NEW YORK – The BIG EAST Conference will continue a virtual format for this year’s annual Freshmen Fundamentals and Transition Game programs, as men’s and women’s basketball student-athletes from across all 11 BIG EAST schools will log on for interactive sessions on Saturday, Sept. 18.
 
For men’s basketball, Freshmen Fundamentals assists with making the jump from high school to college and the elite level of BIG EAST basketball. All scholarship and walk-on men’s basketball freshmen from the league’s 11 schools are invited. For women’s basketball, Transition Game aims to assist in the shift from college player to emerging professional, both on and off the court. Upperclassmen are selected at the institutions’ discretion. A total of 44 men’s basketball and 37 women’s basketball student-athletes will participate in this year’s programs.
 
“Freshmen Fundamentals and Transition Game are marquee personal development events that we take great pride in hosting every fall,” said Val Ackerman, BIG EAST Commissioner. “While COVID-19 has once again kept us from conducting in-person workshops this year, we are confident that our virtual format and content will be engaging for our basketball student-athletes and of value as they look to maximize their opportunities on and off the court. We're especially grateful to our guest speakers, especially our notable BIG EAST alums, for taking time to share their expertise and experiences.”
 
Freshman Fundamentals will be hosted by Stu Jackson, BIG EAST Executive Associate Commissioner for Men’s Basketball, while Transition Game will be hosted by Tracy Ellis-Ward, BIG EAST Senior Associate Commissioner for Women’s Basketball/Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer. The day will be divided into two, two-hour segments via Zoom.
 
Following an opening address from Ackerman, participants of the seventh annual Freshmen Fundamentals and sixth annual Transition Game will both hear from mental health expert, renowned researcher, consultant and author Dr. Alfiee M. Breland-Noble; and financial wellness professionals Dr. Delvena Thomas and Otis Ellis. Both programs will hear from former player panels, featuring notable alumni of BIG EAST schools, including St. John’s Tarik Turner and Zendon Hamilton, Georgetown’s Jagan Mosely and Villanova’s Mikal Bridges for men’s basketball, and Georgetown’s Monica McNutt and Dorothy Adomako, St. John’s Jasmine Sina, UConn’s Morgan Tuck and Villanova’s Briana Weiss for women’s basketball.
 
Unique to Freshman Fundamentals, Kalimah Johnson will host a segment on relationship management and safety; specific to Transition Game, Angie Bennett, Vice President of Sales and Senior instructor for Dardis Communications, Inc., will host a discussion on Communicating Virtually with Impact. For more on all speakers and panelists of both programs, click HERE.
 
The BIG EAST: The BIG EAST Conference is an association of 11 nationally prominent colleges and universities that foster healthy athletic competition, community service and the pursuit of excellence in academic environments.  The athletic programs of BIG EAST institutions provide national-caliber participation opportunities for more than 4,100 student-athletes on over 200 men’s and women’s teams in 22 sports.  Established in 1979 and headquartered in New York City, the BIG EAST’s members are located in eight of the country’s top 37 largest media markets and include Butler University, University of Connecticut, Creighton University, DePaul University, Georgetown University, Marquette University, Providence College, St. John’s University, Seton Hall University, Villanova University and Xavier University.  For more information, visit www.bigeast.com.