Seton Hall is a lock to break its decade-long NCAA Tournament drought and won’t have to sweat over anything other than seeding on Selection Sunday, but multiple conference champions in the metropolitan area will not earn an invitation to the Dance without first cutting down a net over the next two weeks.
Conference tournaments begin Tuesday, reminding top mid-major schools that their regular-season success can be overshadowed by one loss, while the most undeserving teams enjoy knowing the past four months no longer matter.
Once again, every team can dream.
Here’s a look at the non-Big East teams hoping to reach the NCAA Tournament:
Monmouth
Record: 25-6, 17-3 MAAC
Coach: King Rice (Fifth season, 76-83)
RPI: 53
Regular-season recap: The Hawks opened the season with an overtime upset at UCLA, then solidified their status as one of the nation’s top mid-major teams with wins over Notre Dame, USC and Georgetown. Monmouth set a school-record for victories in a season, winning the MAAC regular-season title in its third year in the league.
Best win: 70-68 vs. Notre Dame (Nov. 26)
Player to watch: Justin Robinson, offered one Division I scholarship, was a breakout star this season. The 5-foot-8 junior averaged 20.2 points and 2.1 steals, while shooting 41.5 percent on 3-pointers.
Last NCAA Tournament appearance: 2006
Tournament odds: 3/1
Monmouth can win it if: The expectations aren’t overwhelming. The Hawks are the lone mid-major team in the area with a chance to receive an at-large berth, but the team that stole the early-season headlines this season knows the NIT is a real possibility without a tournament title.
Next game: Top-seeded Monmouth plays the winner of No. 8 Rider/No. 9 Quinnipiac in the MAAC quarterfinals at 7 p.m. Friday in Albany
Iona
Record: 19-10, 16-4 MAAC
Coach: Tim Cluess (Sixth season, 137-64)
RPI: 107
Regular-season recap: After three regular-season titles in four years, the Gaels were MAAC favorites again, but opened 4-6 and were overshadowed by Monmouth. However, Iona finished the season strong, winning nine of its past 10 games, while averaging more than 80 points per game.
Best win: 83-67 at Monmouth (Feb. 19)
Player to watch: Senior guard A.J. English has had NBA scouts eyeing him for the past two years. This season, he’s averaged 22.3 points, 6.1 assists and 5.1 rebounds.
Last NCAA Tournament appearance: 2013
Tournament odds: 4/1
Iona can win it if: It’s the pressure that’s plagued them. The Gaels have failed to win the conference tournament in their past three attempts as the No. 1 seed (2012, 2014-15), but claimed the championship as a No. 4 seed in 2013.
Next Play: Second-seeded Iona plays the winner of No. 7 Canisius/No. 10 Niagara in the quarterfinals at 9:30 p.m. Friday in Albany.
Manhattan
Record: 12-17, 9-11 MAAC
Coach: Steve Masiello (Fifth season, 91-70)
RPI: 230
Regular-season recap: The two-time defending MAAC tourney champions lost their top two players from last season and were left severely shorthanded by injuries, resulting in a 1-7 start. The offense is inconsistent and the rotation is thin, but their intense defense remains an annoyance to every opponent.
Best win: 78-71 vs. Monmouth (Jan. 21)
Player to watch: Once strictly a perimeter threat off the bench, swingman Shane Richards has emerged as Manhattan’s go-to guy as a senior, averaging 17 points while hitting 35.1 percent of 3-pointers.
Last NCAA Tournament appearance: 2015
Tournament odds: 20/1
Manhattan can win it if: Experience matters. Masiello’s squad has never won a regular-season league title, but the Jaspers play their best in the postseason. Manhattan has appeared in the past three MAAC championship games, reaching the 2013 title game as the sixth seed.
Next game: Sixth-seeded Manhattan plays No. 11 Marist in the first round at 9 p.m. Thursday.
St. Peter’s
Record: 14-15, 12-8 MAAC
Coach: John Dunne (10th season, 116-193)
RPI: 203
Regular-season recap: Picked to finish ninth out of 11 teams after graduating stars Marvin Dominique and Desi Washington, St. Peter’s became one of the league’s biggest surprises. The Peacocks finished fourth, their best result since reaching the MAAC Tournament five years ago.
