The Hoops HD Report – NCAA Preview Edition

Chad and the panel look begin by quickly discussing their thoughts on the selections and seedings and talk about what they like and dislike about what the committee did. After that, we look at the bracket, discuss each match-up, and fill it out round by round. Check out what we think the upsets will be, who is in our Final Four, and who we have winning it all. Plus, the reveal of the AC8 Bracket!

And for all you radio lovers, below is the audio only version of the show…

Posted in Bracket Rundown, Bracketology, Podcasts, Videocasts | Leave a comment

Tourney Talk: HoopsHD interviews Long Beach State SR G Marcus Tsohonis

Last Saturday Long Beach State beat UC Davis 74-70 in the Big West tourney title game to earn an automatic bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Beach had a rough end to the regular season by losing each of their final 5 games and firing their coach…but somehow won 3 games in 3 days to make their 1st NCAA tourney since 2012. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Long Beach State SR G Marcus Tsohonis about his team’s wild week.

You grew up in Portland, OR: why did you begin your career at Washington? Growing up I had seen guys from the area go through that Huskies program. I had a lot of connections via my AAU program and some friends of mine went there so it felt like the perfect fit.

There are several other guys from Portland in the NCAA tourney (including Montana State’s Robert Ford III/Oregon’s Jackson Shelstad/Vermont’s Aaron Deloney): do you know any of the other guys, and will you be cheering for them if they are not facing the Beach? Definitely: I will root for them regardless. Jackson is a little bit younger, but I knew Aaron/Rob and we played both with/against each other. Those are my guys and I talk to them daily about showing out.

In 2021 you transferred to VCU and ended up beating Princeton in the NIT before losing at Wake Forest: what did you learn from that postseason run that you think will help you this week? That was a tough season for me personally but learning how to win was pretty good, I saw how locked in/focused you must be if you want to keep winning.

You play for Coach Dan Monson: what makes him such a good coach, and what was your reaction when you learned he was being fired last week? He is a great coach: he understands us on a personal level and lets us play as long as we help the team win games. Whether it is ugly or pretty he just wants us to get it done. That news was heartbreaking (which is partially why we went on a 5-game skid), but he still has great hopes for us and did not turn his back on us…so I love him.

In January of 2023 you scored a school-record 46 PTS in 54 minutes in a 2-PT 3-OT win at UCSD: what are your memories of that marathon game? It was crazy! We had a lot of guys sitting out that night so we were down to just 7 scholarship players, although we had some walk-ons make some big plays down the stretch. It was 1 of the highlights of my life.

You had a roller coaster of a season over the past 6 weeks by winning 5 in a row in February before losing 5 in a row to finish the regular season: what the heck happened, and how were you able to get back on track last week? There were some lineup changes and I got injured so we were trying to figure out our flow. They were close games, but a couple of little things went wrong so it did not really feel like a 5-game skid. We felt locked in and got rolling in the conference tourney with the belief that we could get to March Madness.

In the Big West tourney title game on Saturday night you scored 25 PTS/4-9 3PM in a 4-PT win over UC-Davis: what did it mean to you to win a title, and what was the reaction like in your locker room afterward? I had never made it to the Big Dance before so there was a lot of emotion after everything that we have been through. I tried to soak in the moment but it still does not feel real. This is what we have been looking forward to since the beginning of the season.

Over the past 3 years your FT shooting has increased from 60.9% to 70.3% to 76.8%: what is the secret to making FTs? Just focus and not changing up your routine. I have been able to get to the line a lot this year and I have a better feel for it after getting up plenty of reps, which is also important.

You are 1 of 2 senior starters (along with Messiah Thompson): how much pressure is there on you to be a leader? There is a lot of pressure on us as the older guys: the younger guys put their trust us so we just have to show them that we have their back and then they will have our back.

How do you feel about being a 15-seed in Salt Lake City, and what do you know about your former Pac-12 rival Arizona? I do not look at the seed numbers too much because March Madness often involves a lot of upsets. Arizona is a great team with a great coach, and I am looking forward to facing a former Pac-12 opponent.

