Big East Energy Weekly

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 💰 SPONSOR: MyBookie.ag. New customers get up to $1,000 in bonus bets with promo code BBE100. Must be of legal age. Please bet responsibly. 🔔 SUBSCRIBE to the Big East Energy Network for daily Big East basketball coverage all season. 🌐 BigEastEnergyNetwork.com 🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Amazon Music 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. #BigEast #UConn #Villanova #StJohns #BigEastBasketball #CollegeBasketball #BigEastMediaDay #DanHurley #RickPitino #KevinWillard #Marquette #SetonHall #NIL #MarchMadness #CollegeHoops Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Big East Energy Weekly is powered by MyBookie.ag. New customers get up to $1,000 in bonus bets with promo code BBE100. Must be of legal age. Please bet responsibly. 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Thank you to our Sponsor Athlete Value Index: GO check out AVI: Avindex.io The first NIL Evaluation platform with Verified Data Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices