That's the way it is in the Big East. And that's why when the NCAA men's basketball committee announces seedings, sites and pairings tomorrow for the Big Dance, the Big East will have at least eight teams included, the most of any conference.
Yes, the Big Twelve and the Atlantic Coast Conference, both 12-team leagues, will have an anticipated seven each, a higher percentage. But the Big East is a league that sees teams devour each other during a grueling 18-game schedule and limit more from getting to the party.
"It's the same as it is every year, and the same as it's going to be every year as long as we have 16 teams," Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin said earlier this season.
"What our conference does is take tournament teams and puts them on the bubble. You have 11 teams probably in our league that have played well enough in nonconference and had good enough teams to be NCAA tournament teams. But the reality is we're all not going to make it. It's a matter of just killing each other off."
As much as Cronin's Bearcats tried this year, coming a West Virginia buzzer-beater away Thursday night from continuing their long-shot NCAA bid, they couldn't get over the hump and are headed for the NIT.
As it stands now, the top eight finishers during the Big East regular season are headed for the NCAA tournament. Marquette clinched its bid Thursday with a victory over Villanova. Notre Dame defeated Seton Hall and Pittsburgh and will pack its suitcases. Louisville also should make it, with its first-game loss to Cincinnati trumped by a season sweep of third-ranked Syracuse.
Syracuse, West Virginia, Villanova, Pitt and Georgetown were locks heading into the Big East tournament.
