2008–09 Big East Conference men's basketball season

The 2008–09 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...

men's basketball season was the 30th in conference history, and involved its 16 full-time member schools. Leading up to, during, and following the season, it has been widely regarded as one of the most successful seasons in Big East Conference history, fielding multiple teams that received national recognition and achieved high levels of success.

Season summary & highlights

Connecticut won the 2008 Paradise Jam Tournament in the Virgin Islands.
Pittsburgh won the 2008 Legends Classic Tournament.
Syracuse won the 2008 College Basketball Experience (CBE) Classic tournament.
Connecticut led the nation in blocked shots for the 8th consecutive year.
Connecticut Head Coach, Jim Calhoun, won his 800th career game in Division I basketball, against Marquette.
Syracuse Head Coach, Jim Boeheim, finished the season with 799 career wins (2009 tournament games included).
Pittsburgh defeated #1 UConn twice, marking the first and second times the Panthers defeated a #1 ranked team.
Connecticut center, Hasheem Thabeet, recorded a triple-double against Providence on January 31, 2009, with 15 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 blocked shots.
Villanova tied a school record for regular season wins (25).
Pittsburgh tied a school record for wins in a season (31), and set a school record for regular season conference wins (15).
Connecticut tied a school record for best start to a season, at 24–1.
Pittsburgh went undefeated at home.
Connecticut, Pittsburgh, and Louisville all reached #1 in the AP poll.

Rankings

The Big East set a record when it placed seven teams in the preseason Associated Press poll

AP Poll

The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...

. It set another record by placing eight teams in the December 1st ranking, and broke that record when the ninth team entered the AP Top 25 on January 5. Connecticut and North Carolina were the only two teams that did not vacate the top 5 in the AP poll all season.

2008–09 Big East Conference Weekly Rankings
**Key:** ██ Increase in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking. RV = Received Votes
AP Poll	Pre	Wk 1	Wk 2	Wk 3	Wk 4	Wk 5	Wk 6	Wk 7	Wk 8	Wk 9	Wk 10	Wk 11	Wk 12	Wk 13	Wk 14	Wk 15	Wk 16	Wk 17	Wk 18
Cincinnati
Connecticut	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	5	4	3	2	1	1	1	2	1	3	5
DePaul
Georgetown	22	22	21	20	19	15	12	11	9	13	12	25
Louisville	3	3	3	11	9	9	19	18	23	20	9	7	5	5	7	6	6	5	1
Marquette	16	15	15	25	24	24	RV	RV	18	14	11	8	8	10	10	8	13	21	23
Notre Dame	9	8	8	7	12	12	8	7	13	12	19	RV	RV
Pittsburgh	5	6	4	3	3	3	3	3	1	1	4	3	6	4	4	1	3	2	4
Providence													RV				RV
Rutgers
St. John's
Seton Hall			RV
South Florida
Syracuse	RV	RV	RV	16	13	11	17	13	11	8	8	15	20	23	24	RV	25	18	13
Villanova	23	23	20	17	15	18	18	15	18	23	20	21	17	13	12	10	11	10	11
West Virginia	RV	RV	RV			RV	RV	RV	25	RV	RV	RV	RV	RV	RV	RV	RV	RV	RV

Statistical leaders

Name	School	PPG
Scoring
Luke Harangody Luke Harangody Luke Harangody is an American professional basketball player with the Cleveland Cavaliers of the NBA. Harangody completed his college career at the University of Notre Dame in 2010. He is the only men's player in the history of the Big East Conference to average 20 points and 10 rebounds...	ND	23.5
Jeremy Hazell Jeremy Hazell Jeremy Hazell is an American shooting guard who plays for CB Lucentum Alicante in Spain.In 2008–09, Hazell was named to the All-Big East Third Team after scoring 22.7 points per game, good for 2nd in the Big East in scoring. Following the 2008–09 season, Hazell was named to the All-Big East...	SHU	22.7
Jerel McNeal Jerel McNeal Jerel McNeal is an American professional basketball shooting guard with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA D-League. In March 2011, McNeal signed a brief 10 day contract with the New Orleans Hornets. In college, McNeal played with the Marquette Golden Eagles...	Marq	19.8
Sam Young	Pitt	19.2
Dar Tucker Dar Tucker Dar Tucker is a professional basketball player. In both 2010 and 2011, he won the D-League Slam Dunk Contest. During his DePaul University years, he averaged 18.5 points per game as a sophomore.-References:-External links:...	DPU	18.5

