Score Update: Syracuse Thumped Early, Trails 35-23 At Half

The Cincinnati Bearcats wasted no time building a commanding lead against the Syracuse Orange when the two teams tipped off the Big East Tournament semifinals Friday night at Madison Square Garden, and the Bearcats take a 35-23 advantage into halftime.

Cincinnati pounced from the start with a 25-8 run to open the game. The Bearcats abused Syracuse's famous zone defense by hitting eight of their first 10 threes, maintaining the lead at 34-17 with 5:47 left in the half.

Sean Kilpatrick led the long distance barrage, connecting on four of five threes in the first half while pouring in 12 points. Cashmere Wright was hot, too, hitting three of five from deep while adding nine points.

Syracuse was paced by Dion Waiters, who scored eight points off the bench.

For complete coverage of the Big East Tournament, check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream. For more on the Big East Conference, visit the SB Nation blog Big East Coast Bias. If you're a college basketball nut, well, SB Nation's college basketball hub will solve your hoops cravings. Check out, the SB Nation's blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician for everything Orange, while Down The Drive is all about the Bearcats.

Big East Tournament 2012 Semifinals: Syracuse Vs. Cincinnati Game Time, TV Schedule And More

Thirty-two games into their already historic season, the No. 2-ranked Syracuse Orange men's basketball program still has some unfinished business. No, it has nothing to do with the upcoming NCAA Tournament or a possible National Championship, its a rematch with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, the only school to upend the Orange (31-1) this season.

To set up a possible rematch with the Irish in the finals of the Big East Conference Tournament, top-seeded Syracuse will need to earn a victory over the No. 4 Cincinnati Bearcats Friday night at Madison Square Garden (7 p.m. on ESPN).

On Wednesday, the Orange used 18 points from sophomore guard Dion Waiters and 10 from junior forward James Southerland, all coming in the game's final eight minutes, to knock off No. 9 Connecticut Huskies, 58-55, in the quarterfinals.

Just 40 minutes and two overtimes later, the Bearcats edged No. 5 Georgetown Hoays, 72-70. Junior guard Cashmere Wright banked in the game-winning shot, which was let go just inside the free-throw-line, with about nine seconds remaining in the second extra session. Senior forward Yancy Gates led all scores with 23 points.

Earlier this season, Jan. 23, these two teams met in Cincinnati with Syracuse coming out on top 60-53. The contest was played just two days after the Orange suffered their first and only loss of the season at Notre Dame, 67-58. The game also didn't feature the Big East Defensive Player of the Year, SU's sophomore center Fabricio Melo, who was not playing due to an academic issue.

Despite the lack of its interior presence, Syracuse was able to pull out the victory behind 17 points from its leading scorer, senior forward Kris Joseph. The Orange would use that win to spur their current 11-game winning streak.

Meanwhile, Cincinnati has earned wins in eight of its last 10 games, which helped them earn the No. 4 seed and a double-bye in the Big East Tournament.

Sophomore guard Sean Kilpatrick paces the Bearcats in scoring with 14.5 points per game, while senior guard Dion Dixon averages 13.5 ppg. The players to key on, however, are Gates, a versatile 6-foot-9, 290-pound forward, and Wright, who nets just over 10 ppg and attempts close to 10 3-pointers a contest.

The winner will advance to the Big East Tournament's finals against either Notre Dame or No. 7 Louisville Cardinals on Saturday at 9 p.m. ET.

For complete coverage of the Big East Tournament, check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream.

For more on the Big East Conference, visit the SB Nation blog Big East Coast Bias. If you're a college basketball nut, well, SB Nation's college basketball hub will solve your hoops cravings. Check out, the SB Nation's blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician for everything Orange, while Down The Drive is all about the Bearcats.

Big East Tournament 2012 Semifinals: Louisville Vs. Notre Dame Game Time, TV Schedule And More

Only four teams remain in the 2012 Big East Tournament, including a somewhat unlikely candidate, the Louisville Cardinals. The Cardinals own an impressive 24-9 overall record, but at 10-8, have struggled in conference play this season. They finished the year losing two consecutive games and four of their last six, but caught fire in the Big East Tournament, first defeating the Seton Hall Pirates, followed by a 13-point win over the ninth-ranked Marquette Golden Eagles.

On Friday the Cardinals will look to continue their winning ways against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, who are coming off an overtime win over South Florida. These two teams have only met once this season, with Notre Dame upsetting the then 10th ranked Cardinals in double overtime.

Tip is scheduled for 9 p.m. EST on ESPN and ESPN3D, and the winner will face the winner of Syracuse vs. Cincinnati in the championship game.

For complete coverage of the Big East Tournament, check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream. For more on the Big East Conference, visit the SB Nation blog Big East Coast Bias.

Big East Tournament 2012, Notre Dame Vs. USF Final Score: Fighting Irish Prevail In Overtime, 57-53

In a Big East Tournament semifinal that was just as slow-paced as analysts predicted, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish edged the South Florida Bulls 57-53 in overtime.

Notre Dame's Pat Connaughton sank one of two free throws with 26 seconds left in regulation to force the extra session, and the Irish outscored South Florida 12-8 in the additional five minutes.

The game was all but sealed when South Florida, trailing by two at the time, threw away an inbounds pass with 1.0 seconds remaining. Connaughton provided the final margin with two free throws.

South Florida pushed ahead early in the first half, seizing a 20-8 lead, but the rest of the half was Notre Dame's. The Fighting Irish scored the next 18 points and entered intermission with a 28-26 advantage.

Connaughton and Jerian Grant paced Notre Dame with 12 points apiece.

Victor Rudd Jr. scored 16 points with seven rebounds for South Florida, while Anthony Collins added 13 points and seven assists.

For complete coverage of the Big East Tournament, check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream. For more on the Big East Conference, visit the SB Nation blog Big East Coast Bias.

Big East Tournament 2012: Semifinals Set, As Syracuse, Cincinnati, Louisville And Notre Dame Advance

Only four teams are left in the 2012 Big East Tournament following Thursday's action. The top-seeded Syracuse Orange advanced, but not without some trouble from the UConn Huskies in a 58-55 win. They will face Cincinnati Bearcats, winners of sloppy double-overtime game against the Georgetown Hoyas.

The Louisville Cardinals were the only team on Thursday to win by a comfortable margin, taking out the 2-seed Marquette Golden Eagles 84-71. They play the 3-seed Notre Dame Fighting Irish, who survived a defensive battle , 57-53, in overtime against the South Florida Bulls.

Here's the updated Big East Tournament bracket and TV schedule:

Tuesday, March 6 (First Round):

Noon ET/ESPN2, ESPN3D: (16) DePaul Blue Demons 67, (9) Connecticut Huskies 81
2 p.m./ESPN2, ESPN3D: (12) St. John's Red Storm 59, (12) Pittsburgh Panthers 73
7 p.m./ESPNU, ESPN3D: (15) Providence Friars 47, (10) Seton Hall Pirates 79
9 p.m./ESPNU, ESPN3D: (11) Rutgers Scarlet Knights 49, (14) Villanova Wildcats 70

Wednesday, March 7:

Noon/ESPNU: (8) West Virginia Mountaineers 67, (9) Connecticut Huskies 71 (OT)
2 p.m./ESPNU: (13) Pittsburgh Panthers 52, (5) Georgetown Hoyas 64
7 p.m./ESPNU: (10) Seton Hall Pirates 55, (7) Louisville Cardinals 61
9 p.m./ESPNU: (14) Villanova Wildcats 47, (6) South Florida Bulls 56

Thursday, March 8:

Noon/ESPN, ESPN3D: (9) Connecticut Huskies 55, (1) Syracuse Orange 58
2 p.m./ESPN, ESPN3D: (5) Georgetown Hoyas 70, (4) Cincinnati Bearcats 72 (2OT)
7 p.m./ESPN, ESPN3D: (2) Marquette Golden Eagles 71, (7) Louisville Cardinals 84
9 p.m./ESPN, ESPN3D: (6) South Florida Bulls 53, (3) Notre Dame Fighting Irish 57 (OT)

Friday, March 9:

7 p.m./ESPN, ESPN3D: Syracuse Orange vs. Cincinnati Bearcats
9 p.m./ESPN, ESPN3D: Louisville Cardinals vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Saturday, March 10 (Championship Round on ESPN):

9 p.m./ESPN, ESPN3D: WINNERS of Semifinal-Round Games

For complete coverage of the Big East Tournament, check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream. For more on the Big East Conference, visit the SB Nation blog Big East Coast Bias.

Big East Tournament 2012, Notre Dame Vs. USF Score Update: Irish Lead 28-26 At Half

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish seized an early lead on the South Florida Bulls in the Big East Conference quarterfinals Thursday night at Madison Square Garden, taking a 28-26 lead into halftime.

The anticipated defensive showdown lived up to the expectations, with each team playing at a slow pace during the first 20 minutes. South Florida jumped ahead early, 20-8, but Notre Dame scored the next 18 points to wrench the lead away.

Anthony Collins led South Florida with 11 points on five of six shooting.

Scott Martin and Jerian Grant paced Notre Dame with 10 points apiece. Martin added five rebounds.

For complete coverage of the Big East Tournament, check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream. For more on the Big East Conference, visit the SB Nation blog Big East Coast Bias.

Big East Tournament 2012, Marquette Vs. Louisville Final Score: Cardinals Advance To Semifinals With 84-71 Win

The Louisville Cardinals held serve with the Marquette Eagles during the second half of Thursday's night game, earning a 84-71 win to advance to the semifinals of the 2012 Big East Tournament. Rick Pitino's squad avenged a January lost to the Eagles, thanks to solid defense and a couple of big performances.

The Eagles vastly outshot the Cardinals, 44.8 to 37.7 percent on the night. Louisville held a big advantage on the boards, however, 46 to 38. Of those rebounds, 23 came on the offensive end, giving the opportunistic Cardinals plenty of second chance baskets. They also had 15 steals on the night, and forced 27 Marquette turnovers.

Kyle Kuric led Louisville in scoring with 20 points on 7-for-18 shooting. Peyton Siva did it all, however, scoring 18 points with eight rebounds, six assists and four steals. Gourgui Dieng and Jared Swopshire combined for 22 rebounds for the game.

Darius Johnson-Odom led the Golden Eagles with 23 points, going 8-for-19 from the field. He hit his team's only two 3-pointers for the game, going 2-for-7 from long range while his teammates went 0-for-6. Jae Crowder picked up his third-straight double. His 10 points came on 4-for-13 shooting, however.

The Cardinals will face the winner of Thursday night's South Florida-Notre Dame game at 9:00 p.m ET on Friday.

For complete coverage of the Big East Tournament, check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream. For more on the Big East Conference, visit the SB Nation blog Big East Coast Bias.

Big East Tournament 2012, Marquette Vs. Louisville Halftime Score: Cardinals Ahead, 50-40

A pair of big runs and a team-high 11 points from senior guard Peyton Siva has helped the Louisville Cardinals earn a 50-40 halftime lead over the Marquette Golden Eagles in a Big East Conference Tournament Quarterfinal game at Madison Square Garden. The winner advance to play either the South Florida Bulls or Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the semifinals.

Louisville, the tournament's No. 7 seed, used an early 19-2 run to take an early 21-6 advantage 6:01 into the second half. After Marquette trimmed the margin to just one points, 34-33, using a 12-2 run, the Cardinals outscored the Golden Eagles 16-7 in the half's final 3:41.

Freshman forward Chane Behanan has tallied 10 points and collected five rebounds for Louisville, which finished the half shooing 44.7-pecent.

Meanwhile, Marquette is currently paced by senior guard Darius Johnson-Odom's 16 points. Big East Player of the Year, senior forward Jae Crownder, has just six points and seven rebounds.

Overall, the Golden Eagles have committed 13 turnovers and are getting out-rebonded 22-17.

— For complete coverage of the Big East Tournament, check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream. For more on the Big East Conference, visit the SB Nation blog Big East Coast Bias.

Big East Tournament 2012: Thursday Afternoon Bracket Update

Day three of the 2012 Big East Conference Tournament is half way finished, as the top-seeded Syracuse Orange and No. 4 Cincinnati Bearcats both earned quarterfinal victories and earned trips to Friday's semifinals where they will face each other.

Two more match ups are on the docket for Thursday night, as the No. 7 Louisville Cardinals plays No. 2 Marquette Golden Eagles, while in the night cap No. 5 South Florida Bulls and No. 3 Notre Dame Fighting Irish meet up.

Big East Breakdown with Nick Fasulo (via sbnation)

Here's the updated Big East Tournament bracket and TV schedule:

Tuesday, March 6 (First Round):

Noon ET/ESPN2, ESPN3D: (16) DePaul Blue Demons 67, (9) Connecticut Huskies 81
2 p.m./ESPN2, ESPN3D: (12) St. John’s Red Storm 59, (12) Pittsburgh Panthers 73
7 p.m./ESPNU, ESPN3D: (15) Providence Friars 47, (10) Seton Hall Pirates 79
9 p.m./ESPNU, ESPN3D: (11) Rutgers Scarlet Knights 49, (14) Villanova Wildcats 70

Wednesday, March 7:

Noon/ESPNU: (8) West Virginia Mountaineers 67, (9) Connecticut Huskies 71 (OT)
2 p.m./ESPNU: (13) Pittsburgh Panthers 52, (5) Georgetown Hoyas 64
7 p.m./ESPNU: (10) Seton Hall Pirates 55, (7) Louisville Cardinals 61
9 p.m./ESPNU: (14) Villanova Wildcats 47, (6) South Florida Bulls 56

Thursday, March 8:

Noon/ESPN, ESPN3D: (9) Connecticut Huskies 55, (1) Syracuse Orange 58
2 p.m./ESPN, ESPN3D: (5) Georgetown Hoyas 70, (4) Cincinnati Bearcats 72 (2OT)
7 p.m./ESPN, ESPN3D: (7) Louisville Cardinals vs. (2) Marquette Golden Eagles
9 p.m./ESPN, ESPN3D: (6) South Florida Bulls vs. (3) Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Friday, March 9:

7 p.m./ESPN, ESPN3D: Syracuse Orange vs. Cincinnati Bearcats
9 p.m./ESPN, ESPN3D: (WINNER of Thurs. 7 p.m. Game) vs. (WINNER of Thurs. 9 p.m. Game)

Saturday, March 10 (Championship Round on ESPN):

9 p.m./ESPN, ESPN3D: WINNERS of Semifinal-Round Games

— For complete coverage of the Big East Tournament, check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream. For more on the Big East Conference, visit the SB Nation blog Big East Coast Bias.

Big East Tournament 2012, Georgetown Vs. Cincinnati Final Score: Bearcats Earn Double-Overtime Victory, 72-70

Madison Square Garden was due for a multiple overtime contest from the Big East Conference Tournament, and it delivered one Thursday afternoon. Behind senior forward Yancy Gates' game-best 23 points, including 10 in the final six minutes of regulation and two in overtime, to help the Cincinnati Bearcats earn a 72-70 double-OT victory over the Georgetown Hoyas, 72-70, in the quarterfinals.

