Vito Corleone says in The Godfather that “A man who doesn’t spend time with his family can never be a real man.” Rick Pitino is college basketball’s Vito Corleone, the Godfather of the sport down to the slicked-back hair, the heavy Italian accent, the white suit and the long history of scandals. Like Corleone, Pitino is revered and hated, but if there’s two things he knows how to do, it’s win basketball games and keep it in the family. As the new sheriff in town after UConn’s back-to-back national championships, Pitino has instilled a renewed level of competition in the Big East, setting the stage for one of the most exciting Big East tournaments in years.

The Michaels

Saint John’s: The Red Storm have blitzed through the conference under Pitino’s watch, finishing the season at 27-4 with an undefeated conference record at home. R.J. Luis Jr. has led the way with a blistering 18 points per game and has been supplemented by players like Kadary Richmond and Zuby Ejiofor. Pitino’s trademark has always been a shutdown defense and that hasn’t changed this season. The Red Storm are a projected No. 2 seed and the favorite to win the tournament.

UConn: Despite the poorer year by their standards, it would be nonsensical to count out Dan Hurley in March. The coach holds an icy relationship with officials and media members, but none of that matters when it’s time to win games in March. Even without key players from their back-to-back championship victories like Donovan Clingan and Stephon Castle, players like Solo Ball and Alex Karaban have the potential to lead the Huskies to a second straight conference tournament victory.

Creighton: The Bluejays have had a rocky season, but they possess the star power to stand their own as a formidable opponent. Ryan Kalkbrenner is one of the best two-way centers in the country and is surrounded by shooters like Steven Ashworth who can make opponents pay for honing in on Kalkbrenner. Creighton has split games with every conference opponent they lost to, showing that they can hang with whoever they play. How far they go depends on which version of Greg McDermott’s team walks out of the tunnel each night.

Marquette: Kam Jones emerged early in the season as a true player of the year candidate, putting up 18.9 points and 6.1 assists per game. The Golden Eagles have struggled against the top conference competition, with a 1-5 record against Creighton, UConn and St. John’s. Shaka Smart has been known to make tournament runs, though, and poses a significant threat to any of the other top teams.

The Sonnys

Xavier: The Musketeers fall just out of the tier of Vitos due to some early season struggles but they are very close to being among the top dogs. Zach Freemantle is a star at the forward position and provides the spark needed to take down any top team. Led by Sean Miller, the Musketeers are a team that could very easily make their way to the final day of the tournament.

Villanova: The loss of Jay Wright was a brutal one for arguably the best program of the 2010s, leaving them with the consistently underachieving Kyle Neptune to lead the way. The Wildcats haven’t shown the prowess to keep up with the conference’s top programs, but with a scorer like Eric Dixon leading the way, there is significant upside for a tournament run. 

Georgetown: The effects of years of ineptitude under Patrick Ewing have started to subside, and Micah Peavy and freshman Thomas Sorber are leading the Hoyas to their first year of genuine conference contention in a very long time. Although they lack the defensive ability necessary to be a favorite, they could certainly make noise in the conference tournament.

The Fredos

Butler: The Bulldogs simply lack the star power to keep up in such a high-powered conference. They will be entering the tournament on a four game losing streak and haven’t shown that they can rack up enough consecutive wins to threaten anyone.

DePaul: The Blue Demons started the season 9-2 against weak competition and have lost 16 of 20 since that point. They are Georgetown’s kryptonite, sweeping the season series against the Hoyas, but can’t apply that same proficiency to other teams in the conference.

Providence: After Ed Cooley led the Friars to seven tournament berths before departing for the Hoyas, Kim English hasn’t been able to bring Providence back to contention. Their 6-14 conference record doesn’t put them on anyone’s radar within the bracket.

Seton Hall: Despite a miraculous overtime defeat of the UConn Huskies, the Pirates are in the gutter of the Big East. Head coach Shaheen Holloway is firmly on the hot seat, and Myles Powell is not coming to rescue the program anytime soon.

Prediction:

Pitino’s team is the story of the year out of the Big East, but it is Greg McDermott’s Creighton Bluejays that fly under the radar and hoist the trophy. Creighton is consistent and has the star power to get the job done, and Ryan Kalkbrenner wraps up his career with a Big East championship — the first in program history.