St. John’s could easily come away victorious here, but its odds of doing so are a bit short considering a dangerous field that includes a solid Marquette squad, as well as Creighton, Villanova and Dan Hurley’s battle-tested and back-to-back defending national champion UConn team.

UConn, the two-time defending NCAA champs, open the Big East Tournament vs. Villanova at their home away from home - Madison Square Garden. Read our Villanova vs. UConn predictions and best bets here.

Geno Auriemma said Saturday after the Huskies' quarterfinal win over St. John's that the team intends to sit Griffin during the Big East Tournament to give the sixth-year veteran as much rest as possible ahead of the NCAA Tournament after she experienced knee soreness following last Sunday's regular-season finale.