Junior guard Cashmere Wright banked in the game-winning shot, which was let go just inside the free-throw-line, with about nine seconds remaining in the second extra session. Georgetown's final possession ended with senior center Henry Sims missing a desperation 3-pointer that hit the back iron.

The Bearcats (23-9), the tournament No. 4 seed, move onto the semifinals where it will face the top-seeded Syracuse Orange, who earlier defeated No. 9 Connecticut Huskies, 58-55. Earlier this season, Jan. 23, Syracuse beat host Cincinnati, 60-53.

Trailing 50-41 with 6:12 to go in regulation, the Bearcats rallied behind Gates, who netted 10 of their last 11 points in the second half and helped give them a 53-52 with 37 seconds remaining.

A free throw by Cincy's senior point guard Dion Dixon with 26 seconds gave Cincy a two-point advantage, which disappeared when Georgetown's freshman forward Otto Porter nailed a game-tying jumper with 3.6 seconds left. A desperation 3-pointer by Gates missed short and sent the game into an extra session.

Overall, Dixon finished with 13 points and eight rebounds, while junior guard Jaquon Parker tallied nine points and 10 rebounds. Wright ended the game with 10 points.

For Georgetown, Sims finished with a team-high 22 points and 15 points, while Porter added 14 points.

— For complete coverage of the Big East Tournament, check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream. For more on the Big East Conference, visit the SB Nation blog Big East Coast Bias.

Big East Tournament 2012: Notre Dame Vs. USF Game Time, TV Schedule And More

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish take on the South Florida Bulls in the quarterfinals of the 2012 Big East Tournament on Thursday at 9 p.m.

No. 23 Notre Dame enters the game as the 3-seed in the tournament. As the 6-seed, South Florida had to win to get to this round. They defeated Villanova, 56-47, on Wednesday.

Notre Dame was a surprise to finish third place in the league after losing Tim Abromaitis for the season to injury after he played two early games. Jack Cooley stepped up in his place and posted 10 double-doubles in Big East play. Cooley leads the Irish in rebounding with 9.2 per game. The Irish scoring lead is distributed between Cooley, Jerian Grant and Eric Atkins who all score 12.4-12.5 points per game.

South Florida was also a surprise team. Big East Coach of the Year Stan Heath's team got to where they are this season by playing tough physical defense. That was on display in their first game of the tournament when they held Villanova to just 34% shooting. The Bulls play at a deliberate pace and don't have a single player averaging double figures in points but have had great individual efforts in any given game all season long. Anthony Collins and Victor Rudd, Jr. led the way against Villanova with 17 and 13 points, respectively.

When the teams met in January, Notre Dame won, 60-49, in South Bend. The pace favored South Florida in that game but when they went cold from the field in the second half, the game got away from them.

Game Info:

Game time: 9 p.m.

Venue: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY

TV: ESPN/ESPN3

The winner of the game will play the winner of Louisville-Marquette in the semifinals on Friday at 9 p.m.

- For complete coverage of the Big East Tournament, check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream. For more on the Big East Conference, visit the SB Nation blog Big East Coast Bias.

Big East Tournament 2012: Marquette Vs. Louisville Game Time, TV Schedule And More

After two days of watching other Big East Conference men's basketball programs on the hardwood at Madison Square Garden, the Marquette Golden Eagles finally get their chance to play in the league tournament. The Golden Eagles, the tournament's No. 2 seed, face off against the No. 7 Louisville Cardinals (7 p.m. ET on ESPN) with the winner advancing to the semifinals to play either No. 6 South Florida Bulls or No. 3 Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

On Wednesday, the Cardinals (23-9) defeated the Seton Hall Pirates, 61-55, in the second round of the Big East Tournament. The victory ended a two-game losing streak for Louisville and helped them earn a rematch with the Golden Eagles, who defeated the Cardinals in the regular season, 74-63, on Jan. 16.

Marquette enters the game with the Big East's Player of the Year honoree, senior forward Jae Crowder. On Monday, Crowder was the only unanimous All-Big East First Team selection, which led to Tuesday's announcement of him winning the POY.

Crowder averaged 17.6 points and 7.9 rebounds to aid Marquette to a second-place finish in the Big East standings, while teammate, senior guard Darius Johnson-Odom, leads the team with 18.3 ppg.

The duo helped the Golden Eagles finish the regular season in second place in the Big East standings and earn a double-bye in the conference tournament.

Louisville is paced by senior forward Kyle Kuric who nets 12.9 ppg, while senior guard Peyton Siva lead the team with 5.3 assists per game.

If you'd like to catch the contest, here's the information:

Game Time: 7 p.m. ET

Television: ESPN

Betting odds: Marquette is a 3-point favorite.

— For complete coverage of the Big East Tournament, check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream. For more on the Big East Conference, visit the SB Nation blog Big East Coast Bias.

Big East Tournament 2012, Georgetown Vs. Cincinnati 2012: Hoyas Lead Bearcats, 30-24

Senior forward Henry Sims and junior forwward Hollis Thompson each have tallied eight points to help the Georgetown Hoyas earn a 30-24 halftime lead over the Cincinnati Bearcats in a Big East Conference Tournament quarterfinal game at Madison Square Garden. The winner advance to the semifinals to play top-seeded Syracuse Orange, who earlier downed the Connecticut Huskies 58-55.

Freshman forward Otto Porter added seven points and three rebounds for UConn, which shot 46-pecent from the floor.

Meanwhile, Cincinnati, the tournament's No. 4 seed, is paced by senior forward Yancy Gates's eight points, while sophomore forward Justin Jackson has netted five points off the bench.

At one point, Georgetown trailed 15-14 but used a small 7-0 run to take a 21-17 lead with 5:39 to go in the half.

— For complete coverage of the Big East Tournament, check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream. For more on the Big East Conference, visit the SB Nation blog Big East Coast Bias.

Big East Tournament 2012, Syracuse Vs. UConn Final Score: Orange Edge Huskies, 58-55

Sophomore guard Dion Waiters scored a team-best 18 points and junior forward James Southerland netted all 10 of his in the second half to help propel the Syracuse Orange past the Connecticut Huskies, 58-55, in a Big East Conference Tournament quarterfinal game at Madison Square Garden.

The Orange (31-1) advance to the semifinals where they will play Cincinnati Bearcats, who defeated the Georgetown Hoyas, 72-70, in double overtime. The Huskies (20-13) now await their NCAA Tournament seed on Selection Sunday.

Trailing 47-43 with 8:16 to go in the game, Syracuse used a 13-2 run, which included two 3-pointers by Southerland, to earn a 56-49 lead with 4:59 to play in the game. The Orange (31-1) cemented the game by clamping down on defense and going 3-for-4 from the free throw line, two from Southerland, in the final minute.

Senior forward Kris Joseph netted 10 points for Syracuse, while junior guard Brandon Triche and sophomore center Fab Melo each added seven. Melo collected seven rebounds and Triche had six.

Meanwhile, sophomore guard Shabazz Napier scored a team-best 14 points for UConn, which shot 34.4-percent from the field and made just 26.1-percent of its 21 long 3-point attempts.

Check out, the SB Nation's blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician to discuss everything on the Orange, while the The UConn Blog is all about, well, UConn. Make sure to follow along on Twitter at SBNationNY or JaredSmithCNY, as we live blogged from the Carrier Dome.

Ticket Prices For Big East Tournament Down About 27 Percent From Last Year

The good news is that the average prices for the Big East Tournament are down 27 percent, according to TiqIQ, but the bad news is that they are still pretty expensive.

Big East Tournament 2012, Syracuse Vs. UConn Halftime Score: Orange Lead Huskies, 27-24

Sophomore guard Dion Waiters has netted 10 points for the Syracuse Orange men's basketball team, who leads the Connecticut Huskies 27-24 at halftime of a Big East Conference Tournament quarterfinal game at Madison Square Garden.

The Orange, the tournament's No. 1 seed, led by as much as eight points, 23-15, with 5:38 to play in the first half, however, a small 6-0 run by UConn trimmed the margin to just 23-21 with 3:54 to go. From there, both teams traded baskets until SU's junior guard Brandon Triche capped the half's scoring with a putback slam with just under a minute to go.

Both teams have made less than 32-percent of their shots.

Sophomore guards Jeremy Lamb and Shabazz Napier each have tallied a team-high five points for UConn, which advanced to the semifinal-round by defeating the DePaul Blue Demons and West Virgina Mountaineers, respectively.

The Orange are playing their first game of the five-day event as they earned a double-bye.

Check out, the SB Nation's blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician to discuss everything on the Orange, while the The UConn Blog is all about, well, UConn. Make sure to follow along on Twitter at SBNationNY or JaredSmithCNY, as we live blogged from the Carrier Dome.

Big East Tournament 2012, Cincinnati Vs. Georgetown Preview: Game Time, TV Schedule And More

Cincinnati kicks off its postseason play when it takes on Georgetown in the quarterfinals of the 2012 Big East tournament. The Bearcats earned a double bye in the tournament by securing the fourth best conference record during the regular season, and will take on a Hoyas team that will be playing its second game in less than 24 hours.

Georgetown took care of business against Pitt on Wednesday, and has a chance now to exact revenge against the Bearcats, whom they were defeated by back on Jan. 9.

Both teams look like locks for the NCAA tournament, but each can move a step closer to securing an invite with a win on Thursday. The winner of today's game will take on the winner of Syracuse Vs. Connecticut in the semifinals Friday.

For a look at the entire Big East Tournament bracket, click here.

Game Time: 2:00 p.m. EST

TV Coverage: ESPN, ESPN3D

- For complete coverage of the Big East Tournament, check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream. For more on the Big East Conference, visit the SB Nation blog Big East Coast Bias.

Big East Tournament 2012 Schedule: Syracuse, Cincinnati, Marquette, Notre Dame Featured On Day 3

The 2012 Big East Tournament continues Thursday, as the top-seeded Syracuse Orange and No. 9 Connecticut Huskies tip off day three at noon ET on ESPN. The Huskies advanced to the third round with a victory Tuesday over the West Virginia Mountaineers, while the Orange received a double-bye after finishing the regular season a top the Big East standings.

After Syracuse and UConn, the No. 5 Georgetown Hoyas, who knocked off No. 13 Pittsburgh Panthers in the second round, will face the No. 4 Cincinnati Bearcats, who earned their double-bye on the last day of the regular season.

The night session begin with No. 7 Louisville Cardinals taking on No. 2 Marquette Golden Eagles, while the No. 6 South Florida Bulls and No. 3 Notre Dame Fighting Irish play in the night-cap.

On Wednesday, Louisville defeated the No.10 Seton Hall Pirates and USF beat the No. 14 Villanova Wildcats.

Here's the Big East Tournament bracket and TV schedule for day three:

Thursday, March 8:

Noon/ESPN, ESPN3D: (9) Connecticut Huskies vs. (1) Syracuse Orange
2 p.m./ESPN, ESPN3D: (5) Georgetown Hoyas vs. (4) Cincinnati Bearcats
7 p.m./ESPN, ESPN3D: (7) Louisville Cardinals vs. (2) Marquette Golden Eagles
9 p.m./ESPN, ESPN3D: (6) South Florida Bulls vs. (3) Notre Dame Fighting Irish

— For complete coverage of the Big East Tournament, check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream. For more on the Big East Conference, visit the SB Nation blog Big East Coast Bias.

Big East Tournament 2012, Syracuse Vs. UConn: Orange, Huskies Renew Postseason Rivalry

The greatest Big East Conference Tournament rivalry will be renewed Thursday afternoon, as the No. 2-ranked Syracuse Orange faces the Connecticut Huskies in a men's basketball game at Madison Square Garden. The Orange (30-1) and Huskies (20-12) will meet for the third time this season and 14th time in Big East Tournament history.

On Wednesday, the Huskies earned their third straight victory, the second in the tournament, by defeating the West Virginia Mountaineers, 71-67, in overtime. Sophomore guard Shabazz Napier netted a game-best 26 points and dished out six assists, while sophomore guard Jeremy Lamb netted 22, including a 3-pointer in the extra session.

Entering the tournament, UConn was a NCAA Tournament bubble team, however, that has changed with the back-to-back victories.

Meanwhile, Syracuse has nothing to gain from the Big East Tournament expect to earn its sixth crown. According to the NCAA tournament committee chairman, the Orange and Kentucky Wildcats are the top two teams in the nation and have solidified their No. 1 seeds in the 68-team field.

This will be the first game for the Orange since downing Louisville, 58-49, in their regular-season finale on Saturday. Behind junior guard Brandon Triche, who netted a team-high 17 points, Syracuse capped its best regular season in program and Big East history.

In their final games at the Carrier Dome, senior forward Kris Joseph, the team's top scorer with 14.0 points per game, netted 11, while senior point guard Scoop Jardine, a All-Big East Second Team selection, dished out four assists.

The Orange also feature the Big East's Sixth-Man of the Year, sophomore guard Dion Waiters, and the Big East's Defensive Player of the Year, sophomore center Fabricio Melo.

The contest with UConn will tip off at noon ET and will be shown on ESPN. The Orange enter as 7 1/2-point favorites.

Check out, the SB Nation's blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician to discuss everything on the Orange, while the The UConn Blog is all about, well, UConn. Make sure to follow along on Twitter at SBNationNY or JaredSmithCNY, as we live blogged from the Carrier Dome.

Big East Tournament 2012: Connecticut Vs. Syracuse Game Time, TV Schedule And More

By beating West Virginia 71-67 in overtime on Wednesday, the ninth seed Huskies have earned a date with top-seeded Syracuse in the quarterfinals of the Big East Tournament.

UConn (20-12, 8-10) trailed by 11 points midway through the second half against the Mountaineers, only to come roaring back on the shoulders of Shabazz Napier who scored 20 of his 26 points in the final 20 minutes of regulation.

Napier was unstoppable for stretches, including back-to-back steals and subsequent lay-ups that tied the game with just a few minutes remaining.

While the Orange (30-1, 17-1) must have been impressed, it's doubtful they're scared. Syracuse comes into Thursday off of a double-bye and the prohibitive favorite to win the tourney.

With Scoop Jardine, Fab Melo, Kris Joseph and C.J. Fair among others being coached by Jim Boeheim, it's easy to understand why the Orange are held in such high regard.

These two teams met twice this season, most recently in Connecticut where Syracuse narrowly held on to defeat the Huskies 71-69. In the previous meeting, the Orange crushed Jim Calhoun's squad 85-67 at the Carrier Dome.

Time: 12:00 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN

For more on Syracuse and the Big East Tournament, be sure to check out Nunes Magician, Big East Coast Bias and SB Nation New York.

