UConn 82

ND 77

No. 1, meet No. 1.

Big East Conference co-players of the year, say hello to one another.

It will be an all-No. 1 seed Big East Conference Tournament championship when Connecticut and Pittsburgh meet tonight for the league’s automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament.

Because of the quirky two-division scheduling format, the Huskies and Panthers have yet to play this season. Which means Connecticut’s sensational forward, Caron Butler, and Pittsburgh’s terrific point guard, Brandin Knight have yet to see each other on the court.

After the Panthers got a record-tying performance from Knight to hold off Miami, 76-71, Connecticut got a spectacular all-around game from Butler to outscore Notre Dame 82-77.

“We’re the kings of our division, they’re the kings of their division,” said Butler. “It would be only right for us to match off in the championship game.”

Connecticut (23-6) won the East Division with a 13-3 record. Pittsburgh (27-4) won the West with an identical league mark.

Pittsburgh has won nine straight. UConn has won eight straight.

“I do think that the 16 games do prove something,” said UConn coach Jim Calhoun.

Butler poured in 20 points, scoring from in the paint and behind the 3-point arc and grabbed seven rebounds. He became the third fastest player in Connecticut history to reach the 1,000-point mark.

Ben Gordon of Mount Vernon, whose three beat Villanova 72-70 in the quarterfinals, added 19 points on an array of shots. Gordon was 3-for-6 on 3’s. The freshman has played with a senior’s poise.

Knight scored 20 points and dished out 14 assists, tying the tournament record shared by Pearl Washington and Mark Jackson. Washington and Jackson had 14 assists on consecutive nights in 1986. It’s taken 16 years for another point guard to produce such a dazzling performance.

“When you’re in the same company with Mark Jackson and Pearl Washington, those are pretty good names,” said Pitt coach Ben Howland.