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

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. 


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


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.