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The Big East baseball championship tournament begins Wednesday, and all three local squads -- St. John's, Seton Hall and Rutgers -- are among the eight teams that qualified.

The tourney has a double-elimination format through the semifinal round, and you can watch all the games via ESPN3. The championship game will air on ESPNU at noon Sunday.

Seton Hall (36-17, 18-6) is the No. 2 seed and will play No. 7 Notre Dame at 1 p.m. Wednesday. Senior shortstop Giuseppe Papaccio is fourth in the conference in batting average (.362) and tied for third in RBIs (52).

Rutgers (26-28, 14-10) is the No. 5 seed and will play No. 4 South Florida at 8 p.m. Wednesday. Sophomore outfielder Vinny Zarrillo is eighth in the conference in batting average (.346), and hit a league-best .407 in conference games.

St. John's (23-33, 10-14), the defending champion, is the No. 6 seed and will play No. 3 Pittsburgh at 10 a.m. Wednesday. Junior catcher/first baseman Frank Schwindel is sixth in the conference in batting average (.348) and tied for third in RBIs (52).

Louisville (46-10, 20-4) is the No. 1 seed. The Cardinals won 16 consecutive games to end the regular season.

The tournament will be played at Bright House Field in Clearwater, Fla., the spring training home of the Philadelphia Phillies.

Pittsburgh, Stanford, Texas Tech and Houston will play in Brooklyn in November, in the Legends Classic at Barclays Center.

The semifinals will be Monday, Nov. 25, with the championship doubleheader the following night. The matchups are yet to be announced, but tickets go on sale Friday.

Pitt is the headliner -- the only team of the four that made the NCAA tournament last season. The Panthers will be beginning their first season in the ACC.

Stanford made the NIT last season, while Houston played in the CBI. Texas Tech will have a new head coach, Tubby Smith, formerly of Minnesota and Kentucky.

The next college basketball season is still six months away, but St. John's officially announced its 2013-14 season opener on Tuesday -- and it's an intriguing matchup.

The Red Storm will play Wisconsin on Friday, Nov. 8, at a neutral site -- the Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. It's a brand-new building that will open this fall.

St. John's also revealed that it will play Columbia on Saturday, Dec. 28, at Barclays Center, as part of the Brooklyn Hoops Winter Festival. The Red Storm will also play in the Barclays Center Classic on Nov. 29 and 30, along with Georgia Tech, Mississippi and Penn State. And they will host Syracuse at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, Dec. 15.

The complete nonconference schedule will be released early this summer.

Columbia is headed to the 2013 NCAA baseball tournament.

The Lions clinched an automatic bid by winning the Ivy League title on Saturday, sweeping their championship doubleheader against Dartmouth.

Columbia won Game 1 in 10 innings, 6-5. Game 2 was a little more comfortable, as the Lions won 12-5.

Star slugger Joey Falcone, who served in the United States military in Iraq and Afghanistan and was profiled by ESPNNewYork.com last week, went 3-for-5 in the first game, and 3-for-4 in the nightcap.

The full NCAA tournament field and bracket will be revealed on Monday, May 27.

Former Stony Brook running back Miguel Maysonet didn't become the first player in school history to be selected in the NFL draft, but it didn't take long for him to find a team.

Shortly after the draft ended Saturday night, Maysonet agreed to a free-agent contract with the Philadelphia Eagles, according to a source.

Maysonet was projected as a possible sixth- or seventh-round pick. A total of 22 running backs were selected during the three-day draft, but he didn't hear his name called.

The record-breaking runner will play for new coach Chip Kelly in Philadelphia. The Eagles didn't draft any running backs, but they have three holdovers at the position, including star LeSean McCoy.

Maysonet, who rushed for more than 1,900 yards last season, will have an opportunity to play in Kelly's suped-up spread offense. He will report to rookie minicamp in two weeks.

Point guard Jaren Sina committed to Seton Hall on Wednesday, over Indiana and Northwestern.

The New Jersey native had previously committed to Northwestern, but reopened his recruitment after coach Bill Carmody was fired last month.

Fred Hill, who was an assistant under Carmody at Northwestern, was officially hired by Seton Hall as an assistant on Wednesday as well.

Sina, 6-foot-2 and 175 pounds, is from Lake Hopatcong, N.J., played at Gill St. Bernard's School, and was rated the fifth-best senior in the state by ESPN. "Sina is a super skilled guard with a lethal jump shot," according to his ESPN Recruiting scouting report. "He's as skilled and smart as they get but his intangibles are what separate him. He plays with unwavering confidence and just enough cockiness to maximize his talents."

It's a big addition for Seton Hall coach Kevin Willard. The Pirates are coming off a 15-18 season, 3-15 in the Big East, and were in desperate need of backcourt help following the transfer of second-leading scorer Aaron Cosby.

