The Big East set a record when it placed seven teams in the preseason Associated Press poll.
A low-seeded team could have theoretically played all five days if it won its games in the first four rounds, but this did not turn out to be the case.
A back-and-forth thriller between two rivals, this game lasted nearly four hours and finally ended after six overtimes, at 1:22 a.m. the following day.
[4] The game was tied at 71–71 with a second left in regulation, when Syracuse inbounded a pass the full length of the court.
Guard, Eric Devendorf, sunk a 3-point shot as the clock appeared to run out, seemingly giving Syracuse the game.
After a thorough review by officials using frame-by-frame slow motion, it became apparent that the ball was not completely off of Devendorf's fingertips as the clock changed from 0.1 to 0.0 seconds.
This pattern continued for five overtimes, where in each one, UConn took and maintained a lead, only to have Syracuse tie the score before time ran out.
In the sixth and final overtime, Syracuse came out and took a large lead (their first since regulation) that eventually proved insurmountable for UConn, and won the game, 127–117.
Though Notre Dame, Georgetown, and Providence were unable to secure at-large bids, seven conference teams were undisputedly deserving and were selected.
In the 72nd annual National Invitation Tournament, there were three Big East teams among the field of 32: Georgetown, Notre Dame, and Providence.
The team earned a 4-seed in the East region, and lost their opening round game to top-seeded Richmond 75–69.
The following players were honored with postseason awards after having been voted for by Big East Conference coaches.