Big East Tournament 2012: Bracket Finalized For Day 3 As South Florida Rolls, 56-47

The quarterfinals of the 2012 Big East Tournament is set, as the South Florida Bulls downed the Villanova Wildcats in day two's night cap, 56-47. Four games are on tap for Friday starting with the Syracuse Orange taking on the Connecticut Huskies.

Syracuse had the coveted double-bye, so this will be their first game of the tournament, while the Huskies are coming off a dramatic overtime win against West Virginia on Tuesday afternoon.

Cincinnati Bearcats, Marquette Golden Eagles and Notre Dame Fighting Irish also had double-byes to start the tournament. The semifinals happen Friday night, and the championship game is scheduled for Saturday at 9:00 p.m.

Here's the updated Big East Tournament bracket and TV schedule:

Tuesday, March 6 (First Round):

Noon ET/ESPN2, ESPN3D: (16) DePaul Blue Demons 67, (9) Connecticut Huskies 81
2 p.m./ESPN2, ESPN3D: (12) St. John’s Red Storm 59, (12) Pittsburgh Panthers 73
7 p.m./ESPNU, ESPN3D: (15) Providence Friars 47, (10) Seton Hall Pirates 79
9 p.m./ESPNU, ESPN3D: (11) Rutgers Scarlet Knights 49, (14) Villanova Wildcats 70

Wednesday, March 7:

Noon/ESPNU: (8) West Virginia Mountaineers 67, (9) Connecticut Huskies 71 (OT)
2 p.m./ESPNU: (13) Pittsburgh Panthers 52, (5) Georgetown Hoyas 64
7 p.m./ESPNU: (10) Seton Hall Pirates 55, (7) Louisville Cardinals 61
9 p.m./ESPNU: (14) Villanova Wildcats 47, (6) South Florida Bulls 56

Thursday, March 8:

Noon/ESPN, ESPN3D: (9) Connecticut Huskies vs. (1) Syracuse Orange
2 p.m./ESPN, ESPN3D: (5) Georgetown Hoyas vs. (4) Cincinnati Bearcats
7 p.m./ESPN, ESPN3D: (7) Louisville Cardinals vs. (2) Marquette Golden Eagles
9 p.m./ESPN, ESPN3D: (6) South Florida Bulls vs. (3) Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Friday, March 9:

7 p.m./ESPN, ESPN3D: (WINNER of Thurs. Noon Game) vs. (WINNER of Thurs. 2 p.m. Game)
9 p.m./ESPN, ESPN3D: (WINNER of Thurs. 7 p.m. Game) vs. (WINNER of Thurs. 9 p.m. Game)

Saturday, March 10 (Championship Round on ESPN):

9 p.m./ESPN, ESPN3D: WINNERS of Semifinal-Round Games

— For complete coverage of the Big East Tournament, check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream. For more on the Big East Conference, visit the SB Nation blog Big East Coast Bias.

Seton Hall Basketball: Pirates Exit From Big East Tournament; Unsure Of NCAA Fate

There's nothing worse than leaving your NCAA Tournament fate in the hands of others, and that's just what the Seton Hall Pirates men's basketball program did Wednesday when they lost to the Louisville Cardinals, 61-55, in the second round of the Big East Conference Tournament at Madison Square Garden.

The loss was the Pirates (20-12, 8-10 Big East) fourth in six games, and made them 5-10 since starting the season 15-2. The question now, in regards to Seton Hall's NCAA Tournament fate, is whether or not its previous body of work before the late-season skid was enough to merit a March Madness berth.

"I think we did enough to get in [the #NCAA Tournament], but it's up to the selection committee on Sunday," said senior point guard Jordan Theodore after the loss to Louisville.

Theodore (cont.): "...Going into that we were win. We took two tough losses and now we're out? Nah. I think we did enough to be in." #shbb

— Matt Sugam (@MattSugam) March 8, 2012

As of 10:48 p.m. ET on Wednesday night, ESPN.com's Joe Lunardi said Seton Hall was not in the field of 68 teams, however, that could change with a losses from other bubble teams -- USF, Northwestern, Xavier, Texas, Tennessee -- that still need to play in their conference tournament's.

So, if you're a Pirates fan, basically, all you can do now is sit, wait, watch and hope that another bubble squad losses, and badly.

For more on the Pirates, check out South Orange Juice. For more on Big East basketball, visit the SB Nation blog Big East Coast Bias. For more news and analysis from the day in NCAA hoops, visit SB Nation's college basketball hub.

Big East Tournament 2012, Seton Hall Vs. Louisville: Peyton Silva leads Louisville to win, 61-55

The Seton Hall Pirates were eliminated from the Big East Tournament on Wednesday night after they were defeated by a score of 61-55 by the Louisville Cardinals. Louisville will now go on to face No. 2 seed Marquette as the tournament continues.

Seton Hall was led by guard Jordan Theodore, who scored 17 points in the game, and Fuquan Edwin and Herb Pope, who each scored 11, while Brandon Mobley was the only player to come off the bench and score, adding seven points. However, the game was stolen away by Louisville guard Peyton Silva, who was the team's leading scorer with 14 points and a whole boat load of highlights.

Louisville's Kyle Kuric added 13 points and Russ Smith came off the bench to add 11.

For complete coverage of the Big East Tournament, check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream. For more on the Big East Conference, visit the SB Nation blog Big East Coast Bias.

2012 Big East Tournament: Seton Hall Vs. Louisville, Peyton Siva Powering Big Second Half For The Cardinals

When the Louisville Cardinals and Seton Hall Pirates reached the half, the Cardinals had a slim one-point lead. There is no slim margin in the second half. Louisville is running away with the game, and Peyton Siva is lead the way.

Siva started off the half with another highlight jumper, which you can see in the GIF below. After finishing the first half with seven points, leading the Cardinals, Siva added another seven in the first eight minutes of the second half. He also leads Louisville with four rebounds and four steals.

Siva’s big game certainly excited his father, as you can see.

The winner of this game will advance to face the Marquette Golden Eagles on Thursday at 7 p.m.

For complete coverage of the Big East Tournament, check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream. For more on the Big East Conference, visit the SB Nation blog Big East Coast Bias.

Big East Tournament 2012, Seton Hall Vs. Louisville, Halftime Score: Pirates Trail, 23-22

The Seton Hall Pirates trail the Louisville Cardinals, 23-22, after one half of play from Madison Square Garden in the 2012 Big East Tournament.

Both teams struggled against the defensive efforts of the other in the first half. As a result, the scoring was at a premium and the shooting percentages were low, 26.7% for the Cardinals and 25% for the Pirates. Seton Hall was only 2-11 from behind the arc while Louisville was just 3-9 on their three-point attempts. The Pirates did outrebound Louisville, 21-15, and made 8-10 at the free throw line.

Louisville lost their lead in a sequence of bad fouls from behind the three-point line on Pirate jump shooters. Seton Hall converted all six free throws to take a 22-20 lead with 2:45 to play. However, Seton Hall returned the favor on this play which allowed Louisville to regain the lead.

Peyton Siva had a solid first half for the Cardinals. Siva has a team high seven points, four rebounds, one assist. Watch him in action below.

Seton Hall was led by seven points from Fuquan Edwin and Brandon Mobley.

- For complete coverage of the Big East Tournament, check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream. For more on the Big East Conference, visit the SB Nation blog Big East Coast Bias.

2012 Big East Tournament: Updated Bracket Midway Through Wednesday

After Pittsburgh was polished off by a dominant Georgetown team, Thursday's match-ups are starting to come into focus.

With two games already determined and two yet to be played this evening, it's time to take a look at the updated Big East Tournament Bracket.

No. 1 Syracuse vs. No. 9 UConn

Uconn comes into this game as a heavy but dangerous underdog. It wasn't even a month ago that the Huskies played Syracuse close, ultimately losing by two at home.

It seems whenever Jim Calhoun and Jim Boeheim get together, a classic is in the works.

The game can be seen on ESPN at 12:00 p.m. ET.

No. 4 Cincinnati vs. No. 5 Georgetown

Even though the Bearcats are the higher seed, many will expect this experienced Hoyas team to find a way. After beating the Panthers with suffocating defense on Wednesday afternoon, Georgetown is playing with ample confidence.

The game will be aired on ESPN at 2:00 p.m. ET

For now, No. 2 Marquette awaits the winner of Seton Hall/Louisville while No.3 Notre Dame will play either South Florida or Villanova.

For more coverage on the Big East Tournament, be sure to check out Big East Coast Bias and SB Nation New York.

2012 Big East Tournament: Final Score Georgetown 64, Pittsburgh 52

Georgetown is moving on in the 2012 Big East Conference men's basketball tournament while Pittsburgh is headed home for the spring. The Hoyas took care of business as expected Wednesday at Madison Square Garden, winning 64-52 over the Panthers.

The fifth-seeded Hoyas will now move on to play Cincinnati on Thursday in the quarterfinals.

Georgetown (23-7, 12-6) played stifling defense throughout the afternoon, holding Jamie Dixon's crew to 36.1 percent shooting from the field. Ashton Gibbs was the only player to crack double figures for Pittsburgh with 14 points. It's a tough ending for Gibbs, who played his final game in a Panthers uniform.

The Hoyas were buoyed by Henry Sims who recorded a double-double with 20 points, 13 rebounds and five assists. Otto Porter also scored 20 points while Greg Whittington came off the bench to contribute 11 points and six boards.

Georgetown beat up on Pittsburgh inside, out-rebounding them 33-22 while getting to the line 31 times compared to just 18 attempts for the Panthers.

For more coverage of the Big East Tournament, Georgetown and Pittsburgh, please be sure to visit Big East Coast Bias, Casual Hoya and Cardiac Hill respectively. For comprehensive coverage keep it right here on SB Nation New York.

2012 Big East Basketball Tournament, Pittsburgh Vs. Georgetown Score Update: Hoyas Up 31-23 At Half

In a slow-paced first half, the Georgetown Hoyas jumped ahead of the Pittsburgh Panthers and have a 31-23 halftime lead in the Big East Conference men's basketball tournament Wednesday afternoon.

Georgetown struggled with turnovers in the first 20 minutes, committing seven as a team. Henry Sims and Otto Porter combined for 17 of the Hoyas 31 points. Georgetown finished the first half on a 12-0 run.

Senior guard Ashton Gibbs led the way for Pittsburgh, shooting only 2 of 7 from the field but scoring nine points. Pitt's bench was a virtual non-factor, contributing just two points in the first half.

The winner will play Cincinnati in Thursday's quarterfinals. The Bearcats earned a double bye by finishing fourth in the Big East during regular season play.

- For complete coverage of the Big East Tournament, check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream. For more on the Big East Conference, visit the SB Nation blog Big East Coast Bias.

2012 Big East Basketball Tournament, Pittsburgh Vs. Georgetown Score Update: Hoyas Up 31-23 At Half

In a slow-paced first half, the Georgetown Hoyas jumped ahead of the Pittsburgh Panthers and have a 31-23 halftime lead.

Georgetown struggled with turnovers in the first 20 minutes, committing seven as a team. Henry Sims and Otto Porter combined for 17 of the Hoyas 31 points. The Hoyas finished the first half on a 12-0 run.

Senior guard Ashton Gibbs led the way for Pittsburgh, shooting 2-7 from the field and scoring 9 points. Pitt's bench was a virtual non-factor, contributing just two points in the first half.

The winner of today's game will play Cincinnati in Thursday's quarterfinals. The Bearcats earned a double bye by finishing fourth in the Big East during regular season play.

- For complete coverage of the Big East Tournament, check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream. For more on the Big East Conference, visit the SB Nation blog Big East Coast Bias.

NCAA Tournament 2012: Syracuse, Kentucky 'The Two Best Teams,' Says Committee Chairman

Before they even begin the Big East Tournament, the Syracuse Orange have done enough to warrant a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. That's no surprise to anyone paying attention, but this might be:

The NCAA tournament committee chairman said as much.

During a teleconference on Wednesday, Jeff Hathaway said Syracuse and Kentucky are clearly better than every other team in the nation, a sentiment that seems to all but guarantee both teams a No. 1 seed.

"I think we all agree that if the season ended today, we know who the two best teams are," he said Wednesday. "If you're looking at 3 and 4 on the first line and the entire second line, we have the same handful of teams in mind but where they would be laced will be a tremendous debate."

Though noting that injuries and/or suspensions could change the committee's mind, Hathaway minced no words in calling Kentucky and Syracuse the cream of the crop.

"The bottom line is, everyone today knows that if the season ended, we would say those two teams are the best in the country," Hathaway said.

For more on Syracuse basketball, check out this SB Nation New York StoryStream. Check out the SB Nation's blog Nunes Magician to discuss everything on the Orange.

Syracuse Basketball: Top-Seeded Orange To Face Rival UConn In Third Round Of Big East Tournament

The No. 2-ranked Syracuse Orange men's basketball team found out who they're playing in the third round of the 2012 Big East Tournament, as the Connecticut Huskies defeated the West Virginia Mountaineers, 70-67, in overtime during the first game of Wednesday's second round. The Huskies, the No. 9 seed, were led by sophomore guard Shabazz Napier's 26 points and six assists.

The result advances UConn (20-12) to day three of the five-day, single-elimination event at Madison Square Garden and sets up the third meeting with Syracuse this season. The Orange (30-1) already defeated the Huskies, 85-67, Feb. 11, and 71-69, Feb. 25.

Obviously, the end results of those games have fostered some hard feelings from UConn, which defeated Syracuse in last year's Big East Tournament quarterfinals -- we all remember what happened from there.

However, last year's game will not be talked as much as 2009's epic six-overtime thriller against UConn that ended with the Orange winning 127-117.

Syracuse vs Connecticut Recap March 12 2009 (via bendreizehn)

In the history of the Big East Tournament, these two program have meet a bunch of times. Here's a rundown of the history and results:

2011: UConn 76, Syracuse 71 (OT) -- Semifinals
2009: Syracuse 127, UConn 117 (6OT) -- Quartefinals
2007: Syracuse 78, UConn 65 -- First Round
2006: Syracuse 96, UConn 84 (OT) -- Quarterfinals
2005: Syracuse 67, UConn 63 -- Quarterfinals
2003: UConn 80, Syracuse 67 -- Semifinals
2001: Syracuse 86, UConn 75 -- First Round
1999: UConn 71, Syracuse 50 -- Semifinals
1998: UConn 69, Syracuse 64 -- Championship
1996: UConn 85, Syracuse 67 -- Semifinals
1990: UConn 78, Syracuse 75 -- Championship
1984: Syracuse 73, UConn 58 -- Quarterfinals
1980: Syracuse 92, UConn 61 -- Semifinals

For those keeping score: Syracuse 7, UConn 6

All-in-all, whenever these two schools meet up in the Big East Championship Tournament it's going to be a good show. So, enjoy!

