Big East Conference 2003-04 Season Recap
by Jim Woods
This past season in America’s deepest conference was great one. Beyond just Connecticut capturing their 2nd National Championship in 5 years, this season was filled with great individual performances, surprise teams, great coaching jobs, and breakout stars. At a time when many wanted to talk solely about the future of the league, the play on the court spoke for itself, and many even took the time to focus solely on the play.
Connecticut obviously took home the National Championship and captured the Big East Tourney title, but they did not dominate conference play the entire year without any challengers. In fact, the Huskies were the second best team in the conference during the regular season behind Pittsburgh. The Panthers didn’t skip a beat this season under the direction of first time Head Coach Jamie Dixon. Dixon guided the Panthers to a 13-3 conference mark which put them a game ahead of the Huskies. Providence may have been the surprise team of the league and put up an impressive 11-5 conference mark. Friar Junior forward Ryan Gomes became a household name and carried that team at times. Syracuse’s Hakim Warrick answered the question of who would step up in Carmelo Anthony’s absence and helped lead the Orange to 11 conference wins and 23 overall. They made a return trip to the Sweet Sixteen where they seem to always end up. Boston College was expected to be down this past season after the graduation of 2,000 point scorer Troy Bell and the sudden departure of Ryan Sidney. However, Craig Smith developed quickly into one of the conference’s top players and Uka Agbai’s experience was invaluable. The Eagles took eventual NCAA runner-up Georgia Teach to the final possession in a heartbreaking second round NCAA defeat. Seton Hall rounded out the NCAA participants from the league. Andre Barrett had an outstanding senior season and led the Pirates back to the NCAA’s where they had a very nice first round win over Arizona.
Just because a team wasn’t in the above group, it doesn’t mean they were a pushover. On any given night teams at the bottom of the league were upsetting or putting a scare into the “elite” teams. Nobody wanted to face a pesky Rutgers team, especially on their home floor. The Scarlet Knights ended up going on a great postseason run of their own reaching the NIT Final. Notre Dame was hurt by an injury to interior force Torin Francis, but they still got hot down the stretch and made a late push to get an NCAA bid. Virginia Tech was led all year by do-everything forward Bryant Matthews and put up their league season high of 7 wins and 15 overall. Villanova saw the emergence of their talented sophomore class and made run to the conference tourney semis. West Virginia adapted to John Beilein’s system and when they were making three point shots were a tough team to handle. Miami, Georgetown, and St. John’s had down years, but you can expect these programs to rise again next year under the direction of new head coaches.
Overall it was your typical wild year in the Big East where every night you had to bring your “A-game” to the court. The cream eventually rose to the top, but it was never an easy night for them. The league will only continue to get better when the expansion takes effect following this season, but for now, its still the best in my book.
Conference Tournament
The 25th Annual Big East Tournament was once again one of the most exciting events of the college basketball year. Though on paper there weren’t many surprise victories, some performances were noteworthy and exciting. Virginia Tech won their first ever conference tournament game over Rutgers in opening round play. This three-point game was a preview of how the first day’s play would go as two other games (Villanova over Seton Hall and Notre Dame over West Virginia) were decided by one point each. Top seeds Pitt and UConn both rolled to wins in their first game, but Boston College and Villanova carried momentum from the first day to upset Syracuse and Providence respectively who had the opening round bye. This set up two good Friday night semifinal games. The first was a nip and tuck affair between Pitt and BC. This seesaw battle went to the final possessions before the Panthers moved on to the Final with a 9 point win. The nightcap saw Villanova look very fatigues and struggle to stay in the game with Uconn. Despite getting beat by seventeen, this game was great building point for a young Nova team. The Final was once again a Pitt/Uconn battle and this time the Huskies came out on top riding a superb performance by Junior guard Ben Gordon who seemed to make every key shot down the stretch.
The tournament was obviously a great preview of what was to come for the Huskies. They parlayed their performance into a #2 seed in the Big Dance and waltzed all they way to a title. After watching them play in New York there was never a doubt that they were capable of doing this. Other impressive performances during the conference tournament were put in by Villanova and Boston College who not many picked for the semifinals before the season started. Ben Gordon was a “no-brainer” as the tournament MVP, and Carl Krauser and Chris Taft of Pitt came home to their hometown of New York City and put on great performances of their own.
Post Season Teams
Connecticut: As most of the country remembers Jim Calhoun’s Huskies breezed through a weak West Regional and looked great in the Championship game against Georgia Tech. The game most fans will remember for a long time was the “instant classic” semifinal matchup with Duke. The Huskies staged a remarkable rally down the stretch to pull out a thrilling 79-78 win. The Championship game was never really in doubt as Connecticut rolled to a 82-73 win. Junior Emeka Okafor completed his college career by taking home the Final Four Most Outstanding Player Award.
Pittsburgh: The Panthers struggled in their opening round win over UCF, but then played a great game to beat Wisconsin in the much debated “having to play Wisconsin in Milwaukee” game. The Panthers season would end though in the Sweet Sixteen with a loss to eventual Final Four participant Oklahoma State.
