UConn's win out west, Gonzaga rumors and more Big East Storylines

Big East Conference play is just about here, the long wait for basketball in one of the toughest conferences in the nation is just about over for these 11 teams. But first, they all had to wrap up their nonconference schedules, which is now over.

The Big East performed well in non-conference play, with three teams holding spots in the AP Top 25, and all of them hanging around in the top 10. There are five teams with at least nine wins, and four teams finished with seven wins in nonconference play.

This conference has continued to establish respect amongst the rest of the nation, and now it is time for them to get into their yearly dogfight against each other. But with the way this nonconference slate has shaped up, there are several teams that have solid chances at NCAA Tournament bids, especially given the potential for quality wins in the Big East.

Even though the Big East is difficult, a lot of these schools still end up scheduling respectable nonconference slates, and that leads to this conference being consistent with their presence in March. But in mid-December, teams are fighting for those respectable wins to bolster their resume before the real fight begins.

Now, the quest to Madison Square Garden and the Big East Tournament begins, but first, we have to go through the storylines of the final week of nonconference play. We had some close calls, major wins, and rumors about the future of this conference.