• #TWITBE Ep. 11.9 - Rick Pitino, Val Ackerman, Jerry Walker
    Mar 7 2025

    This Week In The BIG EAST Radio Show, distributed by Westwood One, continued its 11th season with guests St. John's head coach Rick Pitino, BIG EAST Commissioner Val Ackerman and BIG EAST Legend and former Seton Hall star Jerry Walker.

    The returning hosts for This Week In The BIG EAST (#TWITBE) are John Rooke, a longtime BIG EAST play-by-play voice, and Kevin McNamara, BIG EAST radio host, columnist and author. Rooke and McNamara give a comprehensive look at the teams, coaches, players and storied tradition of the top basketball conference in America in each episode.

    The ninth episode of TWITBE looks at the landscape of the BIG EAST heading into the final weekend of regular season action. With five games remaining before the BIG EAST Tournament Presented by JEEP, eight of the 11 seeds are up for grabs.

    The BIG EAST Spotlight is on St. John's head coach Rick Pitino, fresh off clinching the first outright regular season BIG EAST title in 40 years. Pitino now has the Red Storm poised for a pair of deep runs in the BIG EAST and NCAA Tournament, and talks about how the team will enjoy the home court feel at Madison Square Garden as the No. 1 seed.

    The BIG EAST Focus shines on BIG EAST Commissioner Val Ackerman, who provides an informed account of where NCAA Athletics stand today and where it could be heading. Wrapping up her 12th season as Commissioner, Ackerman looks ahead to the 43rd playing of the BIG EAST Tournament in the world’s most famous arena, MSG.

    Rooke and McNamara are then joined by current BIG EAST Legend Jerry Walker. The former Seton Hall forward was the BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year in 1993, as well as a two-time All-BIG EAST member and a two-time BIG EAST Champion in 1991 and 1993. Walker takes the time to talk about his playing days as well as the work he has been doing in the community over the years.

    The episode’s “Who’s Hot” segment features the return of “Blast from the Past”, turning back the clock 40 years to 1985. St John’s, Villanova, and Georgetown were all in the Final Four during a magical run for the BIG EAST in the 1985 NCAA Tournament. In the first edition of the 64-team field, the eighth seeded Wildcats shocked the world, knocking off Georgetown to win the National Championship.

    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 8 at 11:00 a.m. ET on Sirius 161 XM 201 Online 963 leading into St. John's at Marquette.

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    45 min
  • #TWITBE Ep. 11.8 - Sean Miller, Stevie Mitchell, Zach Braziller
    Feb 28 2025

    This Week In The BIG EAST Radio Show, distributed by Westwood One, continued its 11th season with guests Xavier head coach Sean Miller, Marquette guard Stevie Mitchell and New York Post Journalist Zach Braziller.

    The returning hosts for This Week In The BIG EAST (#TWITBE) are John Rooke, a longtime BIG EAST play-by-play voice, and Kevin McNamara, BIG EAST radio host, columnist and author. Rooke and McNamara give a comprehensive look at the teams, coaches, players and storied tradition of the top basketball conference in America in each episode.

    The eighth episode of TWITBE looks at the landscape of the BIG EAST heading into the final two weekends of regular season action. St. John's remains atop the standings after clinching at least a share of the regular season title for the first time since 1992.

    The BIG EAST Spotlight is on Xavier head coach Sean Miller, discussing the Musketeer's overcoming early season injuries to make a late season push in BIG EAST play and in the running for an NCAA Tournament at-large bid. Xavier enters the weekend riding a four game winning streak and are in the driver seat for a first round bye in the BIG EAST Tournament.

    The BIG EAST Focus shines on Marquette senior guard Stevie Mitchell, who leads the defensive charge for the No. 21 Golden Eagles. Mitchell ranks 10th nationally and first in the BIG EAST with 2.46 steals per game. Mitchell and the Golden Eagles rank third in the conference, just one game back from Creighton.

    Rooke and McNamara are then joined by New York Post College Basketball and St. John's beat writer Zach Braziller, who gives context on the historical season St. John's has had and the expectations the rest of the way. Braziller also gives his perspective on the upcoming BIG EAST Tournament and how many conference teams he expects to compete in the NCAA Tournament.

    The episode’s “Who’s Hot” segment features the return of “Blast from the Past”, turning back the clock 40 years to Feb. 27, 1985. Madison Square Garden was the theater for the famous “Sweater Game” between Georgetown and St. John’s. It was the first time in the famed history of the Garden to have a matchup between No. 1 and No. 2. While St. John’s had the ranking edge and home court advantage, the defending national champions from Georgetown, led by Patrick Ewing, beat St. John’s 85-69.

    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 1 at 11:00 a.m. ET on Sirius 161 XM 201 Online 963 leading into Providence at UConn.

