After a couple years of being mocked for 11 player deep 1st team All-Big East squads. And a system that would have some 33 players chosen for the various levels, the Big East went to a more traditional style. Here’s the All BE-teams.

ALL-BIG EAST FIRST TEAM
Hasheem Thabeet, Connecticut, C, Jr., 7-3, 263, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
Terrence Williams, Louisville, F, Sr., 6-6, 210, Seattle, Wash.
Jerel McNeal, Marquette, G, Sr., 6-3, 200 Chicago, Ill.
Luke Harangody, Notre Dame, F, Jr., 6-8, 251, Schererville, Ind.
DeJuan Blair, Pittsburgh, C, So., 6-7, 265, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Sam Young, Pittsburgh, F, Sr., 6-6, 215, Clinton, Md.

ALL-BIG EAST SECOND TEAM
A.J. Price, Connecticut, G, Sr., 6-2, 181, Amityville, N.Y.
Wesley Matthews, Marquette, G, Sr., 6-5, 215, Madison, Wis.
Jonny Flynn, Syracuse, G, So., 6-0, 185, Niagara Falls, N.Y.
Dante Cunningham, Villanova, F, Sr., 6-8, 230, Silver Spring, Md.
Da’Sean Butler, West Virginia, F, Jr., 6-7, 225, Newark, N.J.

ALL-BIG EAST THIRD TEAM
Deonta Vaughn, Cincinnati, G, Jr., 6-1, 195, Indianapolis, Ind.
Jeff Adrien, Connecticut, F, Sr., 6-7, 243, Brookline, Mass.
Earl Clark, Louisville, G/F, Jr., 6-8, 220, Rahway, N.J.
Levance Fields, Pittsburgh, G, Sr., 5-10, 190, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Jeremy Hazell, Seton Hall, G, So., 6-5, 185, Bronx, N.Y.

BIG EAST HONORABLE MENTION
Weyinmi Efejuku, Providence, G, Sr., 6-5, 210, Fresh Meadows, N.Y.
Dominique Jones, USF, G, So., 6-4, 205, Lake Wales, Fla.
Scottie Reynolds, Villanova, G, Jr., 6-2, 195, Herndon, Va.
Alex Ruoff, West Virginia, G, Sr., 6-6, 220, Spring Hill, Fla.

BIG EAST ALL-ROOKIE TEAM
Yancy Gates, Cincinnati, F, Fr., 6-9, 255, Cincinnati, Ohio
Kemba Walker, Connecticut, G, Fr., 6-0, 175, Bronx, N.Y.
Greg Monroe, Georgetown, C, Fr., 6-10, 240, Gretna, La.
Samardo Samuels, Louisville, F, Fr., 6-8, 240, Trelawny, Jamaica
Mike Rosario, Rutgers, G, Fr., 6-3, 180, Jersey City, N.J.
Devin Ebanks, West Virginia, F, Fr., 6-9, 205, Long Island City, N.Y.

DeJuan Blair was the only unanimous selection for the 1st team. Mildly surprising that Thabeet was not unanimous.

I’m stunned good and bad. Understand, that this was voted by the coaches and the ballots had to be in by Friday — in other words before Sam Young blew through UConn on Saturday.

I cannot believe that Levance Fields was only 3d team. That’s ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous.

I know Harangody’s numbers are as good as last year, but forget the fact that ND is worse. The fact is, that Harangody plays just as minimalist defense as the rest of the Irish. It’s not like he’s a force at both ends.

The East Coast Bias is in the process of putting together a bloggers All-Big East awards set.

Here’s how I voted for an All-Big East team. I opted to do it with the idea of making a complete starting five.

1. Levance Fields, PG, Pitt
   
2. Jerel McNeal, SG, Marquette
   
3. Hasheem Thabeet, C, UConn
   
4. Terrance Williams, SF, Louisville
   
5. DeJuan Blair, PF, Pitt

I agonized about leaving off Sam Young off the vote, but with only 5 spots, wanting a complete team and trying to be somewhat un-biased I had to go with this group.

Damn. I feel so dirty for spending a couple hours rooting for WVU. And on top of that — Dick Vitale.

Here’s what the Cardinals winning the BE and being the #1 seed means:

Pitt is the #2 seed. They will play Thursday night at 7 pm (PDF).

In that game, they will face either the # 7, 10 or 15 seed. Or WVU, ND or Rutgers. Yes, that’s right. Pitt could be looking at a 3d meeting with the Hoopies for their first game of the BET. Rutgers and ND play on Tuesday. The winner faces WVU on Wednesday.

Oh, and it also means that if Pitt wins, the semifinal game will likely mean a 3d meeting with the #3 seed — UConn. So for Pitt to make it back to the BET Championship game, Pitt will likely have to beat WVU and UConn 3 times in one season.

Ugh.

I really see little point of having an opening round with the bottom feeders. Especially if the games aren’t even being televised. The best you can do, is watch free internet feeds at the BE site.

We have instant national punditry to note from Pitt topping UConn.

Andy Katz likes what he sees of this team.

Let’s skip ahead, though, to beyond New York. The Panthers are good to go with Fields into the NCAA tournament as possibly the No. 1 overall seed. And clearly this team is better prepared to handle the expectations.

