The 1982–83

Big East Conference The Big East Conference (stylized as BIG EAST) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference that competes in National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA NCAA Division I, Division I in 10 men's sports and 12 women's sports. H ...

men's basketball season was the fourth in conference history, and involved its nine full-time member schools.

Boston College Boston College (BC) is a private university, private Catholic Jesuits, Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1863 by the Society of Jesus, a Catholic Religious order (Catholic), religious order, t ...

, Villanova, and tied for the regular season championship with identical 12–4 records. St. John's was the champion of the Big East tournament.

Season summary & highlights

* The Big East expanded to nine teams, adding

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...

as a member. * The addition of Pittsburgh lengthened the conference's regular season from 14 to 16 games for each member school. * In a game at the

Carrier Dome The JMA Wireless Dome, originally the Carrier Dome (1980–2022), is a domed stadium in Syracuse, New York, United States. Located on the campus of Syracuse University in the University Hill neighborhood, it is home to the Syracuse Orange foot ...

Syracuse Syracuse most commonly refers to: * Syracuse, Sicily, Italy; in the province of Syracuse * Syracuse, New York, USA; in the Syracuse metropolitan area Syracuse may also refer to: Places * Syracuse railway station (disambiguation) Italy * Provi ...

, New York, on December 11, 1982, Syracuse handed Houston's "

Phi Slama Jama Phi Slama Jama was a name given to the men's college basketball teams of the Houston Cougars from 1981 to 1984. Coined by former ''Houston Post'' sportswriter Thomas Bonk, the nickname was quickly adopted by the players and even appeared on team w ...

" team its first loss of the season, one of only three defeats Houston suffered all season. * Rumors circulating since 1981 that Georgetown sophomore

center Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentrici ...

Patrick Ewing Patrick Aloysius Ewing Sr. (born August 5, 1962) is a Jamaican-American basketball coach and former professional player who is a basketball ambassador for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA), where he played most o ...

lacked the intellect for the school and could not pass his classes led to opposing fans harassing him with taunts about his intelligence and race during Big East road games, carrying signs reading "EWING CAN'T READ THIS", "THINK EWING THINK", and "EWING IS AN APE", and throwing things such as

banana A banana is an elongated, edible fruit – botanically a berry – produced by several kinds of large treelike herbaceous flowering plants in the genus '' Musa''. In some countries, cooking bananas are called plantains, distinguishing the ...

peels at him on the court. During Georgetown's game at Syracuse before a sold-out crowd in the

on January 10, 1983, a fan threw an

orange Orange most often refers to: *Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis'' ** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower ** Orange juice *Orange (colour), the color of an orange fruit, occurs between red and yellow in the vi ...

at Ewing while he was attempting a

free throw In basketball, free throws or foul shots are unopposed attempts to score points by shooting from behind the free-throw line (informally known as the foul line or the charity stripe), a line situated at the end of the restricted area. Free throws ...

, narrowly missing him and prompting Syracuse head coach

Jim Boeheim James Arthur Boeheim Jr. ( ; born November 17, 1944) is an American former college basketball coach and current Special Assistant to the Athletic Director at Syracuse University. From 1976 until 2023, he was the head coach of the Syracuse Orange ...

to grab a microphone and tell the crowd that he would pull his team off the court and forfeit the game to Georgetown if such behavior continued. *

, Villanova, and tied for the regular season championship with identical 12–4 records. It was the second regular season championship for all three schools. * St. John's won its first Big East tournament championship. * The Big East tournament took place at

Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as the Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh and Eighth Avenue (Manhattan), Eig ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

for the first time, beginning a long-running association between the tournament and Madison Square Garden.

Head coaches

Rankings

St. John's and Villanova were ranked in the Top 20 of the Associated Press poll for the entire season, and Georgetown was ranked in all but one weekly poll. Boston College and Syracuse also were ranked in the Top 20 during the season.

Regular-season statistical leaders

Postseason

Big East tournament

Seeding

Seeding The term seeding and related terms such as seeded are used in several different contexts: *Sowing, planting seeds in a place or on an object *Cloud seeding, manipulating cloud formations *Seeding (computing), a concept in computing and peer-to-pee ...

in the Big East tournament was based on conference record, with tiebreakers applied as necessary. The eighth- and ninth-seeded teams played a first-round game, and the other seven teams received a bye into the quarterfinals. The tournament's seeding was as follows:

Bracket

NCAA tournament

Five Big East teams received bids to the NCAA Tournament, with St. John's seeded No. 1 in the East Region. Georgetown and Syracuse both lost in the second round, Boston College and St. John's in the regional semifinals, and Villanova in the Midwest Region final.

National Invitation Tournament

No Big East teams received bids to the

National Invitation Tournament The National Invitation Tournament (NIT) is an annual men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Since 2023, all rounds of the tournament are played at various sites across the country whi ...

Awards and honors

Big East Conference

Player of the Year Several sports leagues honour their best player with an award called Player of the Year. In the United States, this type of award is usually called a Most Valuable Player award. Association football In association football, this award is held on b ...

: *

Chris Mullin Christopher Paul Mullin (born July 30, 1963) is an American former professional basketball player, executive and coach. He is a five time NBA All-Star and four time All-NBA Team member. He is also two-time Olympic Gold medalist and a two-time ...

, St. John's, F, So.

Defensive Player of the Year Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY or DPOTY) is the name of an award given in sports for outstanding defensive play by a single player over the course of a season. Many sports leagues award this type of award. League awards for Defensive Player o ...

: *

, Georgetown, C, So. Freshman of the Year: * Earl Kelley, Connecticut, G

Coach of the Year Many sports leagues, sportswriting associations, and other organizations confer "Coach of the Year" awards. In some sports — including baseball and association football — the award is called the "Manager of the Year" award. Some of the ...