Seton Hall has hired Fred Hill as an assistant men's basketball coach, the school announced Wednesday.

Hill, the head coach at Rutgers from 2006-10, previously served as a Seton Hall assistant from 1998-2001. He spent the past two seasons as an assistant at Northwestern under Bill Carmody, who was fired last month.

"We are excited to welcome Fred back to the Seton Hall family," head coach Kevin Willard said in a statement. "Fred has a great basketball mind and brings over 30 years of experience to our coaching staff. He is a proven recruiter who has a track record of attracting elite talent in each of his coaching stops. Fred enjoyed tremendous success on the recruiting trail in his first term at Seton Hall, and we look forward to this next chapter of his coaching career."

Hill went just 47-77 in his four seasons in charge at Rutgers, but has had great success as a recruiter throughout his career. He helped reel in some outstanding prospects during his first stint at Seton Hall -- including Andre Barrett and Eddie Griffin -- and should help the Pirates be more competitive in the new Big East, which debuts next season.

"I am grateful for this opportunity to work with Coach Willard and his terrific staff," Hill said. "It feels great to be back home at Seton Hall where I have so many fond memories. This is truly an exciting time to rejoin the Pirate family as we embark on the new Big East basketball conference. I look forward to working tirelessly with our staff to make my second experience at Seton Hall as wonderful as my first."

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. -- Bob Gregory, a three-year basketball starter for Manhattan College who went on to teach and coach in the New York City public school system for almost 30 years, has died. He was 63.

Gregory, who graduated from Manhattan in 1972 and played professionally in France for one year, died Tuesday after 18 months of fighting brain cancer, his family said.

He coached the girls basketball teams at Columbus H.S. and at Bronx High School of Science, where he compiled a 121-71 record that included 17-1 seasons in 2007-08 and 2008-09, reaching the PSAL semifinals in the second season.

Gregory is survived by wife Yolanda, stepdaughter Alexis, two grandsons, five brothers and sisters and five nieces and nephews.

A viewing will be Thursday at Ballard-Durand Funeral Services in White Plains, and a funeral Mass will be Friday at 10 a.m. at Sacred Heart Church in Hartsdale.

Iona guard Lamont "Momo" Jones has won the 2013 Haggerty Award, given to the best Division I men's basketball player in the New York metropolitan area.

Jones, a 6-foot senior from Harlem, finished third in the country in scoring, averaging 22.6 points per game. He led the Gaels to their second consecutive NCAA tournament.

Stony Brook's Steve Pikiell was named Coach of the Year by the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association, and St. John's freshman forward Jakarr Sampson was named Rookie of the Year.

The All-Met first team, besides Jones, includes St. John's guard D'Angelo Harrison, Seton Hall's Fuquan Edwin, Iona's Sean Armand and a pair of LIU Brooklyn players, Jamal Olasewere and Jason Brickman.

The second team features Sampson, Myles Mack (Rutgers), Tommy Brenton (Stony Brook), Rhamel Brown (Manhattan) and Ella Ellis (Army).

The third team features Chris Obekpa and Phil Greene from St. John's, plus C.J. Garner (LIU Brooklyn), Jameel Warney (Stony Brook), Jonathon Williams (Wagner) and Chris Flores (N.J.I.T.).

Andrew Wiggins has several fans -- including Carmelo Anthony.

"I like him," Anthony said after watching the 6-foot-7 Wiggins, the No. 1 college basketball prospect in the nation, score 19 points and grab five rebounds in the Jordan Brand Classic on Saturday night at Barclays Center.

"I saw him last summer in Vegas. He looked really good."

Many NBA talent-evaluators believe Wiggins would be the top overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft if he was allowed to skip college.

"I wish him the best," Anthony said. "Next year, if he does what he’s gotta do, he’ll be ready to take that next step."

Wiggins, known for his athleticism and scoring prowess, remains undecided on where he’ll go to school next season.

"No one I care about is telling to go anywhere, or even bringing it up," Wiggins said.

Wiggins wowed the Barclays Center crowd with four dunks, but perhaps his best play of the night was when he fed Kentucky-bound big man Julius Randle for an alley-oop dunk on a 2-on-1 fastbreak in the first half.

John Calipari’s Wildcats have already put together one of the best recruiting classes ever, landing Randle along with twin guards Aaron and Andrew Harrison, Dakari Johnson, James Young and Marcus Lee. Randle (PF), Aaron (SG), Andrew (PG) and Johnson (C) are all the top-rated players at their respective positions.

Wiggins (SF) would give them a starting five full of No. 1s.

