NEW YORK — Big East Commissioner John Marinatto may not want to give Rick Pitino any credit for Memphis coming to the Big East, but Josh Pastner certainly does.

“We play Louisville next year as part of a home-and-home series,” Pastner, the Memphis coach, told SNY.tv during Thursday’s edition of “The Big East Report.”

“I really believe Coach Pitino deserves a standing ovation when Louisville comes here because one of the main reasons we got into the Big East was through Coach Pitino’s public politicking for us to get in.”

Pitino told SNY.tv last fall that Memphis would be “an awesome addition” to the Big East in the wake of Syracuse, Pittsburgh and West Virginia leaving, and reiterated those comments Thursday on “SiriuxXm’s Inside College Basketball” with Jeff Goodman and Bruce Pearl.

“In terms of the culture of Big East basketball, we needed an inner city school, a Top 20 program, and right now we get Memphis who would automatically now become the second largest crowd,” Pitino said.

“They average 16,500.  They’ll average 18,000 now being in the Big East.  This is going to sound shocking to you but their APR would be second in the Big East.  Their facilities would rank them in the top 5 in the Big East.  So we needed this, a big shot in the arm for us.  I think we’re going to probably still add one more team.”

Consistent with comments he previously made to SNY.tv, Pitino still believes Temple could be that team.

“Me personally, it’s Temple,” he told Goodman and Pearl. “But, you know, I’m not the commissioner and I’m not the presidents.  People say that Villanova is fighting it.  I don’t understand because South Florida had to say, ‘Look, we don’t like it but we’ll take Central Florida.  If that’s in the best interests of the conference, we’ll do it.’  And Villanova’s going to have to say, ‘If it’s in the best interests of the conference, we’ll do it.’

“So everybody’s gotta start thinking, the only agenda is how can the Big East be strong?  Now, Temple, I think, is the logical, again, it’s an inner city school, Philadelphia, great coach, great tradition.  I think it’s a natural.  Good football program.  But I don’t know if some other people would agree with that. I’ve always said that Memphis and Temple make the most sense.”

Like Pitino before him, Pastner will be coming over to the Big East from Conference-USA, where Memphis, especially under former coach John Calipari, has at times dominated its opponents.

“I want to say that Conference-USA is a terrific basketball league,” said Pastner, whose Tigers are 17-7, 7-2 in the conference and boast 18,000 season ticket-holders. “It’s very, very under-valued. It’s very under-appreciated both locally and nationally by the media….Conference-USA does not get the respect that it deserves.”

Still, Pastner said coming to the Big East in 2013 would be an “honor and privilege.”

“I mean, the Big East, you’re talking about a league that is known as maybe the best basketball league for 20, 30, 40 years,” he said.

Paster said he had no dramatic plans to alter his recruiting philosophy once his team joins the new league.

“We’re a national program,” he said, “and we recruit nationally. You look at our last couple recruiting classes, we recruit at a very high level, we’ve signed high-level guys….This is a players’ game, and that what’s your focus is, going to get the best players.”

He will need the best players to compete in the new conference even if this isn’t your father’s Big East.

Georgetown coach John Thompson III, whose team has played Memphis the last two years out of conference, believes the Tigers are joining an elite conference.

“When you start talking about Syracuse and people leaving, all that meant is that we went from unquestionably the best basketball conference to now we’re arguably the best basketball conference,” Thompson III said on the Big East conference call.

“And so they’re coming into what is probably going to still be the best basketball conference.”

Like Pitino, West Virginia coach Bob Huggins has also coached in Conference-USA and in the Big East.

Yet while West Virginia is on its way out – perhaps as early as this year – Memphis is coming in.

Asked how he thought Memphis would make the transition, Huggins said:

“That’s hard to answer because the truth of the matter is a third of the  Big East was in Conference-USA when I was in Conference-USA. I mean, Rick was at Louisville, Cal was at Memphis, DePaul had Quentin Richardson, Marquette was good. Tommy [Crean] was doing a great job at Marquette.”

He added: “They’ve got a heck of a basketball program. Cal did a great job getting it going and Josh has kept it going. They’ve got a great, great fan base. Their base is absolutely terrific. They travel. You’ll see them everywhere in the league.”