Be sure to check back to this StoryStream for the latest news on Syracuse basketball. For more on the Orange, visit the SB Nation blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician, while The Smoking Musket everything on the Mountaineers. Make sure to follow along on Twitter at SBNationNY or JaredSmithCNY.

2012 Big East Basketball Tournament, West Virginia Vs. Connecticut: Huskies Tip Mountaineers In Overtime

Behind a sensational second half from sophomore guard Shabazz Napier, Connecticut upended West Virginia, 71-67, in overtime Wednesday in the second round of the Big East Conference men's basketball tournament.

Napier poured in 22 points in the second half and overtime to help charge the Huskies comeback, and the defending Big East champions will take on top-seeded Syracuse in Thursday's quarterfinals.

Napier had a chance to end the game in regulation, but misfired on a long-range three point attempt as time expired. That shot was long forgotten, however, after the Huskies outscored the Mountaineers 6-2 in overtime.

West Virginia was led by Kevin Jones, who finished with 25 points and 10 rebounds, but he was one of just two Mountaineers to score in double figures. West Virginia struggled from behind the arc as a team, missing all but three of their 19 three point attempts.

- For complete coverage of the Big East Tournament, check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream. For more on the Big East Conference, visit the SB Nation blog Big East Coast Bias.

Big East Tournament 2012: Mike Rice Says 'Rutgers Is Going To Happen'

The Rutgers men's basketball team ended a difficult 2011-2012 season on a down note Tuesday, getting blown out by Villanova, 70-49, in opening-round play of the Big East Conference tournament. The Scarlet Knights finished 14-19, but head coach Mike Rice is optimistic about the future of his team -- which featured all underclassmen.

"It's going to happen. Rutgers is going to happen. I keep telling anybody who's going to listen," Rice said Tuesday night. "You get bigger and stronger. We need to be‑‑ we now know what we don't know going into October. They all thought they knew it. They had the answer. ... But these guys will get it. They had incredible learning experiences. They all developed."

Rice expects his team to be better next season.

"They're going to understand what makes Division I teams successful, what makes winning basketball teams, making winning plays, playing for one another, doing your job, doing all the little details that goes into it," he said.

Big East Basketball Tournament 2012, West Virginia Vs. Connecticut Score Update: Mountaineers Up 30-26 At Half

In second round play of the 2012 Big East basketball tournament, the West Viriginia Mountaineers and Connecticut Huskies are engaging in a tight one, as the Mountaineers lead the Huskies 30-26 at half.

A day after scoring 25 points in a win again DePaul, Connecticut's Jeremy Lamb has 12 points on 5-9 shooting to lead the Huskies, who shot 45.8 percent from the floor as a team.

West Virginia, who avoided having to play in the opening round by virtue of their top eight regular season finish in the Big East, were led by senior forward Kevin Jones, who finished the opening half with 13 points.

The winner of this game will take on Syracuse in quarterfinal action on Friday.

- For complete coverage of the Big East Tournament, check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream. For more on the Big East Conference, visit the SB Nation blog Big East Coast Bias.

Bracketology 2012: What's At Stake At The Big East Tournament

Round two of the 2012 Big East Conference men's basketball tournament tips off shortly, and for some schools there's more to play for than just winning the title on the floor of Madison Square Garden. For the Connecticut Huskies, Seton Hall Pirates and South Florida Bulls they're trying to solidify their NCAA Tournament at-large bids.

With victories on Tuesday, many Bracketologist have penciled in UConn and Seton Hall into the 68-team field. SB Nation's Chris Dobbertean has the Pirates as No. 12 seed, while UConn is a No. 10 seed.

ESPN's Joe Lunardi has Seton Hall as a No. 12 and facing the Xavier Musketeers in a first-round game in Dayton, OH, while the Huskies are a No. 10 seed. CBSSports.com's Jerry Palm is projecting the Pirates and Huskies as No. 11s.

Meanwhile, USF is currently in on the madness of March, but barley. Dobbertean and Palm both are predicting that the Bulls will earn a No. 12 seed, however, will be forced to participate in a first-round game in Dayton, while Lundari has the same seed, but, in the round of 64.

As for the West Virginia Mountaineers, Georgetown Hoyas and Louisville Cardinals, who're all playing Wednesday, are shoo-ins not matter their results in round two.

In conclusion, USF needs a victory to not sweat come Selection Sunday, while Seton Hall and UConn are in, however, who knows what will happen during the next few days when it comes to mid-major conference tournament.

A win put you in not matter what the results of those tournament, while a loss can still put them on the outside looking in.

— For complete coverage of the Big East Tournament, check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream. For more on the Big East Conference, visit the SB Nation blog Big East Coast Bias.

Big East Tournament 2012: West Virginia, Georgetown, Louisville, USF Ready To Go For Round Two

Day one of the Big East Conference men's basketball tournament was anything bit thrilling, as the first-round games featured the victor winning in blowout fashion. Day two of the Big East Tournament will showcase some better contests, with the No. 9-seeded Connecticut Huskies and West Virginia Mountaineers kick starting things at noon ET on ESPN at Madison Square Garden.

Following that game is No. 13 Pittsburgh Panthers against No. 5 Georgetown Huskies. The night session tips off with No. 10 Seton Hall Pirates playing No. 7 Louisville Cardinals, while No. 14 Villanova Wildcats and No. 5 South Florida Bulls cap the action.

SB Nation New York has a preview to each contest, here's a link to each:

Wednesday, March 7:

Noon/ESPNU, ESPN3D: UConn vs. West Virginia
2 p.m./ESPNU, ESPN3D: Pitt vs. Georgetown
7 p.m./ESPNU, ESPN3D: Seton Hall vs. Louisville
9 p.m./ESPNU, ESPN3D: 'Nova vs. USF

— For complete coverage of the Big East Tournament, check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream. For more on the Big East Conference, visit the SB Nation blog Big East Coast Bias.

Big East Tournament 2012: No. 14 Villanova vs. No. 6 South Florida Game Time, TV Schedule And More

Entering halftime of Tuesday night's opening-round game of the Big East Tournament against the No. 11 Rutgers Scarlet Knights, the No. 14 Villanova Wildcats trailed by four points and risked ending their season with two consecutive losses. But a stout defensive effort in the second half catapulted the Wildcats (13-18, 5-13 Big East) to a 70-49 win over the Scarlet Knights and set them up for a second-round showdown with the No. 6 South Florida Bulls (19-12, 12-6 Big East) Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden. Tip-off is slated for 9 p.m. ET on ESPN and ESPN3D.

Villanova shot 45.8 percent from the field Tuesday while holding Rutgers to just 29.1 percent. Junior guard Maalik Wayns led the Wildcats with 28 points on 7-of-14 shooting, while junior forward/center Mouphtaou Yarou recorded a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds.

South Florida, meanwhile, earned a first-round bye despite ending the regular season with a 50-44 loss to West Virginia Saturday. Nevertheless, the Bulls did win six of their last eight games.

Interestingly enough, USF has zero players averaging at least 10 points per game. However, the Bulls do have five players averaging at least 8.0 ppg, with their leading scorer, senior forward Augustus Gilchrist, averaging 9.9 ppg.

The winner of Wednesday night's game will play the No. 3 Notre Dame Fighting Irish Thursday at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN and ESPN3D.

— For complete coverage of the Big East Tournament, check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream. For more on the Big East Conference, visit the SB Nation blog Big East Coast Bias.

Big East Tournament 2012: No. 10 Seton Hall vs. No. 7 Louisville Game Time, TV Schedule And More

Resting firmly on the NCAA Tournament bubble, the Seton Hall Pirates boosted their March Madness hopes with a 79-47 rout of the Providence Friars in the first round of the Big East Tournament Tuesday night. Wednesday night, the No. 10 Pirates (20-11, 8-10 Big East) will face the No. 7 Louisville Cardinals (22-9, 10-8 Big East) at Madison Square Garden. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET on ESPN and ESPN3D.

Five Pirates scored in double figures Tuesday night, including four members of the starting lineup. Senior forward Herb Pope and freshman forward Brandon Mobley (who played 33 minutes off the bench) each scored a game-high 16 points, while senior guard Jordan Theodore contributed a double-double with 13 points and 13 assists. Sophomore guard/forward Fuquan Edwin added 12 points and sophomore forward Patrik Auda had 11. For the game, Seton Hall was 56.0 percent from the field (28-for-50).

Louisville, meanwhile, earned a first-round bye despite losing its last two regular-season games. The Cardinals have six players averaging at least 8.0 points per game, and three average double-figures -- senior guard/forward Kyle Kuric (12.9 ppg), sophomore guard Russ Smith (11.9) and senior guard Chris Smith (10.1 ppg).

The winner of Wednesday's game will face the No. 2 Marquette Golden Eagles Thursday night at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN and ESPN3D.

— For complete coverage of the Big East Tournament, check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream. For more on the Big East Conference, visit the SB Nation blog Big East Coast Bias.

Big East Tournament 2012: No. 13 Pittsburgh Vs. No. 5 Georgetown Game Time, TV Schedule And More

Middling as they seemed in the regular season, the Pittsburgh Panthers are moving on to the second round of the Big East Tournament for the first time in four years. The No. 13 Panthers (17-15, 5-13 Big East) will face the No. 5 Georgetown Hoyas (22-7, 12-6 Big East) Wednesday afternoon at Madison Square Garden. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m. ET on ESPN and ESPN 3D.

Pittsburgh met No. 12 St. John's Tuesday afternoon but was able to pull off the upset thanks to 20 points from senior guard Ashton Gibbs. Senior forward Nasir Robinson added 15 points and a team-high eight rebounds.

Georgetown, meanwhile, earned a first-round bye after despite losing its regular-season finale to Marquette (the conference's No. 2 seed) 83-69 Saturday. The Hoyas are led by a trio of senior guard Jason Clark (14.3 points per game), junior forward Hollis Thompson (13.0 ppg) and senior center Henry Sims (11.1 ppg). Freshman forward Otto Porter leads the team with 6.8 rebounds per game and is fourth with 9.0 ppg.

Wednesday afternoon's winner will face the No. 4 Cincinnati Bearcats Thursday at 2 p.m. ET on ESPN and ESPN3D.

— For complete coverage of the Big East Tournament, check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream. For more on the Big East Conference, visit the SB Nation blog Big East Coast Bias.

Big East Tournament 2012: No. 9 Connecticut Vs. No. 8 West Virginia Game Time, TV Schedule And More

Connecticut opened the first round of the Big East Tournament in familiar fashion Tuesday afternoon, downing No. 16 DePaul to move on to the second round Wednesday to play the No. 8 West Virginia Mountaineers. The game will tip-off at noon on ESPN and ESPN3D.

In their 81-67 win over the Blue Demons, the Huskies looked much more like the team that rode a late-season surge that began with a conference tourney title and ended with an NCAA Tournament championship than the one that ended the 2012 regular season with a 19-11 overall record. UConn enjoyed a well-rounded effort against DePaul, shooting 53.4 percent from the field while holding the Blue Demons to just 32.4 percent.

Sophomore guard/forward Jeremy Lamb led all scorers with 25 points while also adding five rebounds and four assists. Freshman guard Ryan Boatright added 19 points, seven assits and five rebounds, while freshman center Andre Drummond scored 12 points. Junior forward/center Alex Oriakhi contributed nine points, seven rebounds and four blocks of his own.

West Virginia, meanwhile, enters the Big East Tournament having earned a first-round bye following a 9-9 conference season (19-12 overall). The Mountaineers enter Wednesday's game on a two-game winning streak with victories over DePaul and South Florida.

WVU will be powered by a trio of players who scored in double figures this season. Senior forward Kevin Jones led the team in scoring with 20.0 points and 11.2 rebounds, while senior guard Darryl Bryant averaged 17.1 points per game and junior forward Deniz Kilicli scored 10.9.

The winner of Wednesday's game will play the No. 1 Syracuse Orange Thursday at noon on ESPN and ESPN3D.

— For complete coverage of the Big East Tournament, check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream. For more on the Big East Conference, visit the SB Nation blog Big East Coast Bias.

Big East Tournament 2012: Bracket Finalized For Day Two

The first round of the 2012 Big East Tournament ended late Tuesday night as the No. 14 Villanova Wildcats knocked off the No. 11 Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Madison Square Garden. The result finalized the bracket for day two, as the Connecticut Huskies, Pittsburgh Panthers and Seton Hall Pirates all won in blowout fashion earlier on Tuesday.

Wednesday, the second round of the Big East Tournament will feature four teams that received first-round byes -- the West Virginia Mountaineers, Georgetown Hoyas, Louisville Cardinals and South Florida Bulls.

Here's the updated Big East Tournament bracket and TV schedule:

Tuesday, March 6 (First Round):

Noon ET/ESPN2, ESPN3D: (16) DePaul Blue Demons 67, (9) Connecticut Huskies 81
2 p.m./ESPN2, ESPN3D: (12) St. John’s Red Storm 59, (12) Pittsburgh Panthers 73
7 p.m./ESPNU, ESPN3D: (15) Providence Friars 47, (10) Seton Hall Pirates 79
9 p.m./ESPNU, ESPN3D: (11) Rutgers Scarlet Knights 49, (14) Villanova Wildcats 70

Wednesday, March 7:

Noon/ESPNU, ESPN3D: (9) Connecticut Huskies vs. (8) West Virginia Mountaineers
2 p.m./ESPNU, ESPN3D: (13) Pittsburgh Panthers vs. (5) Georgetown Hoyas
7 p.m./ESPNU, ESPN3D: (10) Seton Hall Pirates vs. (7) Louisville Cardinals
9 p.m./ESPNU, ESPN3D: (14) Villanova Wildcats vs. (6) South Florida Bulls

Thursday, March 8:

Noon/ESPN, ESPN3D: (WINNER of Wed. Noon Game) vs. (1) Syracuse Orange
2 p.m./ESPN, ESPN3D: (WINNER of Wed. 2 p.m. Game) vs. (4) Cincinnati Bearcats
7 p.m./ESPN, ESPN3D: (WINNER of Wed. 7 p.m. Game) vs. (2) Marquette Golden Eagles
9 p.m./ESPN, ESPN3D: (WINNER of Wed. 9 p.m. Game) vs. (3) Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Friday, March 9:

7 p.m./ESPN, ESPN3D: (WINNER of Thurs. Noon Game) vs. (WINNER of Thurs. 2 p.m. Game)
9 p.m./ESPN, ESPN3D: (WINNER of Thurs. 7 p.m. Game) vs. (WINNER of Thurs. 9 p.m. Game)

Saturday, March 10 (Championship Round on ESPN):

9 p.m./ESPN, ESPN3D: WINNERS of Semifinal-Round Games

— For complete coverage of the Big East Tournament, check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream. For more on the Big East Conference, visit the SB Nation blog Big East Coast Bias.

