Mention last year’s Feb. 21, Syracuse-Georgetown game to any true Big East men’s basketball fan and immediately the shot comes to mind – SU guard Gerry McNamara heaving a last-second 3 to beat the clock and the Hoyas, 57-54.

McNamara hasn’t forgotten the shot (How could he after it was featured on every Top 10 plays list in the country?), but what sticks out in his mind is why the shot was needed. Why the No. 24 Orange was tied with the Hoyas, then in 12th place in the Big East.

‘I hit the shot when it mattered,’ he said. ‘But I look at the game as a whole, and I remember how badly we played.’

At the time, it was only the Orange’s second conference game decided by fewer than five points. The lack of close games illustrated how divided the conference was – at the top were the haves of Pittsburgh, Connecticut, Providence and Syracuse, while the have-nots of GU, Miami and St. John’s sat at the bottom of the conference at season’s end with only nine conference wins combined.

This season, though, it seems the Big East is as deep as ever. Less than two weeks into the conference schedule, eight games have been decided by less than five points. The Hoyas will get a rematch with the Orange tonight at the Carrier Dome at 7. SU head coach Jim Boeheim, who has been with the Big East since its inception in 1979, recognized the unusual conference depth.

‘We’re better all the way through than we’ve ever been,’ Boeheim said. ‘We have more teams in the 10-to-40 or 50 group than we’ve ever had. There is nobody who’s just a really weak team out there.’

The Big East has four Top 25 teams – No. 7 SU, No. 12 UConn, No. 13 Boston College and No. 20 Pitt – but the improvement of the bottom-feeders makes the Big East such a tough conference to play in.

Last February, St. John’s was rocked by a scandal that crippled its lineup with suspensions and forced the Red Storm to play with four walk-ons. Now, with a new coach and only eight scholarship players, St. John’s is giving conference opponents fits – Notre Dame squeaked out a one-point win over the Red Storm on Saturday, 67-66.

‘(New SJU coach) Norm Roberts has brought new life to the St. John’s program,’ Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey said. ‘They’re playing every game like it’s the NCAA Tournament because they won’t be in the postseason.’

Georgetown (11-4, 6-4 Big East) has also thrived under its new coach, John Thompson III. The Hoyas face Syracuse (17-1, 4-0) after a 66-64 comeback win against Villanova on Saturday, a game in which three of its players scored in double digits.

‘They’re shooting the 3s, they play great defense and they’re athletic,’ Villanova head coach Jay Wright said. ‘I think they have a good understanding of what John wants them to do.’

So far, Syracuse has done well in conference play, winning all four of its conference games, including three on the road. Against the Hoyas, the Orange will take nothing for granted, though.

‘Our players have to understand that there no easy games,’ Boeheim said. ‘You have to be ready and if you slip a bit, you’ll lose.’

Published on January 17, 2005 at 12:00 pm