#TWITBE Ep. 8.2 - Guests Ryan Hawkins, Ken Pomeroy and Shaka Smart

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

NEW YORK – This Week In The BIG EAST Radio Show, distributed by Westwood One, returns for 2022, its eighth season as the official podcast of BIG EAST basketball. The second episode of the season welcomes Creighton senior forward Ryan Hawkins, Marquette head coach Shaka Smart and college basketball columnist and statistician Ken Polmeroy.

For the second consecutive week, the BIG EAST Spotlight is on the transfer portal, as TWITBE welcomed Creighton forward Ryan Hawkins who has made the transition from Northwest Missouri State and Division II basketball over to the Bluejays. An All-American in Maryville, Mo., Hawkins has been a key contributor to Creighton’s 10-4 (2-1 BE) start, leading the team in both points (13.4) and rebounds (7.4) per game with 14 starts.

The BIG EAST Focus shines on Marquette head coach Shaka Smart. After successful runs at Virginia Commonwealth and Texas, he found the chance to return to his home state of Wisconsin and has quickly made an impact on both ends of the court for the Golden Eagles. After three consecutive close losses to open BIG EAST play, Marquette has reeled off three straight victories over Providence (88-56), Georgetown (92-64) and DePaul (87-76).

College basketball columnist and statistician Ken Pomeroy gives a view on the national perspective. If you fancy yourself as a college basketball hoop-ologist, chances are you have heard of “Kenpom.” The website includes a ratings system, statistics on every Division I college basketball team and a blog, along with referee ratings. Kenpom ratings are mentioned in nearly every national conversation on the best teams in the country. Ken Pomeroy joins the show to discuss the formula for his ratings system.

The episode’s “Who’s Hot” segment features the return of “Blast from the Past” reliving the greatest moments of 40 years at Madison Square Garden. This week, hear sights and sounds from the 2011 BIG EAST Tournament where Kemba Walker helped the UConn Huskies earn 11 straight victories all the way to a National Championship.

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.

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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The show will air on Saturday, Jan. 15 at 11 a.m. ET on Sirius 138, XM 201 and Online 964, leading into the Xavier broadcast of Creighton @ Xavier.