2005–06 Big East Conference Men's Basketball Season
League	NCAA Division I
Sport	Basketball
Duration	November 12, 2005 through March 11, 2006
Teams	16
TV partner	ESPN
Regular Season
Champion	Connecticut andVillanova(14–2)
SeasonMVP	Randy Foye – Villanova
Tournament
Champions	Syracuse
FinalsMVP	Gerry McNamara – Syracuse
Basketball seasons

The2005–06Big East Conference men's basketball season was the 27th in conference history, and involved its 16 full-time member schools.

Connecticut andVillanova were the regular-season co-champions with identical records of14–2.Syracuse won theBig East tournament championship, although this later was vacated.

• AlthoughBoston College left to join theAtlantic Coast Conference before the season, the Big East expanded for the first time since the2000–01 season, growing to 16 teams with the addition ofCincinnati,DePaul,Louisville,Marquette, andSouth Florida.
• Connecticut andVillanova were the regular-season co-champions with identical records of14–2. It was Boston College's sixth and Connecticut's ninth conference championship or co-championship.
• Syracuse won its fifth — and second consecutive —Big East tournament championship. The Orange became the first No. 9seed to win the tournament, as well as the first team to win four games in four days in a Big East tournament. The heroics of seniorguardGerry McNamara, voted the Big East's "Most Overrated" player in two separate polls of Big East players and assistant coaches published bySports Illustrated and theSyracuse Post-Standard prior to the tournament, fueled Syracuse's run, and he was named the tournament'sMost Valuable Player. Syracuse defeatedCincinnati by one point,Connecticut by two points in overtime,Georgetown by one point, and finallyPittsburgh by four points, all in upsets.^{[2][3][4][5][6][7][8]}
• Due to NCAA sanctions imposed in March 2015 because of theSyracuse University athletics scandal, all of Syracuse's wins from this season, including those in the Big East Tournament, later were vacated. Despite this, Syracuse retained its2006 Big East Tournament championship.^{[9][10][11][12]}

Connecticut was ranked in theAssociated Press poll Top 5 all season, reaching No. 1 in several weeks and finishing at No. 2. Villanova spent the entire season in the Top 10 and all but one week in the Top 5, reaching No. 2 and finishing at No. 3. Georgetown, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, and West Virginia spent time in the Top 25, and all but Louisville finished the season as ranked teams. Cincinnati also made an appearance in the Top 25.

Teams wereseeded in theBig East tournament based on conference record and tiebreakers. The No. 5 through No. 12 seeds played in the first round, and the No. 1 through No. 4 seeds received byes into the quarterfinal round. Teams which finished below 12th place in the conference after the application as necessary of tiebreakers did not qualify for the tournament

Seeding was(1) Connecticut,(2) Villanova,(3) West Virginia,(4) Marquette,(5) Georgetown,(6) Pittsburgh,(7) Seton Hall,(8) Cincinnati,(9) Syracuse,(10) Rutgers,(11) Louisville, and(12) Notre Dame. By finishing below 12th place, DePaul, Providence, St. John's, and South Florida did not qualify for the tournament.

The NCAA later vacated all of Syracuse's wins during the season, including its four Big East Tournament victories, because of the use of an ineligible player.

Eight Big East teams received bids to theNCAA Tournament, with Connecticut seeded No. 1 in the Washington, D.C., Region and Villanova No. 1 in the Minneapolis Region. Marquette, Seton Hall, and Syracuse lost in the first round and Pittsburgh in the second round. Georgetown and West Virginia were defeated in the regional semifinals and Connecticut and Villanova in the regional finals.

Four Big East teams received bids to theNational Invitation Tournament, with Cincinnatiseeded No. 1 in the Cincinnati Bracket and Louisville No. 1 in the Louisville Bracket. Rutgers lost in the first round, Notre Dame in the second round, Cincinnati in the quarterfinals, and Louisville in the semifinals.

Player of the Year:

• Randy Foye, Villanova, G Sr.

Defensive Player of the Year:

• Hilton Armstrong, Connecticut, C Sr.

Rookie of the Year:

• Dominic James, Marquette, G, Fr.

Most Improved Player:

• Aaron Gray, Pittsburgh, C Jr.

Coach of the Year:

• Jay Wright, Villanova (5th season)

All-Big East First Team

• Eric Hicks, Boston College, F Sr., 6 ft 7 in (201 cm), 245 lb (111 kg),Greensboro,N.C.
• Rudy Gay, Connecticut, F, So., 6 ft 9 in (206 cm), 220 lb (100 kg),Baltimore,Md.
• Steve Novak, Marquette, F Sr., 6 ft 10 in (208 cm), 220 lb (100 kg),Brown Deer,Wisc.
• Chris Quinn, Notre Dame, G Sr., 6 ft 2 in (188 cm), 185 lb (84 kg),Dublin,Ohio
• Aaron Gray, Pittsburgh, C Jr., 7 ft 0 in (213 cm), 270 lb (122 kg),Emmaus,Pa.
• Quincy Douby, Rutgers, G Jr., 6 ft 3 in (191 cm), 175 lb (79 kg),New York,N.Y.
• Gerry McNamara, Syracuse, G Sr., 6 ft 2 in (188 cm), 182 lb (83 kg),Scranton, Pa.
• Randy Foye, Villanova, G Sr., 6 ft 4 in (193 cm), 210 lb (95 kg),Newark,N.J.
• Allan Ray, Villanova, G Sr., 6 ft 2 in (188 cm), 190 lb (86 kg), The Bronx, N.Y.
• Mike Gansey, West Virginia, F Sr., 6 ft 4 in (193 cm), 205 lb (93 kg),Olmsted Falls, Ohio

