Bill Raftery, Jim Calhoun, P.J. Carlesimo, Chris Mullin
As the BIG EAST prepares to tip off the 2016-17 season, culminating with the 35
th BIG EAST Tournament at Madison Square Garden in March, the conference lined up a trio of all-time greats to talk about their memories of tournaments past and of the conference’s history in general.
Former Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun joined former Seton Hall coach P.J. Carlesimo and former St. John’s star and current head coach Chris Mullin for a chat in front of a crowd at Madison Square Garden that consisted of current coaches and players as well as media in a talk moderated by iconic college basketball announcer Bill Raftery, who is also a former Seton Hall coach.
It was a chance for the legends to look back on past accomplishments and appreciate the long partnership that has been the Garden and the BIG EAST Tournament. For Mullin, playing at the Garden was the fulfillment of a dream that began as a kid sitting in the nose-bleed seats at the World’s Most Famous Arena.
“Growing up in New York here, this was always a sacred place. I remember sitting way up top there and wanting to come down and touch the shiny floor. (Former St. John’s) Coach (Lou) Carnesecca would always emphasize the fact that this was the mecca of college basketball and it went away for a few years,” Mullin said, referring to the first three tournaments which were played in Providence, Syracuse and Hartford. “(But) when the BIG EAST came here in 1983 it was always a privilege for us to play here. Coach used to say it was like playing in Macy’s window. He always emphasized the preparation of being ready because when you come out here you’re going to be exposed, good or bad. It’s pretty amazing that 1983 was the first year and I assume it went well because it never left.”
Mullin, who was crowned the Most Valuable Player in that 1983 tournament after St. John’s defeated Boston College, 85-77, was not shy in his opinion of the BIG EAST as a conference.
“It’s really, to me, the greatest basketball conference,” Mullin said.
Carlesimo, who coached at Seton Hall from 1982 until 1994, winning the BIG EAST Tournament championship in both 1991 and 1993 as well as reaching the NCAA Championship Game in 1989 before falling to Michigan in overtime, credited league founder Dave Gavitt with the brilliant stroke of bringing the tournament to the Garden all those years ago.
“This was always the place you wanted to play, Madison Square Garden. And Dave Gavitt, obviously how much he meant to this league, he understood it was like Broadway,” Carlesimo said. “We were off Broadway for three years and then he felt it was time and he brought it here and he never looked back and to me, it transformed the league. The tournament was so important. I always thought the week here, the three or four days or in Jim’s case the one remarkable time, five days (in 2011), the best possible preparation you could have for the NCAA Tournament was playing the games here at Madison Square Garden before you went into the tournament. It was special to win this tournament, it was so meaningful to our program and again it took it to another level. To me you can never separate the BIG EAST Conference and the BIG EAST Tournament (and) Madison Square Garden. It started then and never looked back. In particularly with the league and the way it’s aligned now, that marriage is still here and it’s, I think, one of the things that makes the BIG EAST so special.”
Calhoun, who compiled a sterling 873-380 record during his legendary career, won seven BIG EAST Tournament titles as well as a trio of national crowns. But he pointed to that memorable five-wins-in-five-days run in 2011 as a particularly special time in his career.
In that year Calhoun’s Huskies were the ninth seed in the BIG EAST Tournament and proceeded to knock off DePaul, Georgetown, Pittsburgh, Syracuse and finally Louisville to capture the title as Kemba Walker captured the attention of the entire college basketball world.
“Having Kemba Walker in that run made a tad bit of difference,” Calhoun deadpanned. “We had an ‘out’ pitch. Every pitcher needs an out pitch and our out pitch was to run a pick-and-roll for Kemba. He was really special that year. (A) New York City kid who comes back here to a place he always dreamed of playing. This is a special place for him.”
Calhoun had many other memorable moments in the BIG EAST Tournament – does the six-overtime, 127-117 loss to Syracuse in 2009 ring any bells?
“Thanks for bringing that game up,” Calhoun quipped. “As great as that game was, it was better because it was here.”
Win or lose, the Garden – and the BIG EAST Tournament – was and remains the place you want to compete.
“There’s nothing like it. This marriage between Madison Square Garden, playing in the mecca of college basketball, in my opinion, is very special,” Calhoun said. “I always knew the coaches felt pressure when they had 16 teams (and) four wouldn’t make it because they couldn’t come here. That’s how special this tournament is. Being in the BIG EAST is a very special place and playing here, in my opinion, there’s nothing better.”
Carlesimo concluded the session by pointing out to current players from the 10 BIG EAST schools in the stands that it is them who make the conference what it is today.
“What made the league special are you guys, the players,” Carlesimo said. “We had the best players in the country right here and they loved to perform on the biggest stage. It was a privilege.”