Name	School	RPG
Rebounding
DeJuan Blair DeJuan Blair DeJuan Lamont Blair is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association . Before turning pro Blair played center for the University of Pittsburgh men's basketball team from 2007 to 2009...	Pitt	12.3
Luke Harangody Luke Harangody Luke Harangody is an American professional basketball player with the Cleveland Cavaliers of the NBA. Harangody completed his college career at the University of Notre Dame in 2010. He is the only men's player in the history of the Big East Conference to average 20 points and 10 rebounds...	ND	11.8
Hasheem Thabeet Hasheem Thabeet Hasheem Thabeet is a Tanzanian professional basketball player. He currently plays for the Houston Rockets of the NBA. He was drafted as the 2nd pick overall by the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2009 NBA Draft after playing with the Connecticut Huskies...	Conn	10.9
Jeff Adrien Jeff Adrien Jeff Adrien is an American professional basketball player. He is a 6'7" forward. Adrien formerly served as captain for the University of Connecticut Huskies.-High school:...	Conn	10.0
Mac Koshwal	DPU	9.6

Name	School	APG
Assists
Levance Fields Levance Fields Levance E. Fields is an American basketball player. He played college basketball at the University of Pittsburgh.-Early life and high school career:...	Pitt	7.5
Jonny Flynn Jonny Flynn Jonny William Flynn is an American professional basketball player for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association...	Syr	6.7
Terrence Williams Terrence Williams Terrence Deshon Williams is an American professional basketball player with the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association. Williams was drafted 11th overall in the 2009 NBA Draft by the Nets. He was the senior co-captain for Rick Pitino's 2008-09 University of Louisville Cardinals...	UL	5.0
Dominic James Dominic James Dominic James is an American basketball player. James' career with the Marquette University Golden Eagles men's basketball team was thought to have ended a few weeks prematurely when he broke the fifth metatarsal bone in his left foot during the Golden Eagles' loss to Connecticut on February 25,...	Marq	5.0
Tory Jackson	ND	4.9

Name	School	SPG
Steals
Paul Gause Paul Gause Paul Gause is an American football cornerback who is currently a free agent. He played college basketball at Seton Hall.-Basketball:...	SHU	2.7
Terrence Williams Terrence Williams Terrence Deshon Williams is an American professional basketball player with the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association. Williams was drafted 11th overall in the 2009 NBA Draft by the Nets. He was the senior co-captain for Rick Pitino's 2008-09 University of Louisville Cardinals...	UL	2.3
Dominic James Dominic James Dominic James is an American basketball player. James' career with the Marquette University Golden Eagles men's basketball team was thought to have ended a few weeks prematurely when he broke the fifth metatarsal bone in his left foot during the Golden Eagles' loss to Connecticut on February 25,...	Marq	2.1
Jerel McNeal Jerel McNeal Jerel McNeal is an American professional basketball shooting guard with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA D-League. In March 2011, McNeal signed a brief 10 day contract with the New Orleans Hornets. In college, McNeal played with the Marquette Golden Eagles...	Marq	2.0
Greg Monroe Greg Monroe Gregory Keith Monroe, Jr. is a professional basketball center for the Detroit Pistons. He was drafted by the Pistons in the 2010 NBA Draft with the 7th overall pick. In his freshman season at Georgetown University he was named Big East Rookie of the Year.-Early years:Monroe attended Helen Cox High...	GU	1.9

Name	School	BPG
Blocks
Hasheem Thabeet Hasheem Thabeet Hasheem Thabeet is a Tanzanian professional basketball player. He currently plays for the Houston Rockets of the NBA. He was drafted as the 2nd pick overall by the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2009 NBA Draft after playing with the Connecticut Huskies...	Conn	4.3
Gregory Echinique	RU	2.4
Hamady Ndiaye	RU	2.2
John Garcia John Garcia John Garcia may refer to:John Garcia , American psychologistJohn David Garcia , American ethicist*John Garcia , American rock singer...	SHU	1.8
Terrence Jennings	UL	1.6