All-Big East Second Team:

• Hilton Armstrong, Connecticut, C Sr., 6 ft 11 in (211 cm), 235 lb (107 kg),Peekskill, N.Y.
• Marcus Williams, Connecticut, G Jr., 6 ft 3 in (191 cm), 205 lb (93 kg),Los Angeles,Calif.
• Jeff Green, Georgetown, F, So., 6 ft 9 in (206 cm), 235 lb (107 kg),Hyattsville, Md.
• Roy Hibbert, Georgetown, C, So., 7 ft 2 in (218 cm), 278 lb (126 kg),Adelphi, Md.
• Taquan Dean, Louisville, G Sr., 6 ft 3 in (191 cm), 185 lb (84 kg),Neptune, N.J.
• Carl Krauser, Pittsburgh, G Sr., 6 ft 2 in (188 cm), 200 lb (91 kg),The Bronx, N.Y.
• Donnie McGrath, Providence, G Sr., 6 ft 4 in (193 cm), 190 lb (86 kg),Katonah, N.Y.
• Donald Copeland, Seton Hall, G Sr., 5 ft 10 in (178 cm), 170 lb (77 kg),Jersey City, N.J.
• Kelly Whitney, Seton Hall, F Sr., 6 ft 8 in (203 cm), 240 lb (109 kg),Chicago,Ill.
• Kyle Lowry, Villanova, G, So., 6 ft 0 in (183 cm), 175 lb (79 kg),Philadelphia, Pa.

Big East All-Rookie Team:

• Devan Downey, Cincinnati, G, Fr., 5 ft 10 in (178 cm), 175 lb (79 kg),Chester,S.C.
• Jeff Adrien, Connecticut, F, Fr., 6 ft 7 in (201 cm), 243 lb (110 kg),Brookline,Mass.
• Wilson Chandler, DePaul, F, Fr., 6 ft 8 in (203 cm), 220 lb (100 kg),Benton Harbor,Mich.
• Dominic James, Marquette, G, Fr., 5 ft 11 in (180 cm), 185 lb (84 kg),Richmond,Ind.
• Jerel McNeal, Marquette, G, Fr., 6 ft 3 in (191 cm), 200 lb (91 kg), Chicago, Ill.
• Sam Young, Pittsburgh, F, Fr., 6 ft 6 in (198 cm), 220 lb (100 kg),Clinton, Md.
• Geoff McDermott, Providence, F, Fr., 6 ft 8 in (203 cm), 235 lb (107 kg),New Rochelle, N.Y.
• Sharaud Curry, Providence, G, Fr., 5 ft 10 in (178 cm), 170 lb (77 kg),Gainesville,Ga.
• Anthony Farmer, Rutgers, G, Fr., 6 ft 1 in (185 cm), 190 lb (86 kg),Millville, N.J.
• JR Inman, Rutgers, F, Fr., 6 ft 9 in (206 cm), 230 lb (104 kg),Pomona, N.Y.
• Eric Devendorf, Syracuse, G, Fr., 6 ft 4 in (193 cm), 180 lb (82 kg),Bay City, Mich.

The following players were selected to the 2006 Associated Press All-America teams.

Consensus All-America First Team:

• Randy Foye, Villanova, Key Stats: 20.5 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 3.0 apg, 1.4 spg, 41.1 FG%, 35.0 3P%, 677 points

Consensus All-America Second Team:

• Rudy Gay, Connecticut, Key Stats: 15.2 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 2.1 apg, 1.8 spg, 1.6 bpg, 46.1 FG%, 31.8 3P%, 503 points
• Allan Ray, Villanova, Key Stats: 18.5 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 1.8 apg, 1.2 spg, 38.9 FG%, 37.2 3P%, 591 points

First Team All-America:

• Randy Foye, Villanova, Key Stats: 20.5 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 3.0 apg, 1.4 spg, 41.1 FG%, 35.0 3P%, 677 points

Second Team All-America:

• Rudy Gay, Connecticut, Key Stats: 15.2 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 2.1 apg, 1.8 spg, 1.6 bpg, 46.1 FG%, 31.8 3P%, 503 points

Third Team All-America:

• Allan Ray, Villanova, Key Stats: 18.5 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 1.8 apg, 1.2 spg, 38.9 FG%, 37.2 3P%, 591 points

AP Honorable Mention

• Quincy Douby, Rutgers
• Mike Gansey, West Virginia
• Carl Krauser, Pittsburgh
• Gerry McNamara, Syracuse
• Kevin Pittsnogle, West Virginia
• Chris Quinn, Notre Dame
• Marcus Williams, Connecticut

• 2005–06 NCAA Division I men's basketball season
• 2005–06 Cincinnati Bearcats men's basketball team
• 2005–06 Connecticut Huskies men's basketball team
• 2005–06 Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team
• 2005–06 Louisville Cardinals men's basketball team
• 2005–06 Marquette Golden Eagles men's basketball team
• 2005–06 Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball team
• 2005–06 St. John's Red Storm men's basketball team
• 2005–06 Seton Hall Pirates men's basketball team
• 2005–06 Syracuse Orange men's basketball team
• 2005–06 Villanova Wildcats men's basketball team
• 2005–06 West Virginia Mountaineers men's basketball team

• 2005–06 Big East Conference men's basketball season

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