We wait all season for this time of year and anticipate its arrival from the day it ends, filtering out the countless moments that make March as agonizing as it is exhilarating.

Then, a new adventure begins with a 12-point second-half cushion morphing into a collapse, with an 86 percent free-throw shooter’s miss cementing a one-point loss.

Ahh, it’s good to be back.

Fordham (+5) over Richmond: The Spiders swept the season series with an unsustainable 45.2 percent 3-point shooting in two competitive contests, and since the most recent meeting, the teams have gone in opposite directions, with Fordham winning four straight games and Richmond losing five of its past six. In a season when the Rams earned a rare winning record and a first-round bye, a brave money-line play (+180) might perfectly cap a surprising season in The Bronx.

Northwestern (+2) over Michigan: Desperation isn’t always the best thing for a bubble team, especially for a perimeter-oriented team like the Wolverines, who have lost four of their past five games. Shooting to save its season, Michigan will carry extra weight on every attempt.

Providence (+3½) over Butler: It’s true. It’s hard to beat a good team three times in the same season, but it’s easier if you have the best player on the floor, doubling as one of the best players in the country. Kris Dunn will put the Friars on his back one more time in his final Big East Tournament, conjuring memories of former teammate Bryce Cotton’s brilliance two years ago.

Seton Hall (-3) over Creighton: The Blue Jays have gone more than three weeks since beating a team that wasn’t St. John’s and the league’s top shooting team will only face tougher looks against the peaking Pirates, who held opponents to the lowest field-goal percentage in the Big East this season. Defense will be the difference.

2016 record: 1-2

2011-15 record: 106-68-5

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