Name	School	FG%
Field Goals
Arinze Onuaku Arinze Onuaku Arinze Onuaku is a 6'9", 275lb professional basketball player from Lanham, Maryland who was on the Syracuse Orange basketball team. He went undrafted in the 2010 NBA Draft. He is currently playing with the LKL team, Klaipėdos Neptūnas....	Syr	.667
Randall Hanke	PC	.653
Hasheem Thabeet Hasheem Thabeet Hasheem Thabeet is a Tanzanian professional basketball player. He currently plays for the Houston Rockets of the NBA. He was drafted as the 2nd pick overall by the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2009 NBA Draft after playing with the Connecticut Huskies...	Conn	.649
Rick Jackson Rick Jackson Richard Kadeem Jackson is an American professional basketball forward for Chorale Roanne Basket of the Ligue Nationale de Basketball in France...	Syr	.623
John Garcia John Garcia John Garcia may refer to:John Garcia , American psychologistJohn David Garcia , American ethicist*John Garcia , American rock singer...	SHU	.606

Name	School	3FG%
3-Pt Field Goals
Ashton Gibbs Ashton Gibbs Ashton Gibbs is an American college basketball player with the Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball team. In 2010-11, Gibbs was an All-Big East First Team selection and an Associated Press Honorable Mention All-American, while in 2009-10, he was named Big East Conference Most Improved Player and...	Pitt	.439
Ryan Ayers	ND	.439
Preston Knowles Preston Knowles Preston Knowles was a shooting guard for the 2010-11 University of Louisville men's basketball team. Knowles has been a defensive leader for the Cardinals and finished the 2009 season as the Big East leader in three-point shooting percentage.He attended George Rogers Clark High School in...	UL	.432
Kyle McAlarney	ND	.426
Corey Stokes Corey Stokes Corey Stokes is an American basketball player, formerly for Villanova University, best known for his three-point shooting. , he's under contract with Bundesliga club BBC Bayreuth.-High school:...	VU	.425

Name	School	FT%
Free Throws
Sharaud Curry Sharaud Curry Sharaud Curry is a former guard for the Providence College men's basketball team. Curry graduated from Joseph Wheeler High School in Georgia, where his team won basketball state championships in 2003 and 2005. As a freshman at Providence, Curry was named to the Big East all-rookie team. *...	PC	.845
Mike Rosario	RU	.839
Wesley Matthews Wesley Matthews Wesley Matthews, Jr. is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the Portland Trail Blazers in the National Basketball Association . He played college basketball for the Marquette Golden Eagles...	Marq	.829
Lazar Hayward Lazar Hayward Lazar Miller Hayward is an American professional basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves in the NBA. He was a college standout for Marquette University.-High school career:...	Marq	.820
Scottie Reynolds Scottie Reynolds Scottie Reynolds is an American professional basketball player who will play for the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters of the Philippine Basketball Association. The Huntsville, Alabama native played for Villanova University in the Big East Conference of the NCAA...	VU	.817

Big East Tournament

For the first time ever, all 16 teams in the conference would have the chance to participate in the Big East Tournament

2009 Big East Men's Basketball Tournament

- Championship Game :- Syracuse vs. Connecticut :The quarterfinal game on Thursday, March 12 between Syracuse and Connecticut lasted for six overtime periods, the second-longest game in NCAA Division I Men's Basketball history...

. Under this new format, the teams finishing 9 through 16 in the regular season standings played first round games, while teams 5 through 8 received a bye

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...

to the second round. The top 4 teams during the regular season received a bye to the quarterfinals. The five-round tournament spanned five consecutive days, from Tuesday, March 10, 2009, through Saturday, March 14, 2009. A low-seeded team could have theoretically played all five days if it won its games in the first four rounds, but this did not turn out to be the case.

