2008 Big East Men's Basketball Tournament
Encyclopedia
The 2008 Big East Men's Basketball Tournament
, a part of the 2007-08 NCAA Division I men's basketball season
, took place from March 12–March 15, 2008 at Madison Square Garden
in New York City
. Its winner received the Big East Conference
's automatic bid
to the 2008 NCAA Tournament
. It is a single-elimination tournament
with four rounds and the four highest seeds received byes
in the first round. The 12 Big East teams with the best conference records were invited to participate. Georgetown
, the Big East regular season winner, received the number one seed in the tournament.
The first round of the tournament saw no upset
s, as each of the higher seeds won their games. However, the second round had three of the four lower seeds winning their games. In the semi-finals, number one seed, Georgetown, easily won, while the seventh seed, Pittsburgh, won in a close game. The two teams played each other for the tournament championship and Pittsburgh was victorious, winning the conference's automatic bid. After the tournament, eight of the teams that participated were invited to the NCAA Tournament. It was Pittsburgh's second Big East Tournament championship.
Big East regular season and tournament winner, and Louisville to share the conference title. Additionally, it was decided that each team's conference schedule would expand from 16 to 18 games so all of the teams would play each other. Fifteen Big East teams reached the beginning of their conference schedules with winning records, with four teams having only one loss and three others with only two losses. The out of conference schedule for the league included four teams playing in the inaugural Big East/SEC
Invitational, where they went 3–1, and two teams beating top–10 ranked
teams. At the end of conference play, Georgetown, who was ranked tenth in the Coaches Poll
, won the regular season title. Six teams ended the season ranked, while eight ended with over 20 wins. The top–12 teams in the standings were invited to the tournament.
The first round of the tournament was played on March 12 with each of the higher seeds winning. The day started with Villanova playing Syracuse, in what was called an elimination game for the NCAA Tournament. Although Syracuse held a one-point lead at half-time
, Villanova took an early lead in the second half and never trailed again, winning 82–63. In the second game of the day, Providence played West Virginia. The teams both struggled throughout the game with both having scoreless streaks, but West Virginia prevailed in the end to win 58–53. In the third game of the day Cincinnati played Pittsburgh. Although the teams stayed close throughout, Pittsburgh won the game 70–64. In the final game of the day Marquette played Seton Hall. Marquette won the game by holding Seton Hall scoreless through the last five minutes of the game to finish 67–54.
The second round of the tournament was played on March 13, and three of the four lower seeds won their games. The first game of the day featured Villanova facing the number one seed, Georgetown. Despite top-scorer Roy Hibbert
not scoring the entire game, Georgetown won the game, 82–63, tying a tournament record with 17 three point field goals. In the second game West Virginia played Connecticut. Although it was close for the majority of the game, West Virginia's six point half-time
lead was enough to win the game, 78–72, the first upset of the tournament. In the third game Pittsburgh faced Louisville, a team they had knocked out of the tournament the previous two years. Although Pittsburgh had the largest lead in regulation at eight points, the game was tied at the end of the second half and it continued to overtime. Pittsburgh finally pulled away in the overtime period, and won 76–69. In the final game of the round, Marquette played Notre Dame. Notre Dame had a six point lead at half-time even though conference Player of the Year
, Luke Harangody, had only played for seven minutes. However, Marquette's Jerel McNeal, who had 21 points in the team's first win, scored 28 to lead Marquette to an 89–79 victory.
The semi-finals began with top-seed Georgetown facing West Virginia. The game was close early, but five minutes before half-time, Georgetown went on a scoring run and led 33–21 at the half. West Virginia came back and brought their deficit to six points halfway through the second period, however Georgetown never relinquished their lead. Led by Hibbert's 25 points in his double-double, Georgetown won 72–55 to return to the championship game for the second consecutive year. In the second game of the day, Marquette faced Pittsburgh. Early in the game Pittsburgh took a 12 point lead and kept a double-digit lead throughout the half. Marquette cut their deficit during the second period and had the score within three points with a minute remaining in the game. However, Pittsburgh kept their lead with free throw
shooting and won the game 68–61, advancing to the championship game for the seventh time in eight years.
Pittsburgh faced Georgetown in a repeat of the championship game of the 2007 tournament
. Throughout the first half the lead changed hands six times, with Georgetown having the largest lead of six points. Pittsburgh, however, led at half-time by three. Although Georgetown would bring their deficit to two early in the second half, Pittsburgh never relinquished the lead after half-time. Pittsburgh's Sam Young
led the team with a double-double to help secure their win, the school's second overall and first for coach Jamie Dixon
.
