The 25 greatest Big East basketball players of all time

Nobody has scored more career points at Georgetown than Floyd (2,304). A two-time first-team All-Big East performer and first-team All-American by The Associated Press in 1981-82, Floyd averaged 17.7 points and shot 49.6 percent for his career while helping the Hoyas reach the national championship game -- 1982 -- for the first time since 1943.  In addition to his scoring prowess, Floyd also recorded 477 rebounds, 355 assists, and his 253 steals are second all-time by a Georgetown player.

Arguably, this is the one player who not only brought Georgetown basketball to national prominence but also made it a cultural phenomenon during the 1980s. The man who made the t-shirt underneath the basketball tank top a fashionable trend, Ewing, is simply one of the great college players of all time and helped introduce all of America to Big East basketball. A three-time, first-team All-American, two-time Big East Player of the Year, and four-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year, Ewing was the star of the Hoyas' only national championship team from 1984 and remains the all-time face of the program. When his exceptional four-year career at Georgetown had concluded, the Hall of Famer and current Hoyas' coach recorded 2,184 points (second in school history), plus a program-record 1,316 rebounds (among the top-five in Big East history), and Big East-best 493 blocks.

After prepping at two New York City basketball powerhouses (Power Memorial and Xavierian), Mullin remained close to home to become St. John's all-time leading scorer with 2,440 points. It also ranks sixth in Big East history. The only three-time Big East Player of the Year, Mullin won the Wooden Award as the nation's best performer in 1984-85, when St. John's reached its most recent Final Four. For his career, Mullin, who later coached St. John's, averaged 19.5 points and shot 55.0 percent. The Hall of Famer went on to win two Olympic gold medals for Team USA and was a five-time NBA All-Star.

Another New York City prep superstar, the 6-foot-9 Pinckney averaged a career-high 15.6 points with 8.9 rebounds during Villanova's underdog run to the 1984-85 national title, and was named the Final Four Most Outstanding Player. During his four seasons at Villanova, Pinckney averaged 14.5 points on a school-record 60.4 percent shooting and 8.6 boards. The two-time All-Big East first-teamer ranks second in school history in blocks (253), fourth in rebounds (1,107), seventh in steals (196), and scored 1,865 points.

From Baltimore's famed Dunbar High School, Williams got better each year at Georgetown. By the time his four years ended, he averaged 15.3 points, shot 49.0 percent from the field, and 6.4 boards over 138 career games. The Big East Player of the Year and a first-team All-American in 1987, Williams ranks third in school history with 2,117 points, sixth with 886 rebounds, and sixth for his 206 steals. The two-time All-Big East first-teamer teamed with Patrick Ewing to help the Hoyas win the 1984 national title.

A playground legend from Brooklyn, the man known as "Pearl" might be the most prized recruit in the history of Syracuse basketball. Washington was a first-team All-Big East selection each of his three seasons with the Orange, averaging 15.7 points on 52.6 percent shooting and 6.7 assists. His 637 career assists rank fourth among all Syracuse players, and he progressed in All-American status each season. When it comes to popularity among all Syracuse, Big East athletes, "Pearl," who succumbed to cancer in 2016, might be at the top of the list.

A teammate of the aforementioned Chris Mullin, Berry followed a stint at San Jacinto (Texas) junior college with two standout seasons at St. John's. Another legend at the school, Berry was named the Big East Player of the Year and national player of the year in 1985-86 by both The Associated Press and UPI, averaging 23 points and 11.1 rebounds. Berry started all 71 games he played at St. John's and earned All-American status.

Arguably the greatest player in Pitt basketball history, Smith is the school's all-time leader with 2,045 points and 346 blocks (10th in Big East history). He ranks second with 987 rebounds. Smith was the Big East Rookie of the Year in 1985, then three years later was named league player of the year. He was twice selected as an All-Big East first-teamer, and his No. 32 was retired by the school.