1–4 Seeding:

(1) Louisville, (2) Pittsburgh, (3) Connecticut, (4) Villanova

5–8 Seeding:

(5) Marquette, (6) Syracuse, (7) West Virginia, (8) Providence

9–16 Seeding and First Round Matchups:

(16) DePaul def. (9) Cincinnati

(10) Notre Dame def. (15) Rutgers

(11) Seton Hall def. (14) South Florida

(13) St. John's def. (12) Georgetown

Second Round Matchups:

(5) Marquette def. (13) St. John's

(6) Syracuse def. (11) Seton Hall

(7) West Virginia def. (10) Notre Dame

(8) Providence def. (16) DePaul

Quarterfinals Matchups:

(1) Louisville def. (8) Providence

(7) West Virginia def. (2) Pittsburgh

(6) Syracuse def. (3) Connecticut (6 OT)

(4) Villanova def. (5) Marquette

Semifinals Matchups:

(1) Louisville def. (4) Villanova

(6) Syracuse def. (7) West Virginia (OT)

Championship Game:

(1) Louisville def. (6) Syracuse, 76–66

The most notable game of the tournament was the third round matchup between Connecticut and Syracuse. A back-and-forth thriller between two rivals, this game lasted nearly four hours and finally ended after six overtimes, at 1:22 a.m. the following day. The game was tied at 71–71 with a second left in regulation, when Syracuse inbounded a pass the full length of the court. Guard, Eric Devendorf, sunk a 3-point shot as the clock appeared to run out, seemingly giving Syracuse the game. After a thorough review by officials using frame-by-frame slow motion, it became apparent that the ball was not completely off of Devendorf's fingertips as the clock changed from 0.1 to 0.0 seconds. The game headed to overtime. During overtime, UConn took a lead and maintained it, until Syracuse finally tied the score to force another overtime. This pattern continued for five overtimes, where in each one, UConn took and maintained a lead, only to have Syracuse tie the score before time ran out. In the sixth and final overtime, Syracuse came out and took a large lead (their first since regulation) that eventually proved insurmountable for UConn, and won the game, 127–117. The game produced a few records when it came to duration, including longest Big East game in history. A.J. Price of Connecticut, and Jonny Flynn and Eric Devendorf of Syracuse, each played over 60 minutes, with another three Connecticut players and one Syracuse player playing over 50 minutes. Between the two teams, nine players had double-figure point totals, and five UConn players had double-figure rebound totals. With over 100 points scored in the overtime periods alone, this game was dubbed an "Instant Classic" and was given the title "The Game That Wouldn't End."

In the following round, Syracuse again found itself in overtime, this time against West Virginia. Syracuse came out the winner, but would lose the following night to Louisville. This was Louisville's first Big East Tournament Championship. Jonny Flynn was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, becoming only the 4th player in the 30 year history of the tournament to win the award while playing on the losing team.

NCAA Tournament

The Big East posted a very strong showing in the NCAA Tournament

NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship

The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...

. Though Notre Dame, Georgetown, and Providence were unable to secure at-large bids, seven conference teams were undisputedly deserving and were selected. The Big Ten

Big Ten Conference

The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...

and the Atlantic Coast Conference

Atlantic Coast Conference

The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...

also sent seven teams each, which was one short of the record of eight that the Big East sent in 2006 and 2008. The conference set a record by earning three #1 seeds among the four available. Connecticut, Louisville, and Pittsburgh were all the top seeds in their regions, with North Carolina being the fourth. The conference set another record by having five teams make it to the Sweet-16, and then an additional record by having four teams make it to the Elite Eight

Elite Eight

The term Elite Eight, or less commonly called "Great Eight", refers to the final eight teams in the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship or the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship; and, thus, represents the national quarterfinals. In Division I, the Elite Eight consists of the...

. Connecticut and Villanova each advanced to the Final Four. This was Villanova's fourth Final Four appearance (though one was vacated for violations) and first since 1985. This was UConn's third Final Four appearance, with all coming since 1999, and all happening to come from the West region. The conference finished with a combined record of 17–7.

