This Week in the BIG EAST - Weekly Overview of NCAA College Basketball's Top Conference John Rooke & Kevin McNamara

This Week In The BIG EAST Radio Show, distributed by Westwood One, continued its 10th season with guests Providence junior guard Devin Carter, Creighton’s head coach Greg McDermott and BIG EAST Commissioner Val Ackerman.
The ninth episode of This Week in the BIG EAST (TWITBE) looks ahead to Saturday’s regular season finale with the final five games determining official seeds and matchups at the 2024 BIG EAST Men’s Basketball Tournament Presented by JEEP. The show congratulates UConn following the program’s first outright regular season championship since 1999, and the expectations heading into the tournament for all 11 teams.
The BIG EAST Focus shines on Providence junior guard Devin Carter. Carter has helped the Friars push toward a March run despite the loss of Bryce Hopkins to injury earlier this season. He leads the conference in scoring with 21.2 points per game, 1.3 more per game than second place Quincy Olivari in league games. The junior also ranks third in rebounds with 8.7 per contest. Heading into the final weekend of regular season play, Carter has continued to be a gameplan nightmare for opposing coaches.
The BIG EAST Spotlight is on Creighton head coach Greg McDermott. McDermott talks about handling expectations at a winning program such as Creighton and what it’s been like to learn from last season’s Elite Eight run. The Bluejays have used the bitter disappointment from the end of last season to fuel another championship drive, and currently rank 10th nationally. Creighton is looking to lock up the No. 2 seed in the BIG EAST Tournament on Saturday.
BIG EAST Commissioner Val Ackerman gives her take on the state of the conference and what it means to be back at Madison Square Garden for a 42nd consecutive BIG EAST Tournament. In addition to the BIG EAST Women’s Tournament officially underway at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., Ackerman discusses the impact of Saturday’s men’s regular season contests. From a national perspective, Ackerman gives updates on a potential NCAA Tournament expansion, as well as modifications to the transfer portal.
The episode’s “Who’s Hot” segment features the return of “Blast from the Past.” Turning the clock back to 2011, the show looks back on one of the most remarkable runs ever witnessed in college basketball postseason history. Kemba Walker led the UConn Huskies to five wins in five days at the BIG EAST Tournament to claim the BIG EAST Championship as a No. 9 seed. The Huskies closed out the year on an 11-game winning streak, also sweeping through the NCAA Tournament to win the third title in program history.
To join the conversation and send questions to Rooke (@JRbroadcaster) and McNamara (@KevinMcNamara33), use #TWITBE on Twitter. Fans may submit questions to be featured on the show. 
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This will air Saturday, March 9 at Noon ET on Sirius 161 XM 201 Online 964 leading into the UConn women’s basketball broadcast of the BIG EAST Women’s Basketball Tournament Presented by JEEP.

This Week In The BIG EAST Radio Show, distributed by Westwood One, continued its 10th season with guests UConn graduate guard Cam Spencer, Georgetown’s head coach Ed Cooley and NCAA.com and TNT Basketball Analyst Andy Katz.
The eighth episode of This Week in the BIG EAST (TWITBE) takes a look ahead as the league enters the final week of regular season action prior to the 2024 BIG EAST Men’s Basketball Tournament Presented by JEEP. UConn heads into the final three games with a two-game lead over Marquette for the top-seed at Madison Square Garden. With a win over the weekend against Seton Hall, Creighton has leap-frogged the Pirates back into third, while Providence and Villanova will play Saturday to break a current tiebreaker for fifth. 
The BIG EAST Focus shines on UConn graduate guard Cam Spencer. The Huskies have looked the part of not just a BIG EAST Champion, but a potential back-to-back National Champion this season with only a few minor bumps in the road. Spencer has added important depth and experience to an already loaded UConn roster as they look towards March Madness. Spencer leads the conference and ranks fourth nationally this season in 3-point percentage (0.446). He is also tied for the team-high with 15.2 points per game. 
The BIG EAST Spotlight is on Georgetown head coach Ed Cooley. Georgetown has had a great measure of success as one of the BIG EAST Conference’s founding members, including a National Championship in 1984. Wrapping up his first year as the Hoya lead man, Cooley is looking to restore Georgetown men’s basketball to national prominence but understands there is a long road ahead. 
NCAA.com and TNT basketball analyst Andy Katz gives a view on the national perspective. Katz takes the time to discuss which teams across the country he feels could make some real noise at the NCAA Tournament. He also provides an in-depth look at the BIG EAST resumes ahead of the Big Dance.
The episode’s “Who’s Hot” segment features the return of “Blast from the Past.” Turning the clock back to 2006, the last time UConn clinched at least a share of a BIG EAST regular season title. It was the first week in March, when the Huskies were led by senior Denham Brown who scored 17 points to help secure an 84-80 win over Louisville on senior day.
To join the conversation and send questions to Rooke (@JRbroadcaster) and McNamara (@KevinMcNamara33), use #TWITBE on Twitter. Fans may submit questions to be featured on the show. 
Please subscribe, rate and review to keep #TWITBE top of the podcast charts.
This will air Saturday, March 2 at 1:30 p.m. ET on Sirius 162 XM 201 Online 964 leading into the Creighton men’s basketball broadcast of Marquette @ Creighton.

