NEW YORK — Phil Martelli is a Big Five guy to his bones.

So he’s not buying the line that Madison Square Garden is “The Mecca” or “The World’s Greatest Arena.”

No, the 69-year-old former St. Joe’s coach will take The Palestra all day, every day.

“You’re gonna get pissed, but it’s the second-best basketball arena,” Martelli said of the Garden after his Michigan team destroyed Rick Pitino and St. John’s, 89-73, in the Gavitt Games. “Because everybody knows The Palestra is the best basketball arena.”

Opened in 1927, The Palestra is the oldest major college arena still in use today and has hosted more games, more visiting teams and more NCAA tournaments than any other facility.

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Martelli, a Media, Pa. native who owns a home in Avalon, N.J. on the Jersey Shore, made the comment at about the same time that Penn was upsetting No. 21 Villanova, 76-72, at The Palestra.

That win marked the latest impressive victory for an Ivy League team in this young season after Princeton topped Rutgers on opening night in Trenton.

Martelli remains the interim head coach at Michigan while Juwan Howard recovers from heart surgery. Howard was in the building at the Garden wearing a mask but was not on the court for the game. Martelli said there was no timetable on Howard’s return.

“Everybody will talk, but to me, it’s about memories,” Martelli said of the win. “We want to create memories for these young guys. Whether you’re a Michigan fan, St. John’s fan, Rick Pitino fan, that was really cool.”

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Adam Zagoria is a freelance reporter who covers Seton Hall and NJ college basketball for NJ Advance Media. You may follow him on Twitter @AdamZagoria and check out his Website at ZAGSBLOG.com.