Big East Battle of Top 10′s Fight for Conference Title

The top 2 teams in the Big East fight for the conference title on Saturday. The Villanova Wildcats take on the Syracuse Orange in a battle of top 10 teams that are fighting for a top seeding in the NCAA tournament.

Nova is fresh off of a blowout victory against S. Florida on Thursday. This win was much needed as they had lost 2 in a row to UCONN and Pittsburgh prior to that. The Wildcats are led by senior guard Scottie Reynolds who is having his best season with a 19 point per game average. Reynolds is a sure bet to be selected early in the first round of the NBA draft, and will be a fine addition to any team that selects him.

Villanova’s strength is their depth of the bench. They currently have 7 players that average over 7 points per game, and can increase any lead with their back-ups in. Corey Fisher, Antonio Pena and Corey Stokes are all part of the Wildcats starting line-up that scores an average of almost 84 points per game. They will be put to the test as they take on a Orange team that is equally as capable offensively. A win Saturday would put Nova in a tie with Syracuse for the regular season conference title, and would give them the tie-break advantage due to their head-to-head win.

Syracuse is having one of their best seasons in school history. A 26-2 record has placed them in the top 5 in the country, and will put them in a great position to earn a number 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. However, the Orange have a tough final 3 games as they take on the dynamic offense of Villanova, St Johns, and a Louisville squad that gave them their second loss of the season earlier this month.

Wesley Johnson leads the scoring attack for the Orange with a 15.8 point per game average. Syracuse also has 7 players averaging over 7 points per game, and is equally as impressive on the defensive end of the floor. They are only allowing 65 points per game, which gives them an average margin of victory of 16 points per game. It will be a tall order to do that against a Villanova team that has looked unbeatable at times this season. Andy Rautins, Kris Joseph and Arinze Onuaku all average over 10 points per game for the Orange and combine for 13 rebounds and 7 assists per game.

The Big East has proven to be the toughest conference in the nation as they have 5 teams in the top 16 in the country, and only 2 teams out of 16 with a record below .500. Although these teams have dynamic offensive attacks, you have to anticipate a defensive battle as they fight for what may be the deciding game for the conference title. Tune in Saturday as the best two teams from the best conference go toe-to toe to determine who will get a number 1 seed come selection Sunday.

Related posts:

1. Top 2 Teams in SEC Battle for Conference Title
2. Big East Top-25′s Collide
3. Syracuse Orange v. Louisville Cardinals: Sunday College Hoops
4. Monday Night NCAA Basketball- Louisville vs. Villanova
5. Georgetown Takes on W. Virginia is Big East Showdown

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