ESPN and CBS Sports have released updated brackets and we’ll continue to track the minutae of each bracketology update so you don’t have to.

We’re now in the final few days of the regular season. All 10 Big East teams play their final games on Saturday before the Big East Tournament gets underway next Wednesday. There are a lot of bubbles bouncing around in the air right now and both national media members and bracket aggregating sites like BracketMatrix.com are pumping out lots of predictions and content as conference tournament season rapidly approaches for all the power conferences. Let’s take a look at where Providence, their non-conference opponents and the rest of the Big East stands in the latest bracketology.

Note: As of this posting, Bracket Matrix was last updated on 3/2/17 at 9:38am, CBSSports.com was updated on 3/2/17 at 6:31am and ESPN.com was updated the morning of 3/2/17.

Providence

ESPN.com – Joe Lunardi – In – Seed: 11 – Opponent: 6 Iowa State Up from a 12 seed and First Four Game on 2/27/17

CBSSports.com – Jerry Palm – In – Seed: 11 – Opponent 6 Wisconsin Same seed as last update on 2/27/17

BracketMatrix.com – Aggregate – In – Seed 11 – Best: 8 – Worst: 13 – In 109/119 brackets Previously 11 seed with a Best of 9 and a Worst of 12 in 98/113 brackets



Providence took care of business in their final home game of the season on Tuesday night with a win over DePaul. The Friars finish the regular season at Madison Square Garden on Saturday against St. John’s. A win against the Red Storm means Providence would have 10 or more wins in Big East play in all four season of the current league configuration. More importantly, it would likely lock up Providence’s at-large spot. A loss wouldn’t necessarily knock the Friars out of the field of 68 but it would mean they would have to do some extra work in the Big East Tournament next week.

The Rest of the Big East

Villanova

ESPN.com – Joe Lunardi – In – Seed: 1 – Opponent: 16 Mount St. Mary’s/Texas Southern Same seed as last update on 2/27/17

CBSSports.com – Jerry Palm – In – Seed: 1 – Opponent: 16 New Orleans/UC Irvine Same seed as last update on 2/27/17

BracketMatrix.com – Aggregate – In – Seed 1 – Best: 1 – Worst: 1 – In 119/119 brackets Same as last update on 2/27/17



The Wildcats got their second “bye” week of Big East play to finish the season so they haven’t played a game since Saturday when they defeated Creighton at the Pavilion. Jay Wright’s crew finishes the season Saturday at Georgetown and Villanova will again be the #1 seed in the Big East Tournament with their first game next week being on Thursday against the winner of St. John’s and Georgetown. Those teams are locked into the 8/9 game at this point.

Butler

ESPN.com – Joe Lunardi – In – Seed: 3 – Opponent: 14 Bucknell Up from a 4 seed in the last update on 2/27/17

CBSSports.com – Jerry Palm – In – Seed: 3 – Opponent: 14 Bucknell Same seed as last update on 2/27/17

BracketMatrix.com – Aggregate – In – Seed 3 – Best: 1 – Worst: 5 – In 119/119 brackets Previously same seed with a Best of 2 and a Worse of 5 in 113/113 brackets



Butler, like Villanova, got their second “bye” week of the Big East schedule this final week of the season. The Bulldogs last played on Sunday at Xavier and defeated the Musketeers. That extended Butler’s winning streak to 4 games with the regular season finale upcoming on Saturday at Hinkle Fieldhouse against Seton Hall. Chris Holtmann will garner a lot of votes for Big East Coach of the Year with that award being announced next week before the Bulldogs play the winner of Xavier and DePaul in the 7/10 game next week at the Big East Tournament.

Creighton

ESPN.com – Joe Lunardi – In – Seed: 7 – Opponent: 10 Syracuse Down a seed from 6 in the last update on 2/27/17

CBSSports.com – Jerry Palm – In – Seed: 6 – Opponent: 11 Middle Tennessee State Same seed and opponent as last update on 2/27/17

BracketMatrix.com – Aggregate – In – Seed 6 – Best: 5 – Worst: 8 – In 119/119 brackets Same seed and Best/Worst as last update on 2/27/17



Creighton got back in the win column on Tuesday night with a win over St. John’s at home which stopped a two game losing skid by the Bluejays. Greg McDermott’s team has a key matchup on Satuday at Marquette in a game tha has some domino implications for Big East Tournament seeding and the NCAA Tournament bubble.

