CSfilm,
As far as your original question regarding Black Hole entropy, I have made an inquiry into a co-worker who is (hopefully) better versed in the subject than I. I'll let you know what she says.
Regarding the collapsing universe, I'm not sure of the answer. The most recent research in astrophysics indicates the expansion of the universe is actually speeding up. This had been happening in the last few billion years and cosmologists are at a loss to explain it. With that in mind it's doubtful there ever will be a big crunch.
My understanding of Hawking radiation is that after a black hole gives off a certain amount of matter it will succumb to a massive explosion. BTW, if you are able to understand Hawking radiation you can definitely handle A Brief History of Time. If you want something a bit less intimidating you could try Hawking's "The Universe in a Nutshell." It explains how the universe works without going into the details that overwhelm the more pedestrian reader. Not that you're pedestrian.