Best win: 72-68 vs. Siena (Dec. 6)
Player to watch: Antwon Portley is the likely MAAC Rookie of the Year, a 6-foot-4 freshman who led St. Peter’s in scoring (14.3).
Last NCAA Tournament appearance: 2011
Tournament odds: 18/1
St. Peter’s can win it if: They are able to force their deliberate style on their opponents. The Peacocks will be heavy underdogs against No. 1 Monmouth in the semifinals, if they get that far, with Iona likely waiting in the final.
Next game: Fourth-seeded St. Peter’s plays fifth-seeded Fairfield in the quarterfinals at 9:30 p.m. Friday in Albany.
Fairfield
Record: 18-12, 12-8 MAAC
Coach: Sydney Johnson (Fifth season, 73-91)
RPI: 147
Regular-season recap: Fairfield has enjoyed its first winning season in four years and its fifth-place MAAC finish is its highest since the 2011-12 campaign.
Best win: 98-91 vs. Iona (Jan. 24)
Player to watch: Marcus Gilbert, a 6-foot-6 senior wing, is one of the MAAC’s deadliest scorers, as lethal on the perimeter as he is in the paint.
Last NCAA Tournament appearance: 1997
Tournament odds: 15/1
Fairfield can win it if: The defense, which allowed the second most points per game in the MAAC (76.1), can tighten up against top teams like Monmouth, Iona and Siena. The Stags won’t win many horse races.
Next Play: Fifth-seeded Fairfield plays fourth-seeded St. Peter’s in the quarterfinals at 9:30 p.m. Friday.
Hofstra
Record: (22-8, 14-4 CAA)
Coach: Joe Mihalich (Third season, 52-45)
RPI: 60
Regular-season recap: Just three years after a burglary scandal ripped the team apart, Mihalich — and Niagara transfers Juan’ya Green and Ameen Tanksley — have turned the program around. Following a 10-win improvement last season, Hofstra captured its first-ever CAA regular season championship.
Best win: 89-83 at St. Bonaventure (Nov. 28)
Player to watch: Five players score in double-figures for the up-tempo Pride offense, but the player who makes Hofstra go is Green, the senior point guard who leads the team with 17.7 points per game and 7.2 assists.
Last NCAA Tournament appearance: 2001
Tournament Odds: 4/1
Hofstra can win it if: The offensive balances continues. The Pride features multiple 3-point threats, but the team is at its best when sophomore power forward Rokas Gustys is involved, bullying opponents on the block.
Next game: Top-seeded Hofstra plays the winner of No. 8 Elon/No. 9 Drexel in the quarterfinals at noon Saturday in Baltimore.
Stony Brook
Record: 23-6, 14-2 America East
Coach: Steve Pikiell (11th season, 189-155)
RPI: 63
Regular-season recap: The Seawolves won their fourth regular-season conference title this decade and surpassed 20 wins for the sixth time in seven years, at one point holding the nation’s longest winning streak at 18 games. Stony Brook has secured home-court advantage through the championship game.
Best win: 91-77 vs. Princeton (Dec. 5)
Player to watch: Senior Jameel Warney won his third straight America East Player of the Year award after another dominant season, having become the school’s all-time leader in multiple categories. The big man averaged 18.7 points, 10.2 rebounds and 3.2 blocks this season.
Last NCAA Tournament appearance: None
Tournament odds: 4/3
Stony Brook can win it if: The ghosts are gone. The Seawolves have endured an unimaginable amount of misery over the past five years, losing four championship games in the final minute, with two coming on their campus. The memory of last March is still strong, when Albany knocked off Stony Brook with a last-second 3-pointer.
Next game: Top-seeded Stony Brook hosts eighth-seeded UMBC in the quarterfinals at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
Wagner
Record: 20-9, 13-5 NEC
Coach: Bashir Mason (Fourth season, 55-48)
RPI: 182
Regular-season recap: The Seahawks took a step back with a 10-20 campaign last year and weren’t picked to finish in the top half of one of the country’s weakest leagues, but Wagner finished as the league’s only team more than one game over .500, claiming its first conference title in 13 years.