Seton Hall

ESPN.com – Joe Lunardi – In – Seed: 10 – Opponent: 7 Oklahoma State Up from an 11 seed and First Four matchup in the last update on 2/27/17

CBSSports.com – Jerry Palm – In – Seed: 9 – Opponent: 8 Dayton Up from a 10 seed in the last update on 2/27/17

BracketMatrix.com – Aggregate – In – Seed 11 – Best: 9 – Worst: 12 – In 116/119 brackets Previously a 10 seed in 109/113 brackets with a Best of 9 and Worst of 13 in the last update on 2/27/17



Seton Hall continues to win and move their way off the bubble and into the field. The Pirates held on to defeat Georgetown at home in their last game and Kevin Willard’s team has now won 3 straight games heading into their finale at Hinkle Fieldhouse against Butler on Saturday.

Marquette

ESPN.com – Joe Lunardi – In – Seed: 11 – Opponent: 6 Saint Mary’s Up from an 11 seed and First Four matchup in the last update on 2/27/17

CBSSports.com – Jerry Palm – In – Seed: 11 – Opponent: 11 Rhode Island Same seed and opponent as last update on 2/27/17

BracketMatrix.com – Aggregate – In – Seed 11 – Best: 7 – Worst: 12 – In 112/119 brackets Previously an 11 seed in 102/113 brackets with a Best of 9 and Worst of 12 in the last update on 2/27/17



Marquette got a big win on Wednesday night over Xavier on the road and the Golden Eagles head into Saturday’s finale against Creighton at the Bradley Center with a legitimate chance to jump all the way up to the 3 seed in the Big East Tournament with a win over the Bluejays and a Providence loss against St. John’s.

Xavier

ESPN.com – Joe Lunardi – In – Seed: 11 – Opponent: 11 USC Down from a 9 seed in the last update on 2/27/17

CBSSports.com – Jerry Palm – In – Seed: 10 – Opponent: 7 St. Mary’s Same seed and opponent as the last update on 2/27/17

BracketMatrix.com – Aggregate – In – Seed: 10 – Best: 7 – Worst: 12 – In 114/119 brackets Previously an 8 seed in 113/113 brackets with a Best of 4 and Worst of 12



Xavier continues to be in a free fall with six straight losses locking them into the 7 seed meaning they have to play DePaul next Wednesday night in the Big East Tournament for the right to play against Butler on Thursday night. In addition to the losing streak hurting the Musketeers in the league standings, they have slipped from comfortably in to dangerously on the bubble. Chris Mack needs to right the ship and he and his team will have a chance to beat DePaul on Saturday and then again next week to try to regain some confidence and footing to make a run in NYC.

Providence’s Non-Con Opponents

Virginia

ESPN.com – Joe Lunardi – In – Seed: 4 – Opponent: 13 Princeton Up from a 5 seed in the last update on 2/27/17

CBSSports.com – Jerry Palm – In – Seed: 5 – Opponent: 12 Illinois State Same seed as last update on 2/27/17

BracketMatrix.com – Aggregate – In – Seed 5 – Best: 3 – Worst: 7 – In 119/119 brackets Previously a 5 seed in 113/113 brackets with a Best of 4 and Worst of 8



Rhode Island

ESPN.com – Joe Lunardi – Out – First Four Out Same as last update on 2/27/17

CBSSports.com – Jerry Palm – In – Seed: 11 – Opponent: 11 Marquette Same seed and opponent as last update on 2/27/17

BracketMatrix.com – Aggregate – In – Seed: 12 – Best: 10 – Worst: 12 – In 59/119 brackets Previously First Four Out in 39/113 brackets with a Best of 11 and Worst of 12



Vermont

ESPN.com – Joe Lunardi – In – Seed: 13 – Opponent: 4 West Virginia Same seed and opponent as last update on 2/27/17

CBSSports.com – Jerry Palm – In – Seed: 13 – Opponent: 4 Cincinnati Same seed as last update on 2/27/17

BracketMatrix.com – Aggregate – In – Seed 13 – Best: 11 – Worst: 15 – In 118/119 brackets Previously a 13 seed in 113/113 brackets with a Best of 11 and Worst of 15



Click here to see Lunardi’s entire bracket.

Click here to see Palm’s entire bracket.

Click here to see all brackets at BracketMatrix.com.

Follow me on Twitter @pcbb1917

Liked it? Take a second to support pcbb1917.com on Patreon!