Pittsburgh coach Jamie Dixon said it was “bittersweet” that his team was leaving the Big East for the ACC, along with Syracuse.

But he said he believes the Big East did the right thing in adding schools like Memphis, Houston, SMU and UCF.

“They’ve definitely solidified the conference and we’re very glad for that and we’re glad to see that Memphis and all the other teams that they’re adding bring something,” Dixon said. “Everybody brings something different to the table and they all bring some value.

“That is key. They didn’t fill with just numbers. They filled with teams that brought a certain value and strength to the conference in different ways. And I think the plan that they’ve followed has really worked out well for the Big East.”

Now, it’s just a matter of getting Pitino that standing O in Memphis.

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Geron Johnson, a 6-foot-3 combo guard from Dayton (Ohio) Garden City College averaging 19 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists, pledged to the Tigers Thursday.

“I think he really was excited about playing for Coach [Josh] Pastner,” Garden City coach Kris Baumann told SNY.tv.  “I think he was excited about them going to the Big East his senior year.”

Johnson also considered Kansas, Wichita State, Marshall and Washington, but only visited Kansas and Memphis.

“I know coach [Damon] Stoudamire being on the staff was a big influence on him as well,” Baumann said. “Geron has visions of himself being an NBA player someday and he really wanted to work with a guy that can teach him about how to play at that level. I think there were just a lot of things he really liked and thought it would be a good fit for him.”

Baumann said he doesn’t think Johnson is a one-and-done, and thus he will get to play in the Big East in the 2013-14 season.

“I think he plans on being there two years and getting his degree,” he said. “I think he’s going to play both his junior and senior year and then get his degree. That’s pretty much what he has planned, but you never know.”

Johnson joins Shaq Goodwin, a 6-8 power forward from Decatur, Ga., and 6-5 small forward Damien Wilson of Oak Hill Academy in Memphis’ 2012 recruiting class.

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It sounds strange, but it could happen.

With established powers Syracuse, Pittsburgh and West Virginia on their way out and former Conference-USA schools Memphis, Houston, SMU and UCF on their way in, the Big East will look dramatically different in a year or so.

All those schools are set to join in 2013, meaning by the time of the 2014 Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden, it’s at least possible Memphis and Houston – or for that matter, SMU and UCF — could play for the title.

“Although it sounds odd today, five years from now it’ll be accepted and it won’t be in the same manner,” Big East Commissioner John Marinatto said Wednesday.

“So change is always going to occur and this is just another piece of evidence to support that.”

There could be as many as 17 teams in the 2014 Big East Tournament, once the new schools are in and the old schools are out.

Talk about a busy week at Madison Square Garden.

“Our membership will get together and we’ll analyze all of the possibilities of a 17-team postseason championship,” Marinatto said.

“Depending on what the membership’s desire is, there are ways to do whatever you want to do.”

Marinatto added that while the 12-member football league that begins play in 2015 would be split into two six-team divisions, East and West, there were no such plans to divide the basketball conference into divisions.

It remains unclear when West Virginia will leave, and Marinatto said it would be “inappropriate” to discuss whether the league would let them out in 2012. He also declined to comment on a timeframe as to when the matter would be resolved.

The league and school are suing one another, and the Big East insists no school can leave before the 27-month time period, or June 2014.

The addition of Memphis was clearly made to augment the basketball side of the league in the wake of the losses of Syracuse, Pitt and West Virginia. Memphis’ basketball program is traditionally much stronger than its football team.

“For different reasons, I think we’re always going to be very, very strong in men’s basketball,” Marinatto said. “And with the addition of Memphis I think we just solidify our position as being the best conference in the country in men’s basketball. And for that matter, women’s basketball.”

While Louisville coach Rick Pitino and Notre Dame coach Mike Brey both told SNY.tv this fall they supported the additions of Memphis and Temple, Marinatto said Pitino was not “the driving force” behind the addition of Memphis.

“Rick’s comments, as much as I love him,” Marinatto said, “didn’t really influence our membership’s decision.”

He said Memphis was chosen over Temple in part because Memphis plays in the Central Time Zone, which would allow them to slide into the West Division for football.

