High seeds looking to cement their status. Middle seeds jockeying for a post-season position. Bubble teams clawing to secure a bid. Long shots hoping to Hail Mary their way into the big dance. All of these subplots are on tap for the Big East tournament, starting today.

Here’s what’s at stake for each of the 12 teams in this year’s Madison Square Garden hoops-fest:

No. 1 Georgetown: The Hoyas’ narrow win over Louisville clinched the regular-season title and the top seed in the Big East tourney. ESPN’s Joe Lunardi has the Hoyas as a no. 2 seed in the East region of the NCAA tournament, but that could change. Georgetown will face the winner of the Syracuse-Villanova game tomorrow. With San Diego claiming the West Coast Conference’s automatic bid, the winner of the Orangemen-Wildcats game might feel as if it needs one more win to punch its ticket. If the Hoyas fall to one of those talented, desperate squads — a distinct possibility given their loss to Syracuse and squeaker two-point win over ‘Nova last month — Georgetown could get bumped out of the East and maybe even fall to a no. 3.

No. 2 Louisville: Its loss to Georgetown Saturday snapped a nine-game winning streak, but Louisville might still be the most dangerous team in the Big East. With David Padgett and the rest of their big men back after early-season injuries, the Cardinals own an inside-outside attack that rivals anyone in the nation, making them a dark horse Final Four contender. Louisville has the depth up front to tangle with Pitt’s dominant freshman DeJuan Blair in a possible second-round match-up and UConn’s improving big man Hasheem Thabeet in a potential semi-final game. That makes the Cardinals a good bet to cement a no. 3 seed in the NCAA tourney.

No. 3 Notre Dame: Another strong finisher, Notre Dame won 11 of its last 13 games and went undefeated at home this season. A neutral-court tilt against possible second-round foe Marquette, against whom the Irish split two games this season, could be one of the most entertaining and hard-fought battles of the week. Notre Dame can’t match Marquette’s skill and athleticism in the backcourt, while Marquette has no answer up front for Big East Player of the Year Luke Harangody. If Notre Dame prevails, the Irish should lock up a no. 4 seed.

No. 4 Connecticut: Late-season losses to Villanova and Providence hurt, leaving the Huskies in this spot. The Huskies rebounded nicely against Cincinnati, though, crushing the Bearcats by 45 in one of their best performances of the year. The wild card heading into this week’s play, as well as the big dance, is Jerome Dyson. A starter and one of UConn’s leading scorers earlier this year, his 9-game suspension set him back, opening a lineup spot for Craig Austrie, who’s played well. Dyson has averaged less than 19 minutes and six points a game since his return. If Dyson can work his way back into the rotation and recapture some of his lost scoring, Connecticut will be a team nobody will want to face. A second-round win over West Virginia or Providence would give the Huskies a good shot at a no. 3; two Big East tourney wins would all but assure it.

No. 5 West Virginia, no. 6 Marquette, and no. 7 Pittsburgh: All three of these teams look to be in, though West Virginia might need to beat Providence in the first round at MSG to lock up its berth. The Mountaineers have good wins over Marquette, Syracuse, and Pitt, three teams that are in the top 50 of the ratings percentage index. But West Virginia did almost nothing in their non-conference schedule to impress anyone. They’re likely headed for an 8–9 game and aren’t a good bet to last long.

Despite their lower spots in the Big East standings, Marquette and Pitt are far more intriguing as NCAA tournament threats. Marquette’s backcourt of Dominic James, Wesley Matthews, and Jerel McNeal is one of the best in the country. The question now is the same as it was at the start of the season: Can the Eagles get enough from their big men to fuel a run into the Sweet 16, or beyond? Ousmane Barro’s 6-for-6, 14-point performance in Marquette’s 72–54 blowout of Pitt last month gave us a glimpse. If Barro can raise his game, my preseason super-sleeper pick of Marquette to join North Carolina, UCLA, and Tennessee in the Final Four suddenly becomes at least a long shot possibility. A no. 5 seed looks likely, though a lackluster performance such as Marquette’s 87–72 loss to Syracuse Saturday and the Eagles could become a victim of that dreaded 5–12 upset game.

As for Pitt, the return of Levance Fields renewed the Panthers’ chances for tournament success. Keith Benjamin played especially well with Fields, and with swingman Mike Cook out of the lineup, he figures to remain a key contributor. With Cook gone for the year, Blair and Sam Young have had to play even bigger roles than expected. Pitt may have more to gain than any non-bubble team in the Big East tournament. A first-round win over Cincinnati could get the Panthers out of an 8–9 game; an upset over Louisville in the second round and Pitt may have an outside shot at a no. 6 seed.

No. 8 Syracuse and no. 9 Villanova: Lose and you’re out. Win and you’re in — probably, maybe. Lunardi has Syracuse as the last team out of his projected field of 65 after San Diego’s dramatic win over Gonzaga. A win over Villanova in the first round of the Big East tournament gives the Orange a good shot at getting in. Given Syracuse’s recent history of living on the bubble, then coming strong, its success against Georgetown this season and its likely sense of desperation coming in, a knockout win against the Big East’s top seed could also happen. Watch out for teams led by freshmen at this stage of the season. Syracuse’s Donte Greene and Jonny Flynn comprise the second-highest-scoring frosh tandem in the nation, and by now own the experience of more seasoned players. Look out. As for Villanova, Scottie Reynolds is as good a bet to take over a game or even a tournament as anyone this week. Beat Syracuse and the ‘Cats gain a puncher’s chance to move on. Beat Georgetown too — as they could have done last month before getting jobbed on one of the worst calls I’ve ever seen — and you can book it.

No. 10 Cincinnati, no. 11 Seton Hall, and no. 12 Providence: To make the big dance, one of these teams would need to win the Big East tourney outright. Always fun to root for the underdogs, but it’s probably not happening in this case.

Mr. Keri (jonahkeri@gmail.com) is a writer for ESPN.com’s Page 2.