Posted in News and Notes | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Tourney Talk: HoopsHD interviews South Carolina band member Brayden Russell

Last Friday South Carolina lost to Auburn 86-55 in the SEC tourney quarterfinals but still earned an at-large bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Gamecocks only won 11 games last year but have 26 wins so far this year as they are heading back to the NCAA tourney for the 1st time since 2017. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with South Carolina band member Brayden Russell about his team’s remarkable run.

You are from Blythewood, SC: what made you choose South Carolina? Growing up so close to Columbia, I have always been a Gamecock fan and around the University my entire life. Attending South Carolina and being a part of the Carolina Band has always been a dream of mine after watching the Band and SC’s athletic teams while growing up. It did not matter that I was going to be just 30 minutes from my house: South Carolina was and is home for me.

You are majoring in Chemical Engineering: why did you choose that subject? I chose to major in chemical engineering due to my interest in math/science-based subjects. I had a phenomenal high school chemistry teacher, which led me down the path of connecting chemistry to more advanced math and science classes, which led me to select chemical engineering. Following the completion of my undergraduate degree, I hope to study Patent Law in the Law School here at the University of South Carolina.

You are in the Honors College: how do you balance your work in the band with your work in the classroom? Managing work between the classroom and the Carolina Band can be a challenge at times. Most of my semesters are 18 credit hours’ worth of classes (the maximum amount per semester) along with a 4-day rehearsal week and a full-day commitment for home football games in the fall (away games are entire-weekend trips). While this can be a lot at times, I have been able to stay disciplined and able to make hard decisions to study rather than relax at times. It can lead to late nights and busy days, but I would not change anything. I am beyond happy to be where I am at right now academically while also balancing band commitments.

You are a trumpet section leader: how long have you played trumpet for, and what is your favorite song to play? I have played trumpet for the last 9 years, beginning in middle school. As far as my favorite song to play, nothing really beats South Carolina’s fight song called “Step to the Rear”…especially in high-stake moments like when our football team beat Clemson in Death Valley in 2022!

What is the best part of being in the Carolina Band? The best part of being in the Carolina Band is the family community that everyone is immediately a part of when they join. The members of the Carolina Band are some of my closest friends and the positive atmosphere is unmatched by other bands. I was welcomed to the Carolina Band with open arms as a freshman and fell right into the swing of things from Day 1. While there are plenty of other benefits (like being able to travel with pep bands or witnessing some of the greatest Gamecock games in history), at the end of the day it is the people here that you make those memories with which makes my time in this band so enjoyable.

The Gamecocks went 11-21 last year: how on earth were they able to go 26-7 this year? The jump from 11-21 to 26-7 cannot be emphasized enough; Lamont Paris won SEC Coach of the Year for a reason! His ability to attack the transfer portal and bring in immediate impact veteran players like BJ Mack/Ta’Lon Cooper/Stephen Clark/Myles Stute significantly elevated this team’s floor and ceiling prior to the season starting. Coach Paris also has a great staff with the ability to develop talent, as evidenced by the improved play of guys such as Zach Davis/Josh Gray/Jacobi Wright. Combined with the star power of Meechie Johnson and freshman Collin Murray-Boyles, Coach Paris has built an intense brand of basketball and winning culture here in Columbia. I hope to see a similar approach in his upcoming seasons as head coach of the Gamecocks, but thanks to his elite coaching/recruiting methods he has put the Gamecocks back in the national spotlight.

What is your favorite memory from this season: going 12-1 in non-conference play, beating Kentucky/Tennessee last month, other? My favorite memory is the home upset over Kentucky. I was in attendance for the game as a fan and it was scheduled to be our “blackout game” this season. I remember sitting in the upper-deck with my friends and beginning to discuss if we needed to go down to the lower levels in the event of a court-storming. Luckily, we chose to go down with 4 minutes remaining and were able to storm the court with the rest of the Cockpit. Aside from the court-storming, the main reason this game stood out to me was because of the statement this game made. It was the first of many high-quality wins for the Gamecocks, which helped propel them to qualify for the NCAA Tournament.

