1995–96 Big East Conference men's basketball season

The 1995–96 Big East Conference men's basketball season was the 17th in conference history, and involved its 13 full-time member schools.

Connecticut was the regular-season champion of the Big East 6 Division with a record of , and Georgetown won the regular-season Big East 7 Division championship with a record of . Connecticut won the Big East tournament championship.

Season summary & highlights The Big East expanded to 13 teams, adding Notre Dame, Rutgers, and West Virginia as members. It was the conference's first expansion since the 1991–92 season. For the first time, the Big East used a divisional structure, with six of its teams playing in the Big East 6 Division and seven in the Big East 7 Division. The divisional structure lasted through the 1997–98 season. The Big East maintained an 18-game regular-season conference schedule, and its increased membership made it impossible for each team to play each other conference member twice in a home-and-home series during the regular season, as Big East teams had done since the 1980–81 season. Instead. each team played six conference opponents twice in a home-and-home series and the other six once each. The schedule was unbalanced, with teams playing anywhere from two to five home-and-home series against teams in their own division and anywhere from one to four home-and-home series against teams in the other division. Walk-on and future National Football League star quarterback Donovan McNabb appeared in five games for Syracuse. Connecticut finished as the regular-season champion of the Big East 6 Division with a record of . It was the fourth regular-season championship or co-championship for Connecticut. Georgetown finished as the regular-season champion of the Big East 7 Division with a record of . It was the sixth regular-season championship or co-championship for Georgetown. Connecticut won its second Big East tournament championship. In the NCAA Tournament, Syracuse advanced to the national championship game, losing to Kentucky and finishing as the national runner-up. Syracuse senior forward John Wallace was the top scorer in the 1996 NCAA Tournament. In May 1997, the NCAA vacated both of Connecticut's victories and its loss in the 1996 NCAA Tournament because two players, Kirk King and Ricky Moore, illegally accepted gifts during the 1995–96 season.

Head coaches SchoolCoachSeasonNotes Boston College Jim O'Brien 10th Big East Co-Coach of the Year Connecticut Jim Calhoun 10th Big East Co-Coach of the Year (3rd award) Georgetown John Thompson Jr. 24th Miami Leonard Hamilton 6th Notre Dame John MacLeod 5th Pittsburgh Ralph Willard 2nd Providence Pete Gillen 2nd Rutgers Bob Wenzel 8th St. John's Brian Mahoney 4th Fired March 11, 1996 Seton Hall George Blaney 2nd Syracuse Jim Boeheim 20th Villanova Steve Lappas 4th West Virginia Gale Catlett 18th

Rankings Connecticut, Georgetown, and Villanova were ranked in the Associated Press poll Top 25 all season, with Villanova reaching No. 2, Connecticut finishing as No. 3, and Georgetown finishing as No. 4. Syracuse was in the Top 25 for much of the season, and Boston College also spent time in the Top 25.

+ 1995–96 Big East Conference Weekly RankingsKey: ██ Increase in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking. AP Poll Pre 11/20 11/27 12/4 12/11 12/18 12/25 1/1 1/8 1/15 1/22 1/29 2/5 2/12 2/19 2/26 3/4 FinalBoston College 24 20 24 21 22 21 20 Connecticut 6 6 9 9 8 8 7 7 6 5 4 4 4 3 3 4 3 3 Georgetown 5 5 6 6 7 6 6 6 5 8 6 9 8 14 11 8 6 4 Miami Notre Dame Pittsburgh Providence Rutgers St. John's Seton Hall Syracuse 25 19 13 11 14 12 17 18 18 16 15 15 13 15 Villanova 3 3 3 2 2 7 8 8 7 7 7 6 6 4 4 6 9 10 West Virginia

Regular-season statistical leaders

ScoringNameSchoolPPG Allen Iverson GU 25.0 Ray Allen Conn 23.4 John Wallace Syr 22.2 Zendon Hamilton SJU 20.8 Kerry Kittles Vill 20.4

ReboundingNameSchoolRPG Zendon Hamilton SJU 10.3 Danya Abrams BC 9.6 Travis Knight Conn 9.3 Jerome Williams GU 8.8 John Wallace Syr 8.7

AssistsNameSchoolAPG Lazarus Sims Syr 7.4 God Shammgod Prov 6.5 Doron Sheffer Conn 6.1 Doug Gottlieb ND 5.7 Alvin Williams Vill 5.4

StealsNameSchoolSPG Allen Iverson GU 3.4 Jerry McCullough Vill 3.0 Adrian Griffin SHU 2.5 Kerry Kittles Vill 2.4 Dan Hurley SHU 2.3

BlocksNameSchoolBPG Jason Lawson Vill 3.0 Eric Clark RU 2.0 Travis Knight Conn 2.0 Tim James Mia 1.8 John Wallace Syr 1.7

Field GoalsNameSchoolFG% Otis Hill Syr .571 Damian Owens WVU .513 John Wallace Syr .489 Chad Varga Pitt .489 Zendon Hamilton SJU .486

3-Pt Field GoalsNameSchool3FG% Ray Allen Conn .466 Damon Santiago RU .438 Doron Sheffer Conn .406 Kerry Kittles Vill .404(no other qualifiers)

Free ThrowsNameSchoolFT% Geoff Billet RU .900 Austin Croshere Prov .852 Doron Sheffer Conn .849 Ryan Hoover ND .845 Ray Allen Conn .810

Postseason

Big East tournament

Seeding The division winner with the best record received the No. 1 seed in the Big East tournament, the division winner with the second-best record received the No. 2 seed, and the second-place finisher with the best record received the No. 3 seed. The rest of the schools were seeded fourth through thirteenth based on conference record and tiebreakers. Teams seeded fourth through thirteenth played a first-round game, and the other three teams received a bye into the second round.

