Hoops HD Hardball Championship Week – Tuesday Edition

Posted on May 20, 2026 by John Stalica

ACC – 2ND ROUND (Single elimination)

A large number of conference baseball tournaments got underway yesterday, and all but two of the conferences will have begun as of today. In the ACC, Pittsburgh kept their faint chances of an at-large NCAA Tournament bid alive with a 16-8 win against Louisville yesterday. Duke also won a 21-12 slugfest against NC State yesterday despite being the #16 seed in the bracket.

ATLANTIC SUN – 2ND ROUND (Single elimination round)

Jacksonville and Austin Peay won their respective first round games today; both teams need a win today if they are to advance to the double elimination portion of the A-Sun bracket that begins on Thursday.

B1G – 2ND ROUND (Double elimination round)

On a surprisingly cool day in Omaha, the B1G got underway in the double elimination portion of their bracket with 4 teams advancing to potentially qualify for the 8-team single elimination quarterfinal round. Michigan did make quick work of Rutgers with a 10-0 mercy rule win in 7 innings. The Michigan State/Iowa and Michigan/Washington winners advance to the quarterfinal round; the losers will fight the winners of the Purdue/Illinois and Rutgers/Ohio State consolation games fighting for the two final quarterfinal spots.

Big 12 2ND ROUND (Single elimination)

Only a couple of games were played yesterday; BYU and Kansas State advanced to play for the right to play the top two seeds in the quarterfinal round on Thursday. (And no, we do not believe that the tournament is being played on an LED field like the basketball tournament was for the early rounds).

OHIO VALLEY 2ND ROUND (Double elimination)

Southern Indiana and Lindenwood won yesterday to advance to the 6-team double elimination portion of the bracket. The top 2 seeds SIU-Edwardsville and Eastern Illinois have byes into the 3rd round that begins tomorrow.

PATRIOT LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP

Bucknell defeated Holy Cross 9-5 to stave off elimination; both teams will play at 2 PM today for the Patriot League auto bid.

SEC – 2ND ROUND (Single elimination)

Missouri had a rare win in the SEC Tournament yesterday; it was only the 2nd one in program history and may have cost Ole Miss a shot at being a regional host when the bracket is announced on Monday. Vandy is still alive for NCAA Tournament contention after defeating Kentucky.

SUN BELT – 2ND ROUND (Double elimination)

Both games yesterday ended in 7 innings due to the 10-run mercy rule; Louisiana and Georgia State move on to the double elimination portion of the bracket.

And now we have the other conferences starting today:

AMERICA EAST (Hybrid, 6-team bracket)

Today’s first round will be single elimination; the 2 winners advance to a 4-team double elimination bracket that begins tomorrow. The tournament will be played at top-seeded Binghamton’s home field and all games will be televised on ESPN+.

AMERICAN (Hybrid, 8-team bracket)

The American begins with a pair of single elimination games today; the winners move on to a 6-team double elimination bracket that begins on Thursday. All games will be played at a neutral park in Clearwater, Florida and will have all games through the semifinals aired on ESPN+. The championship game on Sunday will be aired on ESPNews.

ATLANTIC 10 (Double elimination, 6-team bracket)

The A-10 kicks off today at Capital One Park in Tysons, Virginia (at the corporate headquarters of Capital One Bank). The winners get to avoid an extended losers’ bracket that gets underway tomorrow. All games will be aired on ESPN+.

BIG EAST (Double elimination, 4-team bracket)

This may be the most wide open bracket this weekend with St. John’s, UConn and Xavier finishing in a 3-way tie for first place. While Xavier is hosting the event at Prasco Park in Mason, Ohio – keep in mind they’ve only won the Big East Tournament once since the tournament moved to Mason in 2019. All games will be aired on ESPN+ and are one of the few events where admission AND concessions are free for everybody.

