This Week in the Big East (2025-26)

Episode 5

SEGMENT 1 – John & Kevin welcome you to Season 12, Episode 5 of This Week in the Big East! Connecticut’s midseason dominance marches forward with their winning streak now reaching 16 games heading into this weekend. It’s the third longest winning streak in program history, and at 20-1 overall, they are ranked #2 in the media and coaches’ polls behind Arizona. The Huskies are 10-0 in Big East play and asking the question yet again, can they go undefeated in conference? Meanwhile, St. John’s behind Rick Pitino’s 900th career win has returned to the Top 25 and have just one Big East loss while winning seven straight games.

SEGMENT 2 (@6:25) – Big East Spotlight: Villanova Head Coach – Kevin Willard: John and Kevin welcome coach Willard back to the Big East! In his first season at Villanova following successful stops at Seton Hall and Maryland, coach Willard tells us what it’s like to reconstruct an entirely new roster through the transfer portal. He also speaks about how important legendary Villanova Head Coach, Jay Wright is to the program and how Wright and Willard’s long-time friendship led to Coach Willard’s difficult decision to leave Maryland for Villanova.

SEGMENT 3 (@17:00) – Who’s Hot: John and Kevin run through the weekly awards for the Big East Conference as well as the Big East Honor Roll! In our Big East “Blast from the Past”, we turn back the clock to 1987 and the start of a legendary Hall of Fame career for St. John’s Head Coach Rick Pitino. Pitino earned his 900th career victory last week beating his son Richard Pitino and the Xavier Musketeers. However, all the way back in 1987 a young Coach Pitino took his upstart Providence College Friars all the way to the Final Four.

SEGMENT 4 (@20:30) – Big East Focus: – Connecticut Senior Forward – Tarris Reed Jr.: John and Kevin welcome UConn’s Tarris Reed Jr. to This Week in the Big East! In his second season in Storrs after transferring from the University of Michigan, Tarris is averaging an impressive 14.5 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 assists for the Huskies. He talks about what it’s like to play for legendary Connecticut Head Coach Dan Hurley and the lofty expectations the Huskies have for this season.

SEGMENT 5 (@30:15) – The National Perspective: TNT/Tru TV play-by-play Announcer – Spero Dedes: Kevin and John are joined by Spero Dedes of TNT and TruTV after the networks agreed to a new broadcasting deal with the Big East Conference. In addition to calling NCAA Tournament games since 2010, Dedes is thrilled to be broadcasting Big East games this season and moving forward for Turner. He breaks down what he has seen out of the teams in the Big East this season and just how many of those teams may make it into the field come March.

SEGMENT 6 (@42:20) – Who’s Got Next? John & Kevin wrap up the fifth episode of This Week in the Big East for the 2025-26 season by previewing the best games coming up this weekend including taking a look at an action packed Big East Conference slate of games on Saturday featuring UConn at Creighton on Saturday night in a heavyweight bout in Omaha.

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This Week in the Big East (2025-26)

Episode 4

SEGMENT 1 – John & Kevin welcome you to Season 12, Episode 4 of This Week in the Big East! It’s still Connecticut’s world and we are all still living in it! As we near the midway point of the Big East schedule, the Huskies go into this weekend unbeaten at 8-0 followed by 7-1 St. John’s and 6-2 Villanova. Creighton, after squeaking by Xavier at home this week, also has six wins. Kevin and John discuss who if anyone is poised to make a run at UConn during the second half of Big East play.

SEGMENT 2 (@ 6:01) – Big East Spotlight: Marquette Head Coach – Shaka Smart: John and Kevin welcome coach Smart back into This Week in the Big East. In his fifth season as head coach of the Golden Eagles, Smart has taken his teams to four NCAA Tournaments and won a Big East regular season and tournament title. He joins John and Kevin to discuss his unique coaching style, demeanor, and leadership skills that have garnered him attention as one of the Top 40 Most Admired People in Sports by the Athletic.

