The Big East Conference finds itself at the center of attention on Sunday night, but unfortunately not for positive reasons. With a day filled with unexpected outcomes, the conference now faces a potential reduction in the number of teams it can send to the NCAA Tournament. The Big East teams currently in the bubble discussion, namely St. John's, Providence, and Seton Hall, anxiously await their fate as the selection committee prepares to announce the tournament pairings.

The hopes of these three teams have been dampened by a series of bid-stealing victories achieved by other teams. The projected tournament teams, Dayton from the Atlantic 10 and Florida Atlantic from the AAC, suffered early exits in their respective conference tournaments. In addition, surprise wins by N.C. State in the ACC and Oregon in the Pac-12 further diminished the available at-large bids. As a result, there could be four fewer at-large bids up for grabs, potentially limiting the Big East's representation in the tournament.

For now, Connecticut, Creighton, and Marquette are the three teams considered locks for the NCAA Tournament from the Big East. The remaining trio of St. John's, Providence, and Seton Hall remain question marks in the eyes of many bracketologists. Amongst the bubble teams, St. John's boasts the highest NET ranking at 34, followed by Providence at 57 and Seton Hall at 66. Notably, N.C. State held the highest NET ranking to miss the tournament in 2019, with a ranking of 33.

While St. John's holds the best metrics, Providence and Seton Hall have accumulated noteworthy victories against high-level opponents. Seton Hall has secured wins over Connecticut and Marquette, while Providence boasts victories over Wisconsin, Creighton, and Marquette. Not to be overlooked, St. John's has showcased their potential by winning six of their last seven games, with their only loss coming to the dominant Connecticut team by just five points. They also delivered a crushing blow to Seton Hall in the Big East Tournament quarterfinals.

In recent days, several bubble teams, including Colorado, Mississippi State, New Mexico, and Texas A&M, have bolstered their tournament resumes with significant victories. This further intensifies the already tight competition within the bubble. The outcome of the selection show on Sunday will revolve around this compelling storyline.

When it comes to the No. 1 seeds, there appears to be little suspense. Houston, Connecticut, and Purdue are expected to secure the first three spots, with Tennessee or North Carolina likely claiming the fourth. Despite their recent loss to N.C. State, North Carolina holds an advantage over Tennessee due to a better record in Quad 1 and 2 games (16-7 compared to 13-8), as well as having three more wins on the road. However, Iowa State could emerge as a dark horse for the last No. 1 seed after their impressive victory over Houston for the second time on Saturday.

In addition to the Big East bubble teams, the locals will have a presence in the tournament as well. If St. John's and/or Seton Hall find themselves in Dayton for the First Four, they will be joined by the surprising winner of the NEC, Wagner, which is guaranteed a spot with a record of 16-15 and a low NET ranking of 288 - the lowest in the entire field. Another potential participant from the local area is Saint Peter's, who defeated Fairfield on Saturday night and may join Wagner in Dayton. Interestingly, Saint Peter's head coach, Bashir Mason, previously spent 10 seasons at Wagner without reaching the tournament, while current Wagner coach Donald Copeland was his assistant from 2017 to 2021.

The NCAA Selection Committee's decisions will ultimately shape the tournament field. For the Big East bubble teams, the wait is almost over, and their hopes for an NCAA Tournament appearance hang in the balance.