BIG SOUTH (Double elimination, 6-team bracket)

The setup is the same as the A-10 bracketwise; the top two seeds High Point and Winthrop begin on Thursday. All games will be aired on ESPN+; we will also notify you if we get the baseball edition of the Winwood Cup tomorrow between Winthrop and Longwood.

BIG WEST (Hybrid, 5-team bracket)

There is one single elimination opening round game that will be played tonight before the 4-team double elimination bracket begins tomorrow. UC-Irvine is hosting the tournament and all games will be played on ESPN+.

COASTAL (Double elimination, 6-team bracket)

Campbell and Northeastern are the top two seeds in this tournament being played at Wilmington, North Carolina; all games will be aired on FloSports since they have the media rights to the CAA.

CONFERENCE USA (Hybrid, 9-team bracket)

This tournament begins with 3 pools of 3 teams apiece. The winners of each pool along with the best 2nd place team advance to the 4-team single elimination semifinals that begin on Saturday. Games through Saturday will be aired on ESPN+ and the Sunday championship game will be aired on CBS Sports Network.

HORIZON LEAGUE (Hybrid, 5-team bracket)

Wright State is hosting the tournament by virtue of their regular season championship; the tournament has a single elimination opening round before the 4-team double elimination bracket begins tomorrow. All games will be aired on ESPN+.

METRO ATLANTIC (Double elimination, 6-team bracket)

This bracket gets underway in suburban Wappingers Falls, New York; Rider and Niagara get byes into the 2nd round by virtue of clinching the top two seeds in the regular season. All games will be aired on ESPN+.

MAC (Double elimination, 6-team bracket)

There is some intrigue in this tournament with Mother Miami having an RPI in the 30s going into the tournament. Should the Redhawks win, it’s plausible that they could be in contention for a top 32 national seed (meaning they’d be a 2-seed in their regional), but it’s also plausible that they’d miss the NCAA Tournament should they not win this tournament. All games will be played in Avon, Ohio (outside of Cleveland) and will be aired on ESPN+.

MISSOURI VALLEY (Double elimination, 6-team bracket)

Murray State, coming off of a Cinderella appearance in the College World Series last year, is the predetermined host for the tournament (despite being only the #3 seed). All games will be aired on ESPN+.

SOUTHERN (Hybrid, 8-team bracket)

The tournament begins with 2 single elimination games; the bracket then changes to a pair of 3-team double elimination pods through the semifinals. The winners of the two pods will face off in a single elimination championship game on Saturday. The early rounds will air on ESPN+; the championship game will air on ESPNU.

SUMMIT (Double elimination, 4-team bracket)

The format is the same as the Big East; the tournament will be played in Minneapolis (with St. Thomas with all games being aired on the Summit League Digital Network. Also note that Northern Colorado plays in the Summit League since the Big Sky does not sponsor baseball.

SWAC (Hybrid, 8-team bracket)

This tournament is broken down into 2 4-team double elimination pods; the winners of each of the pods will face off in a single elimination championship game. All of the games will air on SWAC TV.

WEST COAST (Hybrid, 6-team bracket)

The opening round will consist of two single elimination games; the remaining four teams will advance to the double elimination portion of the bracket. All games through the semifinals will air on ESPN+ with the first game of the championship round airing on ESPNU. Should a winner-take-all game be necessary on Championship Saturday, that game would air on ESPN+.

WAC (Double elimination, 6-team bracket)

There have been some wild brackets in this conference in prior years, but this is more of a conventional double elimination bracket that’s similar in style to the Metro Atlantic this season. Tarleton and California Baptist are the top two seeds in what will be the final event in the storied history of the WAC. All games will be aired on ESPN+.