, who led Pittsburgh to the win and led the tournament in scoring with 80 points, was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player
. Young was joined by his teammate Levance Fields, Georgetown's Jessie Sapp and Roy Hibbert, West Virginia's Joe Alexander, and Marquette's Jerel McNeal to the All-Tournament Team.
s in the field, tying the conference record of eight teams in the tournament. Georgetown got the highest seed of the conference with a 2 seed and Louisville got a 3 seed. Both Pittsburgh and Connecticut were given 4 seeds and Notre Dame got a 5 seed. Marquette was given a 6 seed and West Virginia got a 7 seed. Finally, Villanova was given a 12 seed and was the final at-large team invited to the tournament. Although Syracuse was not invited to the NCAA Tournament, they were the only team from the conference invited to the 2008 National Invitation Tournament
.
Big East Men's Basketball Tournament
The Big East Men's Basketball Tournament is the conference championship tournament in men's basketball for the Big East Conference. The winner receives the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship. Since 1983, the tournament has been held in Madison Square...
, a part of the 2007-08 NCAA Division I men's basketball season
2007-08 NCAA Division I men's basketball season
The 2007–08 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 5, 2007 ended with the 2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament's championship game on April 7, 2008 in the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.-Season headlines:...
, took place from March 12–March 15, 2008 at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Its winner received the Big East Conference
Big East Conference
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...
's automatic bid
Automatic bid
Automatic bid is a term generally used to describe a bid or berth to a tournament, granted based on performance in prior competition, and not based on subjective picking...
to the 2008 NCAA Tournament
2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball as a culmination of the 2007–08 basketball season...
. It is a single-elimination tournament
Single-elimination tournament
A single-elimination tournament, also called a knockout, cup or sudden death tournament, is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match or bracket is immediately eliminated from winning the championship or first prize in the event...
with four rounds and the four highest seeds received byes
Bye (sports)
A bye, in sports and other competitive activities, most commonly refers to the practice of allowing a player or team to advance to the next round of a playoff tournament without playing...
in the first round. The 12 Big East teams with the best conference records were invited to participate. Georgetown
2007-08 Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team
The 2007–08 Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team were an NCAA Division I college basketball team competing in the Big East Conference representing Georgetown University. The team finished with a regular season record of 27–5, and again won the conference regular season title on March 8, 2008....
, the Big East regular season winner, received the number one seed in the tournament.
The first round of the tournament saw no upset
Upset
An upset occurs in a competition, frequently in electoral politics or sports, when the party popularly expected to win , is defeated by an underdog whom the majority expects to lose, defying the conventional wisdom...
s, as each of the higher seeds won their games. However, the second round had three of the four lower seeds winning their games. In the semi-finals, number one seed, Georgetown, easily won, while the seventh seed, Pittsburgh, won in a close game. The two teams played each other for the tournament championship and Pittsburgh was victorious, winning the conference's automatic bid. After the tournament, eight of the teams that participated were invited to the NCAA Tournament. It was Pittsburgh's second Big East Tournament championship.
Before the tournament
Before the beginning of the season the league's coaches voted Georgetown, the 2006-072006-07 NCAA Division I men's basketball season
The 2006–07 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 7, 2006, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 2007 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament Championship Game on April 2, 2007 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia...
Big East regular season and tournament winner, and Louisville to share the conference title. Additionally, it was decided that each team's conference schedule would expand from 16 to 18 games so all of the teams would play each other. Fifteen Big East teams reached the beginning of their conference schedules with winning records, with four teams having only one loss and three others with only two losses. The out of conference schedule for the league included four teams playing in the inaugural Big East/SEC
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
Invitational, where they went 3–1, and two teams beating top–10 ranked
2007-08 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings
Two human polls made up the 2007–08 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings, the AP Poll and the Coaches Poll, in addition to various publications' preseason polls.-Legend:-AP poll:...
teams. At the end of conference play, Georgetown, who was ranked tenth in the Coaches Poll
Coaches Poll
The USA Today Coaches' Poll is the current name for a weekly ranking of the top 25 NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football and Division I college basketball teams....
