With college basketball closing in on the climax that is the NCAA Tournament, there are a number of teams who have work to do when it comes to being selected for the event. The talk about the bubble heats up, with resumes being dissected on a nightly basis. But who are some of the key players in the Big East with less than a month between now and the Big East Tournament? Here are five players who will need to step up if they're to be a part of the madness.
- F Jimmy Butler (Marquette)
Butler is second on the team to Darius Johnson-Odom in scoring with an average of 15.5 points per game while also grabbing 6.3 rebounds. Given his versatility, Butler will be one of the guys Buzz Williams leans on to deliver the Golden Eagles a couple resume-building victories down the stretch.
- G Dwight Hardy (St. John's)
Hardy's excellence has been on full display the last two games, with the senior from the Bronx scoring 65 points in games against UCLA and Connecticut. With his move into the role of starting point guard Hardy, who averages 16.6 points, has more chances to make plays offensively.
- F Kevin Jones (West Virginia)
His game isn't what Da'Sean Butler's was last season as the Mountaineers made it all the way to the Final Four, but Butler has the ability to get the job done offensively. The junior from Mount Vernon, NY averages 13.3 points and 7.1 rebounds per game and has reached double figures in each of the last three games.
- G Sean Kilpatrick (Cincinnati)
The redshirt freshman from White Plains, NY has been one of the best bench scorers in the Big East, and Mick Cronin will need that to continue if the Bearcats are to earn an NCAA bid. Kilpatrick averages 9.9 points per game while shooting 39.3% from beyond the arc, and he scored 19 while also dishing out five assists in Cincinnati's win at DePaul on Tuesday night.
- G Casey Mitchell (West Virginia)
Mitchell just returned from a suspension two games ago, but if the Mountaineers are to get back into the Big Dance his play will be crucial. Mitchell averages 15.3 points per game and is one of the better shooters in the Big East, but that disciplinary action by Bob Huggins displayed what can happen when you don't buy into the team concept.
BONUS: Two players who can make things happen for non-tournament teams in New York
- G Marshon Brooks (Providence)
Brooks has been outstanding for the Friars, averaging a conference-best 24.1 points while also grabbing 7.5 rebounds per game. Brooks went off on Saturday, scoring 43 points in a two-point loss at Georgetown, and given his wide array of skills he's the kind of player who can send someone home in a conference tournament situation.
- G Jeremy Hazell (Seton Hall)
It's been a rough year for both the Pirates and Hazell personally, who first broke his wrist in the Paradise Jam then was shot on his way home from a Christmas party before the calendar even reached 2011. But make no mistake about it, the senior can score as he averages 17.9 points per game. He's the kind of perimeter shooter that can shoot his team to a couple of wins when hot, making him a player to keep tabs on in the Big East Tournament.