Big East Tournament 2022: Conference's Top Threats to Outlast Providence

Providence has already made history during the 2021-22 season, as the Friars won the Big East regular-season championship for the first time. They will look to keep their success going in the conference tournament, which begins Wednesday at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

This will be the first time that Providence will be the No. 1 seed for the Big East tournament. However, the Friars have won the event twice before, capturing the title in 1994 and 2014.

While it's possible Providence could make it three this year, there are several other strong teams in the Big East that could take down the Friars. Villanova and UConn are also ranked in the AP Top 25, while some squads lower in the conference standings could be capable of pulling off upsets.

Here's a closer look at the teams that have the best chance of outlasting the Friars in the Big East tourney.

Although Providence went 14-3 in Big East play this season, it didn't have the most conference wins of the 11 teams in the Big East. Villanova had a 16-4 conference record, and it wouldn't be surprising to see the Wildcats win the Big East tournament for the fifth time since 2015.

Villanova has already defeated Providence twice this season, notching an 89-84 win on Feb. 15 and securing a 76-74 victory Tuesday. If the two teams meet again in the conference tourney, it would have to happen in the championship game, as they are the top two seeds in the bracket.

Even though the Friars are the No. 1 seed, the Wildcats may be viewed by many as the favorite in the Big East tournament. They won seven of their final eight regular-season games, and their talented backcourt of senior Collin Gillespie (16.5 points per game) and junior Justin Moore (15.3) are capable of leading them to success in March.

Don't be surprised if Villanova makes a run to the championship game. And if the Wildcats meet Providence when they get there, they could take down the Friars for the third time this season.

UConn is the No. 3 seed in the Big East tournament after a solid regular season in which it went 13-6 in conference games. The Huskies have won the Big East tourney seven times, but because of their spell in the AAC, their most recent title came in 2011.

During the regular season, UConn lost a close game to Providence on Dec. 18, falling 57-53. But before the Huskies can get a rematch against the Friars in the championship game of the Big East tournament, they will likely need to get past Villanova in the semifinals.

UConn and Villanova split their two regular-season matchups. The Huskies lost 85-74 to the Wildcats on Feb. 5, but they got revenge on Feb. 22, notching a 71-69 victory. A third meeting between the teams could go either way and determine who goes on to win the Big East tourney title.

After winning six of its final seven regular-season games, UConn could be poised for a strong showing in the conference tournament. And it may be the only team capable of taking down both Villanova and Providence, especially if the Huskies continue to get impressive performances from senior guard R.J. Cole (16.2 points per game).

Of the six teams that will be playing in Wednesday's first round, Seton Hall is the most likely to make a surprise run through the Big East tournament. But the No. 6-seeded Pirates will be tested if they are able to make it past No. 11-seeded Georgetown and into the second round.

If Seton Hall wins, it will have to take on UConn in the quarterfinals. It's possible the Pirates would then have to face Villanova in the semifinals and Providence in the championship game. So Seton Hall may need to take down the Big East's top three teams if it hopes to win its first conference tournament title since 2016.

The Pirates ended the regular season with five straight wins, but they went a combined 1-4 against Providence, Villanova and UConn. Their lone victory was a 90-87 overtime win over the Huskies on Jan. 8.

While Seton Hall winning the Big East tournament may not be the likeliest scenario, surprises always occur in March. And the Pirates are a solid team that could be getting hot at the right time and may not have played their best games of the season quite yet.