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• Syracuse landed a receiver who had signed with Stanford and a juco fullback, both of whom will be eligible this fall.
• UConn got commitments from a running back and an offensive lineman.
• The Big East is secure for now and just needs to wait for a bigger TV deal, Jack Bogaczyk says in the Charleston Daily Mail.
• The Carolina Panthers signed Tony Pike.

The NFL's fortnight of drafting -- what, it was only three days? Really? -- came to an end this weekend. I already touched on the first-round results on Friday. Here's a look at where Big East players went the rest of the draft, with some quick comments on each pick:

Second round

No. 37: Nate Allen, S, South Florida, to Philadelphia: No surprise here, as Allen was mentioned as a possible first-rounder at various points.

Third round

No. 65: Jerome Murphy, CB, South Florida to St. Louis: Here is proof that college production isn't always the most important thing to NFL scouts. Murphy struggled against some of the Big East's better receivers, but he has great physical tools and hopefully will find his niche in the pros.

Fourth round

No. 99: Mardy Gilyard, WR, Cincinnati, to St. Louis: If you watched any Bearcats games the past two years, you know that the Rams got an absolute steal. Think Sam Bradford will like having Gilyard around?

No. 101: Mike Williams, WR, Syracuse, to Tampa Bay: He was a first-round talent who was lucky to get picked this high given his off-the-field issues.

No. 107: Marcus Easley, WR, UConn, to Buffalo: Easley had great workouts, and though some thought he would go higher than this, it's still a great story for a guy who was a walk-on this time a year ago.

Fifth round

No. 157: Arthur Jones, DT, Syracuse, to Baltimore: Jones was talked about as a possible first-rounder earlier in his career. This is a great value pick for a player who will always give maximum effort.

Sixth round

No. 177: Carlton Mitchell, WR, South Florida, to Cleveland: Mitchell looked impressive in his workouts, but falling to the sixth round makes you question if he made the right choice in skipping his senior year.

No. 182: Nate Byham, TE, Pittsburgh, to San Francisco: The best blocking tight end in the Big East during his career.

No. 204: Tony Pike, QB, Cincinnati, to Carolina: Pike has to be disappointed that he fell this low and that he was drafted by the same team that took Jimmy Clausen a couple rounds earlier.

Seventh round

No. 226: George Selvie, DE, South Florida, to St. Louis: How much would you have bet against the notion that Selvie would be a seventh-round pick at this time last year? Selvie's production dropped after his breakout sophomore year, and now he'll have to prove himself again.

No. 227: Dorin Dickerson, TE, Pittsburgh, to Houston: Surprised to see Dickerson go this low after his great Combine performance. He's a tweener who needs the right team to showcase his skills.

No. 231: Selvish Capers, OT, West Virginia, to Washington: Capers has a lot of talent and potential.

No. 237: Ryan D'Imperio, LB/FB, Rutgers, to Minnesota: The Scarlet Knights' linebacker was drafted as a fullback although he never played it in college.

No. 238: Ricardo Mathews, DT, Cincinnati, to Indianapolis: Mathews didn't get as much attention on the Bearcats' defense as some other players but had a nice senior season.

No. 249: Robert McClain, CB, UConn, to Carolina: McClain had four interceptions last year and also served as the team's punt returner.

Here's a handy-dandy list of NFL Draft picks per Big East school:

South Florida: 5

Rutgers: 3

Cincinnati: 3

Connecticut: 2

Pitt: 2

Syracuse: 2

West Virginia: 1

Louisville: 0

And, finally, some notable players who weren't drafted (I'll have more later on those who signed free-agent contracts): Andre Dixon and Lindsey Witten from UConn; Aaron Webster and Alex Daniels from Cincinnati; Scott Long from Louisville; and Jarrett Brown from West Virginia.