Douglas was the catalyst of that 1986-87 Syracuse group that reached the national championship game. He averaged 17.3 points and 7.6 assists while only a sophomore that season. Another three-time first-team All-Big East performer, Douglas set an NCAA record with 960 career assists at the time (still tops in the Big East), and his seven assists per game average ranks No. 1 in school history. Douglas, who averaged career highs of 18.2 points and 8.6 assists in 1988-89 as a consensus second-team All-American, ranks among Syracuse's top-10 scorers with 2,060 points and sits in the top 10 with 797 made field goals. 

A freshman on Syracuse's '87 national runner-up squad, Coleman came off the bench that season and pulled down 19 rebounds in the title-game loss to Indiana. Things would only get better from there for Coleman, the Orange's second-leading career scorer with 2,143 points (20th in Big East history) and is the Big East's all-time leading rebounder at 1,537. Coleman, the Big East Player of the Year and a consensus first-team All-American when he averaged 17.9 points and 12.1 rebounds in 1989-90, was a three-time first-team All-Big East performer. 

This 6-10 Hall-of-Famer was essentially a star from the first time he walked on the court at Georgetown. Mourning started all 120 college games he played over his four seasons with the Hoyas, averaging 16.6 points and 8.6 rebounds for his career. He was Big East Player of the Year and a first-team All-American in 1991-1992, when he averaged 21.3 points and 10.7 boards. Mourning was three times named Big East Defensive Player of the Year, and his 2,001 points are fourth-most in program history, while he ranks second in Big East career blocks (453) and within the top 20 for rebounds (1,032). 

Seton Hall has produced some excellent basketball players, but Dehere stands tall above the rest. A three-time, first-team All-Big East performer, Dehere is the school's career leader with 2,494 points -- which sit third all-time in league history. In his final season of 1992-93, Dehere averaged 22 points on 46.1-percent shooting to earn Big East Player of the Year honors. Dehere is also one of the league's great 3-point shooters, tied for ninth with 315 such makes. 

Arguably the greatest player in the history of UConn men's basketball. In 101 games, spanning three seasons, Allen totaled 1,922 points, which ranks fifth in school history. He's also top 10 at UConn with a 19.0 career scoring average and 705 made field goals. His 44.8-percent shooting from 3-point range remains the best in Big East history. The Olympic gold-medal winner and star of Spike Lee's He Got Game shot 48.7 percent overall, was a two-time, first-team All-Big East pick, the league's player of the year, a consensus All-American and national player of the year from UPI for the 1995-96 season, when he averaged 23.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.7 steals.

In his four seasons as a Wildcat, Kittles scored what was, until 2025, a school record 2,243 points and averaged 18.4 points, while being named first-team All-Big East three times. He helped Villanova win the 1994 postseason NIT title and was Big East Player of the Year for 1994-95. In addition to shooting 47.8 percent from the field, 39.4 percent from 3-point range, Kittles averaged 5.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists through four years. Kittles is also Villanova's career leader with 277 assists -- ninth in conference history.

Taking his actions off the court or how his NBA career went out of the conversation, Iverson remains the most dynamic player to ever play at Georgetown -- or the Big East. His collegiate career covered just two seasons and 67 games, but he averaged 22.9 points, shot 44 percent, and dished out 3.6 assists as a Hoya. Iverson was a first-team All-American in 1996 and a two-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year. His 926 points scored during the 1995-96 campaign are still a Georgetown single-season record (ranked third in Big East history), and his 213 career steals rank fourth all-time at the school. 

Hamilton joins Chris Smith as the only UConn players to reach the 2,000-point mark, posting 2,036 in three seasons. His 19.8 average points over 103 games ranks among the top five in school history. Twice, Hamilton averaged 21.5 points, including during that 1998-99 championship season, when he also pulled down a career-high 4.8 rebounds to repeat as Big East Player of the Year and earn consensus first-team All-American status. Hamilton averaged 24.2 points on 50-percent shooting during the 1999 NCAA Tournament, and scored 27 in the title-game victory to earn Most Outstanding Player honors.