“We needed a school that would fit into that West Division,” Marinatto said.

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Everyone in the college basketball world knows Josh Pastner can recruit.

The Memphis coach signed ESPN’s No. 4 recruiting class nationally in 2010.

His current roster includes McDonald’s All-American Joe Jackson and Jordan Brand All-Americans Will Barton and Wesley Witherspoon.

Now that Memphis is headed to the Big East beginning in 2013, Pastner and his staff will have recruiting entree to the rich talent corridor from New York to Washington, D.C.

“I think joining the Big East helps a program like Memphis recruit New Jersey/New York kids,” Roselle (N.J.) Catholic coach Dave Boff, whose best player is 2013 small forward Tyler Roberson, told SNY.tv. “First of all, the name Big East still carries weight. Kids know they will be playing in one of the best conferences and a conference with great tradition. Second, I think kids are more apt to go away to school if they know there is a chance they get to play some road games that are close to home.”

When former Elizabeth (N.J.) St. Patrick star Jeff Robinson picked Memphis out of high school, he was headed to play in Conference-USA. Robinson ultimately transferred to Seton Hall and finished his career in the Big East.

Now, a player from New York or New Jersey could pick Memphis, and still come home several times a year to play at St. John’s, Rutgers, Seton Hall and Villanova. The Big East Tournament, still the crown jewel of the league, is held each March at Madison Square Garden.

“I think it will definitely help them get players from the Northeast knowing they will come home multiple times to play in front of friends and family,” said St. Benedict’s Prep coach Mark Taylor.

The St. Benedict’s roster includes 2013 point guard Tyler Ennis, who is being courted by Memphis, Georgia Tech, Syracuse, Kansas, Arizona and Louisville, and 2015 guard Isaiah Briscoe, who is being courted by UConn and Syracuse and is one of the top players nationally in that class.

Brooklyn Lincoln coach Tiny Morton, who coached Stephon Marbury, Sebastian Telfair and Lance Stephenson, agrees with Taylor and Boff.

“[Memphis] is a place that a lot of players that I’ve coached and known never visited so to be able to play there and come back home would be great,” Morton said.

Lincoln’s current roster is highlighted by 2014 wing Isaiah Whitehead, who holds offers from Arizona, Syracuse, St. John’s and PIttsburgh and has interest from Kentucky, UConn, North Carolina, Louisville, Georgetown and Florida State.

Pastner and Memphis will, of course, be competing in the Northeast with established Big East power like UConn, Louisville, Villanova, Georgetown, Cincinnati and Marquette for players, as well as rising programs like Providence, St. John’s, Rutgers and Seton Hall.

Syracuse and Pitt, which will move to the ACC, will also continue to recruit nationally and will now attempt to draw players away from the Big East.

In Philadelphia, Memphis will have to go head-to-head with Villanova, as well as the other programs that recruit the City of Brotherly Love.

“There are so many Big East teams between here and Memphis,” said Philly Constitution coach Rob Moore, whose roster includes uncommitted 2012 wing Savon Goodman and 2013 point guard Daiquan Walker.

“There’s more Big East teams here [in this area] than Conference-USA so it actually puts them at a disadvantage in Philly.”

In the Washington D.C. area, Memphis could also make some inroads.

“Yes, sir, no doubt about it,” DC Assault coach Nate Britt Sr., the father of North Carolina-bound 2013 point guard Nate Britt Jr., told SNY.tv. “It puts Memphis in the loop for recruits from the DMV. It’s a great move for Memphis to the Big East for basketball.”

Mike Jones, head coach at legendary DeMatha Catholic, concurs.

“I definitely believe it will [help Memphis],” he said. “They already have ties into Baltimore.”

Ultimately, said Fitchburg (Mass.) Notre Dame Prep coach Ryan Hurd, whose roster includes Pitt-bound Steven Adams, Xavier signee Myles Davis and uncommitted shooting guard Sam Cassell Sr., recruiting comes down to relationships.

“Anytime you go up a notch league-wise it’s going to be great for your program,” Hurd said. “Especially when you’re heading to a league with as many media hotbeds as the Big East has.