Providence: After losing in the first round of the conference tourney many thought the Friars would be rested and ready for an NCAA run. That was not the case as Providence was knocked out in the NCAA First Round as well by a pesky Pacific team.
Syracuse: The Orange bounced back from a poor performance in the Big East Tourney to make it back to the Sweet Sixteen. They rode the incredible hot shooting of Gerry McNamara to a first-round win over BYU and then held on for a hard fought win over Maryland in the battle of the last two National Champions. The season would come to an end in the Sweet Sixteen with a loss to Alabama.
Boston College: The Eagles entered the NCAA’s as a six seed and defeated Utah in the first round. Their second round game against Georgia Tech was a great battle and despite the poorest performance they had gotten the whole year from star Craig Smith the Eagles were still in a position in the final minute to win the game. However, Tech made big plays and pulled out a three point win.
Seton Hall: The Pirates were thought by many to be the underdog in their opening NCAA game against traditional power Arizona. Early on it looked like they forecasters were right. But eventually the Hall tuned it on and their inspired play carried them to a second round matchup with Duke. The Blue Devils were too deep for the Pirates to handle, but all in all it was great for Seton Hall to get that first win.
NIT Teams
Notre Dame: The Irish continued to build upon their strong play down the stretch of the regular season to make it to the NIT quarterfinals where they were defeated by Oregon. Along the way they knocked off state rival Purdue and Conference USA’s ST. Louis.
Rutgers: Perhaps no team other than Connecticut did more to energize its fans during the postseason than Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights turned up their performance in the NIT and rode the advantage of playing on their home floor to win their first three NIT games. Two of those wins were over conference rivals Wet Virginia and Villanova. In the semis at the Garden, Rutgers knocked off Iowa State setting the stage for a title game with Michigan. Rutgers just couldn’t find their touch from long range and the double (NIT & NCAA) championship for the league was not to be. But a great performance for this young team to build on.
West Virginia: The Mountaineers went on the road to win a very tough game over Kent State in the NIT opener. They then knocked off Rhode Island to set the stage for that matchup mentioned above against Rutgers. The Mountaineers obviously feel to their conference foe.
Villanova: Probably no Big East team gre more in March than the Wildcats. This young group turned it on during the conference tourney and never let up. They knocked of Drexel and Virginia before also falling to Rutgers. This will be a team to keep an eye on during this upcoming year and see how they use this valuable experience.
Some Interesting Statistics:
• Connecticut’s championship was the league’s fifth in 25 years. They have also lost 5 times in the title game (though Villanova/Georgetown in 1985 involved two teams).
• The league was 12-5 in the NCAA Tourney and 20-7 (.741) overall in postseason play. This was the best mark of any conference.
• Over the last two seasons, the Big East is 24-8 (.750) in NCAA games and 46-17 (.730) overall in postseason contests. This of course includes two National Championships (Syracuse and Connecticut)
Awards Time
These are the Hoopville Awards and not the media picks.
Most Valuable Player:
Ryan Gomes, Providence
No one player did more his team in the regular season. Take him off the Friars and they are no better than a 6 win conference team.
Best Defensive Players:
Post – Emeka Okafor, Connecticut
Guard/Wing – Julius Page, Pittsburgh
Coach of the Year:
Al Skinner – Boston College
I always give this award to the guy who did the most with the least. I would love to give it to Jamie Dixon but he had so much talent. After Troy Bell graduated and took 2,000 points with him and Ryan Sidney suddenly quit, the Eagles looked like a second tier team. Al only did his best job yet at BC and took this team to 24 wins. Nobody saw that coming.
Rookie of the Year:
Chris Taft, Pittsburgh
During the final month of the season Taft turned into an animal and was absolutely relentless on the glass. I expect him to have a monster season next year.
All Conference Team
Emeka Okafor, Connecticut
Ben Gordon, Connecticut
Andre Barrett, Seton Hall
Ryan Gomes, Providence
Craig Smith, Boston College
Team by Team Breakdown
Pittsburgh Panthers (31-5, 13-3)
Team MVP: Carl Krauser (15.4ppg, 4.5apg)
Top Scorer: Krauser (15.4ppg)
Top Rebounder: Chirs Taft (7.2rpg)
Top Assists: Krauser (4.5apg)
Starters Leaving: Jaron Brown and Julius Page (both graduate)
Starters Returning: Carl Krauser, Chris Taft, Chevon Troutman
Connecticut Huskies ( 33-6, 12-4)
Team MVP: Emeka Okafor (17.6ppg, 11.5rpg)
Top Scorer: Ben Gordon (18.5ppg)
Top Rebounder: Okafor (11.5rpg)
Top Assists: Taliek Brown (6.5apg)
Starters Leaving: Brown (Graduation), Okafor (NBA), Gordon (NBA)
Starters Returning: Rashard Anderson, Josh Boone
Providence Friars ( 20-9, 11-5)
Team MVP: Ryan Gomes (18.9ppg, 9.4rpg)
Top Scorer: Gomes (18.9ppg)
Top Rebounder: Gomes (9.4rpg)
Top Assists: Donnie McGrath (3.4apg)
Starters Leaving: Marcus Douthit and Sheiku Kabba (both graduate)
Starters Returning: Gomes, McGrath, Rob Sanders
Syracuse Orangemen ( 23-8, 11-5)
Team MVP: Hakim Warrick (19.8ppg, 8.6rpg)
Top Scorer: Warrick (19.8ppg)
Top Rebounder: Warrick (8.6rpg)
Top Assists: Billy Edelin (5.2apg)
Starters Leaving: None
Starters Returning: Gerry McNamra, Warrick, Edelin (provided he is eligible), Josh Pace, and Craig Forth
Note: The Orangemen have changed their nickname to “Orange” for the 2004-05 season.