Big East Tournament 2012, Rutgers Vs. Villanova Final Score: Wildcats Defeat Scarlet Knights, 70-49

Despite Eli Carter scoring a game-high 23 points, the No. 11 Rutgers Scarlet Knights lost to the No. 14 Villanova Wildcats 70-49 in the first round of the 2012 Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden. The Scarlet Knights went from making all seven of their 3-point attempts in the first half to missing all six treys in the second, as the Wildcats advanced to the second round to play the No. 5 South Florida Bulls Wednesday (9 p.m. on ESPN).

via assets.sbnation.com

Junior guard Maalik Wayns finished with a team-best 28 points for 'Nova, which out-rebounded Rutgers 39-23 and went 22-for-30 from the free throw line. Junior forward Mouphtaou Yarou added nine points and 10 rebounds.

The Scarlet Knights finished the game shooting just 29 percent from the floor, including 7-for-16 from long range (RU was 7-for-11 in the first half). Rutgers scored only 15 points in the second half.

Junior guard Dane Miller netted seven points for the Scarlet Knights, while freshman guard Myles Mack added six but was held scoreless in the second half.

— For complete coverage of the Big East Tournament, check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream. For more on the Big East Conference, visit the SB Nation blog Big East Coast Bias.

Big East Tournament, Rutgers Vs. Villanova Halftime Score: Scarlet Knights Lead Wildcats, 34-30

Using seven 3-pointers and a 15-2 run, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights have taken a 34-30 halftime lead over the Villanova Wildcats in a first-round game of the 2012 Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden. Freshman guard Eli Carter has netted a game-best 15 points, including three 3-pointers, for Rutgers which has gone 7-for-11 from behind the 3-point arc.

Junior guard Maalik Wayns has tallied a team-best nine points for the Wildcats, who's shooting 41-percent from the floor. Junior forward Mouphtaou Yarou and sophomore guard James Bell have each netted six points.

Junior guard Dane Miller and freshman guard Myles Mack both scored six points for the Scarlet Knights.

The winner advances to Wednesday's second round where it will play the No. 6-seeded South Florida Bulls (9 p.m. ET on ESPN). Click here for a look at the bracket.

— For complete coverage of the Big East Tournament, check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream. For more on the Big East Conference, visit the SB Nation blog Big East Coast Bias.

Big East Tournament 2012, Seton Hall Vs. Providence Final Score: Pirates Sink Friars, 79-47

The Seton Hall Pirates needed a victory Tuesday to help solidify a NCAA Tournament at-large invite, and that's just what they received by routing the Providence Friars 79-44 in the first round of the 2012 Big East Conference Tournament at Madison Square Garden.

Senior guard Jordan Theodore netted a team-best 13 points and set a new personal and Big East tourney record with 13 assists to help the No. 10-seeded Pirates advance to Wednesday's second round (7 p.m. ET on ESPN). Awaiting Seton Hall will be the No. 7 Louisville Cardinals, who beat the Pirates 60-51 on Jan. 28. The Friars now finish their season 15-17 overall.

Senior forward Herb Pope tallied a team-best 16 points and collected six rebounds, while freshman forward Brandon Mobley netted a collegiate-best 16 points, including two 3-pointers. Overall, the Pirates went 8-for-16 from behind the 3-point arc and shot 56-percent from the floor.

The Friars were paced by freshman forward LaDontae Henton, who scored 14 and collected seven rebounds.

— For complete coverage of the Big East Tournament, check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream. For more on the Big East Conference, visit the SB Nation blog Big East Coast Bias.

Seton Hall Vs. Providence Halftime Score: Pirates Ahead 36-23

Led by five 3-pointers, the Seton Hall Pirates men's basketball program has overcome an early 9-0 deficit to take a 36-23 halftime lead over the Providence Friars in a first-round Big East Conference Tournament game at Madison Square Garden. The winner of this game advances to play the No. 7-seeded Louisville Cardinals Wednesday at 7 p.m. on ESPN.

Freshman forward Brandon Mobley added a team-high 11 points, while senior forward Jordan Theodore added nine to help give Seton Hall a 14-point cushion heading into the locker room.

Freshman forward LaDontae Henton has tallied a team-best seven points for Providence, which is shooting just 25-percent from the floor, including 2-for-10 from 3-point range. The Pirates, meanwhile, have made 5 of their 12 3-pointers.

— For complete coverage of the Big East Tournament, check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream. For more on the Big East Conference, visit the SB Nation blog Big East Coast Bias.

Big East Basketball Awards 2012: Jae Crowder Earns Player of the Year; Moe Harkless Is Rookie of the Year

The final four Big East Conference men's basketball awards were announced Tuesday evening, and St. John's Red Storm freshman guard Moe Harkless was named the league's Rookie of the Year, while Marquette Golden Eagles senior forward Jae Crowder earned Player of the Year honors.

Harkless, whose Johnnies lost in the first round of the Big East Tournament to the Pittsburgh Panthers 73-59 despite his game-high 25 points, becomes the first St. John's player to win the award since David Russell in 1979-80.

Harkless averaged 15 points, 8.6 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 1.5 blocks per game for St. John's, which ended the year 13-19 overall.

via desmond.yfrog.com

Crowder was in a two-way battle with West Virginia Mountaineers senior forward Kevin Jones, but his play down the stretch helped the Golden Eagles finish the season as the second-best team in the conference.

Meanwhile, USF head coach Stan Heath earned the confernece's Coach of the Year award, beating out theSyracuse Orange's Jim Boeheim and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish's Mike Brey.

Heath helped lead the Bulls to their best regular season in Big East history (12-6), as well as a 19-12 record overall. So far, South Florida is on pace to earn a NCAA Tournament bid for the first time since 1992.

Here's a composite look of the 2012 Big East awards:

Player of the Year: Jae Crowder, senior forward, Marquette Golden Eagles
Sixth-Man of the Year: Dion Waiters, sophomore guard, Syracuse Orange
Rookie of the Year: Moe Harkless, guard/forward, St. John's Red Storm
Coach of the Year: Stan Heath, South Florida Bulls
Scholar Athlete of the Year: Tim Abromaitis, Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Sportsman of the Year: Jason Clark, senior guard, Georgetown Hoyas

— For complete coverage of the Big East Tournament, check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream. For more on the Big East Conference, visit the SB Nation blog Big East Coast Bias.

Big East Tournament 2012: Tuesday Afternoon Bracket Update

The 2012 Big East Tournament is already two games old, as the Connecticut Huskies and Pittsburgh Panthers earned first-round victories and advanced to the second round of the five-day, 16-team, single-elimination event at Madison Square Garden.

On deck, the No. 10-seeded Seton Hall Pirates will try to keep their NCAA Tournament hopes alive against the No.15 Providence Friars at 7 p.m. on ESPNU. Following that contest is No. 14 Villanova Wildcats and Rutgers Scarlet Knights (approx. 9 p.m. on ESPNU).

Here's the updated Big East Tournament bracket and TV schedule:

Tuesday, March 6 (First Round):

Noon ET/ESPN2, ESPN3D: (9) Connecticut Huskies 81, (16) DePaul Blue Demons 67
2 p.m./ESPN2, ESPN3D: (12) Pittsburgh Panthers 73, (12) St. John’s Red Storm 59
7 p.m./ESPNU, ESPN3D: (15) Providence Friars vs. (10) Seton Hall Pirates
9 p.m./ESPNU, ESPN3D: (14) Villanova Wildcats vs. (11) Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Wednesday, March 7:

Noon/ESPNU, ESPN3D: (9) Connecticut Huskies vs. (8) West Virginia Mountaineers
2 p.m./ESPNU, ESPN3D: (13) Pittsburgh Panthers vs. (5) Georgetown Hoyas
7 p.m./ESPNU, ESPN3D: (WINNER of No. 15/10) vs. (7) Louisville Cardinals
9 p.m./ESPNU, ESPN3D: (WINNER of No. 14/11) vs. (6) South Florida Bulls

Thursday, March 8:

Noon/ESPN, ESPN3D: (WINNER of Wed. Noon Game) vs. (1) Syracuse Orange
2 p.m./ESPN, ESPN3D: (WINNER of Wed. 2 p.m. Game) vs. (4) Cincinnati Bearcats
7 p.m./ESPN, ESPN3D: (WINNER of Wed. 7 p.m. Game) vs. (2) Marquette Golden Eagles
9 p.m./ESPN, ESPN3D: (WINNER of Wed. 9 p.m. Game) vs. (3) Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Friday, March 9:

7 p.m./ESPN, ESPN3D: (WINNER of Thurs. Noon Game) vs. (WINNER of Thurs. 2 p.m. Game)
9 p.m./ESPN, ESPN3D: (WINNER of Thurs. 7 p.m. Game) vs. (WINNER of Thurs. 9 p.m. Game)

Saturday, March 10 (Championship Round on ESPN):

9 p.m./ESPN, ESPN3D: WINNERS of Semifinal-Round Games

— For complete coverage of the Big East Tournament, check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream. For more on the Big East Conference, visit the SB Nation blog Big East Coast Bias.

Big East Tournament 2012, St. John's Vs. Pittsburgh Final Score: Panthers Coast, 73-59

Despite freshman guard Moe Harkless netting a game-high 25 points, the St. John's Red Storm fell the to Pittsburgh Panthers 73-59 in the first round of the 2012 Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden. The loss ends the No. 12-seeded Red Storm's season ends with an overall record of 13-19.

No. 13 Pittsburgh (16-15) kept its possible NCAA Tournament miracle run alive, as it advances to play the No. 5 Georgetown Hoyas Wednesday at 2 p.m. on ESPN. Earlier in the year, the Panthers defeated the Hoyas 72-60 Jan. 28.

Senior guard Ashton Gibbs paced Pitt in scoring with 20 points, while senior forward Nasir Robinson tallied 12 points and seven rebounds. The Panthers shot 45 percent from the floor, while the Red Storm made 33 percent.

Meanwhile, St. John's ends the year with high hopes for next season, as head coach Steve Lavin told ESPN during Tuesday's afternoon broadcast that he will return to the program after fully recovering from prostate cancer surgery.

Lavin also said the Johnnies should bring in another top-tier recruiting class, which will go well with Harkless, the favorite to win the Big East Rookie of the Year award, and freshman guard D'Angelo Harrison, who earned a spot on the All-Big East Rookie Team.

Tuesday, Harrison finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds, while Harkless added nine.

The only player not returning next year for St. John's is senior guard Malik Stith, who averaged 2.7 points in 14.6 minutes of playing time per game.

— For complete coverage of the Big East Tournament, check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream. For more on the Big East Conference, visit the SB Nation blog Big East Coast Bias.

Big East Tournament 2012, St. John's Vs. Pittsburgh Score Update: Red Storm Trail 33-28 At Half

The St. John's Red Storm got off to a good start in the Big East Tournament Tuesday afternoon at Madison Square Garden behind 13 points from Moe Harkless, but a late Pittsburgh surge put the Red Storm behind 33-28 at intermission with some work to do in half two.

St. John's led 28-25 before Pittsburgh ended the half on an 8-0 flurry.

The first half was a war of attrition, with neither team cracking 40 percent from the floor. St. John's hit 33.3 percent of its field goal attempts and Pittsburgh barely managed better 36.7 percent.

God'sgift Achiuwa contributed five points and nine rebounds off the bench for the Red Storm, and D'Angelo Harrison added points.

Pittsburgh was paced by Ashton Gibbs, who drained a trio of three-pointers on his way to pouring in 15 points.

For complete coverage of the Big East Tournament 2012, check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream.

For SB Nation New York's previews of other Big East schools, click on the respective links: Syracuse, Marquette, Notre Dame, Cincinnati, Georgetown, South Florida, Louisville, West Virginia, Connecticut, Seton Hall, Rutgers, St. John's, Pittsburgh,Villanova, Providence, DePaul.

2012 Big East Basketball Tournament, DePaul Vs. Connecticut Final Score: Huskies Cruise, 81-67

Despite stretches of offensive inefficiency, Connecticut was able to cruise past DePaul in the opening game of the 2012 Big East tournament.

The Huskies, who are hoping to solidify their spot in the NCAA tournament with a strong stretch in the Big East tournament, were led by sophomore Jeremy Lamb, who finished the game with 25 points on 10-17 shooting. As a team, Connecticut (the ninth seed in the tournament) shot 52.5 percent overall and eight of 13 from three point range.

DePaul, who finished last in the Big East during regular season play, shot just 32.9 percent from the field. Cleveland Melvin led the Blue Demons with 19 points and nine rebounds.

Connecticut, who won the Big East tournament as the ninth seed last season, moves on to face the eighth-seeded West Virginia Mountaineers in second round play on Wednesday.

For complete coverage of the Big East Tournament 2012, check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream.

For a SB Nation New York preview of other Big East schools, click on its respective links:Syracuse, Marquette, Notre Dame, Cincinnati, Georgetown, South Florida,Louisville,West Virginia, Connecticut, Seton Hall, Rutgers, St. John's, Pittsburgh,Villanova,Providence, DePaul.

2012 Big East Basketball Tournament, DePaul Vs. Connecticut Score Update: Huskies Up 46-33

Behind the sharpshooting of sophomore guard-forward Jeremy Lamb, the defending Big East and National Champion Connecticut Huskies have a 46-33 halftime lead over DePaul in the opening game of the 2012 Big East tournament.

Lamb finished with 17 first half points on 7-11 shooting, and the Huskies (the ninth seed) hit seven of their nine three point attempts.

DePaul, who finished last in the Big East during regular season play, hung tough for much of the first half by keeping Connecticut largely off the offensive glass, holding the Huskies to just three offensive rebounds. Sophomore forward Cleveland Melvin, the Blue Demon's leading scorer, had seven points and six rebounds in the opening 20 minutes.

DePaul shot just 28.6 percent from the field.

For complete coverage of the Big East Tournament 2012, check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream.

For a SB Nation New York preview of other Big East schools, click on its respective links:Syracuse, Marquette, Notre Dame, Cincinnati, Georgetown, South Florida, Louisville,West Virginia, Connecticut, Seton Hall, Rutgers, St. John's, Pittsburgh, Villanova,Providence, DePaul.

Bracketology 2012: Seton Hall Basketball Still In NCAA Tournament Field Entering Big East Tournament

The Seton Hall Pirates men's basketball program's attempt to solidify the NCAA Tournament will begin Tuesday, when they face the Providence Friars in the first round of the Big East Conference Tournament at Madison Square Garden (7 p.m. on ESPNU).

The Pirates enter the contest needing a victory that would help them get off the March Madness bubble. As of Tuesday, Bracketologist have Seton Hall making 68-team field, however, all that could change if the No. 15-seeded Friars upset the No. 10 Pirates.

Here's a composite look at what the Bracketologists are projecting for Seton Hall basketball entering Big East Tournament play on Tuesday:

SB Nation's Dobbertean: No. 12 seed vs. UNLV
SI.com's Glockner: No. 12 vs. No. 5 Cheighton Blue Jays
CollegeHoops.net: No. 12
ESPN's Lunadri: No. 12, first-round contest vs. No. 12 Xavier Musketeers

For more on Seton Hall basketball, check out the SB Nation blog South Orange Juice. If you'd like some more Bracketology fun, visit Blogging The Bracket, while this SB Nation New York StoryStream will keep up dated on the latest rankings and NCAA Tournament projections.