• Latwan Anderson's decision to go to Miami based on image may be somewhat troubling for West Virginia, but it's no big surprise, Bob Hertzel writes in the Times West Virginian.
• Mardy Gilyard and Tony Pike had nice performances at Cincinnati's pro day, Joe Reedy writes in the Cincinnati Enquirer. And here's some video from the event.
• The Home News Tribune's Keith Sargeant has more on Tim Brown's rocky pro day at Rutgers.
• In their latest mock drafts, Mel Kiper has Jason Pierre-Paul seventh, while Todd McShay lists him 17th. Anthony Davis is 18th in Kiper's draft and 23rd in McShay's. And Devin McCourty is 30th in Kiper's.

Cincinnati held its pro day this morning, and while Tony Pike and Mardy Gilyard are the highest-profile prospects, others did their best to impress the scouts as well.

Gilyard and Pike didn't do every drill because they did most of the same stuff at the NFL combine. But Gilyard did run the 40 and posted a time of 4.47 seconds, best of those who participated today.

Defensive lineman Alex Daniels pulled a muscle during his 40 but had some other impressive numbers. He bench-pressed 225 pounds 31 times, tying Curtis Young for best on the team. Daniels also showed off a 36.5-inch vertical leap and 10-foot, nine-inch broad jump. Not bad for a 265-pounder.

Defensive back Brad Jones ran the 40 in 4.56 seconds, second-fastest behind Gilyard. Jones also had a 39-inch vertical. Safety Aaron Webster ran a 4.66 in the 40.

Linebacker Marcus Waugh, known as a workout warrior, benched 225 pounds 29 times.

• West Virginia's governor hopes he's not needed but is ready to step in to make sure the West Virginia-Marshall series continues, Mitch Vingle writes in the Charleston Gazette.
• Whoever joins an expanded Big Ten might not be in for a full slice of the pie.
• Randy Edsall talks spring practice in the Connecticut Post.
• It was a so-so NFL combine weekend for Tony Pike and Mardy Gilyard, Joe Reedy writes in the Cincinnati Enquirer.
• Matt Grothe is hoping to be ready for South Florida's pro day, Greg Auman writes in the St. Petersburg Times.
• Anthony Davis was happy with his combine weekend, Keith Sargeant writes in the Home News Tribune.

Offensive players had their turn at the all-important NFL combine over the weekend. Defensive players get started today in Indianapolis. Here's a look at how some of the Big East's offensive invitees performed:

Offensive line: The guy with the most eyeballs on him was Rutgers tackle Anthony Davis, who has been projected as potential top 5 pick. There was good and bad in Davis' performance. His 5.38 time in the 40-yard dash was disappointing, and his 21 reps on the 225-pound bench press was pedestrian. But he showed off a 33-foot vertical leap, fourth best among all offensive linemen, proving his athleticism.

Tight ends: Pitt's Dorin Dickerson turned in an eye-popping 4.40 in the 40. Of course, Big East fans are well aware of Dickerson's top-end speed and athleticism. The question for him remains whether he'll be big enough to be a blocking tight end.

Teammate Nate Byham served that role for the Panthers, and while he posted just a 5.09 time in the 40, his best trait is his physicality in the run game.

Quarterbacks: Some of the bigger-name quarterback prospects didn't throw this weekend, but Cincinnati's Tony Pike and West Virginia's Jarrett Brown did. Here is what Scouts Inc. analyst Todd McShay had to say about them:

"Pike is the third quarterback in the class to adjust his delivery and Pike showed a release that got the ball out of his hand more quickly. He was a little inconsistent with his accuracy, but there is surely an adjustment period after tweaking his delivery and the long-term benefits should outweigh the short-term inconsistency."

"[Brown's] 4.54 in the 40 was best among quarterbacks and he posted a 34.4 vertical jump, showing that he also has the athleticism to move to another position if necessary."

Here is ESPN.com's John Clayton's take:

"The highlight of the day was watching the 6-6 Pike go against the 6-3 [Zac] Robinson. Each has a tight overhand delivery in which the ball zips from the right of his ear and moves with velocity. Even though Pike will probably go ahead of Robinson, I thought Robinson won the day. His passes on comeback routes were crisp and he surprised many by throwing a better 35-yard post corner route than Pike. For whatever reason, I thought Pike's balls wobbled a little too much when he threw outside the numbers."

