Fans on Tobacco Road will say the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament is an institution. The residents of Southeastern Conference country will tell you that the SEC tournament is tradition rich. But those in the Northeast will argue that the center of the universe is still Madison Square Garden, home to the Big East Tournament.

The Big East doesn't have the long history that some other conference tournament have, but to the fans it's the Final Four before the Final Four.

My return to Villanova brought back a lot of memories of working under Rollie Massimono. I can recall many times being on the practice floor and looking up to the basketball office to see coach Mass -- with a cup of coffee in hand -- watching over the day's practice.

But coming back to Villanova also brought the realization that I would now have an opportunity to coach in the event, which is the Big East Tournament.

For years, as a coach at Hofstra, I would attend the gathering at Madison Square as a fan. It's an atmosphere that is understood only by those who have been a part of its brief but storied past.

And while I am now in attendance as a coach, I am also still a fan at heart.

In its first three years of existence, Hartford, Providence and Syracuse played host to the tournament. The 1981 final was one of the all-time classics and went a long ways to putting this league on the college basketball map.

When Villanova faced Syracuse, no one could have envisioned a three-overtime thriller. Syracuse literally outlasted Villanova, 83-80, in what has to be considered one of the greatest games ever played in the Carrier Dome.

In 1983, the event moved to its permanent home at Seventh Avenue between 31st & 33rd Street. What followed were some of the most compelling matchups through the 1980's and into the decade of the 1990's.

Those in attendance and those who took in the action from the comforts of home can vividly recall some of these moments, frozen in time.

1984: Patrick Ewing and Georgetown vs. Pearl Washington and Syracuse. The Pearl almost single handily took down the Hoyas. Georgetown prevailed in overtime, 82-71. Do you remember Georgetown's Michael Graham?

1985: John Thompson and his towel vs. Lou Carnesecca and his sweater. It was the third of three meetings that season, between Georgetown and St. John's. The Redmen won the first meeting, by one point in Landover, and Georgetown returned the favor at Madison Square Garden, in a matchup of No. 1 vs. No. 2. The Hoyas beat St. John's in the championship game, 82-71.

1986: A classic between St. John's and Syracuse -- Mark Jackson and Walter Berry against Pearl Washington and Rony Seikaly. St. John's won a nail-biter, 70-69. I can still see Mark Jackson celebrating.

That three-year span put the Big East on the big stage, with 1985 being a spotlight season.

In the years since, comparisons to Big East "current" versus Big East "1985" have continuously been made. Some will say that was the apex of conference dominance. I totally disagree.

Georgetown, St. John's, Syracuse and Villanova dominated the league and the Big East tournament, in its first few seasons. But by the mid to late 1980's, Boston College, Connecticut, Pittsburgh, Providence and Seton Hall had all gained national prominence.

The success of those programs can be attributed directly to 1985 and the years preceding.

Today, the conference is as strong, from top to bottom, as ever before. And the Big East tournament is still "an event."

This tournament may be just over two decades old, but fans in the Northeast will tell you that there isn't a better conference tournament in America and there isn't a better venue than the Garden at Madison Square -- the basketball Mecca.