On Friday night, as Dick Vitale likes to say, Sarasota will become the toast of the sports world, as ESPN’s voice of college basketball hosts his seventh annual Gala at the Ritz-Carlton to benefit The V Foundation for Cancer Research.

Celebrities will be all over the place, from John Calipari and Greg Schiano to Ricky Watters and Gary Sheffield. This year’s three honorees are Lou Holtz, Gary Williams and, well, some other guy.

“Yeah, right,” said Villanova coach Jay Wright. “And me.

“I guarantee you I’ll be the first speaker, not the last.”

But one of them nonetheless.

“It’s a great honor,” he said. “I think it’s mostly for my involvement with the foundation, playing in their tournament and working with Dick in this event. I’ve been an attendee every year.

“It’s very humbling, especially to be included with those guys.”

There will be 1,000 people there, raising $1 million, all of which goes to cancer research. The V Foundation is named for legendary coach Jim Valvano.

“That’s the beauty of the foundation,” said Wright, who is also involved with the City 6 Coaches for Cancer cause. "It’s amazing.”

And on Saturday night, the honorees and their guests will have dinner at Vitale’s house.

“To be in that position, where they think that you are worthy of being honored, I’m very, very fortunate that I can help them do some great things,” Wright said. “It does make you feel a little uncomfortable. It's just because I’m the coach at Villanova, and that means something ...

“I remember the first one started at [Vitale’s] house. It’s just grown into this huge thing. He’s [honored] some unbelievable people: Bobby Knight, Mike Krzyzewski, Magic Johnson. Last year it was Roy Williams and John Calipari. I think [Vitale] must have picked me before the season. I know I’ll definitely be the only one being honored coming off a losing record.”

Did we mention that there’s an after-party featuring a concert by the Spinners? By then it won’t matter so much who spoke when as the fact that so many showed up for all the right reasons.

Butler University has joined the Atlantic 10 Conference, the league council of presidents announced Wednesday.

Butler will join the A-10 on July 1, 2013. The Bulldogs have been to two of the last three basketball Final Fours. The council of presidents voted unanimously to accept Butler. Butler fields 17 of the A-10's 21 championship sports.

The A-10 recently lost Temple to the Big East Conference. The Owls will play Big East football in the fall and join the Big East for other sports in the fall of 2013.

The Atlantic 10 Conference Council of Presidents has unanimously voted to formally accept Butler University’s application for membership the league announced Tuesday.

“Welcoming Butler University as the newest member of the Atlantic 10 Conference is an honor and privilege. Institutionally, they are a perfect fit for the league and bring a tradition of excellence in academics, athletics, integrity and personnel,” A-10 commissioner Bernadette V. McGlade said in a statement. “As a conference driven by national prominence in men’s basketball, Butler further strengthens our league. Complementing their success in men’s basketball is a broad-based sports program that will compete well in the A-10.”

As has been anticipated, Neumann-Goretti product Tony Chennault appears close to transferring to Villanova, sources said. An official announcement could come as early as the next few days.

The 6-2 guard recently decided to leave Wake Forest after two seasons to be closer to home because his mother, Crystal Mortan, has been experiencing health problems. He is petitioning the NCAA for a hardship waiver, which would allow him to become eligible immediately. But sources have indicated that Chennault will likely end up with the Wildcats, which was his second choice coming out of high school, even if he has to sit out a season.

Chennault, whose father Anthony was the Daily News Player of the Year at Frankford in 1981, was also considering Saint Joseph’s. But his only visit was to the Main Line, where he spent last Thursday and Friday. He started last season for the Demon Deacons, after becoming their first player from Philadelphia since Fran McCaffery in 1978. He was a high school teammate of former Syracuse standouts Rick Jackson and Scoop Jardine, and LaSalle's Tyreek Duren.