With 2,011 points spanning three college seasons, Murphy is the seventh and most recent Notre Dame player to reach 2,000. A two-time Big East Player of the Year, after being named the league's rookie of the year, Murphy was also honored as a first-team All-American twice. In the annals of Fighting Irish basketball, Murphy also ranks among the top 10 in rebounds (924) and blocks (126). He finished with career averages of 21.4 points and 9.8 rebounds.

Boston College's all-time leading scorer, Bell, ranks second in Big East history with 2,632 points and is No. 1 in made free throws (810). Bell was twice named Big East Player of the Year, including 2001, when he shared the award with the aforementioned Troy Murphy. A three-time, first-team all-league performer and two-time consensus All-American, Bell averaged 21.6 points and also ranks among the Big East's career leaders for made 3-pointers (300) and shot 37.2 percent from beyond the arc while playing for the Golden Eagles. 

A two-time, first-team All-Big East performer and league defensive player of the year, Okafor averaged career highs of 17.6 points and 11.5 rebounds while being named Big East Player of the Year and first-team consensus All-American during UConn's run to the 2004 national championship. One of six Huskies to record at least 1,000 rebounds (1,091), Okafor is the school's all-time leader with 441 blocks (third-most in Big East history), and his 155 led the nation in 2002-03. 

Anthony's only season at Syracuse resulted in the school's lone NCAA national championship and was a springboard for a long and successful professional basketball career. He averaged 22.2 points (second in school history), shot 45.3 percent from the field, pulled down 11.0 rebounds per game, and dished out an average of 2.2 assists. However, it was his performance in the NCAA Tournament that made him a legendary figure in college. During the regional final, national semifinal, and title game, Anthony averaged 24.3 points, shot 54.9 percent from the field, went 7-of-13 from 3-point range, and pulled down 34 rebounds to earn Most Outstanding Player honors. In his one collegiate season, Anthony was named Big East Freshman of the Year and all-league first-team. 

Despite injury issues during the first half of his college career, Dunn bounced back to become one of the most complete players in Providence, and Big East, history. He was twice named Big East Player of the Year and the league's defensive player of the year -- both in 2015, '16. During his last two seasons with the Friars, Dunn averaged 16 points on 46.1 percent shooting, including 36.3 percent from 3-point range, plus 6.9 assists and 5.4 rebounds. Dunn's 208 career steals rank fourth in Big East history.

One of two Villanova players to be named national player of the year. Brunson did it in 2017-18, when he took home said honors from the AP, plus the Naismith and Wooden Awards. As a junior en route to his second national title with the Wildcats in 2017-18, Brunson averaged 18.9 points on 52.1 percent shooting from the field and 40.8 percent from beyond the arc, plus 4.6 assists and 3.1 rebounds. The two-time All-Big East first-team pick and the league's player of the year in 2018, Brunson ranks fourth in school history with 756 single-season points from 2017-18

The Big East's all-time leader in scoring with 2,761 points. Howard's scoring production increased each of his four seasons, culminating in a senior season in which he averaged an NCAA-leading 27.8 points and shot 41.2 percent from 3-point range. That was a season after he won Big East Player of the Year honors. The All-American Howard, a two-time, first-team All-Big East selection, also ranks among the top 10 in Big East history for career made field goals (864) and 3-point field-goal percentage (42.7).

Gillespie is one of the Villanova program's most celebrated players. A two-time Big East Player of the Year (2021, '22), Gillespie totaled more than 1,800 points and 480 assists during his five collegiate seasons. Since the 2018-19 campaign, Gillespie, who earned various All-American honors as a Wildcat, started every game he played for the Wildcats and will go down as one of the most dependable players in the program's history.

Yes, Doug McDermott was the Big East Player of the Year in 2014, but that was his lone season in the league with Creighton. The 7-1 Kalkbrenner, meanwhile, played his entire five years (spanning 169 overall games) with the Bluejays as a member of the Big East. His 2,443 career points rank fifth in league history, while the conference's all-time leader with 984 made field goals and 65.9 field-goal percentage. Kalkbrenner's 1,222 career rebounds rank fourth among all Big East players, while his 399 blocks are sixth. The four-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year, Kalkbrenner, earned Naismith Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2024-25.