Big East Conference Preview

The following preview is provided by Blue Ribbon. For the most thorough preview available of the upcoming season, order the 2002-03 Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, on sale now at 1-800-775-2518.   Blue Ribbon Forecast No. East Division Team  '01-02 Conf. Rec. (Overall) 1. Connecticut  13-3 (29-3)  2. Villanova   13-3 (26-4)  3. St. John's  9-7 (20-11)   4. Boston College  8-8(20-12)  5. Miami  10-6 (24-7)  6. Providence  6-10 (15-16)  7. Virginia Tech  4-12 (10-18)  Boston College PG Troy Bell Craig Jones/Getty Images No. West Division Team  '01-02 Conf. Rec. (Overall) 1. Pittsburgh  13-3 (27-5)  2. Notre Dame  10-6 (21-10)  3. Georgetown  10-6 (21-10)   4. Syracuse  9-7 (19-11)  5. Rutgers  8-8 (18-12)  6. Seton Hall  5-11 (12-18)  7. West Virginia  1-15 (8-20)  Georgetown C Mike Sweentey Craig Jones/Getty Images

All-Conference Team Did You Know? G: Troy Bell SR, Boston College G: Brandin Knight SR. Pittsburgh G: Marcus Hatten SR, St. John's F: Mike Sweetney SR, Georgetown F: Emeka Okafor SO, Connecticut Player of the Year Mike Sweetney SR, Georgetown Newcomer of the Year Carmelo Anthony FR, Syracuse Top Backcourts 1. Boston College 2. Pittsburgh 3. Notre Dame Top Frontcourts 1. Georgetown 2. Syracuse 3. Connecticut 2002-03 Conference Tournament March 12-15, Madison Square Garden, New York, NY 2001-02 Champions UConn (East Div.) Pitt (West Div.) UConn (Conf. tournament) 2001-02 NCAA Tournament Postseason Record 11-10 (.524) NCAA UConn (Elite Eight) Pitt (Sweet 16) Notre Dame (Second Rd.) Boston College St. John's Miami NIT Syracuse (Semifinals) Villanova (Quarterfinals) Rutgers After three new coaches in the league last year (Villanova's Jay Wright, Rutgers' Gary Waters and Seton Hall's Louis Orr), only West Virginia's John Beilein is a rookie this year. He left Richmond, where he was 100-53 over five years. He has a career mark of 447-257.   Orr is the only former Big East player to be a head coach of one of the league's teams.   Pittsburgh and Miami have each moved in to new arenas. The Panthers play in John M. and Gertrude E. Petersen Events Center and Miami laces them up in Convocation Center.   Boston College and the Fleet Center will be an NCAA Tournament first-round site on March 21 & 23.   Eight Big East players were selected to the John R. Wooden All-American Team, which features the top 50 players in the country. They are Troy Bell (Boston College), Marcus Hatten (St. John's), Brandin Knight (Pittsburgh), Emeka Okafor (Connecticut), Darius Rice (Miami), Michael Sweetney (Georgetown) and Chris Thomas (Notre Dame).   Last season the Big East sent six teams to the NCAA Tournament for the sixth time in the league's 23-year historyÐConnecticut (Elight Eight), Pittsburgh (Sweet 16), Notre Dame (second-round loss), Boston College (first round), Miami (first) and St. John's (first). The most surprising was Pitt, which made it to a region semifinal for the first time since 1974.   Miami has reached the Big Dance in four of the last five seasons. Last March's semifinal loss to No. 7 Pittsburgh in the Big East Tournament snapped its streak of beating ranked teams at six.   Three Big East players went in the first round of the NBA draft. UConn's Caron Butler was taken 10th overall by Miami, Utah picked Notre Dame's Ryan Humphrey at No. 19 then traded him to Orlando and Miami's John Salmons went 26th to San Antonio but was dealt to Philadelphia.   Pitt coach Ben Howland was honored by several organizations, including The Associated Press and U.S. Basketball Writers Association, as national coach of the year. He led the Panthers to a school-record 29 wins and was also the Big East Coach of the Year.

 

Related information

Multimedia

Visit Video Plus for the latest audio and video