, won the regular season title. Six teams ended the season ranked, while eight ended with over 20 wins. The top–12 teams in the standings were invited to the tournament.
| 2007-08 Big East Conference Standings | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | |Overall | ||||||
| W | L | GB | W | L | |||
| #9 Georgetown 2007-08 Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team The 2007–08 Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team were an NCAA Division I college basketball team competing in the Big East Conference representing Georgetown University. The team finished with a regular season record of 27–5, and again won the conference regular season title on March 8, 2008.... |
15 | 3 | |||||
| 27 | 5 | ||||||
| #14 Notre Dame 2007-08 Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's basketball team The 2007–08 Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's basketball team represent the University of Notre Dame in the college basketball season of 2007-08, competing in the Big East Conference. The team is led by eighth-year head coach, Mike Brey, and play their home games in the Edmund P... |
14 | 4 | 1 | 24 | 7 | ||
| #13 Louisville Louisville Cardinals men's basketball The Louisville Cardinals men's basketball team is the 18th winningest college basketball team in NCAA Division I history and has the 10th best winning percentage in college basketball history. Currently coached by Rick Pitino, the Cardinals of the University of Louisville have been to 37 NCAA... |
14 | 4 | 1 | 24 | 8 | ||
| #15 Connecticut 2007-08 Connecticut Huskies men's basketball team The 2007–08 Connecticut Huskies men's basketball team represented the University of Connecticut and the Connecticut Huskies men's basketball program in the 2007–08 college basketball season. Coached by Jim Calhoun, they played their home games at the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut, and Harry A... |
13 | 5 | 2 | 24 | 8 | ||
| #24 Marquette Marquette Golden Eagles men's basketball The Marquette Golden Eagles Basketball team is the basketball team that represents Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The school's 1977 team, coached by Al McGuire, won the NCAA championship. Currently the team competes in the Big East Conference. It last played in the NCAA Division I... |
11 | 7 | 4 | 24 | 9 | ||
| West Virginia 2007-08 West Virginia Mountaineers men's basketball team The 2007–08 West Virginia Mountaineers men's basketball team represented West Virginia University in the 2007-08 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team was coached by Bob Huggins and played their home games in the WVU Coliseum in Morgantown, West Virginia... |
11 | 7 | 4 | 24 | 10 | ||
| Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball is the NCAA Division I intercollegiate men's basketball program of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Pitt men's basketball team competes in the Big East Conference and plays their home games in... |
10 | 8 | 5 | 26 | 9 | ||
| Villanova 2007-08 Villanova Wildcats men's basketball team The Villanova Wildcats entered the 2007–08 season with much uncertainty, after losing star Curtis Sumpter, guard Mike Nardi, and center Will Sheridan to graduation. The departure of three experienced starters leaves the Wildcats a young team with no seniors... |
9 | 9 | 6 | 20 | 12 | ||
| Syracuse Syracuse Orange men's basketball The Syracuse Orange men's basketball program is the intercollegiate men's basketball team representing Syracuse University. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the Big East Conference... |
9 | 9 | 6 | 19 | 13 | ||
| Cincinnati Cincinnati Bearcats The Cincinnati Bearcats are the NCAA athletic teams representing the University of Cincinnati. Since July 1, 2005, the school's athletic teams have been members of the Big East Conference.... |
8 | 10 | 7 | 13 | 18 | ||
| Seton Hall | 7 | 11 | 8 | 17 | 15 | ||
| Providence Providence Friars The Providence Friars is the name of the athletic teams of Providence College. They compete in the Big East Conference for every sport except for ice hockey, where they compete in Hockey East and in women's volleyball, where they compete in the America East Conference... |
6 | 12 | 9 | 15 | 16 | ||
| DePaul DePaul Blue Demons The DePaul Blue Demons are the intercollegiate athletic teams of DePaul University, located in Chicago Illinois. The Blue Demons participate in NCAA Division I and is a member of the Big East Conference.... |
6 | 12 | 9 | 11 | 19 | ||
| St. John's St. John's Red Storm The St. John's Red Storm is the nickname used for the 16 varsity athletic programs of St. John's University. St. John's 16 NCAA Division I teams compete in the Big East Conference, with the exception of the fencing and lacrosse teams, which compete in the ECAC... |
5 | 13 | 10 | 11 | 19 | ||
| South Florida South Florida Bulls The South Florida Bulls are the athletic teams for the University of South Florida. The university competes in NCAA Division I, USF is a member of the Big East Conference, and has been since 2005... |
3 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 19 | ||
| Rutgers Rutgers Scarlet Knights The Rutgers Scarlet Knights are the athletic teams that represent Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey... |
3 | 15 | 12 | 11 | 20 | ||
- Rankings reflect Coaches Poll as of March 10, 2008
Seeding