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What can Blue do for Drew? HoopsHD interviews Duke transfer F Drew Scharnowski

Posted on May 19, 2026 by Jon Teitel

Michigan’s victory in the NCAA title game last month might have closed the window on the 2025-26 season, but it also opened up the doors to the transfer portal. More than 2,500 players decided to test the waters and see if the grass was greener elsewhere, and 1 of the schools who took the opportunity to bring in some new talent was Duke. In addition to Wisconsin G John Blackwell and Loyola MD G Jacob Theodosiou, the Blue Devils signed Belmont F Drew Scharnowski to pair with returners such as Cayden Boozer/Patrick Ngongba II and incoming freshmen like Deron Rippey Jr./Cameron Williams. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Drew about his decision to transfer and his thoughts on NCAA tourney expansion.

You were born/raised in Illinois: how did you end up at Belmont to start your college career? I was actually born in Minnesota but I did grow up in Illinois. I was heavily recruited by the MVC schools but the Belmont staff had an emphasis on faith. I was raised a Christian and we both felt that the same things were important. I also liked the fact that Nashville is such a great city.

You entered the transfer portal last month: was it as insane as it sounds with schools just calling/texting you non-stop in an attempt to get you to play for them? I would say so. It is like nothing I could ever imagine but I was super-blessed to be in a position where so many schools wanted me. The only thing I can compare it to was my high school recruitment, which was 2 years long: the portal was like shrinking that into 2 weeks on steroids!

What made you choose Duke last month? They have a reputation for winning and I think they are the best program in the nation. They are bringing in a lot of talent and I think the other players will challenge me each day and help prepare me to play at the next level.

You wore #11 at Belmont: are you going to ask Bobby Hurley if you can bring his old # out of retirement?! No way! I will be wearing #8. I read a book last season called, “The Miracle of St. Anthony” by Adrian Wojnarowski about Bobby’s dad Bob Sr. and his high school program in New Jersey. It was a good insight into their lives.

Last January you had 19 PTS/11 REB/9 AST/2 BLK in a 17-PT win over Murray State: where does that near-triple-double rank among the best all-around games of your career? I remember that game. I probably had some better performances in high school against lesser opponents, but we played really well that night as a team and took it to Murray State.

Last year you were named to the All-MVC 1st-Team and the MVC All-Defensive Team: what did it mean to you to receive such outstanding honors? It was pretty cool and a testament not only to the hard work I put in but also to the awesome support system around me that pushed me to be better. My coaches/family care about me not just as a player on the court but also how I am growing as a young man off the court.

You were top-15 in the conference in several categories (RPG/APG/BPG) but not FT shooting (43.6%): do you think the biggest factor is mental/physical/other, and can you fix it? I think it is a combination of both mental/physical. Building confidence takes repetitions in the gym. I am getting them in during my workouts every single day and try to simulate what it is like to shoot them during games.

Your brother Max played basketball at Alabama and your father Haug played pro basketball in Germany: who is the best athlete in the family? I am biased so of course I will say myself. I have the height/wingspan advantage over them but have never seen my dad play: I should dig up some of his old clips! I also give Max credit because he is so scrappy…but he is not as athletic as I am.

The Blue Devils’ 1st neutral-site game scheduled for this fall is on November 10th against Michigan State: how many friends/family will you have in attendance at the United Center? I have no clue. My parents moved from Illinois after I graduated high school, and a lot of my friends are in college elsewhere, but hopefully some of my high school/AAU coaches can get out there. Max lives in New York City so he wants me to hook him up with some tickets to our game against Michigan on December 21st.

Earlier this month the NCAA announced that the tourney will be expanding to 76 teams next March: what was your reaction to the news? Tourney expansion is cool in theory, but I cannot tell if it will benefit the teams or just give more money to the NCAA. Coming from Belmont, we had to win the MVC tourney to get into the NCAA tourney. I think 64 teams was good enough…but nobody was asking my opinion.

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Hoops HD Hardball Championship Week – Monday Edition

Posted on May 18, 2026 by John Stalica

Only one game was played in the college baseball landscape today – the Patriot League had the spotlight all to themselves today. Holy Cross blew open a close game en route to an 11-2 victory in Game 1 of the Patriot League Championship Series. The Crusaders can clinch the Patriot League auto-bid with a victory on Tuesday afternoon.

