John Fanta

College Basketball Broadcaster and Reporter

NEW YORK — While college football forges on across the country, continuing to set record-breaking TV ratings week after week, a record number of media members were in attendance at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday morning at Big East Basketball Media Day. 

Ahh, the Big East. The league that makes any college hoops lover crack a smile. A conference born in 1979 that has stood the test of time. Even when breakups happen, the conference has been able to not just survive, but thrive, accounting for four of the last eight men’s college basketball national championships. 

If the walls at the world-famous MSG could have talked on Wednesday, they would have told the stories of Chris Mullin and Patrick Ewing, Pearl Washington, Kemba Walker and, most recently, the likes of Donovan Clingan, Tristan Newton, Jalen Brunson and Kris Jenkins. As the coaches stood at center court for a group photo featuring a Hall of Famer in Rick Pitino, a future Hall of Famer in Dan Hurley, as well as coaches who have etched their names in history with memorable March runs, like Thad Matta, Sean Miller, Shaka Smart, Greg McDermott and Shaheen Holloway, we were all reminded what the Big East is all about: college basketball. 

There’s truly no comparison for this league in the college sports landscape. You have northeast hatred with just how badly these teams want to beat one another, but on the same hand, there is a true mutual respect and desire for them to beat out-of-conference opponents in March, to prove the league’s dominance. You have an outspoken social media community that provides nonstop conversation and frivolity. You have the longest running conference tournament at any single venue when the Big East Tournament hits MSG in March for the 43rd consecutive year. 

But all of that is supplemental to the biggest point of them all: national championships. When this league shows up to the dinner table, it brings the porterhouse steak with lobster tails in the form of four national titles since 2016. The conference backs up all of its pageantry and elite coaching with wins during the time of year when it matters most.

That starts with Dan Hurley and the monster he has built at UConn. The Huskies are 43-3 in their last 46 games with a 12-game NCAA Tournament winning streak by a combined 260 points. Last year, they posted as dominant of a season as we have seen in recent memory, winning six March Madness games by an average of over 23 points. What Hurley has accomplished in Storrs, Conneticut is frankly unbelievable, and UConn’s bid at a three-peat is quite realistic.

In the last decade, Jay Wright built a dynasty on the Main Line at Villanova and his titles in 2016 and 2018 got the new-look Big East (circa 2013-14) to the grand stage in the sport, solidifying that this league would be able to march on. Now, third-year head coach Kyle Neptune is trying to get the Wildcats back to the NCAA Tournament in what is a critical season after they’ve missed the Big Dance the last two years. 

And that illustrates what this year is all about in the Big East: accumulating non-conference results in November and December. While many casual fans don’t follow college hoops until football is done, you get a pretty good idea how many tournament slots each conference is getting by Christmas. Why? Because at that point in conference play, you’re beating up on one another. 

Last year, the Big East had three Sweet 16 teams in UConn, Creighton and Marquette, but those were the only three that made the Big Dance. Disappointment? Selection committee errors? Regardless, the league has to silence the “should we have been in?” talk with results early in the season to compile a résumé that says 5–7 teams should make the tournament.

“We think the Big East is primed to remain a college basketball powerhouse, even as the terrain beneath us keeps shifting,” 12th-year commissioner Val Ackerman said on Wednesday. 

With national titles, sellout crowds, and some of the biggest characters in the sport, you can’t tell the story of college hoops without the Big East. And because of that, they’re as good a testament as any that basketball still carries weight of its own in the football-driven world. 

Here are five other takeaways from Big East Men’s Basketball Media Day:

Rick Pitino holds nothing back about the new landscape

After a first season that saw his Johnnies win six of their final seven games to get into the bubble conversation but fall just short of the NCAA Tournament, Pitino and his staff hit the transfer portal hard and reeled in the No. 4 class in the country, according to 247Sports.com. St. John’s brought in Seton Hall transfer Kadary Richmond and Deivon Smith from Utah, and are returning RJ Luis, Simeon Wilcher, Zuby Ejiofor and Brady Dunlap. With that, the Red Storm are poised for a big season and hovering right around the edge of the preseason top 25. 

As for how Pitino views the current college basketball landscape with over 1,500 transfers this past offseason and NIL dollars driving the bus, he’s totally fine with it.

