The Big Lead

A look back at the greatest Big East Tournament performance

With the start of the Big East Tournament, now is a great time to look back at the best performance in the history of the tournament.

By Tyler Reed

Cincinnati Bearcats James White tries to block a shot by Syracuse Orange Gerry McNamara in the second half. The Syracuse Orange defeated the Cincinnati Bearcats 77-58 at Fifth Third Arena.
Cincinnati Bearcats James White tries to block a shot by Syracuse Orange Gerry McNamara in the second half. The Syracuse Orange defeated the Cincinnati Bearcats 77-58 at Fifth Third Arena. / Brett Hansbauer -Imagn Images
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In present day college basketball, the dominance of one conference is rare. For instance, this season, the SEC has reigned supreme.

However, there once was a time when one conference was feared by all. That conference was the Big East.

Before money decided everything in college sports, leagues were more regional, meaning that rivalries could blossom.

RELATED: ESPN Bracketology has John Calipari's Razorbacks traveling to a familiar arena

For years, the Big East was the go-to college basketball conference, and their conference tournament was always must-see television.

With the start of the Big East Tournament, now is a great time to look back on the greatest performance in Big East Tournament history. If you're old enough, you know exactly who we're talking about.

The only way Syracuse was going to make the Big Dance in 2006 was to win the Big East Tournament. Luckily for the Orange, they had a guard named Gerry McNamara who took matters into his own hands.

Syracuse rolled through Cincinnati, UConn, Georgetown, and Pittsburgh to grab the automatic bid and Big East crown.

How special was this performance? Well, to speak on in a personal matter, this seventh-grade Kentucky fan skipped school with a fake stomachache to watch McNamara do the unthinkable back in 2006.

No single player has had a better conference tournament showcase than what McNamara did in 2006. I still chase the high of watching another performance like this during conference tournament week,

Before you get lost in all the action this week, do yourself a favor. Watch all of these McNamara clips until the images are burnt into your brain.

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