Welcome to The Holy Land of Hoops

NEW YORK – The BIG EAST Conference today announced the launch of “BIG EAST Shootaround,” a live weekly online show that focuses on the league’s premier sport of men’s basketball in a full digital-forward approach. The first episode will air on Thursday, Aug. 10, and continue weekly over the coming year. The show will be distributed on FOX Sports GO, the BIG EAST Facebook page and @BIGEAST Twitter handle and via podcast on iTunes, Google Play and Stitcher.

BIG EAST Shootaround will feature behind the scenes, in-depth stories from the Conference’s 10 member schools. John Fanta, a Seton Hall alum and senior BIG EAST correspondent, will serve as the show’s host, and guests will include coaches, basketball student-athletes, media members and other basketball insiders. Women’s basketball coverage will be included in the programming mix.

The first show will feature Seton Hall seniors Angel Delgado, Desi Rodriguez, Khadeen Carrington and Ismael Sanogo from the BIG EAST Conference offices in midtown Manhattan.

“BIG EAST Shootaround is designed to provide coverage of BIG EAST Basketball all year round, not just during basketball season,” said Rick Gentile BIG EAST Senior Associate Commissioner, Broadcasting. “Our schools’ basketball programs don’t take off from April through October, and our supporters are eager to keep up with off-season stories and developments. We aim to fill the void in media coverage during that period with news, interviews and updates from each of our campuses and reach all of our audiences in all places.”

BIG EAST Shootaround will be interactive as fans can submit questions for Fanta and guests on Twitter and on Facebook with the hashtag #BEshootaround.

This is another great idea from our conference leaders. It's so great having smart people making decisions.

It's only a good idea if it is in addition to the weekly TV show instead of replacement of....

I like the idea, but I hope it's longer than the other show and goes more in-depth. Thus far, you can get much more information from forums such as this one than you can from those shows. I would like to see them analyze teams deeper, maybe have projections i.e. "Villanova projects to be a team that can make a deep run in March"/"St. John's projects to be a bubble team with a real chance at a bid"/etc. More behind the scenes footage would be cool too...the NFL has that show that features 1 team each year but I can't recall the name. Anyway, camera guys follow them around as they hear speeches from coaches, work out, practice, and it really shows the dynamics of what goes on behind the scenes. I'd like to see something similar for the Big East. Sit down 1 on 1 interviews are cool, but they need to get more creative and make the fan feel like they are following the team around to see what a typical day is like. Follow them from the dorm to practice to the locker room and then do interviews.

Haven't had a chance to watch yet, but episode 1 is here: http://www.bigeast.com/news/2017/8/10/mens-basketball-watch-big-east-shootaround-episode-1.aspx?path=

I watched the first episode. I think they did a good job overall...they made it fun giving the Seton Hall players some trivia games to see how well they knew each other and also showed some highlights from various practices mostly dunks. It also ran a full 30 minutes, maybe even a minute or two after...this is nice because whenever there was a show like Red Storm Report on TV, it would be a 30 minute slot but with the commercials it was only about 15 minutes of actual programming. I still think it would be really cool to have some camera guys follow players and have them give a quick tour of their dorms and show them walking to practice...I remember when we had Jakarr Sampson he had a dorm room full of Spongebob memorabilia and it really showed his character and sense of humor. I'd also like to see more discussion about projections or have each host predict how the conference will shake out. Not to sound too much like a critic, but the hosts can use more voice inflection and show a bit more pep. Look at guys like Brandon Tierney for an example...he really grabs your attention. I realize this isn't some ESPN show and it's mostly just a digital podcast, but it would be nice! Overall, pretty happy with the show and I look forward to seeing my Johnnies highlighted. Also thought it was funny...Seton Hall players were asked which game was Angel Delgado's best of the season and I believe only one said the St. John's game when he went like 21 and 20. As soon as the question was asked, I was painfully reminded of that crazy game he owned us.

EMT wrote:It's only a good idea if it is in addition to the weekly TV show instead of replacement of....

Do we know if FS1 will still have the weekly in season show?

MullinMayhem quote:

"Look at guys like Brandon Tierney for an example...he really grabs your attention. I realize this isn't some ESPN show and it's mostly just a digital podcast, but it would be nice! Overall, pretty happy with the show and I look forward to seeing my Johnnies highlighted."

The show will develop and progress. Good points. However, I might remind you that digital is the direction of the future and it will mature as it grows. I merely hope that the conference leadership goes "all in" on the BEDN and grow the hell out of it. Make it a platform and build it to support content from not only the BE but the fledling digital content from other conferences as well. The BEDN is a goldmine which has merely just begun to be tapped. In the foreseeable future "Platform is King" and content are grapes from the vine- pick the ripe ones. The BE will be kicking themselves severely for not fleshing out, building, and growing the BEDN as a platform (in a few years) if they fail to do so. Val, Stu, and company ought to be pumping serious dollars and at least 10% of staffing into growing the BEDN...time is a wasting and failure to do so is gross negligence. The BE has a headstart and is required to capitalize on their money tree (BEDN). Vision and leadership is required here.

gtmoBlue wrote:MullinMayhem quote:

"Look at guys like Brandon Tierney for an example...he really grabs your attention. I realize this isn't some ESPN show and it's mostly just a digital podcast, but it would be nice! Overall, pretty happy with the show and I look forward to seeing my Johnnies highlighted."

The show will develop and progress. Good points. However, I might remind you that digital is the direction of the future and it will mature as it grows. I merely hope that the conference leadership goes "all in" on the BEDN and grow the hell out of it. Make it a platform and build it to support content from not only the BE but the fledling digital content from other conferences as well. The BEDN is a goldmine which has merely just begun to be tapped. In the foreseeable future "Platform is King" and content are grapes from the vine- pick the ripe ones. The BE will be kicking themselves severely for not fleshing out, building, and growing the BEDN as a platform (in a few years) if they fail to do so. Val, Stu, and company ought to be pumping serious dollars and at least 10% of staffing into growing the BEDN...time is a wasting and failure to do so is gross negligence. The BE has a headstart and is required to capitalize on their money tree (BEDN). Vision and leadership is required here.

Agreed...digital content and podcasts are the future of media. There are more millennials watching YouTube personalities and podcasts from various people than watching mainstream news. Vlogs (video blogs) are also big right now...I think it would be really cool for each Big East team to have vlogs of their offseason training sessions. Show the coaches addressing each team, show clips from practice, show interviews, get inside the locker room, have coaches compete in HORSE...we have Patrick Ewing and Chris Mullin (2 huge NBA names and HOFers)as 2 of the coaches of 2 teams in major national cities...showcase them! Tell me Sportscenter wouldn't show Mullin vs. Ewing (obviously not all out but messing around). Show Jay Wright shopping for suits...play up the different personalities and rivalries. The coaches are what helped to make the original Big East so successful. The more you humanize the players and coaches and make them more relatable, the more fan interest will be piqued.