1997–98 Big East Conference men's basketball season

The 1997–98 Big East Conference men's basketball season was the 19th in conference history, and involved its 13 full-time member schools.

Connecticut was the regular-season champion of the Big East 6 Division with a record of 15–3, and Syracuse won the regular-season Big East 7 Division championship with a record of 12–6. Connecticut won the Big East tournament championship.

• For the last time, the Big East used the divisional structure which had debuted in the 1995–96 season, with six of its teams playing in the Big East 6 Division and seven in the Big East 7 Division. The conference returned to a unitary structure the following season.
• Connecticut was the regular-season champion of the Big East 6 Division with a record of 15–3. It was Connecticut's fifth regular-season championship or co-championship and second divisional title.
• Syracuse won the regular-season Big East 7 Division championship with a record of 12–7. It was Syracuse's sixth regular-season championship or co-championship and first divisional title.
• Connecticut won its third Big East tournament championship.

Connecticut was ranked in the Associated Press poll Top 25 all season, finishing at No. 6. West Virginia and Syracuse also spent time in the Top 25, with Syracuse ending the season ranked No. 21.

The division winner with the best record received the No. 1 seed in the Big East tournament, the division winner with the second-best record received the No. 2 seed, and the second-place finisher with the best record received the No. 3 seed. The rest of the schools were seeded fourth through thirteenth based on conference record and tiebreakers. Teams seeded fourth through thirteenth played a first-round game, and the other three teams received a bye into the second round.

The tournament's seeding was as follows: (1) Connecticut, (2) Syracuse, (3) St. John's, (4) Miami, (5) West Virginia, (6) Seton Hall, (7) Villanova, (8) Providence, (9) Notre Dame, (10) Pittsburgh, (11) Boston College, (12) Rutgers, (13) Georgetown.

Five Big East teams received bids to the NCAA Tournament. Miami and St. John's lost in the first round and Syracuse and West Virginia in the regional semifinals. Connecticut was defeated in the East Region final.

Two Big East teams received bids to the National Invitation Tournament, which did not yet have seeding. They played in the same unnamed bracket and both lost to Georgia Tech, Seton Hall in the first round and Georgetown in the second.

Player of the Year:

• Richard Hamilton, Connecticut, G, So.

Defensive Player of the Year:

• Damian Owens, West Virginia, F, Sr.

Rookie of the Year:

• Khalid El-Amin, Connecticut, G, Fr.

Most Improved Player:

• Etan Thomas, Syracuse, C, So.

Coach of the Year:

• Jim Calhoun, Notre Dame (12th season)

All-Big East First Team

• Richard Hamilton, Connecticut, G, So., 5 ft 11 in (180 cm), 180 lb (82 kg), Coatesville, Pa.
• Tim James, Miami, F, Jr., 6 ft 7 in (201 cm), 212 lb (96 kg), Miami, Fla.
• Pat Garrity, Notre Dame, F, Sr., 6 ft 9 in (206 cm), 238 lb (108 kg), Las Vegas, Nev.
• Felipe López, St. John's, G, Sr., 6 ft 5 in (196 cm), 199 lb (90 kg), Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
• Damian Owens, West Virginia, F, Jr., 6 ft 6 in (198 cm), 215 lb (98 kg), Seat Pleasant, Md.

All-Big East Second Team:

• Vonteego Cummings, Pittsburgh, G, Jr., 6 ft 3 in (191 cm), 190 lb (86 kg), Thomson, Ga.
• Jamel Thomas, Providence, F, Jr., 6 ft 6 in (198 cm), 215 lb (98 kg), Brooklyn, N.Y.
• Levell Sanders, Seton Hall, G, Sr., 6 ft 2 in (188 cm), 207 lb (94 kg), Brooklyn, N.Y.
• Zendon Hamilton, St. John's, C, Sr., 6 ft 9 in (206 cm), 240 lb (109 kg), South Floral Park, N.Y.
• Todd Burgan, Syracuse, F, Sr., 6 ft 7 in (201 cm), 21 lb (10 kg), Detroit, Mich.

All-Big East Third Team:

• Antonio Granger, Boston College, F, Sr., 6 ft 7 in (201 cm), 215 lb (98 kg), Detroit, Mich.
• Duane Woodward, Boston College, G, Sr., 6 ft 3 in (191 cm), 209 lb (95 kg), New York, N.Y.
• Khalid El-Amin, Connecticut, G, Fr., 5 ft 10 in (178 cm), 200 lb (91 kg), Minneapolis, Minn.
• Shaheen Holloway, Seton Hall, G, So., 5 ft 10 in (178 cm), 173 lb (78 kg), Queens, N.Y.
• Etan Thomas, Syracuse, C, So., 6 ft 10 in (208 cm), 260 lb (118 kg), New York, N.Y.

Big East All-Rookie Team:

• Khalid El-Amin, Connecticut, G, Fr., 5 ft 10 in (178 cm), 200 lb (91 kg), Minneapolis, Minn.
• Martin Ingelsby, Notre Dame, G, Fr., 6 ft 0 in (183 cm), 182 lb (83 kg), Philadelphia, Pa.
• Ricardo Greer, Pittsburgh, F, Fr., 6 ft 5 in (196 cm), 200 lb (91 kg), New York, N.Y.
• Jeff Greer, Rutgers, G, Fr., 6 ft 5 in (196 cm), 180 lb (82 kg), The Bronx, N.Y.
• Metta World Peace, St. John's, F, Fr., 6 ft 6 in (198 cm), 244 lb (111 kg), Queens, N.Y.

The following players were selected to the 1998 Associated Press All-America teams.

Consensus All-America Second Team:

• Pat Garrity, Notre Dame, Key Stats: 23.2 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 2.4 apg, 48.1 FG%, 37.0 3P%, 627 points
• Richard Hamilton, Connecticut, Key Stats: 21.5 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 2.4 apg, 1.5 spg, 44.0 FG%, 40.4 3P%, 795 points

Second Team All-America:

• Pat Garrity, Notre Dame, Key Stats: 23.2 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 2.4 apg, 48.1 FG%, 37.0 3P%, 627 points
• Richard Hamilton, Connecticut, Key Stats: 21.5 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 2.4 apg, 1.5 spg, 44.0 FG%, 40.4 3P%, 795 points

AP Honorable Mention

• Khalid El-Amin, Connecticut

• 1997–98 NCAA Division I men's basketball season
• 1997–98 Connecticut Huskies men's basketball team
• 1997–98 Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team
• 1997–98 Miami Hurricanes men's basketball team
• 1997–98 Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's basketball team
• 1997–98 Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball team
• 1997–98 St. John's Red Storm men's basketball team
• 1997–98 Syracuse Orangemen basketball team
• 1997–98 West Virginia Mountaineers men's basketball team