The twelve teams that were invited to the tournament were seeded according to their records. Georgetown's win of the regular season title entitled the team to the top seed. Louisville and Notre Dame finished the season tied in second, a game behind Georgetown, but Louisville's win over Notre Dame on February 28 gave them the advantage and the second seed and Notre Dame the third seed. Connecticut, two games behind Georgetown, got the fourth seed, and the final first round bye. West Virginia and Marquette both finished four games behind Georgetown in fifth place, but West Virginia's win over Marquette on January 6 granted them the fifth seed and Marquette the sixth. Pittsburgh finished five games behind Georgetown and were awarded the seventh seed. Villanova and Syracuse both finished six games behind Georgetown and split games in the regular season. The tie-breaking rules of the conference are based on wins over the top conference opponents, and, although Syracuse beat Georgetown on February 16, both teams also lost to Georgetown, so Syracuse does not have an advantage in that case. Villanova's win over Connecticut, coupled with Syracuse's loss, gave Villanova the advantage and eighth seed and Syracuse the ninth seed. Cincinnati, at seven games behind Georgetown, and Seton Hall, at eight games behind, received the tenth and eleventh seeds, respectively. Providence and DePaul finished nine games behind Georgetown, but Providence's win on February 5, gave the team the twelfth seed, the final position in the tournament.Bracket
First round
| Team | 1st | 2nd | Final |
|---|---|---|---|
| Villanova | 27 | 55 | 82 |
| Syracuse | 28 | 35 | 63 |
| Team | 1st | 2nd | Final |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Virginia | 28 | 30 | 58 |
| Providence | 28 | 25 | 53 |
| Team | 1st | 2nd | Final |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marquette | 34 | 33 | 67 |
| Seton Hall | 29 | 25 | 54 |
| Team | 1st | 2nd | Final |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh | 31 | 39 | 70 |
| Cincinnati | 25 | 39 | 64 |
The first round of the tournament was played on March 12 with each of the higher seeds winning. The day started with Villanova playing Syracuse, in what was called an elimination game for the NCAA Tournament. Although Syracuse held a one-point lead at half-time
Half-time
In some team sports such as association football and rugby, matches are played in two halves. Half-time is the name given to the interval between the two halves of the match...
, Villanova took an early lead in the second half and never trailed again, winning 82–63. In the second game of the day, Providence played West Virginia. The teams both struggled throughout the game with both having scoreless streaks, but West Virginia prevailed in the end to win 58–53. In the third game of the day Cincinnati played Pittsburgh. Although the teams stayed close throughout, Pittsburgh won the game 70–64. In the final game of the day Marquette played Seton Hall. Marquette won the game by holding Seton Hall scoreless through the last five minutes of the game to finish 67–54.
Second round
| Team | 1st | 2nd | Final |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgetown | 40 | 42 | 82 |
| Villanova | 29 | 34 | 63 |
| Team | 1st | 2nd | Final |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | 36 | 36 | 72 |
| West Virginia | 42 | 36 | 78 |
| Team | 1st | 2nd | OT | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisville | 33 | 29 | 7 | 69 |
| Pittsburgh | 30 | 32 | 14 | 76 |
| Team | 1st | 2nd | Final |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notre Dame | 38 | 41 | 79 |
| Marquette | 32 | 57 | 89 |
The second round of the tournament was played on March 13, and three of the four lower seeds won their games. The first game of the day featured Villanova facing the number one seed, Georgetown. Despite top-scorer Roy Hibbert
Roy Hibbert
Roy Denzil Hibbert is an American professional basketball player for the Indiana Pacers of the NBA. He plays at the center position, and graduated from Georgetown University in 2008. He was drafted 17th overall in the 2008 NBA Draft by the Toronto Raptors and was immediately traded to the Pacers...
not scoring the entire game, Georgetown won the game, 82–63, tying a tournament record with 17 three point field goals. In the second game West Virginia played Connecticut. Although it was close for the majority of the game, West Virginia's six point half-time
Half-time
In some team sports such as association football and rugby, matches are played in two halves. Half-time is the name given to the interval between the two halves of the match...
lead was enough to win the game, 78–72, the first upset of the tournament. In the third game Pittsburgh faced Louisville, a team they had knocked out of the tournament the previous two years. Although Pittsburgh had the largest lead in regulation at eight points, the game was tied at the end of the second half and it continued to overtime. Pittsburgh finally pulled away in the overtime period, and won 76–69. In the final game of the round, Marquette played Notre Dame. Notre Dame had a six point lead at half-time even though conference Player of the Year
Big East Men's Basketball Player of the Year
The Big East Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year award is given to the men's basketball player in the Big East Conference voted as the top performer by the conference coaches. The 16 head coaches of the league's teams submit their votes following the end of the regular season and before...