“I’m a big proponent of NIL. We’ve been paid millions of dollars through the years and players got nothing, and I think that’s totally unfair,” Pitino said. “We’ve been able to move, they’ve been unable to move. 

“Back when I first started coaching, there were a lot of programs running NIL when NIL was not legal. I like the fact that it’s all legal now. They are professional athletes that are being treated like professional athletes who are getting an education. That’s the ball game. That doesn’t bother me at all. That’s the way it is. I’ll go out and raise money.”

Ryan Kalkbrenner trying to do something only Patrick Ewing has done

Creighton fifth-year senior Ryan Kalkbrenner can join the Georgetown G.O.A.T. this season if he is named Big East Defensive Player of the Year for a fourth time, something only Ewing can say he’s done. Kalkbrenner, a FOX Sports Preseason First-Team All-American, averaged 17.3 points, 7.6 rebounds and a whopping 3.1 blocks (second in country) per game last season. His head coach, Greg McDermott, said that Kalkbrenner deserves more national attention. 

“As you look back to last year and the draft boards after the season, Donovan Clingan is a terrific, terrific basketball player. But is Ryan that much different?” McDermott asked. “He’s going to be looked upon as one of the better centers to ever play in the Big East. The best is yet to come for Ryan Kalkbrenner.” 

Sean Miller and Xavier look the part of a Sweet 16 team

Last year was an absolute rarity for Xavier, finishing the season with a 16-18 mark and missing out on the Big Dance. The Musketeers, who were dealt a terrible card with injuries, had not had a losing season since 1996. That ate at 20th-year head coach Sean Miller, who has won over 71% of the games he’s coached.

The Musketeers cleaned up with one of the best transfer portal classes in the country, bringing in Ryan Conwell (Indiana State), John Hugley (Oklahoma), Marcus Foster (Furman) and others. With Zach Freemantle and Jerome Hunter finally healthy and ready to make an impact, the Musketeers will have veterans across the board. Dayvion McKnight, who led the Big East in assist-to-turnover ratio last season, is also set to return and should serve as the main ball-handler alongside Conwell. 

“You think about it, and he and [Tyler] Kolek, now of the Knicks, were at the top of assist-to-turnover ratio last season,” Miller said of McKnight. “To be able to have that experience back and a starting point guard back, Dayvion knows what to expect. He had an excellent offseason and can be an All-Big East performer. 

“As for Ryan Conwell, he can really play. If you were a college basketball fan last year, it was hard to ignore Indiana State, who made it to the final of the NIT against Seton Hall. They won 30 games for a reason. His ability to make 3s at a high rate and be efficient is special. He really lets the game come to him and I appreciate that so much. He’s a great playmaker and has a really bright future. I’m excited for him to play on our stage, the Big East stage. A lot of people will get to know him this year and deservedly so.”

Kam Jones sets aim on authoring an All-American season and leading Marquette back to the Big Dance

Coming off the program’s first Sweet 16 appearance in over a decade, the Golden Eagles lost Kolek and Oso Ighodaro, but are still a preseason top-20 team. That’s a testament to what Shaka Smart, who has won 56 games over the last two seasons, including a Big East regular-season and tournament title, has built in Milwaukee. 

The headliner this season is FOX Sports Preseason Third-Team All-American Kam Jones, who averaged 17.2 points per game last year. Smart unveiled Wednesday that Jones, who averaged 2.4 assists per contest last season, is going to do a lot more than just score this season.

“I’m going to give you guys something that nobody really knows: he’s a better passer than you think,” Smart said of Jones. “You’re going to see this year a really dynamic playmaker in Kam Jones. Remember, Tyler [Kolek] was out for some time at the end of last season, and we got to see it. Kam had 30 points and nine assists at Xavier and that gave you a sense that he could score and distribute at the same time. You will see a guy who will be one of the best guards in college basketball.”

Doubt the Pirates at your own risk

Last year, Seton Hall was picked to finish ninth in the Big East preseason poll. The Pirates proceeded to beat UConn and Marquette and go 13-7 in the league with a top-four finish. This season? The coaches hold The Hall in even lower regard, picking them 10th in the league. 

