After wild night at MSG, Seton Hall and Villanova will square off for Big East Tournament title
By ADAM ZAGORIA After a wild night at
By ADAM ZAGORIA After a wild night at
By ADAM ZAGORIA
TOMS RIVER, N.J. — Seton Hall coach Kevin Willard had just finished coaching his team to a win against Villanova on Saturday afternoon when he already began to look ahead to what the Wildcats are bringing in next season.
“And I hate to say it, next year’s going to be even more brutal [in the Big East] because I think Creighton gets older, we get older, Nova’s going to get what they have coming in,” Willard said at Prudential Center following his team’s 79-75 victory.
When I said to Willard, “Good luck guarding Bryan Antoine next year,” he was quick to respond with a smile.
“Yeah, thanks” he said. “I ain’t guarding him so I wouldn’t mind him at all. [Junior guard] Quincy [McKnight], good luck.”
By ADAM ZAGORIA Defending national champion Villanova is
By ADAM ZAGORIA
NEWARK — Before a sold-out crowd at the Prudential Center on Saturday afternoon, Seton Hall added fuel to its NCAA Tournament bid and crashed a rival’s celebration party.
The Pirates beat No. 23 Villanova, 79-75, to add to their NCAA Tournament resume and momentarily prevented Villanova from winning their fifth outright Big East regular-season title in six years. The Wildcats did win the Big East crown several hours later when Marquette failed to take care of business at home and lost to Georgetown, 86-84.
Seton Hall is now all but assured of heading to its fourth straight NCAA Tournament under coach Kevin Willard.
“Amazing,” said junior guard Myles Powell, who had 20 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists. “I have no words right now. I want to call the seniors [from last year], I told them I was going to hold it down for them. I knew what it would take and we played with our hearts today.”
By ADAM ZAGORIA
Don’t count out Villanova just yet.
With their 67-61 victory over No. 10 Marquette on Wednesday night, the Wildcats remained alive for the Big East regular-season title and the No. 1 seed in the Big East Tournament.
A Marquette win would’ve given the Golden Eagles the No. 1 seed and at least a share of the regular-season title.
Villanova (21-8, 12-4) also owns the tiebreaker over Marquette (23-5, 12-3) because they own a win over St. John’s and Marquette does not.
Updated @BIGEASTMBB standings pic.twitter.com/SEZUDhm0Df
— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) February 28, 2019
“We had to step it up, we just had to step it up,” Villanova coach Jay Wright told Billy Raftery on FS1. “Marquette’s a great team. What a great team, man. Great Big East game. They’re going to be really good. They could be a Final Four team.”
By: MIKE McCURRY By rallying from a 19-point
By ADAM ZAGORIA Chris Mullin and St. John's