"I’m trying my best [to convince him to come to Kentucky], but it’s on him, and I wish nothing but the best for him," said Randle, who also scored 19 points and was named co-MVP of the game along with Duke’s Jabari Parker (16 points, seven rebounds), the No. 2 prospect in the country behind Wiggins.

"He threw a great pass. He’s a great player. He makes the game easier on me. It was fun playing wit him."

The star-studded crowd at Barclays Center included Michael Jordan, Anthony, Amar’e Stoudemire, J.R. Smith, CC Sabathia and rapper Drake, who performed briefly after the game.

"It’s an honor. I’m just thrilled at the fact all these celebrities saw us play," Wiggins said. "I appreciate that. I’m blessed to be here and play among the best high school players in the world."

Anthony also said he was impressed with Randle, Parker and Syracuse-bound point guard Tyler Ennis, who played his high school ball at St. Benedict’s Prep (N.J.).

"I know when I was in high school we weren’t as big as these guys these days," said Anthony, who scored 27 points in the 2002 Jordan Brand Classic. "They look like they’re in the gym all day, in the weight room. They’re already one step ahead."

Said Randle, who has known Stoudemire for 2-to-3 years: "These are just two players that you grow up idolizing. To have them courtside was a huge honor and I was glad they came."

WHAT IT MEANS: The West beat the East 102-98 in the 12th edition of the Jordan Brand Classic on Saturday night at Barclays Center.

Nigel Williams-Goss (Washington) delivered the game-winning basket -- a layup off a steal that turned into a three-point play, which gave the West a 99-96 lead with 28.5 seconds left. Williams-Goss led the West with 17 points, four assists and three rebounds. Jabari Parker (Duke) added 16 points. Projected 2014 No. 1 NBA draft pick Andrew Wiggins (undecided) and Julius Randle (Kentucky) each had 19 points for the East.

Parker and Randle were named co-MVPs. Past MVPs include Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, Brandon jennings, Kevin Durant, Dwight Howard, LeBron James and Amar'e Stoudemire. Carmelo Anthony helped present the players with their trophies.

Local kid Tyler Ennis (St. Benedict’s Prep, N.J.), who is Syracuse-bound, had 14 points, six assists and five rebounds for the East.

MJ: Michael Jordan, now 50, was born in the Fort Greene section of Brooklyn but moved to North Carolina with his family when he was just 18 months old. He received a huge ovation when he was seen in a suite, and many in the crowd turned to take pictures on their cell phones.

1 vs. 2: Wiggins (undecided) and Parker (Duke) both started getting after it in the second half. The dynamic small forwards are ranked Nos. 1 and 2 in ESPN’s Top 100 recruiting rankings, respectively. Wiggins wowed the crowd with four dunks and added five rebounds, while Parker displayed his all-around game, snagging seven rebounds and dishing out two assists.

KNICK TAKEOVER: Stoudemire, Anthony and J.R. Smith all sat courtside. STAT (23 points, co-MVP) and Melo (27 points) both played in the 2002 game. Spike Lee showed off his “NEW YORK” Knicks sweatshirt on the JumboTron. He heard some boos from the crowd.

ALSO IN THE CROWD: Drake, who would perform after the game, received the loudest ovation of any of the celebrities in attendance. Others: CC Sabathia, Eric LeGrand, Fabolous, Chromeo, Andre Ward, Busta Rhymes and Michael K. Williams.

THE KENTUCKY SIX: Twins Aaron and Andrew Harrison, Randle, Dakari Johnson, Marcus Lee and James Young will all play for John Calipari’s Wildcats next season. Andrew (PG), Aaron (SG), Randle (PF) and Johnson (C) are all the No. 1-rated prospects at their respective positions.

DID YOU KNOW? Kuran Iverson, a 6-foot-8 small forward who will attend Memphis, is Allen Iverson’s cousin. Joel Embiid, a 7-foot center who will attend Kansas, did not start as a junior. He’s from Congo and made significant strides this season.

Steve Lavin added a big piece to the puzzle on Thursday.

Rysheed Jordan, the highly coveted high school point guard from Philadelphia, has committed to play for St. John's next season.

"I really like their style of play, pick-and-roll and how Coach Lavin lets their guards play," Jordan said in an interview with ESPN Recruiting's Reggie Rankin. "On my visit I also built a great relationship with Chris Obekpa and Phil Greene. I liked New York City, and Coach Lavin is a great coach, just awesome."

Jordan, 6-foot-3 and 180 pounds, is the No. 22-ranked senior in the country, and chose St. John's over UCLA and Temple. He just led his high school team to a state championship, and averaged 26 points, 6 assists and 4 rebounds a game.

"He's a big-time finisher for a lead guard, with strength to absorb contact and explosion to play well above the rim," according to his ESPN scouting report. "He's just as good getting to the elbow as he is the rim, where his size enables him to see over the defense to both pass and make short pull-ups."