Yes, the Pirates only return two impactful players in fifth-year senior Dylan Addae-Wusu and sophomore Isaiah Coleman. But Shaheen Holloway has won 42 games in his first two years on the job with the Pirates, the most by a coach in his first two years in program history. He also led Saint Peter’s to the Elite Eight in 2022. Doesn’t he deserve a bit more respect? 

“It is what it is. People got time to sit around and pick other people’s teams. It’s kind of nuts,” Holloway said. “I’m not worried about nobody else. You know me, I don’t really care if we’re picked first or last. It doesn’t mean anything. It’s preseason. I just care about my team. 

“You know me, you know my teams, we get better as the year goes on. So, right now, I’m not happy where we are, but I think we’re going to be really good. I think we have a chance.”

The Pirates brought in length and versatility in the form of Ohio State transfer Scotty Middleton, Boston College transfer Prince Aligbe, and a quality mid-major guard in Chaunce Jenkins (Old Dominion). And don’t sleep on Providence transfer Garwey Dual. The reigning NIT champions have a coach and motivated pieces in place to prove doubters wrong again.

John Fanta is a national college basketball broadcaster and writer for FOX Sports. He covers the sport in a variety of capacities, from calling games on FS1 to serving as lead host on the BIG EAST Digital Network to providing commentary on The Field of 68 Media Network. Follow him at @John_Fanta.

[Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily.]

Get more from College Basketball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

Larne boss Tiernan Lynch was left “disappointed and frustrated” after watching his team slip to a 4-1 defeat by Shamrock Rovers in their Uefa Conference League game at Windsor Park.

Josh Honohan put the League of Ireland champions in front after just three minutes and Johnny Kenny doubled the lead before a Tomas Cosgrove own goal made it 3-0.

Chris Gallagher netted early in the second half to give Larne hope, before the impressive Graham Burke sealed a comfortable win for the Dubliners.

“I’m disappointed and frustrated – we conceded really stupid goals at really bad times,” said Lynch.

“We got hit by a sucker-punch very early. The one thing you can’t do is let Rovers get into a rhythm and we got punished for that.”

It was a harsh lesson for Larne, who are the first team from Northern Ireland to qualify for the league stage of a European competition.

“We knew how good a team Rovers are and how many good individuals they have,” Lynch said.

“We just didn’t do the things that we worked so hard to make sure we carried out and got punished badly.”

European governing body Uefa are bound to be in touch – which is where we probably should start.

In 2023, Mourinho was given a four-match touchline ban for his behaviour around the Europa League final when his Roma side were beaten by Sevilla in Budapest. Premier League referee Anthony Taylor was abused in the airport on his way home after footage emerged of Mourinho waiting in an underground car park after the match to question the official about his performance.

So, as he reflected on being red carded by another leading official in French referee Clement Turpin in Istanbul, Mourinho made reference to the previous incident.

“If I appeal I will get six months,” said Mourinho, when asked by an English journalist if he would appeal against his dismissal. “Since the Sevilla-Roma final there is nothing to do. That is why the future is better without European competition, so I don’t get upset.”

This was a follow-up to his first answer, to the man from another broadcaster who he knows exceptionally well, which in itself built on something he said in the lead-up to the game which suggested after spells with Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham, his time in the Premier League may not be over.

“The best thing I have to do is when I leave Fener is that I go to a club that doesn’t play in Uefa competition,” he said. “So a club at the bottom in England who needs a coach in two years, I’m ready to go.

“I don’t want to speak anymore about it. I want to speak about the game.”

Except this is Jose, so speaking about the game comes with loaded answers – including, at one point, suggesting the local media would be unhappy with the outcome of the game because they would have preferred Fenerbahce to lose.

Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams announced Thursday he will accept a two-game suspension by the NFL for violating the league’s performance-enhancing substance policy.

Williams had said he had “no choice but to take it on the chin” to a Monday report on the suspension. He issued a statement Thursday through his agent confirming he was notified of the suspension earlier this week.

“The news came as a complete surprise that I am still trying to understand,” Williams said.

“I don’t take supplements or vitamins, and I am overly cautious about even taking over-the-counter medicine. At no time have I ever taken something in an attempt to cheat or look for an unfair advantage. I understand that I am responsible for everything that goes into my body and I have to take accountability in this instance.”

That means Williams will miss Sunday’s game with the Lions (5-1) hosting the Tennessee Titans (1-5) and a Nov. 3 road trip against NFC North rival the Green Bay Packers.