Receivers: UConn's Marcus Easley ran a 4.46 in the 40, seventh best among wideouts and tops among Big East receivers.

"Easley showed good explosiveness with a 10-3 broad jump and there is a lot to like about the way he tracks deep passes," McShay writes. "Easley is a former walk-on with limited game experience, but he clearly has the raw tools to warrant midround consideration as a developmental project."

Louisville's Scott Long ran a 4.46 and South Florida's Carlton Mitchell posted a 4.49. Both measured in at 6-foot-2 and helped themselves by showing a combination of size and speed. Long also had the best vertical jump among receivers at 41.5 inches and topped all wideouts in the 3-cone drill and 60-yard shuttle.

West Virginia's Alric Arnett finishing third in the receiving group with a 40-inch vertical. Cincinnati's Mardy Gilyard registered a 39-inch leap.

Here are a few links to help you finish out the work day:

• I've got to say I've been very entertained by Cincinnati coach Butch Jones' blog, whether he's actually doing it or someone else is in charge. The blog is offering some inside looks at the Bearcats' winter conditioning, including the team testing and Super Bowl champ Troy Evans' address to the players. Up today: a video of the post-workout tug-o-war contest.
• Here's a mock draft that has Jason Pierre-Paul going third, with Anthony Davis and Devin McCourty also in the first round. Remember that Kenny Britt was Rutgers' first-ever first-rounder last year, and now many sites are predicting two Scarlet Knights' first-rounders this year.
• NFL.com's Pat Kirwan lists Pierre-Paul and Cincinnati quarterback Tony Pike among his 10 players to watch at the combine.
• Big Ten commissioner Jim Delaney was in Bristol today and gives this interview about the always-intriguing topic of expansion. Delaney insisted that there will be nothing but internal discussion about potential new league members for quite some time but did say the Big Ten may know the direction it wants to go by June.
• NESN.com's Rob Lunn picks UConn to win the Big East this year. Of course, he's a little biased, having played for the Huskies. But his reasoning is not far off.

A postseason ranking of the Big East's Top 30 players ...

No. 6

Tony Pike, QB, Cincinnati, Sr.

Preseason rank: 2

Why him here: Pike was on a Heisman Trophy pace for the first five games of the season, and his final numbers (62.4 percent completion rate, 29 touchdowns, only six interceptions) were still dazzling. For the second straight year, he led Cincinnati to a Big East title and a BCS bowl.

Unfortunately, he also injured his left forearm for the second consecutive season, which forced him to miss the bulk of five games. Still, Pike was as good as ever when he returned, tossing six touchdowns against Illinois and shaking off a rough start to lead the comeback at Pitt.

Pike is an interesting case for the NFL. He's 6-foot-6 with the ability to make all the throws. But he's also thin with an injury history, and he has played in a spread system that might not necessarily translate to a pro-style offense. Pike drew mixed reviews during his time at the Senior Bowl and will get more chances to prove himself at the NFL combine.

But during two years at Cincinnati, just about all he did was win.

Previous:

No. 7: Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, South Florida
No. 8: Devin McCourty, CB, Rutgers
No. 9: Mick Williams, DT, Pittsburgh
No. 10: Anthony Davis, OT, Rutgers
No. 11: Dorin Dickerson, TE, Pittsburgh
No. 12: Robert Sands, S, West Virginia
No. 13: B.J. Daniels, QB, South Florida
No. 14: Jason Pinkston, OT, Pittsburgh
No. 15: Tim Brown, WR, Rutgers
No. 16: Jordan Todman, RB, Connecticut
No. 17: Arthur Jones, DT, Syracuse
No. 18: Lawrence Wilson, LB, Connecticut
No. 19: Tom Savage, QB, Rutgers
No. 20: Andre Dixon, RB, Connecticut
No. 21: Bill Stull, QB, Pittsburgh
No. 22: Nate Allen, S, South Florida
No. 23: Marcus Easley, WR, Connecticut
No. 24: Mohamed Sanu, WR, Rutgers
No. 25: Jarrett Brown, QB, West Virginia
No. 26: George Selvie, DE, South Florida
No. 27: Kion Wilson, LB, South Florida
No. 28: Jabaal Sheard, DE, Pittsburgh
No. 29: Lindsey Witten, DE, Connecticut
No. 30: Jeff Linkenbach, OT, Cincinnati