Villanova lost 19 games last season for only the second time in program history and missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2004. Two starting junior guards, Maalik Wayns and Dominic Cheek, have decided to leave and start their professional careers. They were the top two scorers. Five of the eight returning scholarship players will be sophomores who averaged a combined 23 points in 87 minutes.

Two local newcomers, Neshaminy guard Ryan Arcidiacono and Westtown big man Daniel Ochefu, should provide some immediate help.

EVery few years, a proposal to start a postseason tournament for Ivy League basketball gets pushed forward. The coaches have recently proposed a four-team tournament, but the key word is “proposed.”

If adopted, and there are three layers that the proposal would have to pass, it would be modeled on the lacrosse tournament that was proposed around 2006 and began in 2010. In other words, don’t get in line for tickets.

The Ivy athletic directors will meet May 8 to 10. They may talk about the proposal. They may ignore it. If they approve, it would need to pass another stage before getting to the presidents.

Penn athletic director Steve Bilsky does not sound too excited by the concept. Here is his statement released by the school.

“Many coaches groups have submitted proposals for Ivy Tournaments and I’m sure the men’s basketball one will receive the same consideration as has been done in the past.

“Over the years there has been wide-ranging discussion on the merits of a men’s basketball tournament. There are many philosophical, as well as logistical, issues and challenges to consider.

“In my opinion, to date the reasons not to have a tournament have been much more compelling than the reasons to sponsor one. When it comes to basketball competition, the double round-robin format to select the NCAA representative is one instance where I believe the Ivy League has it right.

“Nevertheless, our Ivy spring meetings are the proper forum to revisit this issue. Frankly, I would rather have the League place a greater priority on finding a way for our football programs to play in postseason competition.”

Penn senior guard Zack Rosen was named Big 5 player of the year and scholar-athlete of the year.

La Salle’s Earl Pettis was most improved player and Jerrell Wright was rookie of the year. Temple’s Fran Dunphy was picked coach of the year and his Owls were named team of the year.

Joining Rosen on the All-Big 5 first team are: Ramone Moore (Temple), Maalik Wayns (Villanova), Khalif Wyatt (Temple) and Langston Galloway (Saint Joseph’s).

On the second team are: La Salle’s Tyreek Duren, Pettis and Ramon Galloway, Saint Joseph’s Carl Jones and C.J. Aiken and Temple’s Juan Fernandez.

Temple’s Shea Peddy was selected women’s player of the year for the second consecutive year. Villanova’s Harry Perretta was named coach of the year. Temple’s Victoria Macaulay was named most improved and Penn’s Kara Bonenberger was rookie of year and Jess Knapp received the sportsmanship award.

Joining Peddy on the first team are: Alyssa Baron (Penn), Laura Sweeney (Villanova), Brittany Wilson (La Salle) and Michelle Baker (Saint Joseph’s). On the second team are: Macauley, Kristen McCarthy (Temple), Alexis Scott (La Salle), Lauren Burford (Villanova) and Kelly Cavallo (Saint Joseph’s).

Temple's Ramone Moore scored 15 points and had nine rebounds as his East team defeated the West, 103-99, in a college all-star game Friday at the Superdome in New Orleans. Temple’s Juan Fernandez also played for the East.

“It was an all-star game, but we all wanted to come in and play seriously for our coach [former Alabama coach Wimp Sanderson], who took it upon himself to make us play hard,” Moore said.

“It wasn’t just entertainment out here. We really wanted to get the win, and I’m glad we did.”

Jae Crowder, the Big East player of the year from Marquette, led the East with 25 points. Missouri’s Ricardo Ratliffe led the West with 21 points.

Sources have confirmed Internet rumblings that junior swingman Dominic Cheek could also be leaving Villanova early for the NBA draft.

The Wildcats are already losing junior lead guard Maalik Wayns, their leading scorer (17-plus points a game) and a second-team all-Big East selection.

Neither Cheek nor coach Jay Wright, who was out of town recruiting, could be reached for comment.