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    45 min
  • #TWITBE Ep. 11.7 - Guests RJ Luis Jr., Steven Ashworth, Mike DeCourcy
    Feb 21 2025

    This Week In The BIG EAST Radio Show, distributed by Westwood One, continued its 11th season with guests St. John's junior guard RJ Luis Jr., Creighton senior guard Steven Ashworth and FOX Sports Bracketologist Mike DeCourcy.

    The returning hosts for This Week In The BIG EAST (#TWITBE) are John Rooke, a longtime BIG EAST play-by-play voice, and Kevin McNamara, BIG EAST radio host, columnist and author. Rooke and McNamara give a comprehensive look at the teams, coaches, players and storied tradition of the top basketball conference in America in each episode.

    The seventh episode of TWITBE looks at the landscape of the BIG EAST heading into the final stretch of regular season games. After a 2-0 week, St. John's maintains a 2.5 game lead atop the league, while Creighton and Marquette sit in a tie for second at 11-4, one game ahead of UConn (10-5).

    The BIG EAST Spotlight is on St. John's junior guard RJ Luis Jr., discussing the Johnnies' historic pace with six games remaining in the regular season. Luis has been dynamic for the Red Storm in his second season after transferring from UMass, averaging a team-high 17.6 points per game, as well as 7.2 rebounds per game.

    The BIG EAST Focus shines on Creighton senior guard Steven Ashworth, who paces the BIG EAST with 7.0 assists per game, while also averaging 17.0 points per game. Alongside his teammate Ryan Kalkbrenner, the dynamic duo look to finish the season strong and help the Bluejays make a push for the top-seed in the BIG EAST Tournament.

    Rooke and McNamara are then joined by FOX Sports Bracketologist Mike DeCourcy, who discusses how the BIG EAST stacks up against other conferences and how many teams he predicts will hear their name called on Selection Sunday.

    The episode’s “Who’s Hot” segment features the return of “Blast from the Past”, turning back the clock only one year. Last winter, UConn guard Tristen Newton recorded his fourth career triple double as the Huskies topped the Wildcats, 78-54. He finished the game with 10 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists. Newton carried momentum into the BIG EAST and NCAA Tournaments, garnering Most Outstanding Player of both the BIG EAST Tournament and NCAA Final Four.

    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. 22 at 3:30 p.m. ET on Sirius 161 XM 201 Online 963 leading into BIG EAST women's basketball coverage of UConn at Butler.

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    45 min
  • #TWITBE Ep. 11.6 - Guests Patrick McCaffery, Isaiah Coleman, Tim Welsh
    Feb 14 2025

    This Week In The BIG EAST Radio Show, distributed by Westwood One, continued its 11th season with guests Georgetown head coach Ed Cooley, NCAA Basketball Analytics Expert Ken Pomeroy and FOX Sports and CBS Sports analyst Bill Raftery.

    The returning hosts for This Week In The BIG EAST (#TWITBE) are John Rooke, a longtime BIG EAST play-by-play voice, and Kevin McNamara, BIG EAST radio host, columnist and author. Rooke and McNamara give a comprehensive look at the teams, coaches, players and storied tradition of the top basketball conference in America in each episode.

    The sixth episode of TWITBE takes a look back on another thrilling week of BIG EAST games, with multiple finishes coming down to the wire. Most notably at the top of the league standings, St. John's hit a road bump for the first time in 10 games, coming up short against Villanova. In addition, UConn knocked off second-place Creighton in a nail-biter, the Huskies first win ever in Omaha, Neb.

    The BIG EAST Spotlight is on Butler senior forward Patrick McCaffery, discussing the Bulldogs up and down season, and most recently righting the ship winning four of the last seven conference games. After opening the season 7-1, including a top-25 win against Mississippi State, Butler went on a nine-game skid before getting back on track. Thanks to McCaffery's leadership along with head coach Thad Matta, he discusses the turnaround and expectations heading into the tournament.

    The BIG EAST Focus shines on Seton Hall sophomore guard Isaiah Coleman, who leads the Pirates with 14.9 points per game, a year removed from garnering BIG EAST All-Freshman honors. Coleman takes the time to discuss his sophomore campaign and how the team is aiming to finish the season on the right foot.

    Rooke and McNamara are then joined by former Providence basketball standout Tim Welsh, who now works as a color analyst for NBC and ESPN. Welsh provides an inside look into the BIG EAST's new broadcast partnership with NBC and Peacock, as well as his perspective on how the conference stacks up nationally.

    The episode’s “Who’s Hot” segment features the return of “Blast from the Past”, turning the clock back 35 years to 1990. Seton’s Hall’s Marco Lokar made the move across the Atlantic from Italy the season after the Pirates lost the National Championship game to Michigan. On February 20th, 1990, Lokar went off with 41 points against Pittsburgh, setting a the BIG EAST single-game freshman scoring record, that still stands today.

