Providence shakes ghosts of tournaments past, makes Big East final

A Providence upset of Creighton in the final would make the Big East happy by nearly guaranteeing the league four bids in the NCAA tournament, along with the

Bryce Cotton, Providence's steadying force all year, had 18 points and 10 assists Friday :: Mitchell Layton/Getty Images

A Providence upset of Creighton in the final would make the Big East happy by nearly guaranteeing the league four bids in the NCAA tournament, along with the Bluejays, Villanova and very-likely-at-large Xavier. There are those around the Friars program who believe they've already done enough to earn an invite -- Father Brian Shanley, the school's president, was overheard saying, "We're in now" after emerging from the locker room on Friday -- but bracketologists don't consider it a lock. The only way for the ironmen to be certain is to grind out one more victory and end a two-decade drought.