No lunchtime links today, because there aren't any. It's a slow time, though Rutgers is expected to name two new assistant coaches this afternoon. So instead, I thought I'd give you the full list of Big East players who have been invited to the NFL combine, which begins Feb. 24 in Indianapolis:

• Nate Allen, S, South Florida
• Alric Arnett, WR, West Virginia
• Jarrett Brown, QB, West Virginia
• Nate Byham, TE, Pittsburgh
• Selvish Capers, OT, West Virginia
• Anthony Davis, OT, Rutgers
• Dorin Dickerson, TE, Pittsburgh
• Andre Dixon, RB, Connecticut
• Marcus Easley, WR, Connecticut
• Mardy Gilyard, WR, Cincinnati
• Arthur Jones, DT, Syracuse
• Scott Long, WR, Louisville
• Devin McCourty, CB, Rutgers
• Carlton Mitchell, WR, South Florida
• Jerome Murphy, CB, South Florida
• Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, South Florida
• Tony Pike, QB, Cincinnati
• George Selvie, DE, South Florida
• Mike Williams, WR, Syracuse
• Kion Wilson, LB, South Florida
• Lindsey Witten, DE, Connecticut

NFL scouts and casual fans watching the Senior Bowl over the weekend learned what Big East followers already knew: Mardy Gilyard just makes big plays.

The former Cincinnati receiver was one of the game's brightest stars, hauling in 103 yards receiving, including a 32-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, and another 76 yards on punt and kickoff returns. Gilyard probably helped himself in the draft as much as anyone from his performance in the game.

Gilyard's ex-Cincinnati teammate, quarterback Tony Pike, finished 5-of-12 for 45 yards. Scouts Inc. gave Pike a "B" grade for his work all week in Mobile, Ala.

Former West Virginia quarterback Jarrett Brown completed four of his seven passes for 57 yards, though he did throw an interception.

Pitt's Dorin Dickerson made one catch for 7 yards.

Rutgers' Devin McCourty started at cornerback and collected six tackles, while adding a 47-yard kickoff return.

South Florida's Jerome Murphy had four tackles, while former teammates Nate Allen had three and George Selvie made one.

A postseason ranking of the top 30 players in the Big East ...

No. 30

Jeff Linkenbach, LT, Cincinnati

Preseason rank: No. 23

Why him here: Linkenbach was the anchor for a Bearcats line that tied with Pittsburgh for the fewest sacks allowed, with just 15 all season. That's remarkable when you consider that Cincinnati passed the ball nearly 100 times more than any other league team this year. Linkenbach did a great job of protecting the blind side of both Tony Pike and Zach Collaros, and doing it in a fast-paced offense that demanded a lot of its linemen.

On the other hand, Linkenbach looked a little slow against some of the best defensive ends he played against this year in the South Florida, Pitt and Florida games. Despite his excellent size (6-foot-6, 311 pounds), his status as an NFL prospect remains questionable. He was not invited to any of the three major senior all-star showcase games and has yet to receive an NFL combine invitation. Still, he was easily one of the best offensive linemen in the league not only this year, but during much of his career.

While Tim Tebow is under the most scrutiny at the Senior Bowl, Tony Pike is another quarterback drawing a lot of interest from scouts in Mobile.

The Cincinnati star checked in at just 212 pounds on Monday, raising questions about how his 6-foot-6 frame will hold up in the NFL. However, the Scouts Inc. team said on the first day of practice that Pike clearly has the best arm of all the North team quarterbacks. (Todd McShay has a full breakdown of Pike here).