    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. 15 at 11 a.m. ET on Sirius 161 XM 201 Online 963 leading into DePaul at Xavier.

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    45 min
  • #TWITBE Ep. 11.5 - Guests Ed Cooley, Ken Pomeroy, Bill Raftery
    Feb 7 2025

    This Week In The BIG EAST Radio Show, distributed by Westwood One, continued its 11th season with guests Georgetown head coach Ed Cooley, NCAA Basketball Analytics Expert Ken Pomeroy and FOX Sports and CBS Sports analyst Bill Raftery.

    The returning hosts for This Week In The BIG EAST (#TWITBE) are John Rooke, a longtime BIG EAST play-by-play voice, and Kevin McNamara, BIG EAST radio host, columnist and author. Rooke and McNamara give a comprehensive look at the teams, coaches, players and storied tradition of the top basketball conference in America in each episode.

    The fifth episode of TWITBE takes a look at the top of the BIG EAST standings, as St. John's (20-3, 11-1 BIG EAST) enters Friday's top-20 match up at UConn (16-6, 8-3) riding a nine-game winning streak. Sitting just a game back in the standings and riding an eight-game winning streak, Creighton (17-6, 10-2) hosts Marquette (18-5, 9-3) on Saturday.

    The BIG EAST Spotlight is on Georgetown head coach Ed Cooley, to discuss the state of the Hoyas and how the rebuild process has been going. Continuing to improve each week, the Hoyas enter the weekend with more wins in 2024-25 in comparison to the past three seasons combined. In addition, Georgetown remains in the hunt for a top five seed and first round bye in the BIG EAST Tournament.

    The BIG EAST Focus shines on analytics expert Ken Pomeroy, the founder of kenpom.com. Pomeroy's metrics and numerical rankings of every Division I NCAA basketball team are considered invaluable when forecasting the field for March Madness. He takes the time to discuss how the conference stacks up nationally heading into the final stretch.

    Rooke and McNamara are then joined by FOX Sports and CBS Sports Analyst, Bill Raftery. Raftery discusses the BIG EAST from top to bottom and gives his thoughts who could be a dark horse candidate to make a March run. In addition, Raftery gives his thoughts on the Red Storm who are off to its best start in 40 years.

    The episode’s “Who’s Hot” segment features the return of “Blast from the Past”, turning the clock back to Feb. 10, 2018. On this day, St. John’s standout guard, Shamorie Ponds went for 44 points against Marquette. The highest scoring BIG EAST game for a St. John’s player since Marcus Hatten in 2003.

    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. 8 at 1 p.m. ET on Sirius 161 XM 201 Online 963 leading into Marquette at Creighton.

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    45 min
  • #TWITBE Ep. 11.4 - Guests Shaka Smart, Eric Dixon, Donny Marshall
    Jan 31 2025

    This Week In The BIG EAST Radio Show, distributed by Westwood One, continued its 11th season with guests Marquette head coach Shaka Smart, Villanova senior forward Eric Dixon and college basketball analyst Donny Marshall.

    The returning hosts for This Week In The BIG EAST (#TWITBE) are John Rooke, a longtime BIG EAST play-by-play voice, and Kevin McNamara, BIG EAST radio host, columnist and author. Rooke and McNamara give a comprehensive look at the teams, coaches, players and storied tradition of the top basketball conference in America in each episode.

    The fourth episode of TWITBE takes a look at the top of the BIG EAST standings, as St. John's is in position at the halfway point to make a run at just their second ever BIG EAST regular season title. The Red Storm are tied with Marquette at the top of the standings at 9-1 and the pair of top-15 teams are set to face off on Feb. 4 at Madison Square Garden.

    The BIG EAST Spotlight is on Marquette head coach Shaka Smart, to discuss the state of the Golden Eagles and how the team is prepping ahead of its upcoming schedule that includes a home game against No. 25 UConn on Saturday, before a pair of road games against No. 15 St. John's and Creighton.

    The BIG EAST Focus shines on the nation's leading scorer Eric Dixon, who maintains a 3.0 points per game advantage on second-place. The upperclassmen is averaging 24.6 points per game to lead the Wildcats. Dazzling both in the post and from beyond the arc, Dixon takes the time to talk about how the Wildcats look to finish the second half of the season strong and make a push toward a first round bye in the BIG EAST Tournament.

    Rooke and McNamara are then joined by UConn legend and FOX Sports and Peacock Analyst, Donny Marshall. Two teams in St. John’s and Marquette are trying to separate themselves from the pack just ahead of Creighton and the two-time defending National Champion UConn. Marshall joins the show to discuss the conference standings and where BIG EAST teams stand nationally.