“Ultimately, recruiting is about relationships and whether or not you treat people the right way.”

HOW THE BIG EAST WILL LOOK

The Big East still publicly maintains that Syracuse, Pittsburgh and West Virginia won’t be permitted to leave the conference until June 2014.

So their press release officially introducing Memphis in 2013 says the league will look like this beginning in 2015.

In 2015, the 12-team Big East football membership will consist of Boise State, UCF, Cincinnati, Connecticut, Houston, Louisville, Memphis, Navy, Rutgers, San Diego State, SMU and USF.

In 2015, the 17-member Big East basketball league will include UCF, Cincinnati, Connecticut, DePaul, Georgetown, Houston, Louisville, Marquette, Memphis, Notre Dame, Providence, Rutgers, St. John’s, Seton Hall, SMU, USF and Villanova.

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Rick Pitino

Memphis and the Big East are negotiating to make the Tigers an all-sports member of the league beginning in 2013, Brett McMurphy of CBSSports.com reported.

“Memphis would be an awesome addition,” Pitino, the Louisville basketball coach, told SNY.tv last fall, referring to their basketball program.

Memphis would come aboard with fellow all-sports members SMU, Houston and UCF beginning in 2013. Boise State and San Diego State will also join then as football-only members, with Navy coming aboard in 2015 for football only.

From a basketball perspective, Memphis could help offset the losses of West Virginia, which could leave as early as this year depending on the outcome of lawsuits between the school and the conference, and Syracuse and Pittsburgh, which are headed to the ACC either this year or next even though the Big East says it will keep all teams to their 27-month exit timeline.

Pitino and Notre Dame basketball coach Mike Brey have both been in favor of adding Memphis for basketball, which would bring the league to 17 teams, depending on when West Virginia leaves.

“We must replace Syracuse, Pitt and West Virginia, if that’s the case, with Temple and Memphis,” Pitino said. “One Top 10 program, the other a Top 30 program that fit into everything we are all about.”

On the football front, Pitino said, ““Memphis has a lot of money behind them and they could build up their football program.”

Brey also supports the addition of Memphis for basketball.

“I want Memphis because we need basketball star power because we’ve lost some,” Brey told SNY.tv in the fall. “Memphis brings a basketball program, and we’ve just lost two horses. We need to be mindful of our basketball stuff. And I think Houston can give us a little bit. Memphis really gives you that star power.

“I like a Temple and a Memphis and a Houston because of their basketball. I don’t really care about their football.”

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Thomas turned his ankle during practice Friday and an MRI on Monday revealed that he had a loose “flap” of cartilage.

“A decision (was made) today from talking to the doctors and his family that he is going to have very minor surgery,” Memphis coach Josh Pastner told the newspaper. “It’s minor. It’s not a fracture or a break. It’s just something with the cartilage, very minor. They just need to clean it up real quick. But the recovery time is that we expect him to miss possibly the remainder of the season.”

Pastner added by text to SNY.tv, “Out for 2-3 months.”

The Tigers have won six straight after opening the season at 6-5.

Thomas ranks third on the Tigers in scoring (9.6 points per game) and fourth in rebounding (3.6).

“He’s going to be in the game of basketball a long time so that it’s best to have the procedure,” Pastner said. “It’s not the injury. It’s the surgery. It’s going to take a little time to recover. The time he’ll get back to full speed — we are planning that he will miss the rest of the season.”

If all goes well, Thomas could return by the end of March.

“But that means we will still have to be playing in the NCAA Tournament,” Pastner told the paper.

Photo: AP

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But now Rex Morgan, head coach at Arlington (Fla.) Country Day, says Memphis may be working the hardest on the 6-foot-4 2012 shooting guard.

“Torian committed to N.C. State and now it’s not a good fit,” Morgan told SNY.tv Wednesday by phone.

“He’s opened it back up and Memphis is working pretty hard.”

Still, Morgan mentioned West Virginia was also involved and said “A lot of people are interested in him. He’s the best two guard out there.”

Graham is one of four uncommitted seniors at Arlington Country Day — along with guards Ian Baker and Carlos Morris and forward Jordan Goodman.

All four players have decommitted at least once, with Baker and Morris decommitting from South Carolina and remaining open.

