This Week in the BIG EAST - Weekly Overview of NCAA College Basketball's Top Conference

By: John Rooke & Kevin McNamara
  • Summary

  • Now in its 10th season, This Week In The BIG EAST, hosted by Kevin McNamara and John Rooke, is the official podcast of BIG EAST basketball. Kevin, radio host, columnist and author, and John, a longtime play-by-play broadcaster, have combined to cover BIG EAST basketball for over 60 years. The show is a comprehensive look at the teams, coaches, players and storied tradition of the top basketball conference in America, welcoming guests from around the league. #TWITBE also brings sounds of the games – past and present – through @BIGEASTmbb game audio highlights from Butler, UConn, Creighton, DePaul, Georgetown, Marquette, Providence, St. John’s, Seton Hall, Villanova and Xavier. Each episode, John (@JRbroadcaster) and Kevin (@KevinMcNamara33) recap the latest news in the BIG EAST and preview what’s to come. Tweet questions to John and Kevin while tagging #TWITBE.

    © 2024 This Week in the BIG EAST - Weekly Overview of NCAA College Basketball's Top Conference
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Episodes
  • #TWITBE Ep. 10.9 - Guests Devin Carter, Greg McDermott and Val Ackerman
    Mar 8 2024

    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.

    Please subscribe, rate and review to keep #TWITBE top of the podcast charts.

    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.

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    45 mins
  • #TWITBE Ep. 10.8 - Guests Cam Spencer, Ed Cooley and Andy Katz
    Mar 1 2024

    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.

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    45 mins
  • #TWITBE Ep. 10.7 - Guests Quincy Olivari, Kim English and Seth Davis
    Feb 23 2024

    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. 

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    45 mins

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