2003 Big East Men's Basketball Tournament
Encyclopedia
Championship Game
On March 15, Pittsburgh won their first-ever Big East Tournament, defeating Connecticut 74–56. They led by one at half-time, but quickly extended their lead in the second half. Jaron Brown led the Panthers with a career-high 19 points. Brown converted all six of his free throwFree throw
In basketball, free throws or foul shots are unopposed attempts to score points from a restricted area on the court , and are generally awarded after a foul on the shooter by the opposing team...
attempts and was 6-of-9 from the field. He added ten rebounds to notch his fourth career double-double. Julius Page and Brandin Knight
Brandin Knight
Brandin Adar Knight is a former American professional basketball player. He is the brother of Brevin Knight....
finished with 16 points apiece, and Chevon Troutman had 12. Page, a junior, averaged 13.3 points and 3.7 rebounds
Rebound (basketball)
A rebound in basketball is the act of successfully gaining possession of the basketball after a missed field goal or free throw. Rebounds in basketball are a routine part in the game, as all possessions change after a shot is successfully made...
on 47.1 percent shooting
Field goal percentage
Field goal percentage in basketball is the ratio of field goals made to field goals attempted. Its abbreviation is FG%. Three-point field goals are included in this percentage. Instead of using scales of 0 to 100%, the scale .000 to 1.000 is commonly used. A higher field goal percentage denotes...
(16-for-37) in the three tournament games. He won the Tournament MVP
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
award. Knight averaged 12.0 points, 5.3 assists
Assist (basketball)
In basketball, an assist is attributed to a player who passes the ball to a teammate in a way that leads to a score by field goal, meaning that he or she was "assisting" in the basket. There is some judgment involved in deciding whether a passer should be credited with an assist...
, 3.3 steals
Steal (basketball)
In basketball, a steal occurs when a defensive player legally causes a turnover by his positive, aggressive action. This can be done by deflecting and controlling, catching, or batting to a teammate a pass or dribble of an offensive player...
, and 3.3 rebounds in the tournament.
It was the third straight title game reached for Pittsburgh. Howland and the Panthers lost to Uconn in double overtime in 2002
2002 Big East Men's Basketball Tournament
The 2002 Big East Men's Basketball Tournament took place at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Its winner received the Big East Conference's automatic bid to the 2002 NCAA Tournament. It is a single-elimination tournament with four rounds and the two highest seeds in each division received...
. It tied the largest margin of victory for a Panther team in the Big East Tournament. They also defeated Boston College by eighteen, winning 88–70 on March 8, 2000. The win was Pittsburgh's ninth in a row, tying their season high. They also won nine in a row to begin the season.
Awards
Dave Gavitt Trophy (Most Outstanding Player): Julius Page, PittsburghAll-Tournament Team
- Brandin KnightBrandin KnightBrandin Adar Knight is a former American professional basketball player. He is the brother of Brevin Knight....
, Pittsburgh - Ben Gordon, Connecticut
- Emeka OkaforEmeka OkaforChukwuemeka Ndubuisi Okafor, abbreviated as Emeka Okafor , is an American basketball power forward and center for the New Orleans Hornets of the National Basketball Association. Prior to the NBA, Okafor attended Houston's Bellaire High School, and the University of Connecticut.-Early life:Okafor...
, Connecticut - Craig SmithCraig SmithCraig Smith is an American professional basketball player who was most recently member of the Los Angeles Clippers...
, Boston College - Carmelo AnthonyCarmelo AnthonyCarmelo Kiyan Anthony , nicknamed "Melo", is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the New York Knicks in the National Basketball Association...
, Syracuse