Last fall you learned that your band will be a featured performer in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade: what was your reaction when you heard the news? Pure disbelief, at first. Eventually it set in as a reality…but it is still impossible to truly capture the excitement of everyone in the band (myself included). To be a part of such a highly commended parade as one of the feature bands in the nation is a huge honor. Not only is this a huge landmark in the Carolina Band’s legacy, but it is a massive opportunity as well. Being fortunate enough to be selected to play the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is a huge recruitment opportunity on a national scale. This is the largest recruiting opportunity not only in the history of the band but also the university. We have a chance to share Gamecock culture with the world and hopefully we can put the nation on notice that the Carolina Band and South Carolina is the place to be!

How does your school decide who gets to go to the NCAA tourney, and what will it mean to you to see your band doing its thing in front of a national TV audience? The Carolina Basketball Band is divided into three pep-bands: Sumter, Greene, and Assembly Band (named after streets on campus). During the regular season, two of these bands are called up to play at men’s and women’s basketball home games while the third has the night off. The three bands rotate each game to help put together a complete band for home games. Each individual pep band is assigned to specific tournaments at the beginning of the year for when tournament season rolls around. That individual pep band will travel to that tournament they are assigned to for the duration of the tournament in that city. Basketball band members can also sub in for multiple tournament trips to fill open spots as they arise due to work or school-related conflicts.

How do you feel about being a 6-seed in Pittsburgh, and what do you know about Oregon? I feel like a 6-seed is fair for the Gamecocks based on their season, and I feel it gives us the best shot to make a run than any other seed could. I know Oregon is no joke: an 11-seed for them is honestly too low to accurately depict their ability to win. The Pac-12 champions were able to take down both Arizona/Colorado, both of whom are also in the NCAA Tournament. Oregon is finally getting back to full strength at the right time with the recent return of N’Faly Dante. This team is legit, and now Jermaine Couisnard has a shot to get revenge on his former squad with a talented Ducks team. This first-round matchup is guaranteed to live up to all the hype due to the talent and storylines surrounding the game.

Posted in News and Notes | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Tourney Talk: HoopsHD interviews Kent State SR G Katie Shumate

Last Saturday Kent State beat Buffalo 78-60 in the MAC tourney women’s title game to earn an automatic bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Golden Flashes won 21 games last year and have 21 wins so far this year as they are heading back to the NCAA tourney for the 1st time since 2002. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Kent State SR G Katie Shumate about her team’s remarkable run.

You were born/raised in Ohio: what made you choose Kent State? It was close to home so I could go visit my family a lot, and my brother was playing nearby at Walsh University at the time. I have also known Coach Todd Starkey for a long time.

Your father JR was your high school coach: what was the best part of having your father as your coach, and what was the not-so-best part (if any)? I was getting constant advice/correction, which is both the good part and the bad part. My dad is the reason that my siblings and I are having so much success.

What makes Coach Starkey such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you have learned from him so far? He really cares a lot about all of us. He is not a big yeller…unless it comes to the refs! He gets what he needs out of us due to his trust in us.

As a freshman in 2020 you started 27 games and were named to the MAC All-Freshman team: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? The coaching staff believed in me a lot and gave me the opportunity to do that. They girls I was playing behind set a good example, and when I arrived in college the game was faster but I was able to adjust to it.

In 2021 you were named a MAC Distinguished Scholar-Athlete: how do you balance your work on the court with your work in the classroom? School comes 1st and we have a life that will continue outside this sport so we all take our academics very seriously.

Last year you led your team in PPG/RPG/STL: how do you balance all the different aspects of your game? I have always played a versatile game. I am not the best at 1 single thing but try to have energy on both ends of the floor.

Last month Corynne Hauser suffered an injury against Western Michigan: how was your team able to overcome the loss of your starting PG, and any chance that we will see her back on the court‎ this week? Losing Corynne was hard for the team both emotionally/physically. All the credit goes to Dionna Gray for stepping up in a big way. Dionna not only made us a faster team but played steady and took care of the ball. Corynne will not be playing this week.

In the MAC tourney title game on Saturday you scored 18 PTS in a win over Buffalo en route to being named tourney MVP: how were you able to play your best when it mattered the most, and what did it mean to you to win a title? I have been here 5 years and had never won a tourney title so it meant the world to me. We have a special group that played together, which was very important to me.

Your sister Emma plays basketball at Ohio State and your brother JT plays pro basketball in Romania: who is the best athlete in the family? No comment!