2012 Big East Basketball Tournament: Seton Hall Vs. Providence Preview

Save for a nearly month-long, six-game losing streak in January, Seton Hall could find its NCAA Tournament standing much more secure as postseason play begins.

Tuesday night, the No. 10 seed Pirates (19-11, 8-10 Big East) will face the No. 15 seed Providence Friars (15-16, 4-14 Big East) in the Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden. The game will tip-off at 7 p.m. ET on ESPNU and ESPN3D.

Seton Hall entered Big East play back in late December with an 11-1 record, with its only loss coming Nov. 20 against Northwestern. But in their conference opener, the Pirates were steamrolled by the Syracuse Orange (the conference tourney's No. 1 seed).

Seton Hall rebounded with a four-game winning streak, but then game the six-game skid. Four of the losses came on the road, including on trips to South Florida (the Big East's No. 6 seed) Marquette (No. 2) and Connecticut (No. 9). Seton Hall also dropped home games in that stretch to Notre Dame (No. 3) and Louisville (No. 7). The Pirates rebounded four of their next five, though a two-game skid to end the season (losses to Rutgers and DePaul) eliminated much of that momentum.

Providence, meanwhile, entered Big East play with a 11-2 record before losing eight of its first nine conference games. A 78-67 home win against Rutgers Feb. 1 stemmed the tide, though the Friars proceeded to lose its next five. They ended the regular season with two straight wins against DePaul and Connecticut before losing 75-69 at Notre Dame Friday.

The Pirates had three players finish the season scoring in double-digits. Senior guard Jordan Theodore led the team with 16.0 points and 6.7 assists per game, while senior forward Herb Pope averaged a double-double with 15.3 points and 10.3 rebounds per game. Sophomore guard/forward Fuquan Edwin scored 12.6 points and also averaged 3.1 steals per game, second-most in the nation.

Providence had four players finish with at least 10 points per game, led by junior guard Vincent Council with 16.2. Sophomore guard Bryce Cotton averaged 14.4 and freshman forward LaDontae Henton scored 14.3. Sophomore guard Gerard Coleman was fourth with 13.5.

For complete coverage of the Big East Tournament 2012, check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream.

For a SB Nation New York preview of other Big East schools, click on its respective links: Syracuse, Marquette, Notre Dame, Cincinnati, Georgetown, South Florida, Louisville, West Virginia, Connecticut, Seton Hall, Rutgers, St. John's, Pittsburgh, Villanova, Providence, DePaul.

2012 Big East Basketball Tournament: Rutgers Vs. Villanova Preview

Less than one week ago, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and the Villanova Wildcats met in what was the second-to-last Big East regular season game for each. The Wildcats left the Scarlet Knights' home arena with a 77-71 win, playing a considerable role in determining some of the conference's lower seeds for this week's Big East Tournament.

Tuesday night, No. 11 seed Rutgers (14-17, 6-12, Big East) faces No. 14 seed Villanova (12-18, 5-13 Big East) at Madison Square Garden. Tip-off is slated for 9 p.m. ET on ESPNU and ESPN3D.

After the six-point loss to Villanova, Rutgers rebounded with a 61-58 win against St. John's, securing the No. 11 seed in the process. The Wildcats, meanwhile, fell to Cincinnati at home 72-68, knocking them down to the No. 14 seed.

The Scarlet Knights were relatively inconsistent for the majority of non-conference play and the first half of Big East play. Following a Jan. 28 61-54 win over Cincinnati, Rutgers stood at 12-10 overall with a 4-5 record against conference teams. However, the Scarlet Knights lost their next six games, sending them into an ill-timed spiral. A Feb. 25 77-72 overtime win at Seton Hall reversed Rutgers' fortunes, but the loss to Villanova came five days later.

Similarly, the Wildcats have dealt with up-and-down play for much of the season. Villanova lost its first three Big East games and then endured losing streaks of three and four games in the second half of conference play. Interestingly enough, the Wildcats have enjoyed balanced scoring throughout their roster with four players averaging in double figures. Junior guard Maalik Wayns leads the team with 17.5 points per game, while fellow junior guard Dominic Clark is second with 13.2. Junior forward/center Mouphtaou Yarou averages 10.9 points and a team-high 8.2 rebounds per game, while JayVaughn Pinkston scores 10.0 points per game.

Rutgers has just one player scoring in double figures, freshman guard Eli Carter with 13.5 points per game. Junior guard/forward Dane Miller is fourth in scoring with 7.9 points but first with 6.7 rebounds per game.

For complete coverage of the Big East Tournament 2012, check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream.

For a SB Nation New York preview of other Big East schools, click on its respective links: Syracuse, Marquette, Notre Dame, Cincinnati, Georgetown, South Florida, Louisville, West Virginia, Connecticut, Seton Hall, Rutgers, St. John's, Pittsburgh, Villanova, Providence, DePaul.

2012 Big East Basketball Tournament: DePaul Vs. Connecticut Preview

Connecticut likely had higher expectations for the 2011-12 season following its NCAA Tournament championship last year. But in finishing 18-12 overall and 8-10 in conference play, the Huskies enter the Big East Tournament as the No. 9 seed. They'll play the No. 16 DePaul Blue Demons (12-18, 3-15 Big East) in the opening round of the tourney Tuesday, March 6 at noon ET on ESPN2/ESPN3D.

The two teams met once during the regular season, with UConn winning 80-54 on Feb. 15.

UConn began the season ranked No. 4 in both the AP Top 25 and the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll. By the time the Big East season opened, the Huskies had dropped a game against the Central Florida Knights in the semifinals of the Battle 4 Atlantis Nov. 25, 2011, but were still ranked No. 9. The Huskies began their conference slate 4-2, before losing four straight and dropping out of the polls. A 69-46 win over Seton Hall Feb. 4 -- a game the Huskies played without head coach Jim Calhoun, who took an indefinite leave of absence because of spinal stenosis -- got UConn back on the winning track, but it lost five of its final eight games.

DePaul, meanwhile, finished with the worst Big East record and tied Villanova for the conference's worst overall record. The Blue Demons collected their first Big East win Jan. 5 against Pittsburgh, but lost their next five conference games. At Rutgers Jan. 25, DePaul picked up its second conference win before dropping its next nine games. In the regular-season finale, DePaul trounced Seton Hall 86-58.

UConn's leading scorer, sophomore guard Jeremy Lamb (17.6 points per game), scored 14 in the Huskies' regular season finale against the Pittsburgh Panthers Saturday. Lamb is also second on the team with 4.8 rebounds per game (tied with junior forward/center Alex Oriakhi) and third with 1.7 assists per game.

While four Huskies finished the season averaging at least 10 points per game, the Blue Demons had just two. Sophomore forward Cleveland Melvin led DePaul with 17.4 points per game and also finished first with 7.3 rebounds per game. Sophomore guard Brandon Young finished with 14.8 points per game and also led the Blue Demons with 4.9 assists per game.

For complete coverage of the Big East Tournament 2012, check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream.

For a SB Nation New York preview of other Big East schools, click on its respective links: Syracuse, Marquette, Notre Dame, Cincinnati, Georgetown, South Florida, Louisville, West Virginia, Connecticut, Seton Hall, Rutgers, St. John's, Pittsburgh, Villanova, Providence, DePaul.

Big East Tournament 2012: Late Season Collapse Has Seton Hall In Precarious NCAA Tournament Position

Seton Hall can win its way into the NCAA Tournament this week. It didn't have to be that way.

2012 Big East Basketball Tournament: St. John's Vs. Pittsburgh Preview

The Big East was largely disappointing this season, and the Pittsburgh Panthers were one of the principal culprits.

One year after finishing 28-6 ranked as high as No. 2 and spending 19 weeks in the polls, the Panthers began the season No. 10 in the AP Top 25 and No. 11 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll. Nevertheless, Pittsburgh finished the season 13th in the Big East with a 5-13 conference record and 16-15 overall mark. Tuesday at 2 p.m. ET, the Panthers will face the No. 12 St. John's Red Storm (13-18, 6-12 Big East). The game will be aired on ESPN2 and ESPN3D.

The two teams met on Feb. 29 in Pittsburgh, a game the Pirates won 89-69.

Beginning with a 59-54 loss to Northeast Conference School Wagner Dec. 23, 2011, Pittsburgh -- ranked No. 13 at the time -- lost eight straight games. Prior to that loss to Wagner, Pittsburgh had lost just one game, Nov. 16, 2011, against Long Beach State. The losing streak was the Panthers' longest in more than a decade, though they were without junior point guard Tray Woodall for 11 games due to groin and abdominal injuries. Woodall finished second behind senior guard Ashton Gibbs in scoring with 11.5 points per game. Gibbs finished the season averaging 15.4.

St.John's, meanwhile, enters the conference tourney on a two-game losing streak. Following their loss to the Panthers, the Red Storm lost at Rutgers March 3, 61-58. St. John's did play a tough non-conference schedule, losing to Arizona, Texas A&M and Kentucky before Big East play started.

However, the Red Storm don't have many quality wins. They did beat the West Virginia Mountaineers and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, but two four-game losing steaks in conference play largely detracted from their record.

St. John's finished the season with three players averaging double-figures in scoring, led by freshman guard D'Angelo Harrison with 17.0 points per game. Freshman guard/forward Moe Harkless averaged 15.0, while sophomore guard Nurideen Lindsey contributed 12.4 per game -- though he appeared in only nine games for the Red Storm. Lindsey abruptly announced he was transferring from St. John's in early December. In mid-January, he announced he had chosen Arkansas, but five days later he reneged on the Razorbacks and elected to transfer to Rider.

For complete coverage of the Big East Tournament 2012, check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream.

For a SB Nation New York preview of other Big East schools, click on its respective links: Syracuse, Marquette, Notre Dame, Cincinnati, Georgetown, South Florida, Louisville, West Virginia, Connecticut, Seton Hall, Rutgers, St. John's, Pittsburgh, Villanova, Providence, DePaul.

Big East Tournament 2012: Bracket, Schedule, TV Coverage And More

Action begins Tuesday in the 2012 Big East Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament. Four first-round games will be played at Madison Square Garden, beginning at noon ET. SB Nation New York has everything you need to be ready for the tournament.

Related
- Team-By-Team Capsules
- SB Nation New York Big East Awards

St. John’s, Rutgers and Seton Hall are all in action Tuesday. Top-seeded Syracuse, the Big East regular season champ and No. 2 team in the country, does not play until Thursday. Here are today’s first-round matchups, including game times and TV information:

Noon ET/ESPN2, ESPN3D: (No. 16-seed) DePaul Blue Demons vs. (9) Connecticut Huskies [Full Game Preview]
2 p.m./ESPN2, ESPN3D: (13) Pittsburgh Panthers vs. (12) St. John’s Red Storm [Full Game Preview]
7 p.m./ESPNU, ESPN3D: (15) Providence Friars vs. (10) Seton Hall Pirates
9 p.m./ESPNU, ESPN3D: (14) Villanova Wildcats vs. (11) Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Below is a printable bracket.

Here is the complete tournament schedule, in list form.

Tuesday, March 6 (First Round):

Noon ET/ESPN2, ESPN3D: (No. 16-seed) DePaul Blue Demons vs. (9) Connecticut Huskies
2 p.m./ESPN2, ESPN3D: (13) Pittsburgh Panthers vs. (12) St. John’s Red Storm
7 p.m./ESPNU, ESPN3D: (15) Providence Friars vs. (10) Seton Hall Pirates
9 p.m./ESPNU, ESPN3D: (14) Villanova Wildcats vs. (11) Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Wednesday, March 7:

Noon/ESPNU, ESPN3D: (WINNER of No. 16/9) vs. (8) West Virginia Mountaineers
2 p.m./ESPNU, ESPN3D: (WINNER of No. 13/12) vs. (5) Georgetown Hoyas
7 p.m./ESPNU, ESPN3D: (WINNER of No. 15/10) vs. (7) Louisville Cardinals
9 p.m./ESPNU, ESPN3D: (WINNER of No. 14/11) vs. (6) South Florida Bulls

Thursday, March 8:

Noon/ESPN, ESPN3D: (WINNER of Wed. Noon Game) vs. (1) Syracuse Orange
2 p.m./ESPN, ESPN3D: (WINNER of Wed. 2 p.m. Game) vs. (4) Cincinnati Bearcats
7 p.m./ESPN, ESPN3D: (WINNER of Wed. 7 p.m. Game) vs. (2) Marquette Golden Eagles
9 p.m./ESPN, ESPN3D: (WINNER of Wed. 9 p.m. Game) vs. (3) Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Friday, March 9:

7 p.m./ESPN, ESPN3D: (WINNER of Thurs. Noon Game) vs. (WINNER of Thurs. 2 p.m. Game)
9 p.m./ESPN, ESPN3D: (WINNER of Thurs. 7 p.m. Game) vs. (WINNER of Thurs. 9 p.m. Game)

Saturday, March 10 (Championship Round on ESPN):

9 p.m./ESPN, ESPN3D: WINNERS of Semifinal-Round Games

— For complete coverage of the Big East Tournament, check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream. If you’d like a recap of our regular-season coverage, visit this StoryStream.

For a SB Nation New York preview of other Big East schools, click on its respective links: Syracuse, Marquette, Notre Dame, Cincinnati, Georgetown, South Florida, Louisville, West Virginia, Connecticut, Seton Hall, Rutgers, St. John's, Pittsburgh, Villanova, Providence, DePaul.

Big East Basketball Awards 2012: Fab Melo, Dion Waiters Honored By Big East Conference

After finishing the regular season with just a single loss, the Syracuse Orange are already well-represented in the 2012 Big East basketball awards.

Sophomore center Fab Melo was chosen as the conference's Defensive Player of the Year and Dion Waiters was named the Big East's Sixth Man of the Year on Monday, when the conference released the winners of four individual awards. Four more awards -- Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, OppenheimerFunds Coach of the Year and American Eagle Outfitters Scholar-Athlete of the Year -- will be presented on Tuesday.

Melo averaged 3.7 blocks per game in league play and 3.1 overall. The seven-footer anchors Jim Boeheim's 2-3 zone defense with length and athleticism, making it difficult for opponents to get any good looks from the paint.

One of the largest reasons for Syracuse's success this season is the Orange's depth, and Waiters represents that depth as well as anybody else. The 6-foot-4 sophomore averaged 11.9 points and 1.9 steals off the bench while leading Syracuse's second unit, arguably the best in the country.

For more Syracuse basketball coverage, visit our team page or our blog Nunes Magician.