School	Region	Seed	Round 1	Round 2	Sweet 16	Elite Eight	Final Four
Connecticut	West	1	16 Chattanooga, W 103–47	9 Texas A&M, W 92–66	5 Purdue, W 72–60	3 Missouri, W 82–75	2 Michigan St., L 82–73
Villanova	East	3	14 American, W 80–67	6 UCLA, W 89–69	2 Duke, W 77–54	1 Pittsburgh, W 78–76	1 UNC, L 83–69
Louisville	Midwest	1	16 Morehead St., W 74–54	9 Siena, W 79–72	12 Arizona, W 103–64	2 Michigan St., L 64–52
Pittsburgh	East	1	16 E. Tenn. St., W 72–62	8 Oklahoma St., W 84–76	4 Xavier, W 60–55	3 Villanova, L 78–76
Syracuse	South	3	14 S.F. Austin, W 59–44	6 Arizona St., W 78–67	2 Oklahoma, L 84–71
Marquette	West	6	11 Utah St., W 58–57	3 Missouri, L 83–79
West Virginia	Midwest	6	11 Dayton, L 68–60

National Invitation Tournament

In the 72nd annual National Invitation Tournament

2009 National Invitation Tournament

-Semifinals and finals:Played at Madison Square Garden in New York City on March 31 and April 2* denotes each overtime played-NIT Championship:...

, there were three Big East teams among the field of 32: Georgetown, Notre Dame, and Providence.

Notre Dame received a 2-seed in its region. They won their first round game against 7-seed UAB, 70–64. They beat 3-seed New Mexico in the second round, 70–68. They beat Kentucky in the quarterfinals, 77–67, and lost to 2-seed Penn State in the semifinals, 67–59.
Providence received a 5-seed in a different region. They lost their first round game to 4-seed Miami (FL), 78–66.
Georgetown received a 6-seed in a third region. They lost their first round game to 3-seed Baylor, 74–72.

College Basketball Invitational

In the 16-team College Basketball Invitational

2009 College Basketball Invitational

The 2009 College Basketball Invitational was a single-elimination tournament of 16 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I teams that did not participate in the 2009 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament or the 2009 National Invitation Tournament. The opening round began...

, the lone Big East representative was St. John's

St. John's Red Storm men's basketball

The St. John's Red Storm men's basketball team represents the St. John's University in Queens, New York. The team participates in the Big East Conference. The men’s coach Norm Roberts was fired on March 19, 2010...

. The team earned a 4-seed in the East region, and lost their opening round game to top-seeded Richmond

Richmond Spiders men's basketball

The Richmond Spiders men's basketball team represents the University of Richmond in Richmond, Virginia and currently competes in the Atlantic 10 Conference...

75–69.

Awards and honors

The following players were honored with postseason awards after having been voted for by Big East Conference coaches.

Co-Players of the Year:

Hasheem Thabeet
Hasheem Thabeet
Hasheem Thabeet is a Tanzanian professional basketball player. He currently plays for the Houston Rockets of the NBA. He was drafted as the 2nd pick overall by the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2009 NBA Draft after playing with the Connecticut Huskies...

, Connecticut, C, Jr.
DeJuan Blair
DeJuan Blair
DeJuan Lamont Blair is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association . Before turning pro Blair played center for the University of Pittsburgh men's basketball team from 2007 to 2009...

, Pittsburgh, C, So.

Defensive Player of the Year:

Hasheem Thabeet, Connecticut, C, Jr.

Rookie of the Year:

Greg Monroe
Greg Monroe
Gregory Keith Monroe, Jr. is a professional basketball center for the Detroit Pistons. He was drafted by the Pistons in the 2010 NBA Draft with the 7th overall pick. In his freshman season at Georgetown University he was named Big East Rookie of the Year.-Early years:Monroe attended Helen Cox High...

, Georgetown, C, Fr.

Most Improved Player:

Dante Cunningham
Dante Cunningham
Dante Cunningham is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Charlotte Bobcats. Dante was drafted in the second round of the 2009 NBA Draft by the Portland Trail Blazers of the NBA...

, Villanova, F, Sr.

Sixth Man Award:

Corey Fisher
Corey Fisher
Anthony Guy Corey Fisher is an American professional basketball player. A point guard, he attended Villanova University in Pennsylvania. Fisher decided on Villanova due to its combination of athletics and academics. Fisher played high school basketball for St. Patrick High School in Elizabeth, New...

, Villanova, G, So.

Sportsmanship Award:

Alex Ruoff
Alex Ruoff
Alexander Marc Ruoff is an American professional basketball player currently playing for Okapi Aalstar from the Belgium basketball league...

, West Virginia, G, Sr.

Scholar-Athlete of the Year:

Alex Ruoff, West Virginia, G, Sr.

