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Big East “very disappointed” that St. John’s, Seton Hall, and Providence were not selected for the NCAA Tournament…………………………
In a lengthy statement released on Monday, the Big East expressed their “understandable very disappointment” that several of its men’s basketball teams were left out of the NCAA Tournament on Selection Sunday.
Only three Big East teams—UConn, Marquette, and Creighton—were selected to March Madness, with the remaining teams—St. John’s, Seton Hall, and Providence—being mostly seen as upset losers.
“We are extremely happy that UConn secured the top seed in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament this year after an amazing campaign that saw them win both the Big East regular season and tournament championships,” the conference stated in a statement. More than any other league, the Big East boasts three of the top 10 overall seeds in the tournament with Marquette (ranked No. 2) and Creighton (ranked No. 3). We think they are all serious candidates for a spot in the Final Four and a second Big East national championship on April 8.
The Big East Tournament this year was hailed by the conference as its most successful production to date, citing Madison Square Garden’s “usual impassioned crowds” and “five sellouts.” The tournament will continue through its 50th anniversary at the location in 2032 according to a four-year extension announced on Friday by the Big East and MSG.
“We greatly appreciate the time and work that the NCAA men’s basketball committee puts into choosing and seeding the teams for the tournament,” the statement read. It’s an extremely difficult job, and we’ve been told that the committee’s final bracket picks this year were influenced by the upsets this year, which increased the difficulty of the process.
“We are naturally extremely upset that some deserving Big East teams were not picked to compete, especially considering the great caliber of play in our league. In order to set the Big East for success the following season and to make sure that we are appropriately represented in March Madness given our reputation as one of the top conferences in college basketball, we will be collaborating closely with our institutions in the upcoming months.
After the announcement, Rick Pitino, the coach of St. John’s, labeled the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) rankings—which are crucial in evaluating collegiate basketball teams—as “fraudulent.”
On Friday, No. 1 in the East Region UConn takes on No. 16 Stetson. On Friday, Marquette, ranked second in the South Region, takes on Western Kentucky, ranked fifteenth, while on Thursday, Creighton, ranked third in the Midwest Region, takes on Akron, ranked fourteenth.
While Providence finished 21-13 and 10-10 in Big East play, Seton Hall finished 20-12 overall and 13-7 in the conference.