Anybody care to argue the supremacy of Big East basketball? Didn’t think so.

There were three Big East teams playing in last night’s first round of Sweet 16 games. All three won to advance to the Elite Eight. Syracuse will look to make it an even foursome tonight.

Pitt stopped Xavier, 60-55. UConn was 12 points better than Purdue. And maybe most impressive of all was the Villanova Wildcats, who blew out the prestigious Duke program in the second half in rolling to a 77-54 win.

Just call them the Beasts of the Big East. If Syracuse can hold their own against Oklahoma tonight, that will give the Big East an even half of the Elite Eight.

Not too shabby.