This Week In The BIG EAST Radio Show, distributed by Westwood One, continued its 10th season with guests Xavier graduate guard Quincy Olivari, Providence’s head coach Kim English and CBS and Turner Sports basketball analyst Seth Davis
The seventh episode of This Week in the BIG EAST (TWITBE) takes a look back at Tuesday’s top-15 matchup, with No. 15 Creighton (20-7, 11-5 BIG EAST) knocking off No. 1 UConn (24-3, 14-2 BE), 85-66. Despite the loss, the Huskies still hold a 2.5 game lead on second place and seventh-ranked Marquette (20-6, 11-4 BE), with Creighton and Seton Hall closely behind in third and fourth place, respectively.
The BIG EAST Focus shines on Xavier graduate guard Quincy Olivari. Olivari talks about an upcoming milestone, as he enters Saturday’s game against Marquette just 16 points shy of 2,000. Olivari has scored 1,984 points in his collegiate career, including his totals at Rice and Xavier. On the year, he ranks second in the BIG EAST in scoring with 19.1 ppg. Also in the episode, he takes the time talking about the team’s mindset heading into the final couple weeks of regular season action, as well as the goal’s set in place for the BIG EAST Tournament at Madison Square Garden.
The BIG EAST Spotlight is on Providence head coach Kim English. English joins the show for the very first time during his first year as the Friars’ lead man and gives his impressions on his team’s performance thus far as well as what it’s been like coaching in the BIG EAST. Under his leadership, the Friars (18-9, 9-7 BE) are making a push back into the national landscape riding a three game winning streak and now sit two games over .500 in league play.
CBS and Turner Sports basketball analyst Seth Davis gives a view on the national perspective. Davis has been a long-time studio analyst for both outlets during March Madness and talks about the midweek ramifications for both UConn and Creighton following Tuesday’s result. In addition, he gives an in depth look at the NCAA Tournament bubble from a BIG EAST perspective breaking down the resumes of hopeful bubble teams.
The episode’s “Who’s Hot” segment features the return of “Blast from the Past.” Turning the clock back eight years to 2016, when No. 5 Xavier defeated No. 1 Villanova, 90-83, at the Cintas Center. It marked the first matchup between two national top-five conference teams in the new configuration of the BIG EAST. Xavier freshman J.P. Macura came off the bench to score 19 points to fuel the home team’s victory.
To join the conversation and send questions to Rooke (@JRbroadcaster) and McNamara (@KevinMcNamara33), use #TWITBE on Twitter. Fans may submit questions to be featured on the show. 
Please subscribe, rate and review to keep #TWITBE top of the podcast charts.
This will air Saturday, Feb. 24 at 5 p.m. ET on Sirius 162 XM 201 Online 964 leading into the Georgetown men’s basketball broadcast of Georgetown @ DePaul. 