Boston College Eagles ( 24-10, 10-6)
Team MVP: Craig Smith (16.9ppg, 8.3rpg)
Top Scorer: Smith (16.9ppg)
Top Rebounder: Smith (8.3rpg)
Top Assists: Louis Hinnant (3.3apg)
Starters Leaving: Uka Agbai (graduation)
Starters Returning: Smith, Hinnant, Jared Dudley, Sean Marshall
Seton Hall Pirates (21-10, 10-6)
Team MVP: Andre Barrett (17.3ppg, 5.9apg)
Top Scorer: Barrett (17.3ppg)
Top Rebounder: Kelly Whitney (6.9rpg)
Top Assists: Barrett (5.9apg)
Starters Leaving: Barrett, Marcus Toney-El (both graduate)
Starters Returning: Whitney, John Allen, Andre Sweet
Notre Dame Fighting Irish (19-13, 9-7)
Team MVP: Chris Thomas (19.7ppg, 4.7apg)
Top Scorer: Thomas (19.7ppg)
Top Rebounder: Torin Francis (8.8rpg)
Top Assists: Thomas (4.7apg)
Starters Leaving: Torrian Jones (graduation)
Starters Returning: Thomas, Francis, Chris Quinn, Jordan Cornette
Virginia Tech Hokies (15-14, 7-9)
Team MVP: Bryant Matthews (22.1ppg, 8.9rpg)
Top Scorer: Matthews (22.1ppg)
Top Rebounder: Matthews (8.9rpg)
Top Assists: Jamon Gordon(4.5apg)
Starters Leaving: Matthews (graduation)
Starters Returning: Gordon, Zabian Dowdell, Coleman Collins, Phillip McCandies
Note: Moving to ACC for 2004-05 season
Rutgers Scarlet Knights ( 20-13, 7-9)
Team MVP: Herve Lamizana (13.4ppg, 7.6rpg)
Top Scorer: Ricky Shields (15.5ppg)
Top Rebounder: Lamizana (7.6rpg)
Top Assists: Marquis Webb (2.9apg)
Starters Leaving: Lamizana, Sean Axani (both graduate)
Starters Returning: Webb, Shields, Quincy Douby
West Virginia Mountaineers (17-14, 7-9)
Team MVP: D’or Fischer (10.8ppg, 6.2rpg)
Top Scorer: Fischer(10.8ppg)
Top Rebounder: Fischer (6.2rpg)
Top Assists: Johannes Herber (3.3apg)
Starters Leaving: None
Starters Returning: Fischer, Herber, Kevin Pittsnogle, Tyrone Sally, J. Durriseau-Collins
Villanova Wildcats (18-17, 6-10)
Team MVP: Allen Ray (17.3ppg, 3.9rpg)
Top Scorer: Ray (17.3ppg)
Top Rebounder: Jason Fraser/Curtis Sumpter (7.1rpg)
Top Assists: Mike Nardi (3.7apg)
Starters Leaving: None
Starters Returning: Ray, Fraser, Sumpter, Nardi, Randy Foye
Georgetown Hoyas (13-15, 4-12)
Team MVP: Brandon Bowman (15.9ppg, 8.1rpg)
Top Scorer: Gerald Riley (17.0ppg)
Top Rebounder: Bowman (8.1rpg)
Top Assists: Ashanti Cook (3.8apg)
Starters Leaving: Riley, Courtland Freeman (both graduate)
Starters Returning: Bowman, Cook, Darrel Owens
New Coach: John Thompson III
Miami Hurricanes (14-16, 4-12)
Team MVP: Darius Rice (16.9ppg, 6.4rpg)
Top Scorer: Rice (16.9ppg)
Top Rebounder: Rice (6.4rpg)
Top Assists: Armando Surratt (4.1apg)
Starters Leaving: Rice, Rodrigue Dhajue (both graduate)
Starters Returning: Surratt, Robert Hite, Guilermo Diaz
New Coach: Frank Haith
Note: Moving to ACC for 2004-05 season
St. John’s RedStorm (6-21, 1-15)
Team MVP: Daryll Hill (14.8ppg, 3.7apg)
Top Scorer: Hill (14.8ppg)
Top Rebounder: Kyle Cuffe (7.2rpg)
Top Assists: Hill (3.7apg)
Starters Leaving: Cuffe, Elijah Ingram/Grady Reynolds/Abe Keita (Dismissed)
Starters Returning: Hill
New Coach: Norm Roberts