Big East Basketball Awards 2012: Syracuse, Seton Hall, St. John's Basketball Players Earn All-Big East Honors

Kris Joseph, a senior forward for the No. 2-ranked Syracuse Orange men's basketball program, earned All-Big East First Team honors Sunday, as the league announced its winners via Twitter. Joseph, who led the conference's top team with 14.1 points per game, was one of three Orange players to earn All-Big East honors, as senior point guard Scoop Jardine was a second-team selection, while sophomore guard Dion Waiters was third-team.

Joseph, who's now a nominee for the Big East Player of the Year, joined senior forward Jae Crownder (Marquette Golden Eagles), senior guard Darius Johnson-Odom (Marquette), sophomore guard Jeremy Lamb (Connecticut Huskies) and senior forward Kevin Jones (West Virginia Mountaineers) as first-team selections.

Other local SB Nation New York hoopsters earning All-Big East honors were Seton Hall Pirates' seniors Jordan Theodore (second-team) and Herb Pope (third-team), while St. John's Red Storm freshmen D'Angelo Harrison and Moe Harkless each made the All-Big East Rookie squad.

On Monday, the Big East will announce the winners of Big East Defensive Player of the Year, Most Improved Player, Sixth-Man and Sportsmanship Award. The Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Coach of the Year and Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards will all be announced Tuesday.

For a complete listing of the All-Big East teams, here's a link to the Big East basketball Twitter feed.

For complete coverage of the Big East Tournament, check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream. If you'd like a recap of SBNY's regular-season coverage, visit this StoryStream.

Big East Tournament 2012: Bracket Finalized As Syracuse Enters As No. 1 Seed

The 2012 Big East Tournament bracket and schedule were finalized Saturday night, as the Rutgers Scarlet Knights defeated the St. John's Red Storm, 61-58, in a men' basketball game at the RAC. The contest capped another exciting Big East regular season, which was won by the No. 2-ranked Syracuse Orange for the second time in three seasons.

Now, its onto the conference's biggest event of the year, which is played out over five days at Madison Square Garden. Here's a look at the bracket and the TV schedule:

Tuesday, March 6 (First Round):

Noon ET: (No. 16-seed) DePaul Blue Demons vs. (9) Connecticut Huskies
2 p.m.: (13) Pittsburgh Panthers vs. (12) St. John's Red Storm
7 p.m.: (15) Providence Friars vs. (10) Seton Hall Pirates
9 p.m.: (14) Villanova Wildcats vs. (11) Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Wednesday, March 7 (Second Round on ESPN):

Noon: (WINNER of No. 16/9) vs. (8) West Virginia Mountaineers
2 p.m.: (WINNER of No. 13/12) vs. (5) Georgetown Hoyas
7 p.m.: (WINNER of No. 15/10) vs. (7) Louisville Cardinals
9 p.m.: (WINNER of No. 14/11) vs. (6) South Florida Bulls

Thursday, March 8 (Quarterfinal Round on ESPN):

Noon: (WINNER of Wed. Noon Game) vs. (1) Syracuse Orange
2 p.m.: (WINNER of Wed. 2 p.m. Game) vs. (4) Cincinnati Bearcats
7 p.m.: (WINNER of Wed. 7 p.m. Game) vs. (2) Marquette Golden Eagles
9 p.m.: (WINNER of Wed. 9 p.m. Game) vs. (3) Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Friday, March 9 (Semifinal Round on ESPN):

7 p.m.: (WINNER of Thurs. Noon Game) vs. (WINNER of Thurs. 2 p.m. Game)
9 p.m.: (WINNER of Thurs. 7 p.m. Game) vs. (WINNER of Thurs. 9 p.m. Game)

Saturday, March 10 (Championship Round on ESPN):

9 p.m.: WINNERS of Semifinal-Round Games

For complete coverage of the Big East Tournament, check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream. If you'd like a recap of SBNY's regular-season coverage, visit this StoryStream.

Big East Tournament 2012: Saturday Afternoon Bracket Update

Four Big East Conference men's basketball regular-season finales are in the books for Saturday, and the Big East Tournament 2012 field is almost set. The final scores of the afternoon games changed Friday's update to the bracket and schedule a lot.

Here's what the Big East Tournament would look like as of 4:15 p.m. ET on Saturday (scenarios for tonight's games are below the bracket):

Tuesday, March 6 (First Round):

Noon ET: (No. 16-seed) DePaul Blue Demons vs. (9) Seton Hall Pirates
2 p.m.: (13) Pittsburgh Panthers vs. (12) Rutgers Scarlet Knights
7 p.m.: (15) Providence Friars vs. (10) Connecticut Huskies
9 p.m.: (14) Villanova Wildcats vs. (11) St. John's Red Storm

Wednesday, March 7 (Second Round on ESPN):

Noon: (WINNER of No. 16/9) vs. (8) West Virginia Mountaineers
2 p.m.: (WINNER of No. 13/12) vs. (5) Georgetown Hoyas
7 p.m.: (WINNER of No. 15/10) vs. (7) Louisville Cardinals
9 p.m.: (WINNER of No. 14/11) vs. (6) South Florida Bulls

Thursday, March 8 (Quarterfinal Round on ESPN):

Noon: (WINNER of Wed. Noon Game) vs. (1) Syracuse Orange
2 p.m.: (WINNER of Wed. 2 p.m. Game) vs. (4) Cincinnati Bearcats
7 p.m.: (WINNER of Wed. 7 p.m. Game) vs. (2) Marquette Golden Eagles
9 p.m.: (WINNER of Wed. 9 p.m. Game) vs. (3) Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Friday, March 9 (Semifinal Round on ESPN):

7 p.m.: (WINNER of Thurs. Noon Game) vs. (WINNER of Thurs. 2 p.m. Game)
9 p.m.: (WINNER of Thurs. 7 p.m. Game) vs. (WINNER of Thurs. 9 p.m. Game)

Saturday, March 10 (Championship Round on ESPN):

9 p.m.: WINNERS of Semifinal-Round Games

Note: Bracket is based on current Big East Standings. Here's what could happen later tonight:

• If the Seton Hall Pirates defeat the DePaul Blue Demons on Saturday night, they leapfrog the West Virginia Mountaineers for the No. 8 seed.
  
• Meanwhile, a St. John's loss to the Rutgers Scarlet Knights drops them to No. 14, while Rutgers would move into the 12-13th spot depending on the tiebreakers. A Johnnies victory keeps them at No. 11, while the Scarlet Knights would just flip-flop with the Pittsburgh Panthers for the No. 12-13 seeds.

For complete coverage of the Big East Tournament, check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream. If you'd like a recap of SBNY's regular-season coverage, visit this StoryStream.

Big East Tournament 2012: Seeding, NCAA Tournament Bids On The Line Saturday

The Big East Conference men's basketball regular-season schedule concludes Saturday night, when the Rutgers Scarlet Knights host the St. John's Red Storm at the RAC (8 p.m. ET on SNY). Before that, the league features six games today, all having unique implications on the upcoming Big East Tournament's bracket and schedule and NCAA Tournament seedings.

Here's what's at stake during Saturday's regular-season finales:

Big East Tournament 2012: What The Bracket Would Look Like Today

Pittsburgh Panthers at Connecticut Huskies (Noon on ESPN)

With a victory and a little help from the DePaul Blue Demons and South Florida Bulls, and the Huskies (17-12, 7-10 Big East) could move from a No. 10-seed in the Big East Tournament bracket to a No. 8 seed.

DePaul hosts the Seton Hall Pirates (19-10, 8-9), who currently own the final single-bye slot, while the Bulls (19-11, 12-5) host the West Virginia Mountaineers (18-12, 8-9), who's No. 9. The Mountaineers would lose the head-to-head tiebreaker to UConn, while the Pirates would be leapfrogged because of the Huskies victory over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Jan. 14 (Big East Tiebreaker system).

Also, a loss would more than certainly put the Huskies' NCAA Tournament hopes in jeopardy.

The Panthers (16-14, 5-12) could bypass the Red Storm for the No. 11 seed, if they win and St. John's loses. However, only a five-victories-in-five-days run can help Pitt earn a March Madness bid.

West Virginia at South Florida (Noon on SNY)

Believe it or not, a Bulls victory and a slip-up from the Georgetown Hoyas against Marquette Golden Eagles helps USF earn its first ever double-bye in the Big East Tournament.

A USF win would also, more than likely, secure an invite to the NCAAs.

As for the Mountaineers, they have a shot to pass Seton Hall for the No. 8 seed and earn a first-round bye in the Big East Tournament, while helping their NCAA-bubble cause.

Cincinnati Bearcats at Villanova Wildcats (2 p.m. on ESPN)

The Bearcats (21-9, 11-6) have already locked up a first-round bye in the Big East Tournament. However, they could help their NCAA resume with victory over a beatable opponent.

'Nova (12-17, 5-12) could jump from a No. 14 seed to a No. 12, if it earns a victory and St. John's loses.

Georgetown at Marquette (2 p.m. on SNY)

A Hoyas loss could drop them from No. 4 to No. 5 seed, which is the difference from a double- to a single-bye in the conference tournament. The Golden Eagles would lose their No. 2 seed with a loss, as Notre Dame owns the head-to-head tiebreaker.

Both teams have cemented at-large bids to the NCAA Tournament.

Louisville Cardinals at Syracuse Orange (4 p.m. on CBS)

The Orange (29-1, 16-1) have already earned the Big East regular-season title and the conference tournament's No. 1 seed, however, a loss to the Cardinals (22-8, 10-7) will all but eliminate any shot at earning the No. 1-overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.

In the conference tourney, Louisville, surprisingly, has nothing lose or gain; but a victory would help its seeding in the NCAAs.

Seton Hall at DePaul (6 p.m. on SNY)

As stated earlier, the Pirates are trying to hang on to their BET first-round bye and an at-large NCAA bid, while the Blue Demons are just trying to play spoiler as they will be the Big East's No. 16 seed.

St. John's at Rutgers (8 p.m. on SNY)

The Johnnies (13-17, 6-11), currently a No. 11 seed, could fall all the way to No. 14 with a loss; while the Scarlet Knights (13-17, 5-12) have a shot at moving up to the 11th seed with a win and victories by UConn and Cincy.

Unless one of these two schools runs the table at the Big East Tournament, neither has a shot at the postseason.

-- For complete coverage of the Big East Tournament, check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream. If you'd like a recap of SBNY's regular-season coverage, visit this StoryStream.

Big East Tournament 2012: What The Bracket Would Look Like Today 7.0

The Big East Tournament is five days away, and the bracket and schedule is quickly shaping up. Since our last update, the only shift in the bracket has been the Pittsburgh Panthers moving from a No. 13-seed to a No. 12, however, it means nothing as their opponent, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, is the same.

On Friday, the Providence Friars visit the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, who could lockup a double-bye with a victory.

Meanwhile, Saturday's slate of games could have some impact on the Big East Tournament field, as the South Florida Bulls could earn a double-bye if they beat the West Virginia Mountaineers and Notre Dame or the Georgetown Hoyas lose regular-season finales.

The Seton Hall Pirates could lockup a single-bye with a win over the DePaul Blue Demons, as the Cincinnati Bearcats and Louisville Cardinals have already cemented their first-round byes.

The biggest change in seeding could come from the St. John's Red Storm, who's currently seeded No. 11 but could fall all the way to No. 14 with a loss to Rutgers.

So, without further delay here's what the Big East Tournament would look like if it started today.

(Note: Bracket is made by the current Big East basketball standings. Head-to-head results are factored in.)

Tuesday, March 6 (First Round):

Noon ET: (No. 16-seed) DePaul Blue Demons vs. (9) West Virginia Mountaineers
2 p.m.: (13) Rutgers Scarlet Knights vs. (12) Pittsburgh Panthers
7 p.m.: (15) Providence Friars vs. (10) Connecticut Huskies
9 p.m.: (14) Villanova Wildcats vs. (11) St. John's Red Storm

Wednesday, March 7 (Second Round on ESPN):

Noon: (WINNER of No. 16/9) vs. (8) Seton Hall Pirates
2 p.m.: (WINNER of No. 13/12) vs. (5) South Florida Bulls
7 p.m.: (WINNER of No. 15/10) vs. (7) Louisville Cardinals
9 p.m.: (WINNER of No. 14/11) vs. (6) Cincinnati Bearcats

Thursday, March 8 (Quarterfinal Round on ESPN):

Noon: (WINNER of Wed. Noon Game) vs. (1) Syracuse Orange
2 p.m.: (WINNER of Wed. 2 p.m. Game) vs. (4) Notre Dame Fighting Irish
7 p.m.: (WINNER of Wed. 7 p.m. Game) vs. (2) Marquette Golden Eagles
9 p.m.: (WINNER of Wed. 9 p.m. Game) vs. (3) Georgetown Hoyas

Friday, March 9 (Semifinal Round on ESPN):

7 p.m.: (WINNER of Thurs. Noon Game) vs. (WINNER of Thurs. 2 p.m. Game)
9 p.m.: (WINNER of Thurs. 7 p.m. Game) vs. (WINNER of Thurs. 9 p.m. Game)

Saturday, March 10 (Championship Round on ESPN):

9 p.m.: WINNERS of Semifinal-Round Games

For complete coverage of the Big East Tournament, check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream. If you'd like a recap of SBNY's regular-season coverage, visit this StoryStream.

Big East Tournament 2012: What The Bracket Would Look Like Today 6.0

The Big East Conference men's basketball tournament begins in just five days, and on Tuesday the field got a bit of a shuffle when the Connecticut Huskies lost at the Providence Friars. The loss puts UConn's NCAA Tournament hopes in a lot of jeopardy, as they've dropped nine of their last 12 contests with the only victories coming against Seton Hall Pirates, DePaul Blue Demons and Villanova Wildcats.

In conclusion, the odds that UConn fans stopped reading this piece after its second sentence are very good.

Meanwhile, Seton Hall (19-10, 8-9) and the South Florida Bulls (18-11, 11-5) greatly benefit from the Huskies awful play down the stretch, as both teams have not only secured a bye in the Big East Tournament -- Seton Hall just needs to beat DePaul on Saturday -- but, possibly a March Madness bid. However, the latter will be decided on Selection Sunday.

For now, here's what the Big East Tournament bracket would look like if the five-day, 16-team, single-elimination event begin today.

(Note: Bracket is made by the current Big East basketball standings. Head-to-head results are factored in.)

