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Georgetown ready to leave the Big East next season

Otto Porter Jr., John Thompson III

Georgetown forward Otto Porter Jr. (22) celebrates with head coach John Thompson III after an NCAA college basketball game against Marquette, Monday, Feb. 11, 2013, in Washington. Georgetown won 63-55. Porter had game-high 21 points. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

ASSOCIATED PRESS

The No. 7 Georgetown Hoyas have won 10 straight en route to the top spot in the Big East standings. Despite all the conference success this season, John Thompson III and his Hoyas are in favor of cutting conference ties and are ready to make the jump with the Catholic 7 for the 2013-2014 season.

“I’ve said from the beginning: the sooner the better,” Thompson said Friday according to the Associated Press. “That’s best for every and all parties in our situation. In other conferences, if you know there’s going to be a change, the sooner the better.”

The Catholic 7 -- Georgetown, St. John’s, Seton Hall, DePaul, Villanova, Marquette and Providence -- announced its departure in Dec. But on Thursday, the seven expedited the process, stating along with Butler and Xavier would form a new league starting next fall, holding on to the Big East name.

However as the AP reports, next season, may not be the new league’s inaugural season.

But there are logistics to work out in a hurry if that is to happen, many of them having to do with money. The splinter schools want to retain the Big East name and play the conference tournament at Madison Square Garden. Also, seven schools aren’t enough to sustain a major conference, so Butler and Xavier are among the prime candidates to join in.

At this point in the season, there isn’t a much better way Georgetown could exit the original Big East. The Hoyas, in a span of five days, topped a pair of long-standing Big East rivals -- Syracuse and UConn -- on the road. Georgetown is playing its best basketball at the moment, behind the play of sophomore forward Otto Porter. With Indiana, Duke and Michigan all losing this week, the Hoyas may be looking at a potential one seed in the NCAA tournament.

Terrence is also the lead writer at NEHoopNews.com and can be followed on Twitter: @terrence_payne