: *

Lou Carnesecca Luigi P. Carnesecca (January 5, 1925 – November 30, 2024) was an American men's college basketball coach at St. John's University. Carnesecca also coached at the professional level, leading the New York Nets of the American Basketball Assoc ...

, St. John's (15th season) All-Big East First Team *

, Georgetown, C, So., , ,

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a List of cities in the United Kingdom, city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 Unit ...

, Mass. *

, St. John's, F, So., , ,

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

, N.Y. * Erich Santifer, Syracuse, G, Sr., , ,

Ann Arbor Ann Arbor is a city in Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. The 2020 United States census, 2020 census recorded its population to be 123,851, making it the List of municipalities in Michigan, fifth-most populous cit ...

, Mich. *

Ed Pinckney Edward Lewis Pinckney (born March 27, 1963) is an American former professional basketball player. College career He attended Villanova University and was a part of the Villanova Wildcats' 1981 heralded recruiting class that included Gary McL ...

, Villanova, F, So., , ,

Bronx The Bronx ( ) is the northernmost of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It shares a land border with Westchester County, New York, West ...

, N.Y. *

John Pinone John Gabriel Pinone Jr. (born February 19, 1961) is an American former professional basketball player. High school Pinone played competitively at South Catholic High School in Hartford, leading the team to the Class L state championship in 1977 ...

, Villanova, F, Sr., , ,

Hartford Hartford is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The city, located in Hartford County, Connecticut, Hartford County, had a population of 121,054 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 ce ...

, Conn. All-Big East Second Team: *

Jay Murphy Jay Dennis Murphy (born June 26, 1962) is an American former professional basketball player. He played four seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Los Angeles Clippers and Washington Bullets. College career He attended hig ...

, St. John's, F, Jr., , , Meriden, Conn. * John Garris, St. John's, F, Sr., , ,

Bridgeport Bridgeport is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut and the fifth-most populous city in New England, with a population of 148,654 in 2020. Located in eastern Fairfield County at the mouth of the Pequonnock River on Long Is ...

, Conn. * Michael Adams, Boston College, G, So., , ,

, Conn. * David Russell, St. John's, F, Sr., , ,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

, N.Y. *

Stewart Granger Stewart Granger (born James Lablache Stewart; 6 May 1913 – 16 August 1993) was a British film actor, mainly associated with heroic and romantic leading roles. He was a popular leading man from the 1940s to the early 1960s, rising to fame thr ...

, Villanova, G, Sr., , ,

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

All-Big East Third Team: *

Clyde Vaughan Clyde Vaughan (born in Mount Vernon, New York, United States) is a basketball coach and former professional player, who enjoyed a distinguished career at college level and professional level and international level for the England men's national ...

, Pittsburgh, F, Jr., , ,

Mount Vernon Mount Vernon is the former residence and plantation of George Washington, a Founding Father, commander of the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War, and the first president of the United States, and his wife, Martha. An American landmar ...

, N.Y. *

Otis Thorpe Otis Henry Thorpe (born August 5, 1962) is an American former professional basketball player who played for several teams in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was an NBA All-Star in 1992 and won an NBA championship with the Houston ...

, Providence, F, Jr., , , Boynton Beach, Fla. * Ron Jackson, Providence, G, Sr., , ,

West Roxbury West Roxbury is a neighborhood in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, bordered by Roslindale and Jamaica Plain to the northeast, the village of Chestnut Hill and the town of Brookline to the north, the city of Newton to the northwest, t ...

, Mass. * Billy Goodwin, St. John's, F, Sr., , , New York, N.Y. *

Leo Rautins Leo Rytis Rautins (born March 20, 1960) is a Canadian broadcaster, former professional basketball player and the former head coach of the Canadian men's national basketball team. Rautins played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) drafte ...

, Syracuse, F, Sr., , ,

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

Big East All-Freshman Team: * Earl Kelley, Connecticut, G, Fr., , ,

New Haven New Haven is a city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound. With a population of 135,081 as determined by the 2020 U.S. census, New Haven is the third largest city in Co ...

, Conn. * David Wingate, Georgetown, G, Fr., , ,

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

, Md. *

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...

, Georgetown, G, Fr., , , Fairfax, Va. * Andre McCloud, Seton Hall, F, Fr., , ,

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

Rafael Addison Rafael Addison (born July 22, 1964) is a retired American professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and other leagues. He was listed at 6'7" and 215 lbs. Addison attended Syracuse University an ...

, Syracuse, F, Fr., , ,

Jersey City Jersey City is the List of municipalities in New Jersey, second-most populous

, N.J.

All-Americans

The following players were selected to the 1983 Associated Press All-America teams. Consensus All-America team: *

, Georgetown, Key Stats: 17.7 ppg, 10.2 rpg, 3.2 bpg, 57.0 FG%, 565 points First Team All-America: *

, Georgetown, Key Stats: 17.7 ppg, 10.2 rpg, 3.2 bpg, 57.0 FG%, 565 points AP Honorable Mention * Michael Adams, Boston College * John Garris, Boston College * Billy Goodwin, St. John's *

, Villanova * Earl Kelley, Connecticut *

, St. John's *

, Boston College *

, Villanova *

, Syracuse * David Russell, St. John's * Erich Santifer, Syracuse *

, Providence *

, Pittsburgh

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:1982-83 Big East Conference men's basketball season

Season summary & highlights

Head coaches

Rankings

Regular-season statistical leaders

Postseason

Big East tournament

Seeding

Bracket

Bracket

NCAA tournament

National Invitation Tournament

Awards and honors

Big East Conference

All-Americans

See also

References