The BIG EAST Conference announced its second annual BIG EAST Basketball Legends Recognition Program. The Conference's 11 member schools were tasked with selecting a former prominent coach or player from both their men's and women's programs to be honored at the upcoming BIG EAST Tournaments. 

Women's basketball Legends will be recognized during the BIG EAST Tournament Quarterfinals on March 8 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. Men's basketball Legends will be honored during each team's first game of the BIG EAST Tournament at Madison Square Garden in New York City, with the First Round on March 12 and Quarterfinals on March 13.

Gordon Hayward, Butler (2008-10)
Hayward is most remembered for leading the Bulldogs to the 2010 NCAA Championship game. His half-court shot, which would have given Butler the national title, just missed. He was named to the Final Four All-Tournament Team. Hayward was the Horizon League Player of the Year in 2009-10 as a sophomore and led the Bulldogs to the conference’s regular-season and tournament titles.  Hayward was the ninth pick in the 2010 NBA Draft.
 
Rudy Gay, Connecticut (2004-06)
Gay was the BIG EAST Co-Rookie of the Year in 2005 (with Georgetown’s Jeff Green) and an All-BIG EAST Frist Team selection in 2005-06. He helped the Huskies to a share of the BIG EAST regular-season title in both seasons. As a high school standout, he was a Mc Donald’s and Parade All-America pick. Gay was the eighth pick in the 2006 NBA Draft and spent 17 years in the NBA.
 
Anthony Tolliver, Creighton (2003-07)
A member of the Creighton Athletics Hall of Fame, Tolliver earned All-Missouri Valley Conference honors as a junior and senior and was a second team Academic All-American as a senior. He also was named Creighton’s top scholar-athlete as a senior. Tolliver finished his Bluejay career with 1,003 points, 603 rebounds and 136 blocked shots. He enjoyed a13-year NBA career.
 
Quentin Richardton, DePaul (1998-00)
Richardson averaged 17.9 points and 10.2 rebounds in a two-season career at DePaul before leaving for the NBA for what would be 13-year career, which included winning the NBA 3-point contest in 2005.  At DePaul, he became the first player in school history to amass 1000+ points, 500 rebounds and 100+ 3-point baskets. As a freshman, Richardson was named Conference USA Player and Freshman of the Year.
 
John Duren, Georgetown (1976-80)
Duren’s senior year was 1979-80, the first year of the BIG EAST Conference. The point guard was the first BIG EAST Player of the Year. He helped the Hoyas to a tie of the regular-season title and the first BIG EAST Tournament championship. Duren scored 1,587 points and dealt 583 assists in his career. He became the first Georgetown player selected in the first round of the NBA Draft when he was chosen by the Utah Jazz.
 
Tony Smith, Marquette (1986-90)
A 1990 Honorable Mention All-America pick by several media outlets, including the Associated Press, Smith still ranks 10th all-time at Marquette in scoring with 1,688 points, seventh in free throws made (406), seventh in assists (469) and sixth in steals (190). After being drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round of the NBA Draft, he had an eight-year NBA career with five teams.
 
Otis Thorpe, Providence (1980-84)
Thorpe was a frontcourt force for the Friars in the early years of the BIG EAST. He was a two-time All-BIG EAST selection, including first team honors as a senior. Thorpe finished his career seventh on the school’s all-time scoring list with 1,625 points and ninth in rebounds with 902 boards. He was a first-round draft choice of the Kansas City Kings and played in the NBA.
 
Metta (Ron) Sandiford-Artest, St. John’s (1997-99)
In just two seasons at St. John’s, when he was known as Ron Artest, the versatile forward was a key contributor to two successful years. In 1998-99, Artest led the Red Storm to the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight when they fell two points short of a Final Four berth. He made the All-BIG EAST First Team in ’88-89 after making the All-BIG EAST Rookie Team in 1997-98.
 
Jerry Walker, Seton Hall (2001-03)
Walker led Seton Hall to three NCAA Tournament appearances in all three of his seasons, including a run to the West Regional Final in 1992. He was a part of two BIG EAST Tournament and regular season championships. Known for his defensive intensity, he scored over 1,000 points and pulled down 630 rebounds. He was named the BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year in 1993 and was a two-time All-BIG EAST selection. In 1997, he founded “Team Walker,” an organization in Jersey City dedicated to academic and recreational activities with a focus on inner-city children.
 
Ed Pinckney, Villanova (1981-85)
Pinckney was the Final Four MVP in 1985 when Villanova stunned No. 1-ranked Georgetown 66-64 in the NCAA National Championship Game. The Wildcats entered the tournament as a No. 8 seed. Pinckney played in the NCAA Tournament all four years. In his Wildcat career, he was a two-time All-BIG EAST First Team selection and made the All-Freshman Tean.  He amassed 1,865 points, 1,107 rebounds and 253 blocked shots. Pinckney played in the NBA for 12 years.
 
Darnell Williams, Xavier (1995-00)
Williams enjoyed a tremendous four-year career and still ranks 17th on Xavier’s all-time scoring list with 1,572 career points. He helped win 66 games over his final three seasons, and sparked XU to NCAA berths in 1997 and 1998, and an NIT invitation in 2000 as a redshirt senior. In his rookie season, he set the freshman scoring record in a game with 35 points.  He contributed to two conference regular season title and one tournament title.
 
2025 BIG EAST Women’s Basketball Legends
Lade Akande, Butler (2005-09)
Akande finished in the top 10 in Butler’s career record book in 12 categories. She ended her career with 1,705 points to mark the second-most in school history. Akande also had 757 rebounds and 140 blocks to become just the second player in school history to record over 1,500 points, 700 rebounds and 100 blocks.

