Big East Energy Weekly

Casey is back in his regular seat on Big East Energy Weekly. Mark Zanetto and Casey (host of Roll Jays and a former Creighton assistant) react to the Big East exhibition slate: Creighton's new high-pressure look under Alan Huss, UConn's statement at Michigan State, Braylon Mullins and Silas Demary Jr., whether Marquette and Nigel James can last into March, Kevin Willard's Big 5 clapback, Xavier's 40-point win over Tennessee, and who's chasing UConn in the Big East.

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Chapters

0:00 Intro: a big week in the Big East

0:51 Casey's back: Creighton's exhibition vs. Iowa State

3:03 Creighton's freshman guard and High Point-style pace

5:28 Following Greg McDermott and why the defense had to change

7:47 Pressure defense and the Omaha crowd

9:21 UConn at Michigan State: freshmen who don't look like freshmen

11:17 UConn's defense is ahead of schedule

12:35 Braylon Mullins' return: legacy vs. NBA draft math

15:01 Silas Demary Jr. gets the green light

16:12 Is anything less than a title a failure for UConn?

17:22 Can UConn match St. John's physicality this year?

19:13 Marquette, Nigel James and why guard play wins

22:40 Can Shaka Smart's teams stay fresh past February?

25:36 Kevin Willard, the Big 5 and "3-0, thank you very much"

30:41 Around the league: Georgetown, Providence, Seton Hall, DePaul

32:52 Xavier's 40-point win over Tennessee and Rick Pitino's "month behind"

35:15 Early Big East pecking order

35:50 Wrap-up

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Louisville's Pat Kelsey took the stand and told a Kentucky court that coaches "don't think there are rules." Mark Zanetto and Subbi debate whether that was authentic or performative, and whether coaches really didn't know the rules. Then: Dink Pate leaves Providence for the G League, the TRO chaos hanging over Babacar Sane and St. John's, and Rick Pitino's U.N. delegation of a roster.

Plus UConn's win over Syracuse and Dan Hurley's message to Na'jai Hines, why new rosters need time to gel, a surprise case for Jon Scheyer and Duke, guards vs. bigs in March, and UConn vs. the field.

CHAPTERS

0:00 Cold open: a coach yells "End the chaos" from the witness stand

1:25 Pat Kelsey's testimony: authentic or performative?

5:15 "We don't think there are rules": did coaches know the rules?

8:19 Dink Pate leaves Providence for the G League

8:48 TROs, stays of eligibility and the slow legal system

10:40 Todd Golden vs. Pat Kelsey: why the messenger matters

14:15 St. John's eligibility update: Quinn Ellis cleared, Babacar Sane until Nov. 9

15:40 Pitino's U.N. delegation: 10 international players

18:40 Why new rosters need to gel and the non-conference trap

22:07 Defense travels: how teams survive early

26:49 Hurley's message to Na'jai Hines in the Syracuse exhibition

29:11 Brutal schedules and who gets the longest leash

32:24 "I hate Duke, but...": why Jon Scheyer could break through

40:57 Guards vs. bigs: what wins national titles

45:03 Around the league: Providence, DePaul, Georgetown

47:04 UConn or the field?

53:02 Wrap-up

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Does the Big East have the best group of coaches in college basketball? Mark Zanetto says yes, and that last year's 3-bid embarrassment was about resources, not coaching. With rosters now in the $14-16M range, the 2026-27 season is the proving ground. CBB Theater's Subi joins Big East Energy to push back.

Dan Hurley and Rick Pitino lead the league, but the debate is about everyone behind them: Alan Huss replacing a legend at Creighton, Bryan Hodgson waking up Providence, Ron Nored taking over Butler, Chris Holtmann's DePaul rebuild, Kevin Willard at Villanova, Richard Pitino's pressure at Xavier, Shaka Smart's bounce-back at Marquette, Shaheen Holloway doing more with less at Seton Hall, and whether the Ed Cooley era at Georgetown is already over.

Plus: how the Big East stacks up against SEC and Big Ten coaches, what NIL money really means for expectations, the 76-team NCAA Tournament, and our prediction for how many Big East teams make the field.

CHAPTERS

0:00 Big East Energy intro

0:45 Does the Big East have the best coaches in the country?

1:15 Hurley and Pitino: the top two coaches in America

2:25 The depth case: Huss, Holtmann, Cooley, Hodgson, Nored

5:35 Big East vs SEC vs Big Ten: counting national titles

9:15 The three new coaches: Hodgson, Huss, Nored

10:35 Butler: Ron Nored replaces Thad Matta

12:25 Creighton under Alan Huss, Providence under Bryan Hodgson

17:10 Georgetown's "aura" and Ed Cooley

19:50 Mid-major winners: Hodgson, Chris Jans, Will Wade, Steve Forbes

23:45 Handpicked successors and when schools move on

25:55 Marquette's ceiling and floor

28:15 The transfer portal and Pat Kelsey's Louisville

29:50 Butler last? Seton Hall and DePaul projections

32:15 DePaul's resurgence and the 76-team tournament

34:20 Seton Hall, Shaheen Holloway and the NIL haves vs have-nots

38:20 Xavier's $15M roster and rising expectations

41:15 Is the Georgetown fanbase apathetic?

