Final Four Florida Father: HoopsHD interviews Carter Andersen​​​​ about his son Bennett

Posted on April 2, 2025 by Jon Teitel

The NCAA tournament is about basketball but also so much more: the parents, fans, bands, cheerleaders, etc. The Final 4 is taking place this weekend in San Antonio and we could not be more excited to see all those #1 seeds trying to win a title! HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel continues our coverage by chatting with Carter Andersen​​​​ about his son Bennett playing for Coach Todd Golden and making the Final 4.

You are an attorney in Tampa, FL: how do you balance paying the bills with getting to watch your son Bennett play basketball? We drive to Gainesville and back several times/year and will often arrive home after midnight. It is exhausting…but so much fun: we love this team, so we bite the bullet.

At Jesuit High School he did basketball/track and field: which sport was he best at, and which sport did he enjoy the most? He was best at basketball and enjoyed it the most. He was co-captain of the basketball team as a senior along with his best friend, and they were later co-valedictorians. He was not a superstar but did lead his team in PPG/RPG/APG as a senior. In track, he made it to the regionals in the high jump and the 300-meter hurdles, and also did the long jump/triple jump.

You and your wife Dana both went to Florida for college: how easy a decision was it for Bennett to follow in your footsteps? He was an industrial engineering major and went to UF for academic reasons. He is a lifelong Gators fan but is wise beyond his years. He had some opportunities to go to other big-time schools, but received a large academic scholarship from the state to go to Florida. This was the 1st year that he was paying his own tuition…but at practice yesterday he was surprised with a $10,000 scholarship from Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux (https://x.com/GatorsMBK/status/1907187578773643323). That will cover most of his grad school tuition, and I am so happy for him!

He spent 3 years as a manager for the Gators basketball team before becoming a walk-on in 2023: how was he able to finally make the leap? Coach Todd Golden finished his 1st year and was doing some recruiting out of the portal. As a manger Bennett would help pick up recruits at the airport/drive them around campus in a golf cart/get them a meal/etc. Golden was talking to 1 recruit and mentioned that he might make Bennett a walk-on…and about a month later he did!

What makes Golden such a great coach? He is the most positive leader you can imagine. I have heard stories about the concept of “gratefulness” and how infectious it is with him and his staff/managers/players. You kind of saw it during the postgame interview after beating Texas Tech: Walter Clayton Jr. said that in times of adversity they stick together, and Thomas Haugh said he was honored to be on the team. That is how Bennett feels: grateful and honored.

Last season he scored the 1st 2 PTS of his career on a layup vs. Grambling, then he made a couple more baskets this month vs. Alabama in the SEC tourney and vs. Maryland in the NCAA tourney: how exciting has it been to see him succeed in real games? It has been awesome. My wife and I were at the Grambling game in December of 2023. He got into the game in the final minute, cut to the basket, and made a reverse layup. We were so happy to be there to see it. I realized that he has played and practiced so much in his life that he knew exactly what to do with the ball when he caught the pass.

He wears #22 because your favorite former Gator wore the same #: what is your favorite memory of Emmitt Smith? Dana and I were freshmen in 1987 when Emmitt was also a freshman. He did not start the 1st game at Miami but still gained close to 100 yards in the 2nd half. Emmitt has been such a great ambassador for the school, and he is my favorite Gator ever.

He went viral last weekend after a wide-eyed locker room interview with a female student reporter for ESPN Gainesville (https://x.com/talia_baia/status/1905465594608320870): have you seen the clip, and what was your reaction? I saw the clip before it went viral and thought, “What a nice interview!”. Talia Baia asked him 3 questions and he gave 3 thoughtful answers: he is a nice kid and there was nothing going on. She has been the student reporter this season and we have seen her do great work all year. It was 2 innocent kids doing their jobs, so we thought the fact that it went viral was funny! Bennett later said that if you told him that he would make a basket in the Sweet 16 and reach the Final 4, then he would be happy to endure a little embarrassment along the way.

Your son Wilson played on USA Baseball’s 15-U team: who is the best athlete in the family? Can I plead the 5th?! My other sons Bennett/Carter would probably say that Wilson is the best, but I am a fan of all 3.