As for tomorrow, here are the conferences that begin their tournaments:

ACC (Single Elimination, 16-team ladder)

The games kick off at 9 AM in Charlotte with a matchup between Duke and North Carolina. All the early rounds will be televised on the ACC Network.

Atlantic Sun (Hybrid, 8-team bracket)

The first two rounds of this bracket will be single elimination; the format changes to double elimination when there are 4 teams remaining. All games will be aired on ESPN+ and will be played at Stetson’s home stadium in DeLand, Florida.

Big 10 (Hybrid, 12-team bracket)

The top 4 seeds get byes into the single-elimination portion of the bracket that begins on Friday at Omaha’s TD Ameritrade Field. The remaining 8 teams will play in 2 double-elimination brackets starting 10 AM Tuesday morning. The two winners from the winners bracket will advance to play the #3 and #4 seeds; the two winners from the losers bracket will advance to play the #1 and #2 seeds. All games will be aired on the Big 10 Network.

Big 12 (Single Elimination, 12-team ladder)

The top 6 teams will begin play in the quarterfinal round on Thursday; the bottom 4 teams begin play on Tuesday. The winners advance to take on the #7 and #8 seeds in the 2nd round; the 2nd round winners advance to play against the top 2 seeds in the quarterfinal round on Thursday. The first two rounds and semifinal round will be played on ESPN+; the quarterfinals will be on ESPNU and the championship game on ESPN2.

Ohio Valley (Hybrid, 8-team bracket)

The first round will be single elimination with the bottom 4 seeds playing on Tuesday. The winners advance to the 6-team double elimination portion of the bracket beginning on Wednesday. All the games will be played on ESPN+.

SEC (Single Elimination, 16-team ladder)

The games kick off on Tuesday morning at 10:30 AM in Hoover, Alabama. Like the ACC, most of the teams in the field will be playing for either a)at-large NCAA Tournament bids, b)a Top 16 seed which will guarantee the team hosting the regional for the first weekend, or c)a Top 8 seed which means that the team will be guaranteed to host the regional and the super regional round in the 2nd weekend leading up to the College World Series. All games up to the semifinals will be on the SEC Network; ABC will air the championship game on Sunday afternoon.

Sun Belt (Hybrid, 10-team field)

The top 6 teams get byes into the double-elimination portion of the tournament. The bottom 4 seeds will play 2 single-elimination games to play their way into the double-elimination portion. There will be 2 4-team double-elimination brackets; the winners of the 2 brackets will play in a single-elimination championship game on Sunday afternoon. All games will be aired on ESPN+.

These are all the conferences starting on Tuesday; many of the other confernces kick off on Wednesday.

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Hoops HD Goes Hardball in 2026!

Posted on May 18, 2026 by John Stalica

While Jon Rothstein famously says “We sleep in May” during college basketball season, those of us at Hoops HD do not sleep. Starting this year, our colleague Chad Sherwood has added conference tournament brackets for college baseball season. You can click HERE for all 30 conferences; the Big Sky and MEAC do not sponsor baseball and are not included among the 32 conferences that participate in Division 1 basketball.

There were some conferences that already began tournament play last week; in the case of the Ivy League they crowned the first auto bid with Yale defeating Brown 7-5.

The Patriot League kicked off on Mother’s Day weekend with Holy Cross and Bucknell winning their respective best-of-3 semifinal series. The Patriot League Championship Series (best-of-3) will start at 2 PM today at Bucknell on ESPN+.

The Southland began last week in an 8-team, 2-bracket double elimination format with Lamar and McNeese advancing to the best-of-3 Southland Conference Championship Series. Lamar will host the series starting on Thursday.

