The annual Big East tournament has provided fans at Madison Square Garden a number of highlights over the last 30 years. Now that the conference is losing some of its best rivalries to the ever-changing landscape of college basketball, we rank here the top 10 moments.
10. Mullin Leads St. John’s to 1983 Title
In the Big East’s first tournament at MSG, two-time All-American and leading scorer Chris Mullin, then a sophomore, led St. John’s to the tournament title with wins over Pittsburgh, Villanova, and Boston College. St. John’s was one of five ranked teams that season in a loaded nine-team conference.
9. Taylor’s Heroics Lead Seton Hall to 1991 Title
Once upon a time, P.J. Carlesimo had Seton Hall rolling. The team made it to the Final Four in 1989, but didn’t win the Big East tournament until two years later—with the help of Oliver Taylor. First in the quarters against Pittsburgh, with time running down and the Pirates down a point, Taylor drove the lane and laid in the game-winner as time ran out. The very next night in the semis against Villanova, with the game tied and time winding down again, Taylor drove the lane for a game-winning turnaround jumper. Seton Hall would then go on to beat Georgetown in the finals.
8. Allen Iverson Versus Ray Allen For 1996 Title
The Big East had two of college basketball’s biggest stars in 1996 with UConn’s Ray Allen and Georgetown’s Allen Iverson. Fittingly, the two stars led their teams to the finals to set up a dream matchup. With UConn down 11 late in the second half, the Huskies rallied to set up an exciting final minute. With seconds remaining, Allen hit a ridiculous, off-balance jumper with Iverson draped all over him to secure a 75–74 win. Iverson finished with 13 points while Ray Allen had 17, with the game-winner his only points after halftime.
7. UConn tops Pittsburgh in 2OT to win 2002 Title
In 2002, the Big East championship game came down to the teams with the two best regular season records: 13–3 Pittsburgh against 13–3 UConn. Fittingly it went beyond regulation, but unfortunately for the Panthers leading scorer Brandin Knight injured his knee late in regulation. He wouldn’t re-emerge until the end of the first overtime where he limped into position to throw up a 40-foot prayer that just missed—hitting off the front of the rim. In the second overtime UConn guard Taliek Brown sealed the 69–64 win with a 30-foot 3-pointer from well beyond the top of the key.
6. Butler Leads West Virginia to 2010 Title
The Mountaineers came into the 2010 Big East tournament without having ever won it, but leading scorer Da'Sean Butler changed all that in a matter of three days. Butler hit the game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer in the quarterfinals to top Cincinnati. Then he scored 24 in the semis to lead the Mountaineers over Notre Dame. In the finals, he hit another game-winner, this time it was a runner in the lane against the Hoyas, to break a 58–58 tie with four seconds remaining to give West Virginia the title.
