Leading scorer: Jeff Green (13.6 ppg)

Winners of 12 of their last 13 games, the Hoyas' methodical style will give opponents fits in postseason play.

No. 2 Louisville (22-8, 12-4)

Leading scorer: Terrence Williams (12.1 ppg)

Coach Rick Pitino's squad has peaked at the right time of the season and is primed for a tournament run.,”

No. 1 Georgetown (23-6, 13-3)

Leading scorer: Jeff Green (13.6 ppg)

Winners of 12 of their last 13 games, the Hoyas' methodical style will give opponents fits in postseason play.

No. 2 Louisville (22-8, 12-4)

Leading scorer: Terrence Williams (12.2 ppg)

Coach Rick Pitino's squad has peaked at the right time of the season and is primed for a tournament run.

No. 3 Pittsburgh (25-6, 12-4)

Leading scorer: Aaron Gray (14.4 ppg)

Although the Panthers slipped to the No. 3 seed, they still have as much talent and depth as anyone in the conference.

No. 4 Notre Dame (23-6, 11-5)

Leading scorer: Russell Carter (16.9 ppg)

Sure, the Fighting Irish benefited from a soft Big East schedule, but teams with multiple perimeter and post threats go far in March.

No. 5 Syracuse (21-9, 10-6)

Leading scorer: Demetris Nichols (18.8 ppg)

The Orange, the surprising winners of last year's tournament, probably didn't want to face UConn in the first round.

No. 6 Marquette (23-8, 10-6)

Leading scorer: Dominic James (14.9 ppg)

A mouth-watering quarterfinal against Pittsburgh awaits the Golden Eagles, who may have a difficult time beating the Panthers for a third time.

No. 7 West Virginia (21-8, 9-7)

Leading scorer: Frank Young (13.7 ppg)

The Mountaineers have yet to win on the road against a quality opponent, which doesn't bode well for their postseason chances.

No. 8 DePaul (18-12, 9-7)

Leading scorer: Wilson Chandler (14.1 ppg

Sammy Mejia has scored 17-plus points in four of his last five games, but his production may be too late to save the inconsistent Blue Demons.

No. 9 Villanova (21-9, 9-7)

Leading scorer: Curtis Sumpter (17.0 ppg)

What the Wildcats lack in depth they make up for in Scottie Reynolds, the conference's hottest player (26.0 points in his last five games).

No. 10 Providence (18-11, 8-8)

Leading scorer: Herbert Hill (18.0 ppg)

Although the Friars' first-round game is winnable, it's hard to have faith in a team that closed the season with a double-digit loss at St. John's.

No. 11 St. John's (16-14, 7-9)

Leading scorer: Lamont Hamilton (13.7 ppg)

Despite playing on their home court, the disappointing Red Storm don't stand a chance at making a run.

No. 12 Connecticut (17-13, 6-10)

Leading scorer: Jerome Dyson (13.6 ppg)

The rebuilding year in Storrs lasted longer than expected, and after a quick exit in New York, the young Huskies will have to settle for the NIT.

The favorite

Louisville. Six players average more than 8.0 points per game, creating a stable, balanced attack for a team riding a six-game winning streak.

The sleeper

Notre Dame. Defense is overrated. Perimeter shooting often makes the difference in March, and the Fighting Irish lead the Big East in three-point percentage (39.8).

NCAA bubble watch

Syracuse and Villanova likely will make it but would feel a lot safer with at least one Big East tourney win… West Virginia and DePaul probably need to advance to the semifinals to merit serious consideration.

3 players to watch

Scottie Reynolds (Villanova): The freshman point guard has become the Wildcats' primary scoring option in recent weeks.

Wesley Matthews (Marquette): The most overlooked member of the sophomore backcourt trio is in top form.

Eric Devendorf (Syracuse): After a 33-point performance in the regular season finale, is he ready to take over the way Gerry McNamara did last year?

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