Pike's teammate and two-time Big East special-teams player of the year Mardy Gilyard weighed in at 179 pounds. Gilyard's lack of size may hurt him in the draft, though NFL teams would be foolish to ignore his production in college.

West Virginia's Jarrett Brown is another interesting prospect. Scouts Inc.'s Day 1 blog indicated the variety of opinion on Brown. The first entry on him read, "The ball is flying out of his hand and he's putting his physical tools on display. He looks the best of the three South quarterbacks at this point."

A little later on, though, there was this: "Brown is having trouble hitting his back foot and transitioning his weight at the top of his drops. He slipped on a five-step drop and later was late on an out route that Oklahoma CB Perrish Cox read well and picked off."

It's Senior Bowl week in Mobile, Ala., and it's time for a lot of the top NFL prospects from the Big East to make their cases.

Here again are the Big East players on the rosters for Saturday's game:

North

Dorin Dickerson, TE, Pittsburgh

Mardy Gilyard, WR, Cincinnati

Devin McCourty, CB, Rutgers

Tony Pike, QB, Cincinnati

Mike Windt, LS, Cincinnati

South

Nate Allen, S, South Florida

Jarrett Brown, QB, West Virginia

Selvish Capers, OL, West Virginia

Jerome Murphy, CB, South Florida

George Selvie, DE, South Florida

It could be like old times with Selvie trying to sack Pike or Gilyard trying to beat Murphy on a route during the game.

The two quarterbacks could have the most to prove during this week's practices and the game. Pike is an intriguing prospect because of his size (6-foot-6) and arm strength, but there are questions about his durability and his ability to play under center. Brown has unlimited potential because of his physical gifts and could wow scouts with his arm and mobility. But he started only one year and still has a lot to learn about the position.

Others who could really help themselves include Gilyard, who was one of the most productive receivers/return men in Big East history, and Selvie, whose numbers fell off after his huge sophomore campaign. If McCourty plays like he did this year at Rutgers, I think he could have a big week. And Allen has some freakish physical tools.

Concluding the countdown of the best Big East games of 2009:

No. 1

Cincinnati 45, Pittsburgh 44, Dec. 5 at Heinz Field

Why this one: You were expecting Syracuse-Louisville, maybe? OK, there was never any doubt this would be No. 1, as it was the best Big East game of the past couple of years, at least. The league title and BCS bid were in the balance on the season's final day, and the two teams lived up to the hype. Pitt raced out to a 31-10 lead and had a 38-24 edge in the fourth quarter, but Cincinnati wouldn't go away. After a botched hold on an extra point left the Panthers up 44-38 with 1:36 left, the Bearcats drove the field and won on Tony Pike's 29-yard touchdown strike to Armon Binns.

What it meant: Cincinnati won its second straight Big East crown and finished 12-0. Pitt, which was 9-1 and in the top 10 with two games to go, had to settle for a 9-3 regular season and a trip to the Meineke Car Care Bowl.

Player of the game: The Bearcats' Mardy Gilyard caught five passes for 118 yards and a touchdown and piled up 256 kickoff return yards and a score. Special mention goes to Pitt's Dion Lewis, who had a whopping 47 carries for 194 yards and three touchdowns in the losing effort.

Play of the game: Trailing 31-10 with 1:26 left in the first half, Cincinnati needed a spark. Gilyard gave it to his team with a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown that reversed momentum going into the locker room.

Memorable quote: "Our guys are resilient," Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly said. "Our guys believe, I believe in them, and you've got to have that belief. We've won 18 consecutive regular-season games. Don't count us out."