The 6-6 Cheek averaged 12.5 points in 30 minutes per game, both second-best on a team that finished 13-19 and missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2004. He also averaged 3.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists. He shot 39 percent from the floor, 32 beyond the arc, and 80 at the free-throw line. His biggest problem, like much of the team, was probably inconsistency. So at this point it’s hard to say whether he’d even project as a second-round pick. But it only takes one team. And if nothing else, Cheek is athletic, with a skill set best suited for an up-tempo game.

Also, there is apparently no truth to the rumor that 6-11 Maurice Sutton, a fourth-year junior, is departing as well. He averaged 3.6 points and 3.1 boards and had 19 blocks, second on the team but only seven less than junior Mouphtaou Yarou in almost 500 fewer minutes.

The Wildcats have nine scholarship players returning, including three starters and five guys who will be entering their second season.

In other news, Allerik Freeman, a 6-4 junior guard from Charlotte, N.C., who’s considered one of the top 20 overall prospects in the Class of 2013, has narrowed his choices to Villanova and Kansas.

“I just don’t know about a timetable,” he told CBSSports.com. “Just when the time is right. They are both even.”

Temple's Ramone Moore and Juan Fernandez have been selected to the East team for the Reese's Division I College All-Star Game, scheduled for Friday at the Superdome in New Orleans.

The game begins at 5:35 p.m. Eastern and will be shown Saturday at 1 p.m. on truTv.

Twenty players were selected by the National Associated of Basketball Coaches. Temple is the only school with two players in the game, which will be held after the Final Four practice sessions.

Moore was the Owls' leading scorer at 17.3 points per game. Fernandez averageed 11.1 points per game and led the team in assists (3.8 per game).

Temple's Lavoy Allen was selected to play in the game last year.

Joining Moore and Fernandez on the East roster are guards Scott Machado (Iona) and Kevin Murphy (Tennessee Tech); forwards Jae Crowder (Marquette), John Shurna (Northwestern), Keith Wright (Harvard) and Michael Watt (Buffalo); and centers Garrett Stutz (Wichita State) and Henry Sims (Georgetown).

The West roster is comprised of guards Casper Ware (Long Beach State), Jorge Gutierrez (Cal), Devoe Joseph (Oregon); guard/forwards Bradford Burgess (VCU) and Chase Stanback (UNLV); forwards Dominique Morrison (Oral Roberts), Wendell McKines (New Mexico State), Storm Warren (LSU) and Ricardo Ratliffe (Missouri) and center Robert Sacre (Gonzaga).

Former Drexel guard Bashir Mason has been named the head coach at Wagner College.

At 28, Mason becomes the nation’s youngest Division I head coach as well as the 18th coach in school history. He spent the last two seasons as a Wagner assistant coach.

“I am really excited and thankful for the opportunity that [school president Dr. Richard] Guarasci, Walt Hameline and the rest of the Wagner administration has presented me with,” said Mason. “I am looking forward to the challenge of leading the program while continuing to move Wagner Basketball in the direction it has been going the last two years.”

Mason began his collegiate coaching career at Marist College, where he spent two seasons (2008-2010) as an assistant coach under Chuck Martin.

A 2007 graduate of Drexel with a degree in sport management, Mason was a four-time member of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) All-Defensive Team, and he became the first player in the history of the CAA to be named Defensive Player of the Year as a freshman following the 2003-2004 campaign and graduated with 1,126 career points.

“We’re very excited that Bashir Mason will be the next head men’s basketball coach here at Wagner College,” Hameline said. “There was a great deal of interest in this position and we spent the past few days fielding calls from a host of coaches from all parts of the country. In elevating Bashir, we are getting a young, hungry, aggressive coach who I believe will build on the foundation that we now have in place. He also gives us continuity and a bridge to the success we’ve had and will provide our program and student-athletes with great leadership.”

 A news conference is scheduled for tomorrow.