How many Big East teams made the NCAA Tournament?

On Saturday, the UConn Huskies claimed their first Big East Tournament championship since 2011. In the process, the Huskies also claimed the No. 1 overall seed in the 68-team NCAA Tournament field, finishing the regular season 31-3 with both Big East titles — regular season and conference tournament — under their belt.

Of course, this is hardly unexpected for the reigning D1 men's basketball champs. No program has more momentum than Connecticut right now. Dan Hurley has compiled a group brimming with future NBA talent, led by Donovan Clingan, who put together his best game of the season to cap off the Huskies' 73-57 win over Marquette last night. The 7-foot-2 bruiser has learned to leverage his unmatched size and strength for easy buckets in the post, with the help of some creative sets and the quality playmakers around him.

The Huskies won the auto bid for good measure, but they will not be the only Big East team in the tournament. It's a relatively light field by Big East standards, but man, the teams who did make the tournament are heavy-hitters.

How many Big East teams made the 2024 NCAA Tournament?

In total, three Big East teams made the 2024 NCAA Tournament.

• Connecticut Huskies: No. 1 seed, East
• Marquette Golden Eagles: No. 2 seed, South
• Creighton Bluejays: No. 3 seed, Midwest

Five Big East teams were featured in the big dance a season ago, with Xavier and Providence failing to earn repeat bids. Providence was right on the bubble, per ESPN's Joe Lundari, as were Seton Hall and St. John's. Had UConn not plowed through the Big East Tournament, the conference might actually have earned more representation.

Still, while three is a relatively small number for such an esteemed basketball conference, all of the Big East's representatives are legitimate title threats. If there is an overall "favorite," it has to be UConn. It's hard to go back-to-back in a single elimination tournament of this magnitude, but the Huskies are the most talented, most complete team in college basketball.

The Golden Eagles managed to keep it close with UConn through a good portion of the Big East title game despite missing their best player, Tyler Kolek. The crafty point guard is expected back for the start of the NCAA Tournament, so Marquette is about to receive a sizable boost.

Creighton is brimming with quality upperclassmen who have been on this stage before. Trey Alexander, Baylor Scheierman, and Ryan Kalkbrenner are all looking for their one shining moment before the NBA beckons in June. The Bluejays have an elite defense and enough shot-making to match up with any team.

Marquette, a No. 2 seed, lost in the second round to No. 7 Michigan State last season. Creighton, a No. 6 seed, made it all the way to the Elite Eight before losing to San Diego State, the eventual runner-ups. UConn won the whole shebang.

We'll see how the 2024 tournament unfolds.