The little dances: conference tournaments start the Madness, and the league that figures to put on the hottest show is the (really) Big East.(COLLEGE BASKETBALL)

Jim Boeheim knew. Knew Pittsburgh would be good. Knew West Virginia would be really good. Connecticut and Villanova? Of course.

But Boeheim didn't know how things would shake out further down the ranks in a deep league. Louisville? Notre Dame? How'd they end up down there? "Those are pretty good teams," Boeheim says.

Yes, they are. But in a 16-team league that has precious few soft spots and allows only 12 in its postseason tournament, somebody--besides South Florida, of course--will have to stay home.

"There could be two teams with winning records that don't make the Big East Tournament but still qualify for the NIT," Rutgers coach Gary Waters says.

The Big East wanted to be the biggest--and presumably the best--when it engulfed five members of Conference USA. Though Louisville, DePaul and South Florida are struggling, Marquette and Cincinnati are assembling strong NCAA Tournament resumes they plan to augment at the Garden. But just add them to the long list of Big East at-large candidates--most with some business left to accomplish.--Michael Bradley

BIG EAST March 8-11 Overview

Villanova, Connecticut and Pittsburgh can use the tournament to secure an elite NCAA seed--and less adventuresome early rounds.