Kerry Bascom, UConn (1987-91)
In 1989, Bascom led the Huskies to their first-ever BIG EAST regular season championship, first BIG EAST Tournament championship and first NCAA Tournament appearance. With the help of Bascom, UConn made its first NCAA Final Four appearance in program history. Bascom was named the NCAA Regional Most Outstanding Player in 1991 and the BIG EAST Championship Most Outstanding Player in 1989. She was also a three-time BIG EAST Conference Player of the Year (1989, ’90, 91). Following graduation, she went to play for the gold medal-winning team at the World University Games in 1991. Bascom is a member of UConn’s women’s basketball’s “Huskies of Honor” recognition program.

Sarah Nelson Vandeberg, Creighton (2010-14)
Nelson appeared in 131 games as a Bluejay, closing her career with 1,472 points, 920 rebounds, 361 assists and 157 blocked shots. She remains third in Bluejay history in career rebounding as well as second in career blocks. Nelson Vandeberg also holds the second and fourth highest single season rebounding totals with 274 in 2013-14 and 258 in 2012-13.  She spent one year in the BIG EAST after three seasons in the Missouri Valley, earning honors in both conferences. She was the MVC All-Defensive Team following the 2012-13 season and was an All-Tournament selection once in the MVC (2012) as well as in the BIG EAST (2014). She earned All-Conference accolades following each season, including MVC Honorable Mention (2012), BIG EAST Second Team (2014) and MVC First Team (2013). In addition, she was one of 10 named to the Division I-AAA Athletics Directors Association Scholar-Athlete Team in 2013.

Anna Martin, DePaul (2009-13)
Martin finished her career with 1,756 career points, which ranks sixth on DePaul’s all-time scoring list and reached double-digit scoring in 70 percent of games played (89-127). She was named a WBCA Honorable Mention All-American and a Senior CLASS senior-team All-American in 2013. Martin became the third consecutive and fourth overall DePaul player to earn the BIG EAST Sportsmanship Award.

Ebiho T. Ahonkhai, Georgetown (1993-97)
Ahonkhai was a two-time team captain and most valuable player for the Hoyas, while also leading team in scoring as a junior and receiving All-BIG EAST recognition in her final two years. She sits 16th on GU's all-time scoring list with 1,262 career points and ranks third at Georgetown in career field goal percentage at 50.5 percent. Ahonkhai earned BIG EAST Academic All-Star honors as well as the BIG EAST Scholar-Athlete Award as a senior before graduating in 1997. She was inducted into Georgetown's Athletics Hall of Fame in 2018.

Krystal Ellis, Marquette (2005-09)
Ellis' 1,940 career points were the most in program history, highlighted by a junior season where she averaged over 19 points per game, ranking second in the BIG EAST. One of the best 3-point shooters in Marquette history, Ellis hit 37 percent of her tries, to rank seventh all-time. Ellis is the only player in program history to record over 1,800 points, 350 assists and 200 steals. Ellis was a four-time All-BIG EAST honoree, including a first-team selection twice. She earned honorable mention all-America honors in 2007. She was the driving force behind Marquette's 2008 WNIT Championship team and earned MVP honors after scoring 40 points in the quarterfinals against Kentucky and posting a double-double in the title game versus Michigan State.

Britt King, Providence (1982-86)
King graduated from Providence ranking first all-time in rebounds (1,205) and second all-time in scoring (1,531 points). She was part of a Providence team that made its first BIG EAST Regular Season Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance. King was inducted into Providence’s Hall of Fame in 2008. Following graduation, King played professionally for El Masnou Club in Barcelona, Spain for one season.

Kathy Meehan, St. John’s (1974-78)
Meehan was part of the Johnnies’ first-ever varsity-level women’s basketball team. She was also named the university’s first outstanding female student-athlete award winner. Meehan was inducted into the St. John’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 1991. Meehan retired at the end of the 2023 school year after spending 48 years in administrative roles at St. John’s.
 
Robin Cunningham, Seton Hall (1974-78)
Cunningham was Seton Hall’s first female scholarship student-athlete as a three-sport student-athlete in basketball, softball and tennis. She was the program's first 1,000-point scorer and finished with 1,003 points and 865 rebounds and led the Pirates to EAIAW Tournament titles (1977, ’78). In 1984, she was elected to the Pirates’ Athletics Hall of Fame and became the first female student-athlete to have her number retired. Cunningham retired from Seton Halll after 37 years of working with the general student body and student-athletes.

Lisa Angelotti-Gedaka, Villanova (1984-88)
During her time at Villanova, Angelotti led the Wildcats to a 91-30 record and three trips to the NCAA Tournament. In her senior year, she was named the BIG EAST Conference Player of the Year after shooting 59.5 percent from the field and averaging 19.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. She currently ranks sixth all-time at Villanova in scoring with 1,622 career points and fourth all-time in rebounding with 854 career rebounds. In 2002, Angelotti became the fifth Villanova women's basketball player to have her jersey retired.

Amber Harris, Xavier (2007-11)
Harris finished her career with 2,205 points (second all-time) and 1,226 rebounds (also second all-time). She became the first Musketeer to be honored as a State Farm All-American by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association in 2009-10. In 2011, she was a USBWA All-American, an AP Second Team All-American and a Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award Second Team All-American. Harris was the fourth overall pick in the 2011 WNBA Draft. She played for the Minnesota Lynx from 2011 to 2013 and then went to the Chicago Sky (‘17-‘18).