He won 3 school intramural titles: any predictions for the Final 4, and if he wins an NCAA title then will he retire as a 4-time undefeated champ?! I believe in the Gators. They have the right/people approach to get it done. It will be a dogfight against Auburn and against whoever is in the title game, but I like that we have Walter Clayton Jr. on our team.

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South Regional Champs: Auburn postgame celebration!

Posted on April 1, 2025 by Jon Teitel

Here is a quick recap of the best photos I took during the Auburn postgame celebration last Sunday:

After the buzzer sounded Coaches Tom Izzo/Bruce Pearl led their respective teams through the handshake line:

Then Bruce and his son/associate head coach Steven got to share the memorable moment together:

The players started posing for some photos:

…then the entire team formed a circle and bowed their heads for a quick moment of prayer:

Grant Hill exited stage left so he could start packing for his own trip to San Antonio:

Then it was time to hoist the trophy to the heavens while the orange and blue confetti began to fly:

There was almost as much orange and blue in the crowd as the Tiger faithful showed up to support their team:

All the players had a chance to cut down a piece of the net:

As did Penn alum/Auburn assistant coach Ira Bowman:

…while the superstar just soaked it all in:

I decided that Dylan Cardwell deserves his own photo gallery because he is the winningest player in school history…and has done so while having more fun than anyone in school history:

Former Auburn dancer Abbie Stockard was crowned Miss America last January…so I wondered if there were any other future pageant winners standing on the sideline:

The Tigers are 2 wins away from winning the banner of a lifetime…but this 1 will do for now:

The South was the final region to have its bracket filled in:

Miles Kelly took a minute to do a quick interview while Chaney Johnson tried out his new hat:

Broome and his freshman teammate Tahaad Pettiford had to win THIS many games in the NCAA tourney before getting that shiny new trophy:

Then it was time for the big man to climb the ladder:

…followed by the money shot!

Seth Davis is the editor-in-chief of Hoops HQ…which is my 2nd favorite “Hoops H_”-branded product!

The only possible rain on this parade was the sight of Broome walking around with the net around his neck…while clutching his right elbow after injuring it during the win over Michigan State:

After a great weekend of basketball I called it a night and walked down to catch the subway with about 1000 Auburn fans:

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The Hoops HD Report – Final Four Edition

Posted on March 31, 2025 by David Griggs

Chad is joined by a full panel as the recap all of the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight games, including Texas Tech’s big come from behind win against Arkansas in the Sweet Sixteen, and then how Florida came from behind to beat Texas Tech in the Elite Eight. Duke blew through their two games, Houston had one of the more exciting finishes of the whole tournament against Purdue and then ran over Tennessee, and Auburn got by their two opponents. We discuss all that, look at some of the other events, and more.

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

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All-Access at the South Regional in Atlanta: Michigan State-Auburn

Posted on March 30, 2025 by Jon Teitel

The NCAA tournament is about basketball but also so much more: the parents, fans, bands, cheerleaders, etc. The Sweet 16/Elite 8 are taking place in 4 cities around the country and we could not be more excited to be there in person! HoopsHD is covering all the angles so you can look forward to an abundance of access in the days ahead. Jon Teitel continues our coverage from Atlanta with a recap of the Michigan State-Auburn game.

The spirit squads for both schools were ready:

…as were their bands:

There was plenty of pageantry on display during the national anthem:

I saw Westwood One Radio color commentator Tom Crean (who yesterday celebrated the 23rd anniversary of his win over Kentucky as Marquette coach in the 2003 Elite 8):

…and Phoenix Suns’ billionaire owner Mat Ishbia (who won the 2000 NCAA title as a walk-on PG guard for the Spartans):

The 2 coaches had a quick handshake before going into battle:

Let’s tip it off with the final spot in the Final 4 at stake:

MICHIGAN STATE-AUBURN
Auburn All-American Johni Broome showed why he is the national POY favorite in the 1st 10 minutes, helping his team build a 23-8 lead with a spin/bank shot, a fadeaway jumper in the lane, a reverse layup, and a 3:

It felt like an Auburn home game because there was a LOT more orange than green in the crowd:

Michigan State made a nice little comeback thanks to a pair of threes by Jaxon Kohler and several baskets in the lane by Jase Richardson:

