NEW YORK — Coming off of a historic season where it saw four teams make the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament, the Big East held its annual media day at Madison Square Garden today. Villanova was picked to finish first in the conference, followed closely by West Virginia, Connecticut and Louisville. Georgetown was selected fifth by the coaches and sophomore center Greg Monroe was named to the preseason all-Big East first team. Click here for more Georgetown coverage.

The day started off with a bang as Big East Commissioner John Marinatto announced that the Big East had reached a deal with Madison Square Garden to hold the Big East Tournament at the Garden until 2016. Renovations are expected to begin in the spring to “modernize” the 31 year old arena, with completion projected for 2013. Marinatto talked about the importance of playing the tournament in the Garden and said that the opening round’s slate of games will be aired on ESPN and ESPN U while the final 11 games will be aired on ESPN.

Big East Outlook

Marinatto said that the league would feature more balance than in previous years with many of the perennial favorites losing key players, but noted that six teams have been ranked in the Top 25 of the many preseason rankings that have been released.

West Virginia Head Coach Bob Huggins dismissed talk of this being a down year for the Big East:

“I think it’s unfair to compare anything to last year. Last year was the best conference in the history of college basketball. We only have a couple of teams ranked in the Top 10 and we’re ‘down.’ Most teams would die to have that and it’s a ‘down’ year for us. That just shows how good this league is.”

Almost every coach noted the importance of experience and how teams that have been down could be have better seasons than in recent years while other teams that have been at the top could find themselves in the middle of the pack after losing key players in the offseason.

“For teams like Syracuse, Connecticut and us, rising to where we were before [will depend on] young guys learning the system,” Louisville Head Coach Rick Pitino said. Louisville lost forwards Terrence Williams and Earl Clark since last March’s Big East Tournament Championship victory.

Recruiting

Jay Wright was a crowd favorite today. Wright lost two starters from last season’s Final Four, but returns Scottie Reynolds and has brought in one of the best recruiting classes in the country. Asked about his propensity to recruit from the North Jersey area, Wright noted, “There’s just so many good players and some of the best coaches from the New York-New Jersey area.”

He eventually added Philadelphia to his list of recruiting hotbeds, perhaps in order to appease the local fans, but neglected to mention the Metro Area where Reynolds hails from.

Pitino also talked a little recruiting and the role facilities play. Pitino talked about the improvements teams like Seton Hall and Cincinnati had made, but was a bit more dismissive of Rutgers and most importantly its facilities.

“Rutgers needs to make progress off the court,” he said. “Theyir facilities have to get upgraded to the rest of us. When you build a program you not only build it by winning, build it on the court and getting better players, you have to build the infrastructure.”

Facilities has been a concern for many Hoya fans in the past few years. Syracuse just completed construction on a new practice facility, and Notre Dame renovated the Joyce Center which Head Coach Mike Brey said gives the Irish more energy during practice because the lights were brighter and the accommodations nicer. Next year Pitino’s Cardinals will get an upgrade as well with a new arena in Louisville.

Boeheim’s 800th

Much was made of Syracuse’s Jim Boeheim’s impending 800th victory. Huggins, when asked what Boeheim’s 800th means, joked, “[It means] he’s old.”

Brey, in his 15th season, said that he was told he himself was coming up on his 300th victory and realized how just impressive Boeheim’s feat is. He also said that he was hoping to “pace” himself so that he has Boeheim’s passion and energy later down the road.

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