Apparently not behind the paywall in Ireland - the BE blurb
Locks
Marquette Golden Eagles, Xavier Musketeers
Should be in
UConn Huskies
The numbers never stopped believing in UConn, and in fact, laptops rate the Huskies as solid favorites in their upcoming home game against Marquette. Say this for Dan Hurley's men: They have contributed one interesting profile to the annals. Is this the team that started 14-0 with 13 double-digit wins over the likes of Alabama and Iowa State? Or is this really the team that is 1-5 against Big East opponents found in Bubble Watch? Mock brackets are currently answering this evaluative riddle by showing the Huskies on the No. 5 line.
Providence Friars
At this time last year, Bryce Hopkins was averaging seven minutes a game for Kentucky, Devin Carter was coming off the bench for South Carolina and Noah Locke was starting for a Louisville squad that would finish 13-19. (Fans of the Cardinals say those were the days.) All three are now thriving in Providence alongside returning veterans Ed Croswell and Jared Bynum. The 6-foot-7 Hopkins, in particular, has made a name for himself as a foul-drawing dynamo on the defensive glass. In the preseason, the Friars were picked to finish fifth in the Big East, meaning Ed Cooley is outperforming expectations for a second consecutive season. Providence is 17-6 and projected as a No. 6 seed.
Creighton Bluejays
Greg McDermott's team is shaping up as the opponent that no No. 2 seed wants to see in the round of 32. This particular potential No. 7 seed lost six in a row at one point, a stretch that combined worthy opponents (including Arizona, Texas and Marquette) with some bad timing (Ryan Kalkbrenner missed three of the losses due to illness). Then again, the Bluejays also lost on their home floor at full strength to Nebraska. It all seems like a long time ago: Creighton has now won six in a row and is pushing the Golden Eagles and Xavier at the top of the Big East standings.
Work to do
Seton Hall Pirates
In his first season at the helm, Shaheen Holloway has his 15-9 Pirates drawing ever closer to the projected field of 68. Seton Hall has won eight of its past 10 by taking care of business against the bottom half of the Big East (going 7-0 against St. John's, DePaul, Butler and Georgetown) and by posting a crucial one-point win at home over UConn. Now, the schedule becomes more challenging, starting with a home game against Creighton. The Pirates can be turnover-prone, but Saint Peter's transfer KC Ndefo is one of the Big East's best rim protectors, and Clemson transfer Al-Amir Dawes is hitting 40% of his 3s.