However, Miles Kelly/Tahaad Pettiford each responded with a 3 of their own:

Broome was simply unstoppable, putting up a double-double with 17 PTS/7-9 FG/11 REB in 18 minutes of action…but everyone else on both teams was quite stoppable as the Tigers went to the locker room with a 33-24 lead at halftime that had the Tiger fans going wild despite a rather ugly shooting display:

As you would expect from a Tom Izzo-coached team, the Spartans kept it close throughout the 2nd half. Kohler almost did so single-handedly with a double-double of his own: 17 PTS/11 REB, and after not even attempting a single 3 during in his 1st 3 NCAA tourney games this month he somehow made 3-4…while the rest of his team combined to make 4-19. Auburn SR Chad Baker-Mazara was able to convert a pair of long-range shots to help his team maintain the lead down the stretch:

Michigan State G Jaden Akins had a horrible 1st half (1-7 FG), but got it rolling after halftime with a lefty hook in the lane, a scoop, and knocked down 2 shots from behind the arc en route to a 13-PT performance in the 2nd stanza:

Broome went to the locker room midway though the 2nd half with an elbow injury, then returned to the bench a few minutes later while receiving an enormous ovation:

…then made a 3 on his 1st attempt after going back into the game and received an even louder cheer from the pro-Tiger crowd:

Auburn had some major problems at the FT line (11-20) and got outrebounded 41-39, but thanks to a cold shooting night by their opponent (34.4 FG%) Broome was able to sweep(!) the Spartans out of Atlanta with a 70-64 victory and give the Tigers a trip to San Antonio in the days ahead:

After the buzzer I went down to the court and took a bunch of photos during the postgame celebration, check back tomorrow for the best of the bunch and enjoy the sneak preview below. Sometimes you wait an entire weekend for that 1 perfect photo…and then you look up and see the best player in the sport holding the South Regional Champion trophy right in front of you #moneyshot!

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All-Access at the South Regional in Atlanta: HoopsHD interviews Michigan State basketball mother Crystal Flint

Posted on March 30, 2025 by Jon Teitel

The NCAA tournament is about basketball but also so much more: the parents, fans, bands, cheerleaders, etc. The Sweet 16/Elite 8 are taking place in 4 cities around the country and we could not be more excited to be there in person! HoopsHD is covering all the angles so you can look forward to an abundance of access in the days ahead. Jon Teitel continues our coverage from Atlanta by chatting with Michigan State basketball mother Crystal Flint about her son Tre Holloman playing for Coach Tom Izzo and making the NCAA tourney.

In high school your son Tre played football/basketball: which sport was he best at, and which sport did he enjoy the most? It depends on the season: he loved them both equally. He was in basketball mode when it was basketball season, and he spent the most time playing basketball because you can just go shoot baskets by yourself. Even when football was going on he would still work on basketball. He was the #1 player in both sports as a senior until he got injured during his 3rd/4th week of football practice, so we shut him down because he was already signed to play basketball at Michigan State. He had offers for both sports from several Big 10 schools, including the safeties coach with Michigan State football. Coach Tom Izzo was willing to let him play both sports.

Your family is from Minneapolis, MN: what made him choose Michigan State? The family atmosphere: he really loves the fan base and the “Izzone” and the culture. All the guys who went here before have really embraced him.

Coach Tom Izzo has made 27 consecutive NCAA tournaments, which is the most in men’s college basketball history: what makes him such a great coach? He has created/maintained a great culture for so many years. To be coached by a Hall of Famer who is able to relate to his players is huge. As a coach myself, I know it is more than just X’s and Os’: you have to build that relationship off the court so that thing are okay when it is time for tough love: he cares about you as a person.

He is a junior: does he have a post-graduation plan yet? Not yet. He is taking it game by game/year by year. His goal is to continue to hone his skills and stay on track for graduation. I am proud of him for finding that balance: as a former student-athlete, I know how hard that can be. He tries to keep it all in perspective with NIL/social media: it was not a thing for everyone back in the day!

