2008 Big East Basketball Tournament
Printable & Viewable Bracket Link: 2008 Big East Mens Basketball Tournament Bracket
Participants/Overview: This will be the last season where only the best 12 conference records will make the Big East Tournament. Starting in 2009, the Big East will extend the entry to fit all 16 teams into the tourney field. Not that any of the 4 worst big east teams would have a shot at winning, but it still makes sense from a college's point of view.
This season the winner of the championship game will be awarded the one automatic bid into the 2008 NCAA tournament. While most of you would think with our bias towards the smaller non power conferences we would say the Big East getting 8 teams into the tourney is ludicrous, but as Lee Corso would say, not so fast my friend. With this conference going 16 deep and teams not playing any cup cakes in conference play, 8 bids from one conference is okay with me.
Georgetown, Louisville, Connecticut, Notre Dame, Marquette, West Virginia, and Pittsburgh have all locked up bids in most pundits eyes and I can't argue with any of those gaining entry. Georgetown, Louisville, and West Virginia are 3 teams that I consider viable candidates to reach the final four. Those 3 teams bring elite athletes, razor sharp coaching, and smart play to the table. All 3 vital ingredients to make a run deep in the mens basketball tournament.
At the time of publish on March 1st, I think the Big East is likely
to have one other team emerge down the stretch and do enough to
have the selection committee have their hands tied and award 8 bids
to the Big East. Villanova and Syracuse are the 2 teams that I feel
have the best shot. The both have a shot with quality opponents
on their schedule remaining, it is just a matter of which team jumps
up and actually takes the opportunity to win their way in this last
week.
Venue: Madison Square Garden
Sponsor: Aeropostale & The Big East
Dates: March 12th-March 15th
TV: ESPN will broadcast all eleven games starting with game 1 of the opening round on March 12th at 12:00 eastern time. The BigEast Tournament championship game will be televised at 9:00 eastern time on Saturday March 15th.
Big East Tournament Schedule
March 12th - Opening Round
March 13th - Quarterfinals
March 14th - Semifinals
March 15th - Championship
Click
here for the updated big east tournament bracket
Last Years Winner
Georgetown Hoyas. After being tested in the quarterfinals and semifinals
by Villanova and Notre Dame, the Hoyas dismantled the Pitt Panthers
65-42 in the Big East Championship game. There really wasn't much
to say about this one. It was really never a game as Georgetown
got up by 15 early and cruised to the victory.
Roy Hibbert chipped in 18 points while the the tournament's Most Outstanding Player Jeff Green, added 21 points for Georgetown. This was the Hoyas first Big East Tournament title since 1989 giving them 7 titles, the most of any Big East school.
Pittsburgh was likely exhausted from a tough game against Louisville
the night before where the Panthers had to exert a lot of energy
to come back from a double digit deficit just to make the finals.
This was the sixth time in seven years that the Panthers made it
to the championship game winning only once back in 2003.
Previous Years Big East Tournament
Bracket
2007 Champion: Georgetown
2006
Champion: Syracuse
2005
Champion: Syracuse
2004
Champion: UCONN
Off Site Links
Big East Conference Official
Website
Madison Square Garden Venue
Website
It is the special time of year again, stay current with all of the 2008 tournament news including game previews, articles, and the latest odds to win it all.