The tournament's seeding was as follows:

Bracket

NCAA tournament

Five Big East teams received bids to the NCAA Tournament. Boston College and Villanova both lost in the second round, Connecticut in the regional semifinals, and Georgetown in the regional finals. Syracuse advanced to the national championship game, losing to Kentucky and finishing as the national runner-up. Syracuse senior forward John Wallace was the tournament's top scorer with 131 points.

In May 1997, the NCAA vacated both of Connecticut's victories in the tournament because two players, Kirk King and Ricky Moore, illegally accepted gifts during the 1995–96 season. At the same time, the NCAA vacated all of UMass's wins in the tournament, including the victory over Georgetown, because one of UMass's players, Marcus Camby, had accepted gifts from a sports agent during the 1995–96 season.

School Region Seed Round 1 Round 2 Sweet 16 Elite 8 Final 4 Final Syracuse West 4 13 Montana State, 8 Georgia, SE5 Mississippi State, MW1 Kentucky, Georgetown East 2 15 Mississippi Valley State, 7 New Mexico, 3 Texas Tech, 2 , Southeast 1 16 Colgate, 9 Eastern Michigan, 5 Mississippi State, Villanova Midwest 3 14 Portland, 6 Louisville, Boston College Southeast 11 6 Indiana, 3 Georgia Tech,

National Invitation Tournament

Providence received a bid to the National Invitation Tournament, which did not yet have seeding. The Friars lost in the second round.

School Round 1 Round 2 Providence Fairfield, Saint Joseph's,

Awards and honors Big East Conference Player of the Year: * Ray Allen, Connecticut, G Jr. Defensive Player of the Year: Allen Iverson, Georgetown, G, So. Rookie of the Year: Scoonie Penn, Boston College, G, Fr. Co-Coaches of the Year: Jim Calhoun, Connecticut (10th season) Jim O'Brien, Boston College (10th season)

All-Big East First Team Danya Abrams, Boston College, F Jr., , , Westchester, N.Y. Ray Allen, Connecticut, G Jr., , , Merced, Calif. Allen Iverson, Georgetown, G., So., , , Hampton, Va. John Wallace, Syracuse, F Sr., , , Rochester, N.Y. Kerry Kittles, Villanova, G Sr., , , Dayton, Ohio

All-Big East Second Team: Doron Sheffer, Connecticut, G Jr., , , Ramat Efal, Israel Damon Santiago, Rutgers, G Sr., , , The Bronx, N.Y. Adrian Griffin, Seton Hall, F Sr., , , Wichita, Kan. Zendon Hamilton, St. John's, C, So., , , South Floral Park, N.Y. Jason Lawson, Villanova, C Jr., , , Philadelphia, Pa.

All-Big East Third Team: Jerome Williams, Georgetown, F Sr., , , Washington, D.C. Othella Harrington, Georgetown, C Sr., , , Jackson, Miss. Pat Garrity, Notre Dame, F, So., , , Las Vegas, Nev. Austin Croshere, Providence, C Jr., , , Los Angeles, Calif. Damian Owens, West Virginia, F, So., , , Washington, D.C.

Big East All-Rookie Team: Scoonie Penn, Boston College, G., Fr., , , Yonkers, N.Y. Victor Page, Georgetown, G, Fr., , , Washington, D.C. Tim James, Miami, F, Fr., , , Miami, Fla. God Shammgod, Providence, G, Fr., , , New York, N.Y. Geoff Billet, Rutgers, G, Fr., , New Jersey Gordon Malone, West Virginia, F, So., , , Brooklyn, N.Y.

All-Americans The following players were selected to the 1996 Associated Press All-America teams.

Consensus All-America First Team: Ray Allen, Connecticut, Key Stats: 23.4 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 3.3 apg, 1.7 spg, 47.2 FG%, 46.6 3P%, 818 points Allen Iverson, Georgetown, Key Stats: 25.0 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 4.7 apg, 3.4 spg, 48.0 FG%, 36.6 3P%, 926 points Kerry Kittles, Villanova, Key Stats: 20.4 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 3.5 apg, 2.4 spg, 45.5 FG%, 40.4 3P%, 613 points

Consensus All-America Second Team: John Wallace, Syracuse, Key Stats: 22.2 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 2.4 apg, 1.2 spg, 48.9 FG%, 42.0 3P%, 845 points

First Team All-America: Ray Allen, Connecticut, Key Stats: 23.4 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 3.3 apg, 1.7 spg, 47.2 FG%, 46.6 3P%, 818 points Allen Iverson, Georgetown, Key Stats: 25.0 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 4.7 apg, 3.4 spg, 48.0 FG%, 36.6 3P%, 926 points Kerry Kittles, Villanova, Key Stats: 20.4 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 3.5 apg, 2.4 spg, 45.5 FG%, 40.4 3P%, 613 points

Second Team All-America: John Wallace, Syracuse, Key Stats: 22.2 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 2.4 apg, 1.2 spg, 48.9 FG%, 42.0 3P%, 845 points

See also 1995–96 NCAA Division I men's basketball season 1995–96 Boston College Eagles men's basketball team 1995–96 Connecticut Huskies men's basketball team 1995–96 Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team 1995–96 Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's basketball team 1995–96 Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball team 1995–96 St. John's Red Storm men's basketball team 1995–96 Syracuse Orangemen basketball team 1995–96 Villanova Wildcats men's basketball team

References