The championships will wrap up on Sunday; there will no doubt be alterations to some of the schedules due to weather. Chad will do his best to keep everyone updated on the brackets. The 64-team NCAA Baseball Tournament will be announced on Memorial Day on ESPN.

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2026 NBA Draft Preview: HoopsHD interviews Lindenwood G Anias Futrell

Posted on May 14, 2026 by Jon Teitel

The NBA Finals have not even begun but it is already time for most of the league to start preparing for next season. The lottery was held on May 10th, the final deadline for NCAA players to withdraw is May 27th, and the draft will begin on June 23rd. We will spend the months ahead interviewing as many members of this year’s draft class as possible. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel commences our coverage by chatting with Lindenwood G Anias Futrell about being named 1st-team all-conference and what it would mean to him to get drafted.

You began your college career in your hometown at St. Louis Community College: what is the biggest difference between D-1 and JUCO? What you are taught by the coaches. In JUCO it is a lot about fundamentals, but in D-1 the focus is on game-planning and maximizing your skills. The pace is also faster in D-1.

What made you choose Lindenwood? I am from St. Louis and Lindenwood is just 20 minutes from my family’s house. I did not even know that the school existed before they contacted me, but 1 of my goals was to play D-1 basketball, and the assistant coach who recruited me really wanted me to go there. My family and I support each other through everything so the chance to play close to home was great.

In 2025 you led your team in PPG/RPG/SPG/BPG: how are you able to balance all the different aspects of your game? It goes back to playing JUCO: my coach (Terry Collins) emphasized that I be a player who can do everything. Even if you are not scoring, you can still impact the game by rebounding/defending. I am competitive and I like to win: if you are scoring 20 PPG but allowing your opponent to score 35 then you will not win a lot of games. I did not want to just be a scorer, but rather a complete basketball player.

You only shot 28 3P% that year but last year you led the conference with 36.5 3P%: how were you able to improve so much in just 1 year? I am very hard on myself: I had a lot of confidence when I arrived at Lindenwood, but I was not producing well from the 3-PT line. I told myself that it would not happen again so I put in the work during the entire offseason and found the belief in myself again: it was a grind.

Last December you scored a career-high 36 PTS/8-13 3PM in a win over Western Illinois: was it just 1 of those scenarios where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were “in the zone”? That is exactly what it was. During my 1st season at Lindenwood I had a game vs. UT Martin with 6 3PM, and I had that same feeling against WIU. I had all the confidence in the world and my teammates did a great job of finding me as the “hot hand”. Everyone just told me to keep shooting, so I did.

Your 20.5 PPG during conference play ranked #1 in the league: what is the secret to being a great scorer? I do not know if there is any secret. You have to put in the work and find the place that is the best fit for you. I have been blessed to play for great coaches who know the type of player I am and put me in positions to maximize my skills. Last season I played with the most confidence I had in my entire life.

Last March in the OVC tourney quarterfinals you scored 17 PTS but Braxton Stacker made a jump shot with 3 seconds left in a 2-PT win by Morehead State: did you think his shot was going in, and where does that rank among the most devastating losses of your career? Considering that it was my last college game it is probably #1. I have played against Braxton for a long time so I was hoping his shot did not go in…but he got to his spot and got good elevation on his shot and it looked like it was good when it left his hand.

You finished the season by being named 1st-team All-OVC: what did it mean to you to receive such an outstanding honor? It meant a lot. I did not get any awards the previous year even though I felt that I should have been in the conversation, so I had a chip on my shoulder last year. If you truly believe in yourself then you can make it happen. It was great to be recognized. I also wanted to be named conference POY as well…but that is another subject!

You are listed at 6’5”: what position did you play in college, and what position would you feel most comfortable at in the pros? I played SG in college: off the ball during my 1st year and on the ball during my 2nd year. I think I can still be a wing or SG in the pros.