, Luke Harangody, had only played for seven minutes. However, Marquette's Jerel McNeal, who had 21 points in the team's first win, scored 28 to lead Marquette to an 89–79 victory.
Semi-finals
| Team | 1st | 2nd | Final |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgetown | 33 | 39 | 72 |
| West Virginia | 21 | 34 | 55 |
| Team | 1st | 2nd | Final |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marquette | 22 | 39 | 61 |
| Pittsburgh | 35 | 33 | 68 |
The semi-finals began with top-seed Georgetown facing West Virginia. The game was close early, but five minutes before half-time, Georgetown went on a scoring run and led 33–21 at the half. West Virginia came back and brought their deficit to six points halfway through the second period, however Georgetown never relinquished their lead. Led by Hibbert's 25 points in his double-double, Georgetown won 72–55 to return to the championship game for the second consecutive year. In the second game of the day, Marquette faced Pittsburgh. Early in the game Pittsburgh took a 12 point lead and kept a double-digit lead throughout the half. Marquette cut their deficit during the second period and had the score within three points with a minute remaining in the game. However, Pittsburgh kept their lead with free throw
Free 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...
shooting and won the game 68–61, advancing to the championship game for the seventh time in eight years.
Championship game
| Team | 1st | 2nd | Final |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgetown | 28 | 37 | 65 |
| Pittsburgh | 31 | 43 | 74 |
Pittsburgh faced Georgetown in a repeat of the championship game of the 2007 tournament
2007 Big East Men's Basketball Tournament
-Games:*1st round: Wednesday, March 7Noon2PM7PM9PM*Quarterfinals: Thursday, March 8Noon2 PM7 PM9 PM*Semifinals: Friday, March 97 PM9 PM...
. Throughout the first half the lead changed hands six times, with Georgetown having the largest lead of six points. Pittsburgh, however, led at half-time by three. Although Georgetown would bring their deficit to two early in the second half, Pittsburgh never relinquished the lead after half-time. Pittsburgh's Sam Young
Sam Young (basketball player)
Samuel David Young is an American professional basketball small forward with the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association. Young was drafted in the 2nd round in the 2009 NBA Draft. Young played college basketball at the University of Pittsburgh.-Early years:The eldest of five...
led the team with a double-double to help secure their win, the school's second overall and first for coach Jamie Dixon
Jamie Dixon
Jamie Dixon is an American basketball head coach. He has served as the head coach of the University of Pittsburgh men's basketball team since 2003. In 2009 he was the head coach for the FIBA Under-19 2009 gold-medal winning United States national basketball team for which he was named the 2009 USA...
.
Awards
After the championship game Sam YoungSam Young (basketball player)
Samuel David Young is an American professional basketball small forward with the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association. Young was drafted in the 2nd round in the 2009 NBA Draft. Young played college basketball at the University of Pittsburgh.-Early years:The eldest of five...
, who led Pittsburgh to the win and led the tournament in scoring with 80 points, was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player
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...
. Young was joined by his teammate Levance Fields, Georgetown's Jessie Sapp and Roy Hibbert, West Virginia's Joe Alexander, and Marquette's Jerel McNeal to the All-Tournament Team.
After the tournament
In addition to Pittsburgh's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, seven other conference teams were given at-large bidAt-large bid
An at-large bid is a bid or berth in a sporting tournament granted by invitation, not right. This term is most commonly used in the United States to refer to berths that the NCAA grants in its annual Division I men's and women's basketball tournaments, although at-large berths are granted in almost...
s in the field, tying the conference record of eight teams in the tournament. Georgetown got the highest seed of the conference with a 2 seed and Louisville got a 3 seed. Both Pittsburgh and Connecticut were given 4 seeds and Notre Dame got a 5 seed. Marquette was given a 6 seed and West Virginia got a 7 seed. Finally, Villanova was given a 12 seed and was the final at-large team invited to the tournament. Although Syracuse was not invited to the NCAA Tournament, they were the only team from the conference invited to the 2008 National Invitation Tournament
2008 National Invitation Tournament
-Semifinals and Final:Played at Madison Square Garden in New York City on April 1 and 3* - Overtime game.-External links:*...
.