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Were it not for the hard feelings among the administrations, you’d have to expect all of the Big East players to gather at center court and sing “Kumbaya” this week.

Because this is it — the end of the Big East tournament as we know it. Thanks to the heft of the all-mighty dollar, this time next year, West Virginia will be gone. In two seasons’ time, everyone — save for the Jamaican bobsled team — will be in (although no one has said this expansion thing is over so don’t count it out).

And in its final iteration, the Big East looks to be little more than a coronation for the team that tends to turn Madison Square Garden into its own field of Orange. Syracuse rolls to New York with more league wins than any team in conference history and as the first team in the Big East to complete the regular season dropping just one game overall.

Of course, looks can be deceiving. If the Big East tournament has taught us anything it is to expect the unexpected:

Five-games-in-five-nights champion? Check. Six overtimes? Got it. Allen Iverson versus Ray Allen and Victor Page is your MVP? Yep. It happened. Walter Berry blocks Pearl Washington in a title game? Been there.

So why should the final season of this 16-team setup be different?

Here are some things to look out for in the Big East tournament:

Top Three Storylin…………… continues on ESPN

Muslims at rally: NYPD surveillance keeps us safe

By COLLEEN LONG, Associated Press – 2 hours ago 

NEW YORK (AP) — Members of an Islamic coalition stood in front of police headquarters with signs to support the New York Police Department’s aggressive counterterrorism efforts, saying the agency is doing what is necessary to protect the city — and Muslims.

Imam Qazi Qayyoom, who was among the group Monday, said he believes the New York Police Department is keeping his community safe and if that means some Muslims are monitored, so be it.

“The police, they come to us and say, ‘Is everything OK? How can we help you?” the Queens marriage officiant said Monday. “They are not trying to hurt us. For this, I want to say thank you and tell them I support them.”

Qayyoom and about three dozen other people attended the first rally held by Muslims in support of the NYPD following a series of Associated Press stories detailing the police department’s secret surveillance of mosques, Muslim-owned businesses and college campuses across the Northeast since Muslim extremists attacked the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, killing thousands of people.

The rally, held by the American Islamic Leadership Coalition outside police headquarters in downtown Manhattan, illustrated a divi…………… continues on The Associated Press

LA QUINTA, Calif. — Seventeen years after his first PGA Tour appearance in the desert, former President Bill Clinton returned Saturday for the third round of the Humana Challenge and was in fine form, at least sartorially. As Clinton stood on the first tee box at the Palmer Private course at PGA West, a fan in the stands shouted, “Those are gorgeous shoes, Mr. President.”

With a nod at his red-white-and-blue Adidas golf shoes with an American flag insignia stitched on the sides, Clinton quipped, “The shoes are the best part of my game.”

He played to a handicap of 18 strokes — and to the huge crowds that tailed him from the driving range to the practice green and onto the course. Clinton hopped onto a raised handicap access area positioned behind and to the side of the first tee and shook hands with everybody seated there. Hopping down from the platform, Clinton pretended to hurt his leg and said: “Injury! I can’t play.”

His relaxed demeanor seemed to rub off on the others in his foursome, which included the pros

SEATTLE — A disappointing weekend ended with a frustrating finish.

Stanford was out-rebounded for just the third time all season and shot 26.5 percent in the first half, falling to Washington 76-63 in front of an announced crowd of 9,794 Saturday at Alaska Airlines Arena.

“It’s always disappointing when you lose, whether it’s two losses or one,” Cardinal coach Johnny Dawkins said. “To me, they’re all the same. We hate to lose and, unfortunately, we didn’t get a win this weekend.”

After being swept by the Huskies and Washington State, Stanford drops from first to fifth in the Pac-12 standings, one game behind conference leaders Cal and Oregon.

“Coming off of Utah and Colorado, I thought we were playing really good basketball,” point guard Aaron Bright said. “We knew we let one get away at WSU, and then we didn’t play the way we could here. Hats off to UW, they’re a great team.”

Stanford (15-5, 5-3 Pac-12) tried to pound the ball into the post early, feeding Josh Owens, who used his quickness to get by Washington’s 7-foot center, Aziz N’Diaye.

Owens finished with 14 points and nine rebounds, but the Huskies controlled the offensive and defensive glass, claiming a 47-32 advantage.

“They did a great job boxing out,” Dawkins said. “They were very alert on the offensive rebounds, and defensi…………… continues on San Jose Mercury News