SEGMENT 3 (@ 18:25) – Who’s Hot: John and Kevin run through the weekly awards for the Big East Conference as well as the Big East Honor Roll! In our Big East “Blast from the Past”, we turn back the clock to January 25th, 1988 when Pittsburgh’s Jerome Lang made Bill Raftery famous with his thunderous, backboard-shattering dunk against Providence in the Panthers’ win over the Friars.

SEGMENT 4 (@ 22:55) – Big East Focus: – Creighton Sophomore Guard – Austin Swartz: John and Kevin welcome Big East newcomer, Austin Swartz to This Week in the Big East. Austin joined the Creighton program through the transfer portal via the University of Miami. He talks about what made Omaha his preferred destination and how it’s taken time for him to adjust to the physicality of the Big East Conference. Swartz averages 11.6 points per game and hit a clutch game winner this week in a buzzer-beating win over Xavier.

SEGMENT 5 (@ 32:00) – The National Perspective: CBS & Fox Color Analyst – Bill Raftery: Kevin and John are joined by “The Governor” himself, Bill Raftery. Raf joins This Week in the Big East as one of the most beloved college basketball voices in the game for both CBS and Fox. The one-time Seton Hall head coach now TV analyst extraordinaire remembers “send it in Jerome!” just like it was yesterday at the old Fitzgerald Fieldhouse in downtown Pittsburgh.

SEGMENT 6 (@ 44:20) – Who’s Got Next? John and Kevin wrap up the fourth episode of This Week in the Big East for the 2025-26 season by previewing the best games coming up this weekend including taking a look at an action packed Big East Conference slate of games on Saturday featuring Villanova visiting UConn.

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John and Kevin are joined by DePaul head coach Chris Holtmann, St. John's center Zuby Ejifor and Field of 68 analyst Rob Dauster.

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John and Kevin are joined by Seton Hall head coach Shaheen Holloway, UConn senior forward Alex Karaban and NBC Sports play-by-play announcer John Fanta.

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Episode 1

SEGMENT 1 (9:17) – John & Kevin welcome you to Season 12, Episode 1 of This Week in the Big East! We’re happy to bring you a special December edition of the show just as conference play tips off this weekend. John and Kevin open the program by dissecting early-season storylines through the first third of the season and analyzing where each Big East basketball program stands as we head into league play.

SEGMENT 2 (11:17) – Big East Spotlight: Former Providence Coach & Current ESPN Analyst – Tim Welsh: John and Kevin welcome former Big East coach, and current ESPN Color Analyst Tim Welsh to the show. Tim talks about the challenges of Big East coaches regarding the transfer portal era, roster construction, and schedule composition. As conference play begins, Coach Welsh breaks down what to expect from the Big East this season.

SEGMENT 3 (3:34) – Who’s Hot: John and Kevin run through the weekly awards for the Big East Conference as well as the Big East Honor Roll! We will be returning our “blast from the past” segment coming up after the New Year!

SEGMENT 4 (9:27) – Big East Focus: – Butler Junior Guard – Finley Bizjack: John and Kevin welcome Butler Junior Guard Finley Bizjack to This Week in the Big East. Finley is an aberration in this transfer portal era of college basketball; he has spent all three of his collegiate seasons with the Bulldogs. Averaging 10 points a game last season for head coach, Thad Matta, Bizjack is averaging 19 points per game in his junior season and leads the Bulldogs into Big East play.

SEGMENT 5 (7:57) – The National Perspective: CBS Sports Senior Writer – Matt Norlander: Kevin and John are joined by Matt Norlander of CBSSports.com to discuss the dynamic start to the collegiate basketball season. With so many compelling games through the first month of the season, Matt anticipates this could be the most competitive and compelling season of NCAA basketball in the last 10-15 years. We also discuss the national landscape of college basketball and find out where the top Big East teams rank in the national picture.

SEGMENT 6 (3:14) – Who’s Got Next? John & Kevin wrap up the first episode of This Week in the Big East for the 2025-26 season by previewing the best games coming up this weekend and taking a look forward into the first full weeks of Big East play.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.