BIG EAST Men’s Tournament
The 2024 BIG EAST Men’s Basketball Tournament returns to Madison Square Garden on March 13th. For the 42nd year, BIG EAST teams will battle it out in New York for a chance to continue their season in March Madness.
Seeds have not been determined yet as BIG EAST teams are finishing up regular season play. Based on conference play, there are three teams who have a chance to take home the championship.
UConn
The reigning national champion UConn Huskies are the favorite to win the tournament as the one seed. They are currently number two in the AP Rankings and have held a high spot in the rankings for the whole season. The Huskies have a conference record of 16-2, so they know how to beat every team in the tournament.
UConn is led by NBA prospect, Tristen Newton, who leads the team in points per game, rebounds, and assists. Newton set a program record last season by recording two triple doubles in one year.
Marquette
The reigning BIG EAST champion Marquette Golden Eagles are also one of the top picks to win the tournament. They have 85% of their team returning from last season and have a conference record of 13-5.
The Golden Eagles could be missing one of their key players if Tyler Kolek, who leads the nation in assists, does not recover from his oblique injury.
If Marquette pulls off a tournament win, they would be back-to-back BIG EAST champions.
Creighton
With a current conference record of 13-6 and huge win over UConn 85-66, Creighton has a good chance to make a run in the tournament.
The Blue Jays have two time BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year, Ryan Kalkbrenner, and Baylor Scheierman who leads the team in points per game and rebounds.
The Tournament
The BIG EAST Tournament is March 13th through March 16th ending with the championship game, giving one team an immediate entry into March Madness.
BIG EAST Women’s Tournament
The 2024 BIG EAST Women’s Tournament returns to the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut on March 8th.
For the second year in a row, UConn, Creighton, Marquette, St. John’s, and Villanova have all received first round byes in the tournament. Three of these teams have proved themselves this season and have a good chance to win the championship.
UConn
The number one seed, UConn, has won the last three BIG EAST Tournaments and is the favorite to win once again. Ranked number 10 in the AP Rankings, the Huskies are undefeated in conference play and have only lost three conference games in the past three seasons.
UConn is the winningest program in the BIG EAST Women’s Tournament with 21 championships.
The team has two WNBA prospects in Paige Bueckers and Aaliyah Edwards. Bueckers is 17th in the nation in scoring with 20.8 points per game while Edwards averages 18.1 points per game.
Creighton
With a conference record of 15-3, Creighton is the two seed, averaging 74 points per game, only behind UConn in the BIG EAST.
The Blue Jays have three strong players in Emma Ronsiek, Lauren Jensen, and Morgan Maly who all average double digits each game.
Saint John’s
The three seed, Saint John’s, is ranked second in the conference in scoring defense with opponents averaging only 57 points per game. This is the program’s highest position in the last three years.
The Red Storm is led by Unique Drake, the 2022-2023 BIG EAST Sixth Woman of the Year. She currently averages 18 points per game.
The Tournament
The BIG EAST Tournament is March 8th through March 11th ending with the championship game as these teams hope to continue their seasons into March Madness.