Morgan said Seton Hall, Tennessee, Arkansas, Ole Miss and Cleveland State had been in to watch both players. The 6-2 Baker is a point guard and the 6-5 Morris is a shooting guard.

“They want to take a couple visits, which I advised them to,” Morgan said.

Graham has twice change his mind about N.C. State.

“I don’t know the whole story,” Morgan said of Graham’s most recent change of heart. “I think he was home and got caught up in the moment.”

And the 6-9 Goodman has pulled the plug on Georgetown, Rutgers and Texas Tech.

“I think things will shake out the first part of March with those kids,” Morgan said.

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The Memphis Commercial Appeal quoted Memphis coach Josh Pastner as saying Jackson would sit out the game because of a “personal matter,” but apparently Jackson’s days at Memphis could be numbered.

“My opinion is he might not wear a uniform in Memphis again,” Eric Robinson, Jackson’s former summer coach, told CBS. “It’s nobody’s fault. Josh has a system [but] I don’t know where Joe fits in it, and Joe said he’s confused, unhappy and not having fun. And I always say if you’re not happy you need to do something about it.

“They’re trying to work things out, and I hope they can work things out,” Robinson added. “But if not, Joe and the Tigers might have to part ways.”

The 6-foot-1 Jackson started Memphis’ first 11 games of the season, but came off the bench in Thursday’s win over Robert Morris and went scoreless in 21 minutes.

The former McDonald’s All-American is averaging 11.9 points and 3.1 assists on the season.

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The 6-foot-8 Goodwin joins AAU teammate Damien Wilson in the Tigers’ 2012 signing class.

Memphis had previously missed out on power forward Alex Poythress, who chose Kentucky. The Tigers are also involved with 6-8 Jarnell Stokes of Memphis, who may end up signing in the late period.

Goodwin is rated as the No. 19 prospect in the nation by ESPNU, and the best prospect in the state of Georgia.

“Coach [Damon] Stoudamire and Coach [Jack] Murphy deserve all the credit on this,” Memphis coach Josh Pastner said. “Shaq is extremely contagious with positive energy, and it just flows throughout his game. He plays with a tremendous motor; he’s very versatile and can shoot the three. He’s a very, very good rebounder as well and just a high character guy that fits right in with our current student-athletes.”

Goodwin helped lead Southwest DeKalb High School to a 24-6 record in 2010-11 before losing 70-53 to Rockdayle County in the Class AAAA Georgia State Championship game.

Goodwin averaged a double-double of 18 points and 10.1 rebounds per game last season at Southwest DeKalb while shooting over 70 percent from the floor. He also averaged 3.2 blocks per contest. Goodwin’s best performance came in a playoff win over Lakeside in which he scored 41 points and pulled down 10 rebounds.

Goodwin received Georgia Class AAAA All-State first team honors for his performance during the 2010-11 season.

Goodwin is also a part of the same AAU program as Wilson, the Atlanta Celtics. Alumni of the Celtics include current NBA players Dwight Howard, Josh Smith, Derrick Favors, Joe Johnson and Amare Stoudemire. 

(Photo courtesy AJC)

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Shaq Goodwin

“memphisbound,” he tweeted.

The 6-foot-8, 245-pound Goodwin out of Decatur (Ga.) Southwest Dekalb High also considered Florida, Arizona, UCLA and Georgia. He joins Damien Wilson, a 6-6 small forward from Oak Hill Academy, in Memphis’ 2012 class.

Goodwin’s stock rose dramatically over the summer when he helped the Memphis YOMCA AAU team reach the finals of the prestigious Peach Jam event with a 29-point, 12-rebound performance in the semifinals against the Georgia Stars.

Goodwin teamed with fellow 6-8 big man Jarnell Stokes to form a powerful one-two punch down low.

A confident, outgoing young man, Goodwin said this summer he believes he can play both football and basketball in college.

While it remains unclear if he would play both at Memphis, the Tigers could certainly use all the help it can get on the gridiron.

The national championship game in football is not played until January, so Goodwin said he could hypothetically play football in the fall before joining the basketball team in January.

“Then I’ll be national champion,” he said this summer.

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