NEW YORK – The Louisville players came bounding off the bench and began jumping up and down and chest-bumping one another all over the Madison Square Garden floor.
With their 76-66 victory over an inspired but worn-out Syracuse team in the Big East Championship game, the top-seeded Cardinals scored the program’s first Big East title.
And they finally gave Rick Pitino the one college title that has eluded him.
LIST OF AUTOMATIC BIDS
Akron – Mid-American
Alabama State – Southwestern Athletic
American – Patriot League
Binghamton – America East
Cal State Northridge – Big West
Chattanooga – Southern
Cleveland State – Horizon League
Cornell – Ivy League
East Tennessee State – Atlantic Sun
Gonzaga – West Coast
Louisville – Big East
Memphis – Conference USA
Missouri – Big 12
Morehead State – Ohio VAlley
Morgan State – Mid-Eastern Athletic
North Dakota State – Summit League
Northern Iowa – Missouri Valley
Portland State – Big Sky
Radford – Big South
Robert Morris – Northeast
Siena – MAAC
Temple – Atlantic 10
USC – Pac 10
Utah – Mountain West
Utah State – Western Athletic
Virginia Commonwealth – Colonial Athletic Association
Western Kentucky – Sun Belt
