First Week of 2012 Has Mixed Results in a Wild Big East Start

During the first seven days of the New Year Marquette started its Big East schedule by facing three conference opponents. New Year's Day brought Villanova to the Bradley Center for a noon game. MU began the week on a positive note by handing the young Wildcats an 81-77 defeat.


Then it was on the road for their next two games at #10 Georgetown and #1 ranked Syracuse. On Wednesday night Buzz's boys jumped out to a big lead in the first half only to see the Hoyas come back from as much as seventeen down early in the second half to down MU 73-70 by shooting 76% in the second half.

The Carrier Dome in Syracuse was unkind to Marquette as usual. This game was the opposite of Wednesday's contest with MU getting off to a slow start in the first half reminiscent of the Vanderbilt game. They trailed by as much as twenty three at one point in the first half but were able to rally in the second twenty minutes and only trailed by two at 59-57 with about six minutes left but the Orange were able to hold on for a 73-66 win over MU.

It looks like its going to be a wild and wacky year in the Big East with perennial powers Pittsburgh, Villanova, and Louisville off to slow starts and looking very beatable. The road will be a dangerous place at almost every stop with nothing guaranteed. For example Providence triumphed over Louisville by thirty one points, 90-59, on Tuesday night. After beating Marquette Georgetown has now lost two in a row.

If you take a look at the current Big East standings you'll see Syracuse undefeated at the top with winless Pittsburgh in the last spot and Villanova, Marquette, and Louisville with only one victory so far. Its very early in the season but it looks like the Big East is going to have a topsy turvy year in its last go round before realignment begins.

Marquette has three home games up next in their schedule against St John's, Pittsburgh, and Louisville so hopefully they'll pull out three wins before they hit the road again. The next eight weeks before the tournaments start should be exciting and unpredictable for all the teams in the Big East.

GO MARQUETTE!!