The inaugural Big East Men's Basketball Tournament

Big East Men's Basketball Tournament

The Big East Men's Basketball Tournament is the conference championship tournament in men's basketball for the Big East Conference. The winner receives the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship. Since 1983, the tournament has been held in Madison Square...

took place at the Providence Civic Center in Providence, RI

Providence, Rhode Island

Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...

, in March 1980. It is a single-elimination tournament

Single-elimination tournament

A single-elimination tournament, also called a knockout, cup or sudden death tournament, is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match or bracket is immediately eliminated from winning the championship or first prize in the event...

 with three rounds. Syracuse

Syracuse Orange men's basketball

The Syracuse Orange men's basketball program is the intercollegiate men's basketball team representing Syracuse University. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the Big East Conference...

 had the best regular season conference record and received the #1 seed and a received a bye

Bye (sports)

A bye, in sports and other competitive activities, most commonly refers to the practice of allowing a player or team to advance to the next round of a playoff tournament without playing...

 into the semifinals.

Georgetown defeated Syracuse in the championship game 87–81.

Bracket

Awards

Most Valuable Player: Craig Shelton, Georgetown

All Tournament Team

• John Duren
  John Duren
  John Thomas Duren is a retired American professional basketball player. He was a 6'3" 195 lb guard and played collegiately at Georgetown University from 1976 to 1980....
  
  , Georgetown
• Eric Floyd
  Sleepy Floyd
  Eric Augustus "Sleepy" Floyd is a retired American professional basketball player.A 6'3" guard, Floyd played competitively at Hunter Huss High School in Gastonia, and starred at Georgetown University before being drafted by the New Jersey Nets with the 13th pick of the 1982 NBA Draft...
  
  , Georgetown
• Marty Headd, Syracuse
• Louis Orr
  Louis Orr
  Louis M. Orr is an American men's college basketball coach. Orr became the 15th men's basketball head coach at Bowling Green State University on April 4, 2007, replacing Dan Dakich whose contract ran out following the 2006-2007 season. Orr was the head coach at Seton Hall University from April 4,...
  
  , Syracuse
• David Russell, St. John's