Coach of the Year:

Jay Wright
Jay Wright (coach)
Jerold Taylor "Jay" Wright, Jr. is an American basketball coach. He is currently the men's coach at Villanova University. He was born in Churchville, Pennsylvania, U.S., and is married to a former Villanova cheerleader...

, Villanova (8th season)

All-Big East First Team:

Hasheem Thabeet
Hasheem Thabeet
Hasheem Thabeet is a Tanzanian professional basketball player. He currently plays for the Houston Rockets of the NBA. He was drafted as the 2nd pick overall by the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2009 NBA Draft after playing with the Connecticut Huskies...

, Connecticut, C, Jr., 7–3, 263, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Terrence Williams
Terrence Williams
Terrence Deshon Williams is an American professional basketball player with the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association. Williams was drafted 11th overall in the 2009 NBA Draft by the Nets. He was the senior co-captain for Rick Pitino's 2008-09 University of Louisville Cardinals...

, Louisville, F, Sr., 6–6, 210, Seattle, Wash.
Jerel McNeal
Jerel McNeal
Jerel McNeal is an American professional basketball shooting guard with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA D-League. In March 2011, McNeal signed a brief 10 day contract with the New Orleans Hornets. In college, McNeal played with the Marquette Golden Eagles...

, Marquette, G, Sr., 6–3, 200 Chicago, Ill.
Luke Harangody
Luke Harangody
Luke Harangody is an American professional basketball player with the Cleveland Cavaliers of the NBA. Harangody completed his college career at the University of Notre Dame in 2010. He is the only men's player in the history of the Big East Conference to average 20 points and 10 rebounds...

, Notre Dame, F, Jr., 6–8, 251, Schererville, Ind.
DeJuan Blair
DeJuan Blair
DeJuan Lamont Blair is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association . Before turning pro Blair played center for the University of Pittsburgh men's basketball team from 2007 to 2009...

, Pittsburgh, C, So., 6–7, 265, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Sam Young, Pittsburgh, F, Sr., 6–6, 215, Clinton, Md.

All-Big East Second Team:

A.J. Price, Connecticut, G, Sr., 6–2, 181, Amityville, N.Y.
Wesley Matthews
Wesley Matthews
Wesley Matthews, Jr. is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the Portland Trail Blazers in the National Basketball Association . He played college basketball for the Marquette Golden Eagles...

, Marquette, G, Sr., 6–5, 215, Madison, Wis.
Jonny Flynn
Jonny Flynn
Jonny William Flynn is an American professional basketball player for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association...

, Syracuse, G, So., 6–0, 185, Niagara Falls, N.Y.
Dante Cunningham
Dante Cunningham
Dante Cunningham is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Charlotte Bobcats. Dante was drafted in the second round of the 2009 NBA Draft by the Portland Trail Blazers of the NBA...

, Villanova, F, Sr., 6–8, 230, Silver Spring, Md.
Da’Sean Butler, West Virginia, F, Jr., 6–7, 225, Newark, N.J.

All-Big East Third Team:

Deonta Vaughn, Cincinnati, G, Jr., 6–1, 195, Indianapolis, Ind.
Jeff Adrien
Jeff Adrien
Jeff Adrien is an American professional basketball player. He is a 6'7" forward. Adrien formerly served as captain for the University of Connecticut Huskies.-High school:...

, Connecticut, F, Sr., 6–7, 243, Brookline, Mass.
Earl Clark
Earl Clark
Earl Rashad Clark is an American professional basketball player. Clark played collegiate basketball for the University of Louisville men's basketball team and was drafted 14th overall by the Phoenix Suns in the 2009 NBA Draft....

, Louisville, G/F, Jr., 6–8, 220, Rahway, N.J.
Levance Fields
Levance Fields
Levance E. Fields is an American basketball player. He played college basketball at the University of Pittsburgh.-Early life and high school career:...

, Pittsburgh, G, Sr., 5–10, 190, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Jeremy Hazell, Seton Hall, G, So., 6–5, 185, Bronx, N.Y.

Big East Honorable Mention:

Weyinmi Efejuku, Providence, G, Sr., 6–5, 210, Fresh Meadows, N.Y.
Dominique Jones, USF, G, So., 6–4, 205, Lake Wales, Fla.
Scottie Reynolds
Scottie Reynolds
Scottie Reynolds is an American professional basketball player who will play for the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters of the Philippine Basketball Association. The Huntsville, Alabama native played for Villanova University in the Big East Conference of the NCAA...