Tuesday, March 6 (First Round):

Noon ET: (No. 16-seed) DePaul Blue Demons vs. (9) West Virginia Mountaineers
2 p.m.: (13) Pittsburgh Panthers vs. (12) Rutgers Scarlet Knights
7 p.m.: (15) Providence Friars vs. (10) Connecticut Huskies
9 p.m.: (14) Villanova Wildcats vs. (11) St. John's Red Storm

Wednesday, March 7 (Second Round on ESPN):

Noon: (WINNER of No. 16/9) vs. (8) Seton Hall Pirates
2 p.m.: (WINNER of No. 13/12) vs. (5) South Florida Bulls
7 p.m.: (WINNER of No. 15/10) vs. (7) Louisville Cardinals
9 p.m.: (WINNER of No. 14/11) vs. (6) Cincinnati Bearcats

Thursday, March 8 (Quarterfinal Round on ESPN):

Noon: (WINNER of Wed. Noon Game) vs. (1) Syracuse Orange
2 p.m.: (WINNER of Wed. 2 p.m. Game) vs. (4) Notre Dame Fighting Irish
7 p.m.: (WINNER of Wed. 7 p.m. Game) vs. (2) Marquette Golden Eagles
9 p.m.: (WINNER of Wed. 9 p.m. Game) vs. (3) Georgetown Hoyas

Friday, March 9 (Semifinal Round on ESPN):

7 p.m.: (WINNER of Thurs. Noon Game) vs. (WINNER of Thurs. 2 p.m. Game)
9 p.m.: (WINNER of Thurs. 7 p.m. Game) vs. (WINNER of Thurs. 9 p.m. Game)

Saturday, March 10 (Championship Round on ESPN):

9 p.m.: WINNERS of Semifinal-Round Games

For complete coverage of the Big East Tournament, check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream. If you'd like a recap of SBNY's regular-season coverage, visit this StoryStream.

Big East Tournament 2012: What The Bracket Would Look Like Today 5.0

There are six days left in the Big East Conference men's basketball regular season, and the league's tournament field is slowly taking shape. Currently, the Syracuse Orange and Marquette Golden Eagles are the only two schools to clinch a double-bye in the 16-team, five-day, single elimination event, which begins Tuesday, March 6, at Madison Square Garden.

The Orange (29-1, 16-1) earned the Big East's regular season title, while the Golden Eagles (24-5, 13-3) are in second-place in the Big East standings, but still could fall two fourth place with losses in their final two regular-season games -- at Cincinnati Bearcats, Wed., and versus Georgetown Hoyas on Sat.

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish (20-9, 12-4) finish up with a Monday night match-up at Georgetown and against visiting Providence Friars on Friday.

The South Florida Bulls (18-11, 11-5), Cincinnati Bearcats (20-9, 10-6) and Louisville Cardinals (22-7, 10-6) all have slim chances of earning the final double-bye spot, but will need some help to get there.

If you'd like to know what the Big East Tournament bracket would look like if the regular season ended today, well, here it is.

(Note: Bracket is made by the current Big East basketball standings. Head-to-head results are factored in.)

Tuesday, March 6 (First Round):

Noon ET: (No. 16-seed) DePaul Blue Demons vs. (9) Connecticut Huskies
2 p.m.: (13) Pittsburgh Panthers vs. (12) Rutgers Scarlet Knights
7 p.m.: (15) Providence Friars vs. (10) West Virginia Mountaineers
9 p.m.: (14) Villanova Wildcats vs. (11) St. John's Red Storm

Wednesday, March 7 (Second Round on ESPN):

Noon: (WINNER of No. 16/9) vs. (8) Seton Hall Pirates
2 p.m.: (WINNER of No. 13/12) vs. (5) South Florida Bulls
7 p.m.: (WINNER of No. 15/10) vs. (7) Louisville Cardinals
9 p.m.: (WINNER of No. 14/11) vs. (6) Cincinnati Bearcats

Thursday, March 8 (Quarterfinal Round on ESPN):

Noon: (WINNER of Wed. Noon Game) vs. (1) Syracuse Orange
2 p.m.: (WINNER of Wed. 2 p.m. Game) vs. (4) Georgetown Hoyas
7 p.m.: (WINNER of Wed. 7 p.m. Game) vs. (2) Marquette Golden Eagles
9 p.m.: (WINNER of Wed. 9 p.m. Game) vs. (3) Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Friday, March 9 (Semifinal Round on ESPN):

7 p.m.: (WINNER of Thurs. Noon Game) vs. (WINNER of Thurs. 2 p.m. Game)
9 p.m.: (WINNER of Thurs. 7 p.m. Game) vs. (WINNER of Thurs. 9 p.m. Game)

Saturday, March 10 (Championship Round on ESPN):

9 p.m.: WINNERS of Semifinal-Round Games

For complete coverage of the Big East Tournament, check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream. If you'd like a recap of SBNY's regular-season coverage, visit this StoryStream.

Big East Tournament 2012: What The Bracket Would Look Like Today 4.0

Saturday's Big East Conference men's basketball slate of games made one thing clear, the No. 2-ranked Syracuse Orange are your outright regular-season champions and will be the No. 1-overall seed in the upcoming Big East Conference Tournament, March 6-10.

The Orange (29-1, 16-1) edged the Connecticut Huskies, 71-69, at the Gample Pavilion on Saturday, however, even before their victory clinched the top seed when the St. John's Red Storm upset the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, 61-58, at Madison Square Garden.

Other results Saturday featured: Georgetown Hoyas beating the Villanova Wildcats, 67-46; Providence Friars edging DePaul Blue Demons, 73-71; and the Rutgers Scarlet Knights downing Seton Hall Pirates, 77-72.

After the day, here's what the Big East Tournament bracket and schedule would look like today if it started.

(Note: Bracket is made by the current Big East basketball standings. Head-to-head results are factored in.)

Tuesday, March 6 (First Round):

Noon ET: (No. 16-seed) DePaul Blue Demons vs. (9) Connecticut Huskies
2 p.m.: (13) Pittsburgh Panthers vs. (12) Rutgers Scarlet Knights
7 p.m.: (15) Providence Friars vs. (10) West Virginia Mountaineers
9 p.m.: (14) Villanova Wildcats vs. (11) St. John's Red Storm

Wednesday, March 7 (Second Round on ESPN):

Noon: (WINNER of No. 16/9) vs. (8) Seton Hall Pirates
2 p.m.: (WINNER of No. 13/12) vs. (5) Cincinnati Bearcats
7 p.m.: (WINNER of No. 15/10) vs. (7) Louisville Cardinals
9 p.m.: (WINNER of No. 14/11) vs. (6) South Florida Bulls

Thursday, March 8 (Quarterfinal Round on ESPN):

Noon: (WINNER of Wed. Noon Game) vs. (1) Syracuse Orange
2 p.m.: (WINNER of Wed. 2 p.m. Game) vs. (4) Georgetown Hoyas
7 p.m.: (WINNER of Wed. 7 p.m. Game) vs. (2) Marquette Golden Eagles
9 p.m.: (WINNER of Wed. 9 p.m. Game) vs. (3) Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Friday, March 9 (Semifinal Round on ESPN):

7 p.m.: (WINNER of Thurs. Noon Game) vs. (WINNER of Thurs. 2 p.m. Game)
9 p.m.: (WINNER of Thurs. 7 p.m. Game) vs. (WINNER of Thurs. 9 p.m. Game)

Saturday, March 10 (Championship Round on ESPN):

9 p.m.: WINNERS of Semifinal-Round Games

For complete coverage of the Big East Tournament, check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream. If you'd like a recap of SBNY's regular-season coverage, visit this StoryStream.

Syracuse Basketball Clinches Big East Tournament's No. 1 Seed

Thanks to an upset performance from the St. John's Red Storm Saturday, the No. 2 Syracuse Orange men's basketball team has clinched the No. 1 overall seed in the upcoming Big East Conference men's basketball tournament March 6-10 at Madison Square Garden.

The Johnnies (13-16, 6-10) used 22 points from freshman guard Moe Harkless to hold off the Irish, 61-58. The loss made it mathematically impossible for Notre Dame (20-9, 12-4) to catch Syracuse for the top spot in the Big East standings, which currently feature the Marquette Golden Eagles (24-5, 13-3) in lone possession of second place. However, the Golden Eagles would lose the head-to-head tiebreaker to the Orange, who defeated them 73-66 on Jan. 7, if they were to lose their remaining two regular-season games.

On Wednesday, Syracuse edged the South Florida Bulls, 56-48, to earn at least a share of the Big East regular-season title -- the Orange's 10th in program history, tying them for first in the league with UConn.

The Orange's first game in the Big East Tournament will be Thursday, March 8, at noon. Syracuse is the only Big East team to clinch a double-bye, while Marquette and Note Dame have clinched at least a first-round bye in the five-day, single-elimination event.

For more on the Big East Tournament schedule, bracket and seedings, check out this SB Nation New York StoryStream. For a preview of Saturday night's game between Syracuse and UConn, here's a link to that.

Check out, the SB Nation's blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician to discuss everything on the Orange. Make sure to follow along on Twitter at SBNationNY or JaredSmithCNY, as we live blogged from the Carrier Dome.

Big East Tournament 2012: What The Bracket Would Look Like Today 3.0

Wednesday's slate of games in the Big East Conference provided a bit of a shake up in the Big East Tournament bracket seedings, as the West Virginia Mountaineers lost their sixth game in eight tries and have dropped all the way to a No. 10 seed in the 16-team, five-day event at Madison Square Garden, March 6-10.

With a victory Tuesday over the Georgetown Hoyas, the Seton Hall Pirates have put themselves in a position to earn a first-round bye, while the Syracuse Orange, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Marquette Golden Eagles and Hoyas all have double-byes.

The Orange are the only team to have locked up a double-bye and a share of the Big East crown, as they downed the South Florida Bulls, currently the No. 5 seed, 56-48 on Wednesday.

Mind you, most Big East teams have three regular-season games remaining, while Syracuse only has two. The Big East regular season will completed next Saturday, March 3.

For a complete look at what the Big East Tournament 2012 schedule would like like if the regular-season ended today, well, here it is:

(Note: Bracket is made by the current Big East basketball standings. Head-to-head results are factored in.)

Tuesday, March 6 (First Round):

Noon ET: (No. 16-seed) DePaul Blue Demons vs. (9) Connecticut Huskies
2 p.m.: (13) Pittsburgh Panthers vs. (12) Rutgers Scarlet Knights
7 p.m.: (15) Providence Friars vs. (10) West Virginia Mountaineers
9 p.m.: (14) Villanova Wildcats vs. (11) St. John's Red Storm

Wednesday, March 7 (Second Round on ESPN):

Noon: (WINNER of No. 16/9) vs. (8) Seton Hall Pirates
2 p.m.: (WINNER of No. 13/12) vs. (5) South Florida Bulls
7 p.m.: (WINNER of No. 15/10) vs. (7) Cincinnati Bearcats
9 p.m.: (WINNER of No. 14/11) vs. (6) Louisville Cardinals

Thursday, March 8 (Quarterfinal Round on ESPN):

Noon: (WINNER of Wed. Noon Game) vs. (1) Syracuse Orange
2 p.m.: (WINNER of Wed. 2 p.m. Game) vs. (4) Georgetown Hoyas
7 p.m.: (WINNER of Wed. 7 p.m. Game) vs. (2) Notre Dame Fighting Irish
9 p.m.: (WINNER of Wed. 9 p.m. Game) vs. (3) Marquette Golden Eagles

Friday, March 9 (Semifinal Round on ESPN):

7 p.m.: (WINNER of Thurs. Noon Game) vs. (WINNER of Thurs. 2 p.m. Game)
9 p.m.: (WINNER of Thurs. 7 p.m. Game) vs. (WINNER of Thurs. 9 p.m. Game)

Saturday, March 10 (Championship Round on ESPN):

9 p.m.: WINNERS of Semifinal-Round Games

For complete coverage of the Big East Tournament, check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream. If you'd like a recap of SBNY's regular-season coverage, visit this StoryStream.

Big East Tournament 2012: What The Bracket Would Look Like Today 2.0

There wasn't much shuffling in the Big East Conference men's basketball standings after this weekend's games, as each favorite took care of its respective business and earned victories. So, the 2012 Big East Tournament bracket looks very similar to last Thursday's edition of What The Bracket Would Look Like Today. However, there are some minor changes.

As of Monday, Feb. 20, the Seton Hall Pirates have lost their first-round bye in the five-day, 16-team, single-elimination event at Madison Square Garden, as the West Virginia Mountaineers have moved up from No. 9 to No. 8.

From here on out, the Syracuse Orange have just three regular-season games remaining, while the remaining double-bye schools -- Marquette Golden Eagles, Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Georgetown Hoyas -- all have four.

The Orange host the South Florida Bulls and can all but lock up the No. 1 seed with a victory. However, there's a slim chance that Syracuse could lose two of its final three, and Notre Dame, which owns the head-to-head tiebreaker between the two schools, wins out and earns the top spot.

Either way, it seems like Syracuse, Notre Dame and Marquette are all locks to earn a double-bye, while Georgetown, South Florida, Louisville Cardinals and Cincinnati Bearcats still have shots at snagging the last, double-bye slot.

If the tournament started today, here's what the Big East Tournament bracket and schedule would look like:

(Note: Bracket is made by the current Big East basketball standings. Head-to-head results are factored in.)

Tuesday, March 6 (First Round):

Noon ET: (No. 16-seed) Providence Friars vs. (9) Seton Hall Pirates
2 p.m.: (13) St. John's Red Storm vs. (12) Rutgers Scarlet Knights
7 p.m.: (15) DePaul Blue Demons vs. (10) Connecticut Huskies
9 p.m.: (14) Pittsburgh Panthers vs. (11) Villanova Wildcats

Wednesday, March 7 (Second Round on ESPN):

Noon: (WINNER of No. 16/9) vs. (8) West Virginia Mountaineers
2 p.m.: (WINNER of No. 13/12) vs. (5) South Florida Bulls
7 p.m.: (WINNER of No. 15/10) vs. (7) Cincinnati Bearcats
9 p.m.: (WINNER of No. 14/11) vs. (6) Louisville Cardinals

Thursday, March 8 (Quarterfinal Round on ESPN):

Noon: (WINNER of Wed. Noon Game) vs. (1) Syracuse Orange
2 p.m.: (WINNER of Wed. 2 p.m. Game) vs. (4) Georgetown Hoyas
7 p.m.: (WINNER of Wed. 7 p.m. Game) vs. (2) Notre Dame Fighting Irish
9 p.m.: (WINNER of Wed. 9 p.m. Game) vs. (3) Marquette Golden Eagles

Friday, March 9 (Semifinal Round on ESPN):

7 p.m.: (WINNER of Thurs. Noon Game) vs. (WINNER of Thurs. 2 p.m. Game)
9 p.m.: (WINNER of Thurs. 7 p.m. Game) vs. (WINNER of Thurs. 9 p.m. Game)

Saturday, March 10 (Championship Round on ESPN):

9 p.m.: WINNERS of Semifinal-Round Games

For complete coverage of the Big East Tournament, check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream. If you'd like a recap of SBNY's regular-season coverage, visit this StoryStream.

Big East Tournament 2012: What The Bracket Would Look Like Today

In about three weeks, the Big East Tournament 2012 will tipoff at Madison Square Garden, and for those college hoops fans curious about their team's seeding, well, you're in luck, as SB Nation New York will provide frequent updates from today until the start of the event.