Live From Men's Final Four: Big East's Digital Team Tells the Story of Villanova's Rise From Conference Champs to National Title Contenders

Live From Men's Final Four: Big East's Digital Team Tells the Story of Villanova's Rise From Conference Champs to National Title Contenders The conference is also highlighting UConn's push for the Women's National Championship By Kristian Hern ndez, Associate Editor

Saturday, April 2, 2022 - 12:14 pm

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Home to one of the nation's top men's basketball programs -Villanova University- the Big East Conference has been in lock-stop with the Wildcats' conquest to the Final Four. Bouncing from New York City to cover the team's conference championship to the bayou of New Orleans this weekend, the organization's digital team has managed a full plate of responsibilities. This laundry list of tasks comes with an added twist: they're also documenting UConn Women's Basketball's run to the title game vs. the University of South Carolina in Minneapolis.

This is the 10th time that we've had a team in both the men's and women's Final Four, so that's a big thing that we want to amplify, says Bobby Mullen, senior director, digital and social media, Big East Conference. We've had to balance multiple teams at multiple sites, which is a good problem to have.

Nova in New Orleans: Social Media Content Bring Out Player Personalities The Big East powerhouse that is Villanova conjures up different feelings for different fans. Whether you love or hate the Wildcats, they've become a mainstay on the big stage in the last decade. To highlight this current squad, the Big East is aiming to bring out the off-court personality of each of these players. One form of content is conducting intimate interviews with players after each game for organic and raw reactions. Another method is by poking fun at this long-standing stereotype. For example, the conference caught up with senior point guard Collin Gillespie to show some of the mean tweets that fans are saying about him:

America, we showed @Colling1021 your tweets. He'd like to set the record straight on some things.

PS, @MeganMakinMoney Collin and @John_Fanta have a message for you. @NovaMBB x #BEdancing pic.twitter.com/o1ociTtB7q

- BIG EAST MBB (@BIGEASTMBB) April 1, 2022

I think the perception around Villanova is that they're very robotic, says Mullen. Getting that fun moment out of Collin was a really good idea.

Aside from those one-on-one interactions with players, the social team is previewing the upcoming game vs. Kansas on Saturday night. Some of these posts are emphasizing the Achilles injury of junior guard Justin Moore and how that'll affect the team's play, what the homecoming of New Orleans native Caleb Daniels means to him, and more.

We're looking to tell the story of why this particular team is here, adds Mullen. They've become one of the standards of the sport, but we want to show fans every side of Villanova Basketball.

Fanta (left) and Mullen (right) interview Villanova Head Coach Jay Wright after Friday's practice.

Since Villanova has now made three Final Fours in the last six years, the biggest challenge is coming up with new ideas for content and diversifying the way they distribute these messages. A lot of planning and brainstorming is necessary to generate original concepts. This also requires looking back at some of the posts that they created back in 2016 and 2018 - two years that ended with the Wildcats lifting the trophy. Due to their pedigree, the social team is tapping into their extensive pool of alumni and linking them with active players on the roster for new material.

Having our followers hear all of these stories shows the legacy of this program, says Mullen. Former players like Josh Hart and Allan Ray are interacting with the team on Twitter all the time, and that's become a main platform for us.

Keeping Fans Informed: BIG EAST Shootaround Provides Quick Hits From Caesars Superdome While the conference's social media platforms are populated with various stills and behind-the-scenes videos, there's also a treasure trove of analysis and predictions. BIG EAST Shootaround, the conference's digital-only program that highlights the current state of affairs of basketball, is reporting live from New Orleans in a different form. In previous years, a large-scale presence has been rolled out for long-form episodes. This year, the crew is moving forward with a different approach to make their content more digestible.

We've seen that full shows haven't performed the way we've wanted them to this year, says Mullen. These one-off hits have done really well and we're building up our YouTube channel on the back end with these videos.

NEW ORLEANS @John_Fanta and the Shootaround crew have touched down for the Men's Final Four. His first thoughts on the @NovaMBB / Kansas semifinal showdown: pic.twitter.com/uMzPOwvLUC

- BIG EAST MBB (@BIGEASTMBB) March 30, 2022

Host and play-by-play commentator John Fanta is at the helm of these quick hits from around the arena. Whether it's a two-minute standup during Villanova's practice on Friday or an interview with Villanova Head Coach Jay Wright, he's bringing real-time updates of the action from New Orleans. Mullen and company are mixing and matching with the style of the show, but Fanta is the team's bread and butter.

We've brought on guests like [college basketball analyst] Andy Katz during the regional when we were in Chicago, continues Mullen. We want to have different perspectives, but so much of the BIG East Shootaround brand is John, and we want to capitalize on that.

Mullen is relying on an onsite team in New Orleans. Down south, he is joined by Senior Associate Commissioner, Sports Media Relations John Paquette; Assistant Commissioner, Men's Basketball Oper

LINK:	https://www.sportsvideo.org/2022/04/02/live-from-mens-final-four-big-e...
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