, Villanova, G, Jr., 6–2, 195, Herndon, Va.
Alex Ruoff
Alex Ruoff
Alexander Marc Ruoff is an American professional basketball player currently playing for Okapi Aalstar from the Belgium basketball league...

, West Virginia, G, Sr., 6–6, 220, Spring Hill, Fla.

Big East All-Rookie Team:

Yancy Gates, Cincinnati, F, Fr., 6–9, 255, Cincinnati, Ohio
Kemba Walker
Kemba Walker
Kemba Hudley Walker is an American professional basketball player for the Charlotte Bobcats. Walker grew up in The Bronx, New York and graduated from Rice High School in 2008. With the Huskies basketball team at Connecticut, Walker was the 2nd leading college basketball scorer in the United States...

, Connecticut, G, Fr., 6–0, 175, Bronx, N.Y.
Greg Monroe
Greg Monroe
Gregory Keith Monroe, Jr. is a professional basketball center for the Detroit Pistons. He was drafted by the Pistons in the 2010 NBA Draft with the 7th overall pick. In his freshman season at Georgetown University he was named Big East Rookie of the Year.-Early years:Monroe attended Helen Cox High...

, Georgetown, C, Fr., 6–10, 240, Gretna, La.
Samardo Samuels
Samardo Samuels
Samardo Samuels is a Jamaican professional basketball player with the Cleveland Cavaliers of the NBA. He is a 6-foot-9-inch, 265-pound power forward/center who attended college at the University of Louisville....

, Louisville, F, Fr., 6–8, 240, Trelawny Parish, Jamaica
Mike Rosario, Rutgers, G, Fr., 6–3, 180, Jersey City, N.J.
Devin Ebanks
Devin Ebanks
Devin Ebanks is an American professional basketball player selected 43rd overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2010 NBA Draft...

, West Virginia, F, Fr., 6–9, 205, Long Island City, N.Y.

The following players were selected to the 2009 Associated Press All-America teams.

First Team All-America:

DeJuan Blair
DeJuan Blair
DeJuan Lamont Blair is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association . Before turning pro Blair played center for the University of Pittsburgh men's basketball team from 2007 to 2009...

, Pittsburgh, Key Stats: 15.6 ppg, 12.2 rpg, 59.9 FG%, 1.5 steals (49 1st place votes, 294 points)

Second Team All-America:

Hasheem Thabeet
Hasheem Thabeet
Hasheem Thabeet is a Tanzanian professional basketball player. He currently plays for the Houston Rockets of the NBA. He was drafted as the 2nd pick overall by the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2009 NBA Draft after playing with the Connecticut Huskies...

, Connecticut, Key Stats: 13.7 ppg, 10.9 rpg, 4.6 blocks, 64.3 FG% (19, 238)
Luke Harangody
Luke Harangody
Luke Harangody is an American professional basketball player with the Cleveland Cavaliers of the NBA. Harangody completed his college career at the University of Notre Dame in 2010. He is the only men's player in the history of the Big East Conference to average 20 points and 10 rebounds...

, Notre Dame, Key Stats: 23.2 ppg, 12.0 rpg, 2.1 apg (6, 135)
Jerel McNeal
Jerel McNeal
Jerel McNeal is an American professional basketball shooting guard with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA D-League. In March 2011, McNeal signed a brief 10 day contract with the New Orleans Hornets. In college, McNeal played with the Marquette Golden Eagles...

, Marquette, Key Stats: 19.3 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 3.8 apg, 40.6 3-pt FG% (7, 114)

Third Team All-America:

Terrence Williams
Terrence Williams
Terrence Deshon Williams is an American professional basketball player with the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association. Williams was drafted 11th overall in the 2009 NBA Draft by the Nets. He was the senior co-captain for Rick Pitino's 2008-09 University of Louisville Cardinals...

, Louisville, Key Stats: 12.3 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 5.1 apg, 2.5 steals (4, 103)
Sam Young, Pittsburgh, Key Stats: 18.7 ppg, 6.1 rpg (1, 79)