West Virginia heads to New York City in search of first Big East Championship

Despite 42 years of hosting some of the best basketball in the world, New York City's historic Madison Square Garden may be the home of a new basketball milestone this weekend.

The West Virginia men's basketball team is heading to the Big Apple in search of its own piece of history – the program's first Big East Conference Championship.

The quest begins tonight at 9 p.m. inside MSG as the Mountaineers take on the winner of Louisville and Cincinnati in the quarterfinal round of the Big East Tournament.

"There's so much history there. Some great games have been played there," said WVU forward Da'Sean Butler of the arena. "There's just something about it that makes everybody come out and play as hard as they can."

WVU received a double-bye into the quarterfinal round for the first time in the program's existence after ending 24-6 in the regular season including dropping out of the nation's top 10 just once.

But the Mountaineers must win three games in three days if it wants to bring the first Big East Championship banner back to Morgantown.

It's a challenge the team is looking forward to.

"It makes it fun. (Other teams) have just as much time to prepare for us as we do to prepare for them," Butler said. "Every little play counts, especially now."

Adding to the excitement for the players is the tournament allows for most Mountaineers to head home. All five members of the WVU starting lineup are from the New York City or surrounding area including point guard Truck Bryant who grew up in Brooklyn.

"We're all from there and that's huge," said WVU senior Wellington Smith. "We always want to produce for our friends and family who are there.

"It's the mecca of basketball. We're really looking forward to it."

It's not just the natives of the New York-Metropolitan area who are anxious for the atmosphere, however.

"Everybody's excited to play in Madison Square Garden no matter where you're from," said WVU head coach Bob Huggins. "As a young basketball player, you always hear about Madison Square Garden. It's always been a place where people always look forward to playing at during some point in their career."

The last season WVU went winless in the Big East Tournament was after a 68-57 opening night loss to Pittsburgh in 2006. The team has reached the Conference Championship just once, only to lose 68-59 to Syracuse in 2005.

In order to get back to that point, Huggins said the team must not be fazed by the tournament atmosphere in tonight's contest.

"We have to do well the first day," Huggins said. "Everybody starts out a little slower (in tournaments). We just have to come out and play the way we've been playing.

"I think people make more out of psychological things than maybe there should be. You still have to line up and play every game."

West Virginia beat both the Bearcats and the Cardinals this season despite allowing three players from each team to reach double-figure scoring.

UC senior Deonta Vaughan led Cincinnati with 15 points, while freshman Lance Stephenson ended with 14 points and nine rebounds in the Bearcats' 74-68 loss in Morgantown on Feb. 27.

Louisville's Samardo Samuels and Reginald Delk each finished with 16 points and six rebounds in the Cardinals' 77-74 win on Jan. 30.

The Mountaineers have historically struggled against UL, however. They are 3-7 all-time against Rick Pitino's club, while WVU's win this season broke a five-game losing streak in the series.

If WVU wins, it will play the winner of Pittsburgh's game against either Seton Hall or Notre Dame. That semifinal contest will be played at 9 p.m. Friday.