Best win: 76-64 at Fairfield (Dec. 18)
Player to watch: A former Texas Tech commit, junior Michael Carey provided a strong presence on both ends of the floor in his first season on Staten Island. The 6-foot-5 Bahamas native averages a team-high 9.1 rebounds, along with 12 points.
Last NCAA Tournament appearance: 2003
Tournament Odds: 9/4
Wagner can win it if: The defense remains dominant. A staple of the Seahawks’ success since Mason was an assistant under Dan Hurley, Wagner allows fewer than 64 points per game, ranking among the nation’s top 20 units.
Next game: Top-seeded Wagner hosts eighth-seeded Robert Morris in the quarterfinals at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
Fairleigh Dickinson
Record: 15-14, 11-7 NEC
Coach: Greg Herenda (Third season, 28-54)
RPI: 227
Regular-season recap: FDU went from worst to nearly first, improving by eight games in the NEC, behind the sophomore backcourt of Darian Anderson, Stephan Jiggetts and Marques Townes.
Best win: 69-68 vs. Towson (Dec. 18)
Player to watch: The Knights offense revolves around Anderson, their 6-foot-1 playmaker and leading scorer, a quality 3-point shooter and strong on-the-ball defender.
Last NCAA Tournament appearance: 2005
Tournament Odds: 6/1
Fairleigh Dickinson can win it if: The stage isn’t too big for the young Knights, whose entire core is made up of freshmen and sophomores. This is only the beginning for this talented group.
Next Play: Second-seeded Fairleigh Dickinson hosts seventh-seeded St. Francis (Pa.) in the quarterfinals at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
LIU Brooklyn
Record: 15-14, 9-9 NEC
Coach: Jack Perri (Fourth season, 56-66)
RPI: 278
Regular-season recap: The Blackbirds’ rebuilding plan showed glimpses of how bright the future could be, as transfer Jerome Frink helped the team finish above .500 for the first time since winning the 2013 conference tournament title.
Best win: 71-70 at Wagner (Jan. 14)
Player to watch: Frink, a former St. Anthony of Jersey City star, had a tremendous first season in Brooklyn, giving the Blackbirds much-needed size. The former Florida International forward averaged a team-best 16.9 points and 9.1 rebounds.
Last NCAA Tournament appearance: 2013
Tournament odds: 15/1
LIU Brooklyn can win it if: Frink and sophomore guard Martin Hermannson do a dead-on Stockton and Malone impression for three straight games.
Next game: Sixth-seeded LIU Brooklyn plays at third-seeded Sacred Heart in the quarterfinals at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
St. Francis Brooklyn
Record: 15-16, 11-7 NEC
Coach: Glenn Braica (Sixth season, 98-90)
RPI: 258
Regular-season recap: The Terriers started slow, but finished fast, winning six of seven games to earn a home game in the NEC Tournament. Scoring depth is the Terriers’ strength, with three players — Tyreek Jewell, Yunus Hopkinson and Chris Hooper — averaging at least 11.7 points per game.
Best win: 85-71 vs. Fairleigh Dickinson (Feb. 6)
Player to watch: Jewell isn’t just a dunker anymore. The athletically gifted 6-foot-1 Bronx native led St. Francis in scoring (13.1) and improved his 3-point shooting to a hair below 30 percent.
Last NCAA Tournament appearance: None
Tournament odds: 10/1
St. Francis Brooklyn can win it if: The underdog role suits the Terriers better than being the favorite did last year. They must also figure out how to topple top-seeded Wagner, which swept the season series from them.
Next game: Fourth-seeded St. Francis hosts fifth-seeded Mount St. Mary’s in the quarterfinals at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
NJIT
Record: 17-13, 8-6 Atlantic Sun
Coach: Jim Engles (Eighth season, 108-137)
RPI: 190
Regular-season recap: After a short stint in the Great West and two years as the nation’s only independent team, the Highlanders finally joined a conference with an automatic bid. Despite long road trips as the league’s only northern team, NJIT finished second in the standings.
Best win: 90-76 vs. Boston University (Nov. 19)
Player to watch: Damon Lynn, a 5-foot-11 guard, has led the Highlanders in scoring in his first three seasons with the team. This season, he’s averaging a career-best 18.1 points while adding 1.7 steals.