43:20 How many Big East teams make the NCAA Tournament?

44:40 Teams that could disappoint: Providence, Creighton, Xavier

47:20 Why non-conference play decides the bids

50:10 Hot take: Creighton finishes higher than expected

52:35 Sponsors, Only Legends merch and where to find Subi

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Did the Big East coaches get it right? 🏀 Big East Media Day 2026 is in the books and Mark Zanetto breaks down the 2026-27 Big East preseason coaches' poll, preseason awards and the eligibility chaos hanging over the league with two guys who were in the room: Matt Janus of Holy Nova and basketball insider Adam Zagoria of ZAGSBLOG, NJ.com and The New York Times.

UConn is picked first with eight first-place votes, St. John's is second and Villanova is third. New commissioner Tim Brosnan says he expects six Big East teams in the NCAA Tournament. Kevin Willard says Villanova is not recruiting a single high school player. And Rick Pitino, Richard Pitino, Shaka Smart and Dan Hurley all weighed in on the NCAA's five-for-five eligibility rule and the court rulings that could reshape rosters before opening night.

IN THIS EPISODE

- 2026-27 Big East preseason poll reaction: UConn, St. John's, Villanova, Marquette

- Is the Big East a six or seven bid league again?

- NIL, revenue sharing and which Big East programs are spending smart

- Tyler Perkins, the Josh Hart comparison and the Player of the Year race

- Silas Demary Jr. as Preseason Big East Player of the Year: right call?

- Villanova vs. Notre Dame in Rome and the Pope

- Kevin Willard's "no high school recruits" bombshell

- Five-for-five rule, G League eligibility cases and TROs at St. John's and Georgetown

- Dan Hurley as the league's elder statesman and Shaka Smart's reset at Marquette

- Seton Hall, DePaul, Georgetown and Butler: who's too high and who's too low

- Predictions: who wins the Big East and how many bids

CHAPTERS

0:00 Did the coaches get it right?

0:30 Welcome to Big East Energy Weekly

1:10 MyBookie: $1,000 in bonus bets

1:40 Matt Janus joins: preseason poll reaction

3:25 NIL money and getting ROI on your roster

6:35 Tyler Perkins and the Josh Hart comparison

8:15 Silas Demary Jr. and the Player of the Year debate

10:15 Villanova in Rome: will the Pope bless the Wildcats?

12:20 Kevin Willard: "We aren't recruiting high schoolers"

15:10 Eligibility limbo: are coaches setting up excuses?

20:00 Dan Hurley, elder statesman of the Big East

21:45 Which coach won media day? Shaka Smart's evolution

26:10 Matt's picks: league winner and NCAA Tournament bids

31:25 Adam Zagoria joins: the vibe in the room

33:45 G League players, TROs and who's eligible

36:10 Demary, Braylon Mullins and Na'jai Hines to UConn

37:40 Too high, too low: Marquette, Seton Hall, DePaul, Georgetown

39:20 Adam's picks: who wins the Big East

40:35 Closing thoughts and the new Big East Energy theme song

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GUESTS

Matt Janus: three-time Delaware Broadcaster of the Year, lead host of Holy Nova on the Big East Energy Network

Adam Zagoria: founder of ZAGSBLOG, NJ.com, contributor to The New York Times

💬 Drop your Big East order of finish in the comments.

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College basketball is back, and so is Big East Energy Weekly. Mark Zanetto and Casey Matthews open the 2026-27 season with a full lap around the league: Bryan Hodgson bringing a new identity to Providence, Alan Huss taking over Creighton, Ronald Nored at Butler, and why Shaka Smart and Marquette belong in the Big East title conversation.

Plus: what Donnie Freeman's Achilles injury means for Rick Pitino and St. John's, how Dan Hurley keeps building UConn on loyalty and the right portal pieces, and whether this is a make-or-break year for Ed Cooley at Georgetown. The guys close with the Big Ten and SEC's new rule on players who signed pro contracts, why the Big East hasn't followed, and a prediction that the league gets back to six or seven NCAA Tournament bids.

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Subscribe to the Big East Energy Network on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts for Big East basketball all season. Who wins the Big East this year? Tell us in the comments.

0:00 College basketball is back

2:00 Why the sport isn't dying

5:30 Bryan Hodgson and Providence's new identity

9:10 Alan Huss takes over Creighton

11:00 Ronald Nored and Butler

12:30 Marquette is a Big East title contender

14:30 Loyalty and recruiting high school players

16:30 St. John's, Pitino, and the Donnie Freeman injury

20:30 UConn's roster and the Hurley formula

26:45 Make-or-break year for Ed Cooley

31:30 Big Ten and SEC pro contract rule

35:20 "Was that wrong?"