Previously:

No. 2: Connecticut 33, Notre Dame 30
No.3: Rutgers 28, Connecticut 24
No. 4: West Virginia 28, Connecticut 24
No. 5: Cincinnati 47, Connecticut 45
No. 6: Pitt 24, Connecticut 21
No. 7: Cincinnati 24, West Virginia 21
No. 8: West Virginia 19, Pitt 16
No. 9: South Florida 17, Florida State 7
No. 10: Syracuse 37, Northwestern 34

There were wins and losses, big games and duds. But when the statistics and records become foggy in our brains, we'll still remember some of the indelible moments from the 2009 Big East season. Here are my top 10 moments:

1. UConn celebrating in South Bend: The top story in the Big East this year, at least in my eyes, was how Connecticut dealt with the tragedy of losing teammate Jasper Howard in the middle of the season. And so it was heartwarming to see the Huskies -- after working so hard to honor Howard's legacy but coming up just short in three straight games -- finally break through and win in overtime at Notre Dame, of all places. Randy Edsall's goosebump-inducing postgame interview, in which he dedicated the win to Howard's family, will be remembered for a long time.

2. The Cincinnati comeback at Pitt: In two years of doing this blog, I haven't seen a wilder game than Cincinnati's 45-44 win over Pitt in the season finale after the Bearcats were down 31-10. I made my way down to the field for the last couple of minutes and just happened to be standing in the corner of the end zone where Tony Pike's beautifully-thrown pass landed in the outstretched hands of Armon Binns for the game-winning touchdown. That play, and the looks on the faces of players from both sides, was something to behold up close.

3. West Virginia welcomes UConn: West Virginia fans showed solidarity with Connecticut when the Huskies traveled to Morgantown the week after Howard was killed. Signs of support, a moment of silence and Bill Stewart hugging Edsall were just some of the ways the Mountaineers displayed their empathy in a classy, heartfelt way.

4. Greg Paulus playing quarterback: This was one of the biggest -- and strangest -- stories of the offseason, as Paulus came back to the sport after four years of playing point guard for the Duke basketball team. Doug Marrone gambled by making Paulus his starter right away. Paulus had his ups and downs -- he completed 67.7 percent of his passes, but also threw 14 interceptions -- but it was a fascinating experiment to watch.

5. Tim Brown streaking to victory: In yet another moment involving UConn, it looked like the Huskies had beaten Rutgers after they scored with 38 seconds left to take the lead. But on the very next play from scrimmage, Tom Savage hit Brown over the middle, and the senior receiver darted 81 yards untouched to the end zone for the victory.

6. Dion Lewis bouncing off tackles: The Pitt true freshman had an unbelievable year, rushing for 1,799 yards and 17 touchdowns. What I'll remember is not one specific play, but just the way Lewis always seemed to emerge from a crowd, running through stunned defenders, as he kept slipping away for more yardage.

7. B.J. Daniels' homecoming: While it may have lost some luster later in the season, South Florida's upset at Florida State was pretty special at the time. And the fact that freshman quarterback Daniels led the way in his hometown of Tallahassee while making his first start in place of the injured Matt Grothe made it a storybook tale.

8. The Brian Kelly drama: Cincinnati's perfect 12-0 finish was nearly overshadowed by the rumors of its three-time Big East coach of the year leaving for Notre Dame. And when Kelly finally confirmed he was going to South Bend at the postseason banquet, many players angrily stormed out of the room. Then they had to play in the Allstate Sugar Bowl without their coach. While maybe it shouldn't be the most memorable thing about the Bearcats' season, it's near the top of the list, for sure.

9. Pitt drives into a Meineke: Pittsburgh could have folded up shop after losing its last two regular-season games in the final minute. But the Panthers showed a lot of resilience in the Meineke Car Care Bowl by marching on an epic 17-play, 8:47 scoring drive to beat North Carolina.

10. Devine on the run: When I think of West Virginia's season, I'll always picture Noel Devine dashing to daylight. It's not just the fuzzy lens of nostalgia. Devine had seven runs of at least 56 yards this season, including an 88-yarder against Pitt, a 77-yarder versus Colorado and a 70-yard sprint in the Gator Bowl. Will he keep running to the NFL or come back to create more memories in the Big East?

Those are my top 10 moments from 2009. What are some of your favorites that I didn't include?