This Week In The BIG EAST Radio Show, distributed by Westwood One, continued its 10th season with guests Villanova senior forward Eric Dixon, Providence’s graduate student forward Josh Oduro and FOX Sports Play-by-Play announcer Jason Benetti.
The sixth episode of This Week in the BIG EAST (TWITBE) takes a look at the league as a whole. Entering the final weeks of the BIG EAST regular season, UConn (22-2, 13-1 BIG EAST) holds a steady lead in the conference standings and maintains the pole position in the national landscape. No. 4 Marquette sits closely behind at 10-3 in conference play, with a top-5 matchup between the two looming on Saturday. Seton Hall and No. 17 Creighton sit in a tie for third at 9-5.
The BIG EAST Focus shines on Providence graduate guard Josh Oduro. Playing all over the front court, Oduro’s versatility allows him to see action at both the center and forward positions. Stepping up in a big way following an early season injury to Bryce Hopkins, Oduro ranks fourth in the league play with 18.4 points per game, in addition to sixth in BIG EAST games with 7.8 rebounds. In his two most recent outings, wins over Creighton and St. John’s, Oduro averaged 30.0 points and 8.0 rebounds. Oduro missed Saturday’s close loss to Butler, as he and his wife welcomed their first child into the Friar family.
The BIG EAST Spotlight is on Villanova senior forward Eric Dixon. Beginning his collegiate career with a redshirt freshman season, Dixon has developed into one of the premier big men in both the BIG EAST and the country. He has greatly improved his outside shot since arriving on the Main Line and credits the “Villanova Way” in contributing to his personal and team success. Dixon leads the Wildcats offense with 15.8 points per game, while also anchoring a defense that ranks second in the conference allowing just 66.5 points per game.
Fox Sports Play-by-Play announcer Jason Benetti gives a view on the national perspective. Benetti provides his insights into BIG EAST play thus far having seen the conference’s best teams in action recently. He also breaks down which teams are built for March, which players are having standout seasons and who from the middle of the pack could make a run in both the BIG EAST and NCAA Tournaments.
The episode’s “Who’s Hot” segment features the return of “Blast from the Past.” With the Huskies and Golden Eagles putting their win streaks to the test on Saturday in a top-five showdown, TWITBE turns back the clock to a season ago when Marquette and Connecticut played three bruising contests in a matter of few weeks heading into the NCAA Tournament. The Golden Eagles beat the Huskies by six at home. UConn returned the favor in February, winning by 15 on their home floor. The teams then met for a third time in the quarterfinal matchup of the BIG EAST Tournament at Madison Square Garden which was ultimately won by Marquette.
To join the conversation and send questions to Rooke (@JRbroadcaster) and McNamara (@KevinMcNamara33), use #TWITBE on Twitter. Fans may submit questions to be featured on the show. 
Please subscribe, rate and review to keep #TWITBE top of the podcast charts.
This will air Saturday, Feb. 17 at 11:30 a.m. ET on Sirius 137 XM 201 Online 964 leading into the Creighton men’s basketball broadcast of No. 17 Creighton @ Butler.

This Week In The BIG EAST Radio Show, distributed by Westwood One, continued its 10th season with guests Marquette senior guard Tyler Kolek, St. John’s graduate student guard Daniss Jenkins and ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi.
The fifth episode of This Week in the BIG EAST (TWITBE) takes a look at the league as a whole. Past the midway point of the BIG EAST season, UConn (20-2, 11-1 BIG EAST) holds a steady lead in the conference standings and maintains the pole position in the national landscape. No. 7 Marquette sits closely behind at 8-3 in conference play, while Seton Hall is in third at 8-4. Overall, nine BIG EAST teams remain in the top-66 of the NET, including six in the top-50.
 
The BIG EAST Focus shines on St. John’s guard Daniss Jenkins. A graduate transfer who played under head coach Rick Pitino at Iona a season ago, Jenkins made the move this summer to spearhead Pitino’s St. John’s team that looks to build toward the BIG EAST and NCAA Tournaments. Averaging 15.5 points and 4.8 assists per league contest, Jenkins has the Johnnies tied for sixth in the BIG EAST at 6-6, just one game back from Creighton and Xavier for fourth.
 
