The Best of the Big East tourney started with four entries from Georgetown and four from Connecticut. So, it was no surprise that each program advanced to the finale.
These two teams may have been separated by 20 years, but through the magic of WhatIfSports.com's college basketball simulation engine the Huskies and Hoyas were able to battle for the crown.
Jim Calhoun's Huskies dismissed Georgia Tech to win the National Championship in 2004. However, their opponent in this title game proved to be too much. Rashad Anderson led UConn with 20 points, including four from long distance. Though Anderson had success from the beyond the arc, his teammates did not. The rest of Connecticut only managed to connect on 1-7 three-point field goals.
Since the three-pointer wasn't established as a viable option when the Hoyas won their trophy in 1984, they took fewer attempts from behind the arc (5-11) and more shots from close range (31-53). Reggie Williams tallied 17 points, leading the team. The alpha Hoya, Patrick Ewing, scored 15 points and finished with a game-high 12 rebounds.
The game was a back-and-forth battle until the final two minutes and change. Future second-overall, NBA Draft pick Emeka Okafor found future-third overall choice, Ben Gordon, who sank a jumper, closing the gap to three. Unfortunately for Huskie Nation, UConn failed to score another point as Georgetown's lead continued to grow until the final buzzer.
The 1983-84 Georgetown Huskies are your Best of the Big East simulation champions.
Player of the game: Patrick Ewing (15 points, 12 rebounds, 5 blocks)
Winning Percentage of 1,001 Simulations:
1983-84 Georgetown Hoyas 75.8% - 2003-04 Connecticut Huskies 24.2%
Average Score of 1,001 Simulations:
1983-84 Georgetown Hoyas 78.8 - 2003-04 Connecticut Huskies 64.2
View Sample Boxscore | Simulate '84 Georgetown vs. '04 UConn