What would it mean to you to get drafted, and what is the plan if you do not get drafted? It would mean everything to get drafted. If I do not get drafted then I will not stop, whether that means the G League or overseas, but my goal is to eventually get to the NBA. I am not in control of any of that so all I can do is continue to get better, which is my main focus right now.

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From a Bishop to a Saint: HoopsHD interviews McDonald’s All-American Darius Bivins

Posted on May 12, 2026 by Jon Teitel

If you want to win an NCAA title then you usually need a good coach, a great resume…and a McDonald’s All-American. Only 2 championship teams from 1979-2020 did not have such a player (2002 Maryland/2014 UConn), and Michigan won the title last month with a pair of McDonald’s All-Americans in Nimari Burnett/Trey McKenney. The rosters for this year’s McDonald’s All-American Game were announced last February after selecting the 24 best players in the nation from a list of several hundred nominees. If you do not think these guys can make an immediate impact, just ask Coach Tommy Lloyd how he liked having 2025 honorees Brayden Burries/Koa Peat at Arizona! USC is the big winner with 3 guys from this year’s class (Christian Collins/Adonis Ratliff/Darius Ratliff), and yesterday we finally saw our last uncommitted player choose his college. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Darius Bivins about being named a McDonald’s All-American and deciding to attend St. Mary’s.

Last year your coach at Bishop O’Connell High School (Joe Wootten) was named 1 of “The 100 Most Influential People in Men’s and Women’s College Basketball”: what makes him such a good coach? His ability to get the most out of people. He will push you hard and tell you what you need to hear (rather than what you want to hear), but will also give you confidence. He prepared me well for college and not many coaches have as much passion as he does.

Earlier this year you were named a McDonald’s All-American: what did it mean to you to receive such an outstanding honor? It was a dream come true. I have always wanted to be 1 since I knew what it was and I thank God every day for the opportunity. It was a testament to the hard work that I put in, but I will stay humble/keep working.

You received offers from several great schools including Rutgers/Stanford/VCU but signed with St. Mary’s last week as the highest-ranked recruit in school history: what was the biggest factor in your decision to become the only McDonald’s All-American to commit to a mid-major program? My ability to come in and play a major role during my freshman year, and then continue to develop.

Your new coach will be Mickey McConnell, who 15 years ago was WCC POY as a PG at St. Mary’s: do you think a 1st-year player and a 1st-year coach will be able to win a lot of games right from the start, and do you expect to be the preseason pick to win the conference since Gonzaga will be joining the Pac-12? I think that we can win a lot of games because we have a really good team with a lot of returners/transfers. I do not know if we will be the preseason favorite, but if not then we can use that as motivation to prove everyone wrong.

Your freshman class includes Cooper Lewis/Flynn Pavely: how well do you know either of them? Not too well yet, but I assume that I will be rooming with 1 or both of them and we will all make it a memorable season.

I saw you listed at 5’11”: do you consider your size to be an advantage or a disadvantage on the court? I would say an advantage. I just got measured the other day at 6’1”, but if people see me as a mismatch due to my size then they are underestimating me.

You are a fantastic FT shooter: what is the secret to making FTs? Just being in the gym. I practice them every day and keep the same routine.

You averaged 4.4 SPG as a sophomore at Alexandria City High School and 3 SPG last year at Bishop O’Connell High School: what is the key to playing great defense? Just watching a lot of basketball (both college and NBA) to see how small guards like me play defense. I watched guys like Kihei Clark at Virginia and Logan Suber at Lipscomb and implemented their techniques into my game.

Your father Chris was a high school state champion in San Antonio and also played college basketball: who is the best athlete in the family? My dad was nice and taught me a lot about the game…but I would have to go with myself!

You previously said that for you basketball is 95% mental, which surprised me considering your considerable physical skills on the court: why is it so much more mental than physical for you? The biggest thing is just not getting into my own head. Growing up I would get discouraged if I made a mistake and then not play freely. I struggled with my confidence when I was younger, but now I play more free-flowing because that is when I am at my best.

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