How do you feel about being a 15-seed, and what do you know about Notre Dame? I know the Irish have some great players/tradition but I am excited going into our game.

Posted in News and Notes | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Tourney Talk: HoopsHD interviews Vermont JR G TJ Long

Last Saturday Vermont beat UMass Lowell 66-61 in the America East tourney title game to earn an automatic bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Catamounts have now won 23+ games for the 3rd straight year and are heading to the NCAA tourney for the 3rd straight year. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Vermont JR G TJ Long about his team’s remarkable run.

You began your college career at Fairfield, where you scored a career-high 25 PTS in 24 minutes in a win over Marist: was it just 1 of those scenarios where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were “in the zone”? Yeah. I think I struggled a bit in the 1st half but in the 2nd half I felt that everything was going in.

Last year you were named conference 6th Man of the Year: what did it mean to you to receive such an outstanding honor? It was nice to be recognized but it was not my main goal. It was a tough year but it helped me during the transfer process.

Why did you decide to transfer? I was looking for a change of scenery to get my mind right and wanted to go to a winning program.

You were born/raised in New York: what made you choose Vermont? I always watched them on Saturday mornings growing up. They had a winning culture so when I came up for my visit it seemed like it would provide a great chance to win.

You play for Coach John Becker: what makes him such a great coach, and what is the most important thing that you have learned from him so far? He holds everyone accountable and treats everyone the same. He is great off the court as well: you can have tough conversations with him and he just wants the best for everyone.

You started this season 9-5 but have won 19 of your past 20 with just a 2-PT loss at NJIT on February 8th: has it reached a point where you just expect to win every time that you step onto the court? Yeah. We take pride in wearing that Vermont jersey and when we take the court we feel that we can beat anyone.

In the America East tourney title game on Saturday you scored 14 PTS/4-10 3PM in a 5-PT win over UMass-Lowell: what did it mean to you to win a title, and what was the reaction like in your locker room afterward? It meant everything! That is what we have spent the past 6-7 months working for. In the locker room everyone was super-happy/relieved that we finally accomplished our main goal.

You are a career 82.4% FT shooter: what is the secret to making FTs? Just keep your reps the same and do not over-think it. Take a deep breath and knock it in.

You played several fellow tourney teams in non-conference play including Charleston/Colgate/Yale: which of them impressed you the most? They are all great teams but I would probably choose Yale due to the way they play. They are a really smart team, are really-well coached, and know how to play together.

How do you feel about being a 13-seed in Brooklyn, and what do you know about Duke? It is great: being from New York I know that I will have a lot of family/friends at the Barclays Center. To play a big-name school is what you want in March. We will go out, play hard, and see what happens.

Posted in News and Notes | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Tourney Talk: HoopsHD interviews Middle Tennessee SO G Ta’Mia Scott

Last Saturday Middle Tennessee beat Liberty 65-51 in the CUSA women’s tourney title game to earn an automatic bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Blue Raiders won 28 games last year and somehow took it up a notch with 29 wins so far this year as they are heading to the NCAA tourney for the 3rd time in the past 4 years. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Middle Tennessee SO G Ta’Mia Scott about her team’s remarkable run.

What makes Nina Davis such a great assistant coach? Her experience playing at high levels: she knows exactly what to say. She works with our post players a lot but also know about the guards as well.

You went 28-5 last year and this year you are 29-4 and have won 19 in a row including the CUSA tourney title over Liberty on Saturday: has it reached a point where you expect to win every single time that your team steps out onto the court? We do: we know that we will come out with a win no matter what happens during the game. The motto has been to not get too high/not get too low. It is a matter of how hard we want it and how hard we work for it.

Your team is top-10 in the nation with 34.9 FG% allowed/54.3 PPG allowed: what is the secret to playing great defense? Assistant coach Matt Insell puts an emphasis on our defensive principles. 1 of our main weaknesses is when defenses try to drive down the middle of the lane so we focus a lot on how to prevent that defensively during practices.

How do you feel about being an 11-seed in Albany, and what do you know about Louisville? We feel good regardless of our seed: it is special to play in the NCAA tourney. We faced Louisville last year so we have some confidence but will get started by putting in the work.

Posted in News and Notes | Tagged , | Leave a comment