Few conferences wound up as more of a surprise than the Big East this college basketball season. UConn, coming off back-to-back national titles, has taken a sharp tumble back down to earth as Dan Hurley's sideline performances and clashes with fans caused more headlines than his team's play. Meanwhile, in Queens, St. John's has enjoyed an amazing, resurgent season under Rick Pitino and the Red Storm enter the NCAA tournament with all the momentum after winning the Big East tournament.
Overall the conference is fairly well-represented in this year's NCAA tournament, even if the number of schools invited may be upsettingly low to those who remember the glory days of Big East basketball. In total, five Big East teams will be playing in the biggest March Madness tournament of them all.
For those looking to keep track of how the Big East is doing, here's what the conference's record looks like in NCAA tournament play this year after the second round.
Big East NCAA Tournament Record After Second Round
Unfortunately for the Big East, the second round was filled with letdowns. The conference was swept clean across the board, with not a single representative winning and advancing to the Sweet 16. This leaves the Big East's overall record for the tournament at 4-5.
Biggest Wins and Most Disappointing Losses
There were only disappointing losses in the second round of the 2025 NCAA tournament for the Big East conference.
There was no bigger letdown than that of St. John's. Earning a top seed for the first time in a long time the Johnnies drew John Calipari's Arkansas squad for the second round and totally flopped. Thanks to a horrible shooting night across the board the Red Storm were upset and Rick Pitino's big return ultimately falls short.
Expectations were not nearly the same but UConn's defeat at the hands of Florida was nearly as painful for the conference. Entering the tournament with nobody believing in them, the defending champion Huskies had the top-seeded Gators on the ropes late in the second half but could not get the job done, losing 77-75.
Creighton, the third Big East team to get taken down in the second round, had their shot to defeat No. 1 Auburn. The Bluejays hit the locker room with a two-point halftime lead, but folded in the second half. Auburn ultimately won by 12 and Creighton's hopes of a deep run were dashed without much drama.
Which Big East Teams Are Still Alive?
There are no Big East teams left alive in the 2025 NCAA tournament.
