A tournament that gives all 16 teams in the conference an opportunity to play. A tournament for the right to earn an automatic bid in the NCAA Tournament. A tournament that has a first round matchup of two teams that are looking to stay at least one more night in "The Big Apple."
The Notre Dame FIghting Irish (17-13, 8-10) will play the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (11-20, 2-16) tomorrow night at 7 pm in the world's most famous arena (Madison Square Garden).
If you would have said Notre Dame would have been the 10th seed in the Big East Tournament at the beginning of the year, you might have been called all kinds of foul language names. The Irish are led by an All-Big East player and pre season All-American, Luke Harangody, Harangody is averaging 23 points and 12 rebounds a game.
After starting the year 12-4 and a ranking in the top 10 in the month of January, the Irish dropped 7 in a row. The team finished a mere 5-3. The question now is... how many games do the Irish need to win to get in the NCAA Tournament, 2,3,4? Or do they have to win the tournament to guarantee themselves a spot?
Meanwhile the Scarlet Knights are looking to gain experience with an extraordinary young team. Rutgers is led by a freshman, Mike Rosario, who is the only player averaging double figures on the team (16.3 ppg). Rutgers won just two Big East games this season but do not think that they cannot beat a Notre Dame team that had an exhausting losing season.
Both programs are not only trying to do the improbable (win the Big East TOurnament and get the automatic bid), but the two are looking to gain valuable experience for next year.
Whoever wins this first round matchup, will play the likes of West Virginia (21-10, 10-8) on Wednesday. The Mountaineers beat both teams during the regular season (74-56 over Rutgers and 79-68 over Notre Dame).
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