Young, who finished with 31 points, was unstoppable, finishing Fields’ assists, running the floor, hitting face-up shots and working the offensive backboard.

Young is hardly a role player. He’s a star. Sophomore forward DeJuan Blair called Young “Superman.” He also had nicknames for himself (Robin), Fields (Batman) and senior Tyrell Biggs (the Joker). But this squad is hardly comical. Add wing Jermaine Dixon and solid bench players Gilbert Brown, Brad Wanamaker and Ashton Gibbs (a total of 15 points off the pine) and the Panthers are more experienced, have multiple scoring options, can defend, rebound and own enough depth to win the national title.

Gary Parrish at CBS sees no way Pitt doesn’t get a #1 seed.

But Pittsburgh’s 70-60 victory over Connecticut should be enough to secure a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament regardless of what happens going forward because it:

• pushed the Panthers’ record to 28-3 overall, 15-3 in the Big East.
• ensured the Panthers will finish no worse than second in the Big East.
• made the Panthers 7-2 against the top 25 of the CBSSports.com RPI.
• made the Panthers 9-2 against the top 50 of the CBSSports.com RPI.
• made the Panthers 15-3 against the top 100 of the CBSSports.com RPI.
• gave the Panthers two wins over another possible No. 1 seed (Connecticut).
• strengthened the Panthers’ hold on the top-rated RPI.

That last point is key because the school entering Selection Sunday with the top-rated RPI has been awarded a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament 10 of the past 13 seasons. The only times it didn’t happen were in 2000 when Cincinnati got a No. 2 seed despite being No. 1 in the RPI, in 2005 when Kansas got a No. 3 seed despite being No. 1 in the RPI, and last season when Tennessee got a No. 2 seed despite being No. 1 in the RPI. And when you consider that Cincinnati didn’t get a No. 1 seed in 2000 only because Kenyon Martin broke his leg in the C-USA tournament, the reality is that a No. 1 RPI has translated into a No. 1 seed 11 of the past 13 seasons.

In other words, book it.

Okay. So the pessimist says, unless Fields suffers a big setback.

Jeff Goodman at FoxSports.com hearts Levance Fields.

Last time it was DeJuan Blair who got all the accolades for his dominance against UConn’s tower of terror, Hasheem Thabeet. This time it’s Blair’s teammate, Sam Young, who had a 31-point, 10-rebound performance in a second victory against the top-ranked Huskies.

But the truth is this is just an average, run-of-the-mill Pittsburgh team without Levance Fields.

Fields doesn’t look the part. In fact, Young said it best when describing where he’d be chosen down at the local playground.

“Last,” Young said. “But you’d be regretting that decision all day because he’ll kill you.”

Tim Layden at SI.com has no doubt that Pitt is a No. 1 seed.

The numbers speak for themselves — 28-3 overall and 15-3 in the best conference in the country — but in beating UConn, 70-60, Pitt showed why it is even better than its stats. The Panthers are a terrific blend of steady point guard play (Levance Fields, more on him in point No. 2), perimeter scoring (the waayyyyyyyyy underrated Sam Young, who had 31 points) and reliable inside power (led by DeJuan Blair). The combination makes Pitt almost slump-proof and it’s hard to imagine the Panthers falling anytime before Detroit and the Final Four.

I try not to.

In quick summaries, SI.com’s blog notes this.

Prepare to be enlightened. Sam Young‘s giving a lesson in How To Go Out In Style 101. First order of business, drop 31 on the No. 1 team, Connecticut. While you’re at it, go ahead and grab 10 boards. Then, knock in a layup to halt a 12-0 run by the Huskies, and quickly follow with an alley-oop to teammate Levance Fields for a slam – one that will bring the house down. Next, to make sure Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun knows that no matter how much money his team brings in and no matter who he has defending you, they won’t be able to stop you. And finally, complete a season-sweep of the Huskies, with a 70-60 beating. Once you master those topics, you, too, can be like Young in his final home game as a Pittsburgh Panther.

Why didn’t the seniors come off before the game ended? Well…

Jamie Dixon stamped his right foot and turned angrily to the bench. This was not what he planned. He’d drawn up the ideal play: The Pitt Panthers would walk the ball up the floor, he’d call a 30-second timeout and seniors Levance Fields, Sam Young and Tyrell Biggs would stroll off the court to a deafening ovation from the Petersen Center audience.

“It seems to be the right thing to do at the time,” Dixon said, “and it didn’t end up as I wanted it.”

The Panthers turned over the ball twice in the last minute, so they missed their moment. And they missed a few too many 3-point shots. And, because of that puzzling loss to Providence late last month they missed the opportunity for this victory over the Connecticut Huskies to be a Big East title-clincher.

Honestly, though, they didn’t leave a whole lot left undone.

For the second time this season, they handled the No. 1 team in the country, UConn, by a 70-60 score. “Handled” is the perfect word for it. The Panthers didn’t blow out the Huskies, but they didn’t slip past them, either. There was no question which team was superior the two times they met.

“Do I think we can beat Pitt?” UConn coach Jim Calhoun asked himself. “Yeah. But we’ve played twice and we’re 0-2. So I don’t have any graphic evidence of that.”

I have to admit. I love that quote from Calhoun.

Night all.