Last NCAA Tournament appearance: Never
Tournament odds: 4/1
NJIT can win it if: North Florida is taken out early. The Highlanders lost both meetings with the top seed — including a 36-point road beatdown on Feb. 16 — and potentially could get a home title game if the Ospreys get knocked out.
Next game: Second-seeded NJIT hosts seventh-seeded Stetson in a quarterfinal at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Army
Record: 18-12, 9-9 Patriot
Coach: Zach Spiker (Seventh season, 101-110)
RPI: 202
Regular-season recap: Picked to finish fourth in the Patriot League, Army was a disappointment until a furious finish, winning six of its last eight games to earn a spot in the top four.
Best win: 91-84 vs. Monmouth (Dec. 28)
Player to watch: Senior forward Tanner Plomb, Army’s leading scorer at 20.3 points per game, is a force inside, but can also step out and shoot from deep. The inside-out weapon has given the rest of the league fits.
Last NCAA Tournament appearance: None
Tournament odds: 9/1
Army can win it if: The late-season momentum carries over into the postseason. The senior-heavy Black Knights have plenty of experience, led by Plomb and guard Kevin Wilson, but have decades of history working against them.
Next game: Fourth-seeded Army hosts fifth-seeded Colgate in the quarterfinals at 7 p.m. Thursday.
Columbia
Record: 20-9, 9-3 Ivy
Coach: Kyle Smith (Sixth season, 96-81)
RPI: 120
Regular-season recap: The Lions’ nine Ivy League victories are their most since 1993, having also won 20 games for the second time since the 1969-70 season — both coming under Smith — but good was just not good enough in the top-heavy conference.
Best win: 72-71 at Bucknell (Dec. 2)
Player to watch: Dynamic senior lead guard Maodo Lo, the team leader in scoring (16.4) and steals (2.3) who should get an NBA summer league invite.
Last NCAA Tournament appearance: 1968
Columbia can win the league if: Yale and Princeton fall apart next weekend. The Lions lost all three games against the co-Ivy leaders, likely ruining any shot at their first NCAA Tournament bid in 48 years.
Next Play: The Lions face Brown at 7 p.m. Friday in their penultimate Ivy League game of the year.
Fordham
Record: 15-12, 6-10 Atlantic 10
Coach: Jeff Neubauer (First season, 15-12)
RPI: 186
Regular-season recap: Fordham clinched its first non-losing season since the 2006-07 season and is likely to escape the Atlantic 10 Tournament play-in game after winning three of its last four games.
Best win: 91-82 vs. Davidson (Feb. 27)
Player to Watch: Ryan Rhoomes, a 6-foot-8 Queens native, has been one of the most improved players in the area, ranking 13th nationally in field-goal percentage (64 percent), while leading the Rams in scoring (14.0) and rebounding (8.9).
Last NCAA Tournament appearance: 1992
Tournament odds: 100/1
Fordham can win it if: The Rams make a miraculous run in Brooklyn, pulling off a major upset for four straight days. Unlike previous seasons, however, Fordham is at least capable of competing against the league’s best.
Next game: The Rams play at Duquesne at 7 p.m. Wednesday in their penultimate regular-season game.
Rutgers
Record: 6-23, 0-16 Big Ten
Coach: Eddie Jordan (Third season, 28-66)
RPI: 283
Regular-season recap: The Scarlet Knights are in danger of going winless in conference play for the first time in program history, losing their 16 contests by an average of 21.5 points.
Best win: 72-64 vs. Fairleigh Dickinson (Dec. 23)
Player to watch: Gifted freshman guard Corey Sanders, Rutgers’ leading scorer at 16.2 points per game, was the team’s lone bright spot, before he was suspended for violating team rules. He’s expected back for the regular-season finale.
Last NCAA Tournament appearance: 1991
Tournament odds: 1,000/1
Rutgers can win it if: We suspend disbelief. Rutgers wouldn’t win the NEC Tournament.
Next game: The Scarlet Knights host Michigan State at 7 p.m. Wednesday in their penultimate regular-season game.