38:00 Big East bid prediction and sign-off

#BigEast #CollegeBasketball #UConn #StJohns #Marquette #Creighton #Providence #Georgetown #DanHurley #RickPitino #BigEastBasketball #BigEastEnergy

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Welcome to Big East Energy Weekly! In this special off season podcast episode, we dive deep into the latest big east sports news following the closure of the transfer portal. We break down the portal rankings and identify the four Big East programs that emerged as winners, including two perennial top-20 teams and two unexpected contenders. This is a must-listen for all college basketball podcast fans interested in the NCAA.

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We sit down with expert Frederick Cannon to discuss the current state of the college basketball transfer portal. This conversation aims to provide clarity on the transfer portal, its complexities, and how it impacts player decisions. We also touch on the latest transfer portal news IN the Big East and around College Basketball as a whole. What it all means for teams navigating this new landscape.

00:00 Coaches frustrated by funding pressures

06:09 Recruitment strategy and program vision

09:33 Discussing Eric Reibe's transfer decision

10:47 Player's transition to USC basketball

14:48 Discussing player recruitment options

18:25 Analyzing college basketball prospects

20:16 Discussing players' salaries and playtime

25:02 Concerns about college coaching ethics

28:51 Impact of portal costs on NIL

30:22 Challenging recruitment conversations

33:40 Impact of Mid-Major Basketball Experience

37:48 Choosing the right team offer

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The transfer portal is buzzing with activity, and we're breaking down all the latest in college basketball. Join us as we discuss the current state of the portal, what it means for teams like UConn, Villanova, St Johns and All Big East Men's Teams, and if it's truly good for ncaa basketball. We'll also dive into potential fixes or if this wild ride is just part of the fun in sports news. What are your thoughts on the transfer portal? We want to hear from you

#collegebasketball #bigeastenergy #transferportal #basketball #uconn

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Join Casey and Mark Zanetto on Big East Energy Weekly as they break down the aftermath of UConn's advancement to the Final Four. We discuss the implications of the UConn Huskies' success and analyze the upcoming matchups in this exciting ncaa basketball tournament. This college basketball podcast covers all the major developments as UConn seeks their third title in four years and Seventh since 1999.

00:00 Reflecting on a wild game finale

03:42 Importance of experience in close games

08:32 Talking strategy for Final Four

12:07 Discussing the Duke coach

15:32 John Scheyer coaching at Duke

19:03 Funny audio message from Tyler

20:11 Reflecting on a memorable sports moment

25:17 Illinois vs. UConn matchup predictions

29:33 Tournament preparation strategies

32:08 Coach Hurley's offensive evolution

34:20 UConn's strategy against Duke

38:38 Talking about beating Michigan

40:37 Analyzing UConn’s tournament journey

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#uconnbasketball #uconnmbb #finalfour #dukembb #JohnScheyer #danhurley #collegebasketball #bigeastenergy #marchmadness #uconn #ncaa #collegehoops #uconnwbb

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Welcome to Big East Energy Weekly! In this episode, Mark is joined by special guest Paul Fritschner from the Rebound Rundown, filling in for Casey Matthews, who’s off on vacation. Together, they dive deep into the current state of the Big East, asking big questions like: Is this the year St. John’s overtakes UConn as the team to beat? Can anyone else sneak into NCAA tournament contention and shake things up?

The conversation hits all the hot topics—from the resurgence and recent struggles of Butler, Seton Hall, and Villanova, to Rick Pitino’s coaching genius and UConn’s rollercoaster ride between near-perfection and vulnerability. Mark and Paul Fritschner debate the AP poll’s true value, break down potential “bid stealers,” and spotlight players and coaches deserving of end-of-season honors.

You'll get sharp perspective on how the league’s shifting landscape, NIL dynamics, and on-court surprises might shape the last stretch of the season. Expect plenty of passion, honest takes, and a few laughs as they break down everything happening in Big East basketball right now. So gear up, because this week’s show promises both insight and energy you won’t want to miss!

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00:00 Dylan Darling's Undersized Impact

03:40 Rick Pitino: Elite Basketball Coach

07:22 Big East Tournament Dynamics Analyzed

10:11 "Big East Chat and Fan Gear"

14:30 Team Comparison: Hybrid Analysis

18:46 Alex Karaban's Role at UConn

20:45 The Team's Response Defines Greatness

24:21 "Big East Sweet 16 Prospects"

30:13 Tournament Seeding and Predictions

31:44 "Reevaluating the Importance of AP Poll"

35:36 "Sports Spotlight: Seasonal Attention Span"

38:06 "Frustration with AP Poll Rankings"

41:41 Sports Narratives and Rankings

45:13 "Trey Carroll's Impactful Season"

47:52 Rebound Rundown: Local & National

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