Last month he scored 9 PTS including a half-court buzzer-beat in a 3-PT win at Maryland (www.youtube.com/watch?v=M45d0CCT3NE): where does that rank among your family’s athletic highlights? No doubt it is #1. I have had some game-winning shots in my life but never a buzzer-beater. In the section finals as a junior he made a buzzer-beater to go to the state tournament. He also made 1 during his COVID year, so he has had some big moments before. My mother and I were at the game: our seats were not great so it was hard to see. Some people have called it then “Holloman Heave”, but if you watch it he was shooting it and even followed through on his shot.

The Spartans won 8 straight games before a 3-PT loss to Wisconsin in the Big 10 tourney semifinals (Tre scored 10 PTS): how devastating was that loss, and how have they been able to turn things around since then? I would not call it “devastating”: it just made them refocus. If they had won that game and cut down the Big 10 tourney nets, I do not know if they would have made it this far. After they lost to Memphis last November they refocused and beat UNC in OT. It was a wake-up call to show them that they were not invincible and needed to bring their A game and make the right decisions.

The team has won at least 1 NCAA tourney game during each of his 3 years in East Lansing: do you keep your March schedule clear because you expect to be traveling with the team every single spring? I am running out of PTO right now…but am glad to work for an organization that understands the importance of a parent being there for your child. I work for a non-profit and they tell me to go be with him. When I was coaching I knew that he had some more games left, so I guess it is kind of an expectation. He has been blessed to have been on teams that excelled in the postseason.

The SEC set a record this month with 14 NCAA tourney bids, but several Big 10 schools made the Sweet 16 (including Maryland/Michigan/Michigan State/Purdue): where do you think the Big 10 ranks among the best conferences in the country? Every conference has its own style of play and has good teams from top to bottom, but in the Elite 8 anyone can beat anyone. It is about matchups and focus and playing together and weathering the storm because basketball is a game of runs: the team that makes the last run wins. The SEC is great…but the Big 10 is up there with anyone in the country.

You played basketball at Minnesota and your son Marquis played college basketball: who is the best athlete in the family? There are different things that each of us do very well, but I “think” the game better than them. Tre has that flash to him and Marquis has a lot of finesse. I shot exactly one 3 in college: I was an undersized guard, but was the top rebounder on my team in the Big 10. We all played to our strengths and I used to beat Tre, but I let the 2 brothers play 1-on-1 now.

Any predictions for tonight’s game vs. Auburn in Atlanta? I am going with Michigan State: I truly believe that when they play together and know their roles and do not deviate from the plan that they can beat anybody in the country. This is the best time for it: they have not had a full game from beginning to end but I think they will make that happen.

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All-Access at the South Regional in Atlanta: Michigan State breakout room

Posted on March 30, 2025 by Jon Teitel

The NCAA tournament is about basketball but also so much more: the parents, fans, bands, cheerleaders, etc. The Sweet 16/Elite 8 are taking place in 4 cities around the country and we could not be more excited to be there in person! HoopsHD is covering all the angles so you can look forward to an abundance of access in the days ahead. Jon Teitel continues our coverage from Atlanta with a Michigan State breakout room interview.

The way it works is that Coach Tom Izzo and his 5 starters start out on the podium while the rest of the team does interviews in the locker room, then Coach keeps going while each of his starters goes to their own breakout room:



I chose to go to the breakout room for Coen Carr for a quick interview:
SO F Coen Carr

You were born in Stockbridge, GA (21 miles southeast of Atlanta): how has your homecoming been? It has been fun: I got to make my 1st-ever college start on Friday. I kept it a secret from everyone, and it turned out to be a great surprise for my mom on her birthday.

What was the biggest factor in your win over the Rebels on Friday? We got tougher in the 2nd half after getting punked in the 1st half. It was important to get stops on defense.

I saw you walking around the concourse in your jersey after the game: how did that happen? My mom called our team operations manager and told him to send me up there to take some photos, so I did not have time to change out of my jersey.

What do you know about Auburn? They are physical: Johni Broome had a bunch of REB against Michigan (16). They also have a lot of guards who can shoot so we must defend the 3-PT line.

Auburn F Jahki Howard said that he beat you in 1 dunk contest and you beat him in 1 dunk contest: who do you think would win the rematch? Probably him.

Check back for a lot more access all week long!

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