Williams has had a breakout season, a year after serving a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s gambling policy.

He has 17 catches for 361 yards with three touchdowns. In 12 games last season, he had 24 receptions for 354 yards and two touchdowns. He returned from knee surgery two years ago and played six games and caught a 41-yard TD.

Williams, 23, is the first player in franchise history to have each of his first six receiving touchdowns cover 30 yards or more.

Detroit traded up to draft the former Alabama star with the No. 12 pick overall in 2022 and has been patient with him. The team expected him to miss much of his rookie year with a knee injury and publicly has supported him during last year’s suspension and this week’s reported punishment.

Reporting by The Associated Press. 

[Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily.]

Get more from National Football League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

The player rating in EA Sports’ “College Football 25” is starting to resemble the Heisman leaderboard.

Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty’s overall rating in the video game increased by a point, moving up to a 97 overall to tie him for the highest-rated player in “College Football 25,” EA Sports shared in its latest ratings update on Thursday. Colorado’s Travis Hunter and Michigan‘s Will Johnson were previously the only other players to have a 97 rating in the game. Neither of their ratings moved in the latest update.

Jeanty has taken the college football world by storm this fall. He leads the country in rushing (1,248 yards) by more than 200 yards and is averaging a whopping 9.9 yards per carry. He’s also tied for first among all running backs in rushing touchdowns, reaching the end zone 17 times this year. Additionally, Jeanty has rushed for at least 180 yards in five of Boise State’s first six games.

As Jeanty has dominated his competition this season, he has quickly surged up the odds board for the Heisman. Entering Week 9, he is the favorite to win the award at +220. Hunter was close behind Jeanty a couple of weeks ago, with his odds of winning the award moving to +350 on Oct. 6. But a shoulder injury has limited Hunter’s snaps over Colorado’s past two games, causing his odds to drop to +2200. 

Miami (Fla.) quarterback Cam Ward now has the second-best odds to win the Heisman (+260), and he saw his rating in “College Football 25” increase on Thursday as well. It was bumped by two points, making him a 93 overall. Ward leads the nation in passing yards (2,538) and passing touchdowns (24) to go with 190 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns. 

While Ward is second on the Heisman odds board, he isn’t the highest-rated quarterback in “College Football 25.” Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders is the highest-rated quarterback in the game, with his rating improving by a point to 94 in the latest update. Sanders is fifth in the nation in passing (2,268) to go with 19 passing touchdowns and six interceptions. Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel’s rating also improved by a point, making his overall rating a 93.

Is Shedeur Sanders the best QB in College Football?

Several other notable players had their overall rating increased in Thursday’s update. Star freshmen wide receivers Jeremiah Smith of Ohio State and Ryan Williams of Alabama were both bumped up to a 90 overall. With the increase, both are now among the 13 highest-rated wide receivers in the game. 

A pair of Penn State stars also had their overall ratings increased amid the team’s 6-0 start. Edge rusher Abdul Carter’s rating increased by three points, giving him a 94 overall. His increase makes him the second-highest-rated edge rusher in the game, trailing only Tennessee‘s James Pearce. Quarterback Drew Allar’s rating increased by two points, giving him a 91. Allar is one of the seven highest-rated quarterbacks in the game with the increase.

Other notable player ratings increases include Texas quarterback Arch Manning and Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson. Manning’s rating was bumped two points, giving him an 89 overall rating in the game after he impressed in two starts earlier this season. Johnson’s rating increased by four points, making him a 91 overall. Johnson is second in the nation in rushing (1,035 yards) and has rushed for 13 touchdowns this season. 

San Diego State edge rusher Trey White had the biggest overall rating increase in the latest update. His rating improved 15 points, moving up to an 88 overall. White is tied for the most sacks in the nation (11) and has 32 total tackles to go with a forced fumble.

There were also some players who saw their ratings decrease in the latest update. Both Georgia quarterback Carson Beck and Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita saw their respective ratings decrease by a point. Beck, who’s now a 91 overall, has thrown for 1,993 yards and 15 touchdowns this season but has also thrown eight interceptions over the past four games. Fifita, whose rating is now at an 88, has thrown for more interceptions (10) than touchdowns (nine) this season amid Arizona’s 3-4 start.

[Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily.]

Get more from College Football Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more