Big East Breakdown: Contenders, pretenders and sleepers for the Big East tournament

After a grueling three months of regular season men’s basketball in the Big East, all 16 of… After a grueling three months of regular season men’s basketball in the Big East, all 16 of the conference’s teams will do battle in the Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden in New York City beginning on Tuesday.

While some of the Big East’s better teams will use the competition to prepare for the NCAA Tournament, teams at the bottom of the conference standings — like Pitt — know the Big East Tournament is their last chance to earn a bid into the Big Dance. All conference tournament champions earn an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament.

So heading into the much-anticipated 2012 version of the Big East Tournament — the 30th anniversary for the event at Madison Square Garden — here are my contenders, pretenders and sleepers for the five-day showcase of Big East basketball.

Contenders:

Syracuse — After locking up the Big East regular season title, the Orange will enter Madison Square Garden as the hands-down favorites to bring home the tournament championship trophy. Syracuse might have the deepest and most talented team in the Big East, but history has shown that being the No. 1 seed doesn’t always lead to success in the conference tournament. The top seed has come away with the trophy just twice in the past nine years.

Georgetown — Considering five of the Hoyas’ six losses this season came on the road, it might be surprising to some to see them listed as contenders in a tournament played away from home. However, Georgetown traditionally plays well in the Big East Tournament and has earned a spot in the tournament final in three of the last five years. Overlook the Hoyas at your own risk.

Marquette — The Golden Eagles suffered a rare defeat at Cincinnati on Wednesday, but that shouldn’t deter them from competing for the title at Madison Square Garden. Star guard Darius Johnson-Odom is Marquette’s leader, and Buzz Williams’ passionate coaching style certainly makes the Golden Eagles fun to watch. A potential semifinal match-up between Marquette and Georgetown could be the game of the tournament.

Cincinnati — Because facing the Bearcats presents such a unique challenge, I consider them to be possible contenders to make a deep run in this year’s Big East Tournament. Nobody shoots more 3-pointers in the Big East than Cincinnati and any team that shoots the ball from beyond the arc as much as the Bearcats do is dangerous.

Pretenders:

Notre Dame — Following their nine-game winning streak, the Irish struggled mightily, dropping two straight at St. John’s and Georgetown. Injuries have plagued the Irish all season and fatigue may finally be taking its toll on this overachieving squad. Incredibly, Notre Dame has never made it to the Big East Tournament final, and that drought looks set to continue for another year.

South Florida — Winners of six of their past seven games, the Bulls might be entering the Big East Tournament as one of the conference’s hottest teams. Wednesday night’s win at Louisville probably locked up a spot for South Florida in the NCAA Tournament. But with an inexperienced team that struggles offensively, the Bulls could make an early exit from the conference tournament.

Louisville — Barring an upset victory at Syracuse this Saturday, the Cardinals will enter the postseason having lost four of their last six games. Head coach Rick Pitino’s team has made the final for two of the last three years, but he’ll need to pull off some magic to lead struggling Louisville to another Big East Tournament final.

Sleepers:

West Virginia — With an experienced coach like Bob Huggins on the sidelines and probable Big East Player of the Year forward Kevin Jones on the court, the Mountaineers can’t be counted out to repeat their 2010 heroics when they lifted the Big East Tournament trophy. West Virginia’s 3-7 record in its last 10 games is worrying, but past Big East Tournaments have shown that anything can happen when a talented and experienced team gets hot at the Garden.

Connecticut -— For similar reasons to West Virginia, UConn could be a scary team to face next week. As defending Big East Tournament champions, the underachieving Huskies likely will need to win five games in five days like they did last season in order to earn a NCAA Tournament bid and defend their National Championship. Last year’s savior Kemba Walker isn’t walking through the door, but UConn still has the talent to make some noise.

Pittsburgh — Wednesday night’s victory over St. John’s showed that the Panthers still have the capability to finish this disappointing season on a high note. Pitt has struggled this season on both sides of the ball, but the Panthers have done well during the rare occasions when the entire team is on the same page. If Pitt’s stars all show up in New York City and the Panthers get some favorable match-ups, then a run to the semifinals isn’t too far-fetched.

Prediction:

Semifinals — Syracuse def. Pittsburgh, Georgetown def. Marquette

Finals — Syracuse def. Georgetown