The BIG EAST Spotlight is on Marquette senior guard Tyler Kolek. The reigning BIG EAST Player of the Year and Most Outstanding Player of the 2023 BIG EAST Tournament is heating up and has led the Golden Eagles on a six-game winning streak. Over the last six contests, the senior guard has averaged 18.5 points and 9.5 assists per game. Overall, he is totaling 15.1 points and a BIG EAST leading 7.2 assists per contest. As a team, Marquette enters the weekend at 17-5 overall and holds its highest position in both national polls since Jan. 1.
 
ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi gives a view on the national perspective. As the person who helped put the madness in March, “Joey Brackets” is entering the busiest and most chaotic time of year. Lunardi breaks down where the BIG EAST stands nationally and gives his viewpoints on how many BIG EAST teams could enter the NCAA Tournament.   
 
The episode’s “Who’s Hot” segment features the return of “Blast from the Past.” Turning the clock back 34 years to 1990, when the Pittsburgh Panthers set the single-game scoring record in the league by racking up 117 points in a 117-102 win over Providence. Brian Shorter led the way for Pitt with 34 points in the outing.
 
To join the conversation and send questions to Rooke (@JRbroadcaster) and McNamara (@KevinMcNamara33), use #TWITBE on Twitter. Fans may submit questions to be featured on the show. 
 
Please subscribe, rate and review to keep #TWITBE top of the podcast charts.
 
This will air Saturday, Feb. 10 at 11:30 a.m. ET on Sirius 138 XM 201 Online 964 leading into the Creighton men’s basketball broadcast of No. 19 Creighton @ Xavier.

This Week In The BIG EAST Radio Show, distributed by Westwood One, continued its 10th season with guests Creighton junior guard Trey Alexander, Butler head coach Thad Matta and long-time Connecticut radio analyst Wayne Norman.
The fourth episode of This Week in the BIG EAST (TWITBE) takes a look at the league as a whole. At the midway point of the BIG EAST season, UConn (18-2, 9-1 BIG EAST) holds the pole position in both the national landscape and conference play, followed closely behind by Creighton (7-3), Marquette (7-3) and Seton Hall (7-4). In a four-way tie for fifth place, Butler, Providence, St. John’s and Xavier are each 5-5.
 
The BIG EAST Focus shines on Creighton junior guard Trey Alexander, fresh off winning BIG EAST Player of the Week as the Bluejays enter the weekend winners of seven of the last eight games. Averaging 17.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game, Alexander is a Top-10 finalist for the national Jerry West Award as the nation’s premier shooting guard.  
 
The BIG EAST Spotlight is on Butler head coach Thad Matta. An offseason that welcomed 11 new student-athletes to the locker room, there has been a shift in the Bulldogs offensive prowess with 10 games already surpassing the 80-point plateau compared to just six games total a year ago. At 14-7 on the season, and in the thick of the battle for an opening round bye in the BIG EAST Tournament, Matta discusses the impact transfer additions Posh Alexander, DJ Davis and Pierre Brooks have had.
 
Long-time Connecticut radio analyst Wayne Norman gives a view on the national perspective. Norman discusses the Huskies’ dominant start to the 2023-24 season in defense of their National Championship. He also talks about where last season’s team ranks among all the Connecticut championship teams, and gives insight as to where he thinks this year’s team could finish come March Madness.  
 
The episode’s “Who’s Hot” segment features the return of “Blast from the Past.” For a third consecutive season, the BIG EAST Conference will celebrate Black History month by renewing its partnership with the Black Fives Foundation, a nonprofit public charity whose mission is to inspire excellence by preserving, teaching and honoring the pre-NBA history of African Americans in basketball. “Who’s Got Next?” takes a look at the upcoming schedule, highlighting the big matchups. 
 
To join the conversation and send questions to Rooke (@JRbroadcaster) and McNamara (@KevinMcNamara33), use #TWITBE on Twitter. Fans may submit questions to be featured on the show. 
 
Please subscribe, rate and review to keep #TWITBE top of the podcast charts.
 
This will air Saturday, Feb. 3 at 11 a.m. ET on Sirius 139 XM 201 Online 964 leading into the UConn men’s basketball broadcast of No. 1 UConn @ St. John’s.