    The episode’s “Who’s Hot” segment features the return of “Blast from the Past”, turning the clock back 37 years to Jan. 25, 1988. Pittsburgh's Jerome Lane dunked the ball with such ferocity in a game against Providence at the old Fitzgerald Field House that the backboard disintegrated into thousands of pieces. Mike Gorman and Bill Raftery were on the television call of the game with Raftery delighting in the dunk exclaiming, “SEND IT IN JEROME!”.

    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. 1 at Noon ET on Sirius 138 XM 201 Online 963 leading into Providence at St. John's.

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    45 min
  • #TWITBE Ep. 11.3 - Guests Kim English, Thomas Sorber, Rick Cordella
    Jan 24 2025

    This Week In The BIG EAST Radio Show, distributed by Westwood One, continued its 11th season with guests Providence head coach Kim English, Georgetown freshman forward Thomas Sorber and NBC Sports President Rick Cordella.

    The returning hosts for This Week In The BIG EAST (#TWITBE) are John Rooke, a longtime BIG EAST play-by-play voice, and Kevin McNamara, BIG EAST radio host, columnist and author. Rooke and McNamara give a comprehensive look at the teams, coaches, players and storied tradition of the top basketball conference in America in each episode.

    The third episode of TWITBE takes a look at the landscape of the BIG EAST as it nears halfway mark of league play. St. John's has taken over the lead in the league standings at 8-1, followed by Marquette just a half game back and UConn and Creighton only one game back in the loss column.

    The BIG EAST Spotlight is on Providence head coach Kim English, to discuss how his team has battled through injuries and adversity this season. English, in his second year at Providence, has a talented group of young players who are getting valuable playing time due to injuries to star players such as Bryce Hopkins.

    The BIG EAST Focus shines on Georgetown forward Thomas Sorber, who has been spectacular in his first season on the Hilltop. The freshman sensation leads the BIG EAST in rebounds per game (8.7), as well as the team in scoring at 14.2 points per game. Sorber takes the time talking about playing for Ed Cooley, and the expectations he and his teammates have heading into the second half of league competition.

    Rooke and McNamara are then joined by NBC Sports President, Rick Cordella. A member of the Providence Elite Eight team in 1996-97, Cordella most recently helped the BIG EAST partner with NBC Sports and Peacock to bring fans closer to the game. Cordella talks about the new partnership and the landscape of the BIG EAST.

    The episode’s “Who’s Hot” segment features the return of “Blast from the Past”, paying tribute to the life and legacy of Georgetown legend, Dikembe Mutombo. Mutombo was a shot-blocking legend for the Hoyas and then went on to play 18 seasons in the NBA. He is widely regarded as one of the best shot-blockers of all time.

    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, Jan. 25 at 12:30 p.m. ET on Sirius 161 XM 201 Online 963 leading into Seton Hall @ Creighton.

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    45 min
  • #TWITBE Ep. 11.2 - Guests Ryan Conwell, Alex Karaban, Ed Pinckney
    Jan 17 2025

    This Week In The BIG EAST Radio Show, distributed by Westwood One, continued its 11th season with guests Xavier junior guard Ryan Conwell, UConn junior forward Alex Karaban and Villanova legend Ed Pinckney.

    The returning hosts for This Week In The BIG EAST (#TWITBE) are John Rooke, a longtime BIG EAST play-by-play voice, and Kevin McNamara, BIG EAST radio host, columnist and author. Rooke and McNamara give a comprehensive look at the teams, coaches, players and storied tradition of the top basketball conference in America in each episode.

    The second episode of TWITBE takes a look at the landscape of the BIG EAST as it passes the first quarter mark of league play.

    The BIG EAST Spotlight is on Xavier guard Ryan Conwell, fresh off a 28-point second half to lead the Musketeers to a crucial league win over Villanova. A transfer from Indiana State, Conwell has been a big boost for the Xavier offense.

    The BIG EAST Focus shines on UConn forward Alex Karaban, who opens up about what it is like to to play for Dan Hurley and how Hurley helped pick him and the team up after a loss at Villanova.

    Rooke and McNamara are then joined by former Villanova legend and member of the 1985 National Championship team, Ed Pinckney. Currently a scout for the Houston Rockets, Pinckney talks about the Wildcats historic NCAA Tournament Run 40 years later, as well as the impacts it has had.

    The episode’s “Who’s Hot” segment features the return of “Blast from the Past”, rewinding the tape to 1994, when UConn legend Donyell Marshall scored 42 points against St. John’s in an 85-81 win at a sold out put Madison Square Garden. At that point, Marshall’s 42 points set a BIG EAST scoring record, while his 20-for-20 performance at the free-throw line still stands as the best mark in league history. “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, Jan. 18 at 11 a.m. ET on Sirius 161 XM 201 Online 963 leading into Creighton @ UConn.

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    45 min