With Jordan in the fold, St. John's could have one of the best backcourts in the country next season -- if D'Angelo Harrison returns to the Red Storm.

Harrison, the third-leading scorer in the Big East (17.8 ppg), was suspended by Lavin for the final six games of this past season for conduct detrimental to the team.

Reserve forward Amir Garrett left the program last week. But if the rest of the current roster returns (including Big East Rookie of the Year Jakarr Sampson), and with the addition of Jordan (as well as power forward Orlando Sanchez and swingman Max Hooper), St. John's figures to be a contender in the new Big East next season, and possibly nationally ranked as well.

Year 4 of the Steve Lavin era could be a breakthrough year for the Red Storm, who have missed the NCAA tournament the past two seasons.

Michigan State will be the star attraction in next season's Coaches vs. Cancer Classic at the Barclays Center.

The Spartans will be joined by Seton Hall, Oklahoma and Virginia Tech. The semifinals will be on Friday, Nov. 22, and the consolation and championship games will be held the following day. The matchups have yet to be announced.

Tickets will go on sale Saturday, April 13, available via Ticketmaster and the Barclays Center box office.

LIU Brooklyn forward Julian Boyd has been granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA, and will play for the Blackbirds next season.

Boyd, the NEC Player of the Year in 2012, played in just eight games this past year -- he tore the ACL in his right knee in a game against Rice on Dec. 12. He also missed the entire 2009-2010 season due to a heart condition.

As a junior, the 6-foot-7, 230-pound forward averaged 17.4 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. He averaged 18.5 points in eight games this year.

LIU Brooklyn has been to the NCAA Tournament the past three seasons, and with Boyd back, the Blackbirds should be contenders in the Northeast Conference again next year.

Coach Jack Perri is losing seniors Jamal Olasewere (18.9 ppg, 8.6 rpg) and C.J. Garner (16.1 ppg), but point guard Jason Brickman -- who led the nation in assists, at 8.5 per game -- will be back as well.

Baylor made history in New York.

The Bears became the first Big 12 team to win the NIT, soundly defeating the Iowa Hawkeyes 74-54 on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden.

"I’m proud of these guys," Baylor coach Scott Drew said. "Really proud of their heart and determination, and they’ll always be remembered. Whenever you make history -- you don’t get a lot of chances to do that."

Baylor led 27-22 at halftime, and Iowa cut the deficit to 28-27 early in the second half. But the game turned into a rout from there. Pierre Jackson, the Bears' leading scorer (19.9 PPG), heated up, scoring 13 of his 17 points after intermission. He also collected 10 assists, giving him a fourth consecutive double-double, and was named the tournament's most outstanding player.

"In the second half, they were getting some good screens for me to get to the paint," Jackson said, "and I got to the right spots and knocked down shots."

"They’re a terrific offensive team," said Iowa coach Fran McCaffery. "They had us spread out. They were moving the ball, and they’ve got a lot of weapons, and Jackson is tremendous."

Iowa, on the other hand, had a nightmarish game on offense. The Hawkeyes shot just 18-for-69 (26.4 percent) from the field and 5-for-24 (20.8 percent) from beyond the arc. They missed open looks on the perimeter and several chippies around the rim, clearly bothered by the presence of 7-foot-1 center Isaiah Austin (15 points, 9 rebounds, 5 blocks) and 6-foot-9 forward Cory Jefferson (23 points, 7 rebounds).

Roy Devyn Marble, who had scored 21 or more points in each of Iowa's first four games in this tournament, finished with just six, shooting 3-for-12 from the field.

"[It] seemed like we just kept missing easy shots," McCaffery said. "The stat that jumps out at me is we had 20 offensive rebounds against this team. That’s effort. That’s special. That should have equated to more success offensively."

Baylor (23-14, 9-9 Big 12) was ranked No. 19 in the country in the preseason, so ending up in the NIT was a disappointment. But the Bears certainly finished the season strong.

"You look at most teams in the NIT, they probably lost a lot of close games, and with our team, we lost some close games," Drew said. "And the common denominator was when we shot over 70 percent from the free throw line, we won, and when we shot in the 50s and 60s, we lost. That’s with a young front line."

Drew will lose his starting backcourt of Jackson and A.J. Walton, both seniors. But if the talented post players return, Baylor will be dangerous next season.

Iowa (25-13, 9-9 Big Ten) had its bubble burst Selection Sunday but gained valuable experience by playing five more games. Senior swingman Eric May departs, but everyone else should be back, and the Hawkeyes should go dancing next season, for the first time since 2006.

"There’s just no substitute for experience," McCaffery said. "Come to Madison Square Garden, the greatest venue in sports, and play twice against two really good teams, win one, lose one, learn from that -- it can only make us better."