BIG EAST NOTEBOOK
BIG EAST AND THE FINAL FOUR Including Louisville in 2012, a BIG EAST team has made the Final Four 18 times in 33 years of competition. A BIG EAST squad has played in the national title game 10 times. The conference’s NCAA champions are: Georgetown (1984), Villanova (1985), Connecticut (1999, 2004 and 2011) and Syracuse (2003). Recent additional appearances were made by Louisville and Marquette just before both schools began competing in the BIG EAST in 2005-06. Louisville made it in 2005 and Marquette in 2003. Fourteen of the 15 league schools have played in the Final Four. LOUISVILLE KEPT BIG EAST IN FINAL FOUR NEWS Louisville’s trip to the 2012 Final Four gives the BIG EAST six Final Four appearances in the last seven seasons with five different teams. 2012 Louisville 2011 Connecticut 2010 West Virginia 2009 Connecticut, Villanova 2007 Georgetown ALL-TIME NCAA RECORDS BIG EAST teams finished 14-9 in the 2012 NCAA Championship. BIG EAST teams compiled a 13-10 record in the 2011 NCAA Championship. Since the league began play in 1979-80, BIG EAST teams own a 290-179 (.618) record in NCAA play. The BIG EAST has had only one season when its teams had a combined losing record in the NCAAs. In 1992-93, the league was 2-3. FINAL FOUR COACHES CLUB INCLUDES FOUR Four BIG EAST head coaches have reached the Final Four at least once. In 2009, Villanova’s Jay Wright was the latest to join the elite group. Louisville’s Rick Pitino is one of only two coaches in NCAA history to lead three different teams to the Final Four: Providence (1987), Kentucky (1997, 1996, 1993) and Louisville (2012, 2005). Jim Boeheim has been to the Final Four three times with Syracuse (2003, 1996, 1987). Georgetown’s John Thompson III led the Hoyas to the Final Four in 2007. LOUISVILLE WINS THE WEST Louisville won the 2012 NCAA West Regional with a come-from-behind 72-68 victory against Florida in Phoenix, Ariz. The Cardinals, who were seeded fourth, overcame an 11-point deficit in the final 8:16. In the regional semifinals, UofL eliminated No. 1 seed Michigan State 57-44. Freshman forward Chane Behanan was the West Regional MVP. BIG EAST LOVES THE WEST REGIONAL Louisville’s road to the Final Four through the West Regional has been a common path for BIG EAST Final Four teams. Eighteen BIG EAST teams have reached the Final Four and 10 have been West Regional champions. Additionally, when the Cardinals reached the Final Four in 2005, though not BIG EAST members yet, they also advanced through the West.
Louisville became the sixth BIG EAST team to play in the Final Four in the last seven years NBA TAKES EIGHT FROM BIG EAST Eight BIG EAST players were chosen in the 2012 NBA Draft, including five first-round selections. Dion Waiters of Syracuse was taken fourth overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers, while Connecticut had a pair of lottery picks — Andre Drummond, who went ninth to the Detroit Pistons, and Jeremy Lamb, who was the No. 12 selection by the Houston Rockets. Maurice Harkless of St. John’s was the No. 15 pick, going to the Philadelphia 76ers, while the Boston Celtics tabbed Syracuse’s Fab Melo with the No. 22 selection. For the past 12 years, at least one BIG EAST player has been a top-10 pick. THREE BIG EAST NEWCOMERS WIN GOLD WITH USA BASKETBALL U18 NATIONAL TEAM Three freshmen on BIG EAST rosters were part of the 12man USA Basketball Men’s U18 National Team, which won the gold medal at the FIBA Americas Championship in June. Forward Montrezl Harrell of Louisville, forward Jerami Grant from Syracuse and guard James Robinson of Pittsburgh were all part of the U.S. team, which won its five games by an average of 38.6 points, including an 81-56 win against Brazil in the final. BIG EAST MAINTAINED ITS ELITE EIGHT STREAK The BIG EAST is the only conference to place at least one team in every NCAA Elite Eight since 2002. Seven different squads — Louisville (2012, 2009, 2008), Syracuse (2012, 2003), Connecticut (2011, 2009, 2004, 2002), West Virginia (2010, 2005), Georgetown (2007, 2006), Villanova (2009, 2006), and Pittsburgh (2009) have reached the final eight over the last 10 seasons.
2012-13 BIG EAST Basketball
BIG EAST LEADS IN SWEET 16 APPEARANCES With four NCAA Sweet 16 teams last season (Syracuse, Marquette, Louisville and Cincinnati) the BIG EAST has had the most teams reach the regional semifinal round over the last 10 seasons. Regional Semifinalists (2003-12) BIG EAST 31 Big 12 21 ACC 20 Big Ten 20 BIG EAST GRABBED NINE NCAA BIDS The BIG EAST received nine NCAA tournament invitations, the second highest total in NCAA Championship history, eclipsed only by last year’s BIG EAST total of 11. The BIG EAST earned eight NCAA bids in 2006, 2008 and 2010. Most NCAA Tournament Bids, Season 11 BIG EAST .............................................. 2011 9 BIG EAST .............................................. 2012 8 BIG EAST .......................... 2006, 2008, 2010 7 BIG EAST .................................... 1991, 2009 ACC ............................................ 2007, 2009 Big Ten 1990, 1994, 1999, 2001, 2009, 2011 Big 12 ................................................... 2010 MARQUETTE, CINCINNATI ALSO MADE SWEET 16 Marquette and Cincinnati joined Louisville and Syracuse as NCAA Sweet 16 teams last March. The Golden Eagles made their second straight appearance in the regional semifinals while the Bearcats were making their first Sweet 16 trip since 2001.
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