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All-Access at the CAA Tournament: HoopsHD interviews North Carolina A&T cheerleader Alivia Barrow

Posted on March 8, 2024 by Jon Teitel

Conference tournaments are about basketball but also so much more: the fans, parents, bands, cheerleaders, etc. The CAA Tournament tips off this week in Washington, DC, and we could not be more excited to be there in person! HoopsHD will be covering all the angles so you can look forward to an abundance of articles in the week ahead. Jon Teitel continues our coverage with an interview of North Carolina A&T cheerleader Alivia Barrow.

You are from Greensboro, NC: what made you choose NC A&T? There were 2 main factors: engineering program, and my wish to stay close to home.

You are majoring in Chemical Engineering: why did you choose that subject? It is the broadest engineering degree so I can do anything with it. I want to go into sustainability and environmental process engineering.

You are a senior: what is the post-graduation plan? I will be working for Sonoco Products Company in Hartsville, SC. I will be a process engineer doing environmentalism.

Why are issues like sustainability/recycling so important in 2024? It is due to the growing population of our planet: as we get more people, we also get more trash that is not biodegradable. We need to better our community and make sure that we have a planet left for future generations.

You have spent time volunteering at a food pantry and with the Red Cross: how much importance do you place on community service? It is so important, especially in the African-American community. Being able to show your face is important for young people to see: we need to help each other and better our world.

Last summer you received a Blue Cross NC Finish Line Scholarship as a female student athlete who exemplifies leadership/integrity/community: what was your reaction when you learned the good news? I have received small scholarships in the past but when they told me I would be getting $25,000 it did not seem real!

You are a co-captain of the cheer team: what is the key to being a good leader? Communication is key. Empathy is also important: you need to hear people out so you can understand the situation.

Last year at the National Cheerleading Association College Nationals your team finished .0925 of a point shy of 1st place: what will it take to win a ring next month? Dedication to the desire to redeem ourselves: we know it is coming our way this year.

Your basketball team is 7-24 this year: does it make your job harder when the team is not winning more games? It does…but also makes it fun for me to motivate everyone by getting louder and doing whatever I can to support the team.

Any predictions for your CAA tourney game vs. William & Mary today? I hope we win: both teams are good…but A&T all the way!

Posted in News and Notes | Tagged Alivia Barrow, North Carolina A&T | Comments Off

All-Access at the CAA Tournament: HoopsHD interviews Charleston cheerleader Peyton Raybon

Posted on March 8, 2024 by Jon Teitel

You are from Mount Pleasant, SC: what made you choose Charleston? I chose the College of Charleston to stay close to my family. We are all so close so it is a blessing to see them as often as I do!

In 2020 you were tear-gassed by police at a protest: what impact did that experience have on you? Getting tear-gassed in Marion Square gave me feelings very similar to the Emmanuel AME shooting back in 2015: you never think it is going to happen in your hometown until it does. Charleston is just as tainted by hate and it is up to my generation to keep pushing for change.

In 2021 your team was named Intermediate Small Co-Ed D-1 National Champions at the National Cheerleaders Association Collegiate National Championship: where does that rank among the highlights of your career so far? Winning Nationals in 2021 is at the top of my list! It was an absolute honor to contribute to CofC’s first cheer national championship in school history, especially since we worked so incredibly hard to get there.

You are majoring in exercise science: how did you choose that subject? I chose exercise science because I looked up to my athletic trainers in high school. They contributed to wellness and happiness during my high school athletic career, and it caused me to want to do the same in the future.

What is the post-graduation plan? I plan to take a gap year before applying for my Master’s in athletic training!

You made the school’s honors list last semester: how do you balance your work in the classroom with your work on the cheer team? I basically try to plan out every hour of my day to make sure that I am always using my time wisely! My teammates also do a fantastic job of holding me accountable and always helping me out whenever I need it.

1 of your hobbies is reading: any book recommendations? I am a big fan of romances, especially those that feature LGBTQ+ characters! I recommend anything written by Casey McQuiston or Ali Hazelwood.

Last year you got to experience a legendary 31-win basketball season: did you get to cheer during the CAA title game win over UNCW and/or the NCAA tourney loss to San Diego State? I had the honor of getting to travel to March Madness in Orlando! It was so tough losing to San Diego State but the whole experience was so much fun! That is the biggest crowd that I have ever cheered in front of: it was electric.

What has been the best part of this season: beating Liberty in Florida, the Senior Night win over Hofstra last Saturday, other? My senior night went over Hofstra was 1 of the best parts of this season. It was so fun to watch the basketball team have such a confidence boost with a great win over Hofstra, and I really use that game to outweigh any bittersweet moments. Not a lot compares to cheering in TD Arena!

The Cougars are the #1 seed in the CAA tourney: any predictions? I predict that we are going to be back-to-back CAA Tournament Champions!

Posted in News and Notes | Tagged Charleston, Peyton Raybon | Comments Off

Hoops HD Daily Rundown: Friday, Mar 8th

Posted on March 8, 2024 by David Griggs

NEWS, NOTES, AND LINKS:

-For our CHAMPIONSHIP WEEK VIDEO NOTEBOOK: DAY 4 – CLICK HERE

-Washington State pulled off one of the single most impressive wins that any team has managed all season when they won at Arizona. Since then, they’ve been anything but impressive. They lost, at home, to a Washington team 74-68 who will only be going to the NCAA Tournament if they buy tickets. Wazzu has had a great year overall, and they will be playing in March, but their seed is taking a bit of a hit. This was also the last time these two will play as conference rivals for the foreseeable future.

-Colorado picked up a nice, and much needed, win on the road against Oregon to help keep them on the right side of the bubble. The Buffs still have some work to do to lock themselves in, but this game helps a ton.

-Utah fell on the road to Oregon State 92-85. I wasn’t all that big on the Utes before this loss, and am even less big on them now.

SURVIVAL BOARD WATCH (Click Here to see the whole board):

MAC:
-One of Ball State, Kent State or Western Michigan will be eliminated. Ball State is definitely out with a loss at Bowling Green or with wins by both Kent State (at Toledo) and Western Michigan (vs Akron). If Ball State wins and one or both of Kent State and Western Michigan lose, the tiebreakers get very complex but one of the three will be out.

HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:

-VCU AT DAYTON (Atlantic 10). Dayton is a virtual lock and is now just playing for seeding. Any loss to a team that’s outside the bubble will knock them down the seedlist, so they’re going to want to hold serve in this one.

-BOISE STATE AT SAN DIEGO STATE (Mountain West). Both teams are virtual locks and both should land in the top half of the bracket. Boise State could really boost their seed if they’re able to pull this one off on the road. It would be their best win of the year so far.

Posted in Daily Rundown, News and Notes, Survival Board | Comments Off

Championship Week Video Notebook Day 4

Posted on March 8, 2024 by Chad

WELCOME SELECTION COMMITTEE MEMBERS!!! We are here to make your lives easier!!

It was semifinal night in the ASUN, together with Quarterfinal action in the Horizon, Patriot League and OVC. We review those games and all the rest of the action plus preview an exciting slate of Friday games!

Check out the HOOPS HD SURVIVAL BOARD, which shows who is a lock, who is on the bubble, and who needs the auto-bid

Also, don’t miss our CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT PAGE, which has brackets, times, and viewing information for all 32 conference tourney

Check out our new HOOPS HD TEAM SHEETS AND DEFCON RATINGS for all 362 D1 teams

Finally, be sure to keep an eye on our most recent BRACKET PROJECTIONS

Audio Only:

OHIO VALLEY SEMIFINALS

BIG SOUTH QUARTERFINALS

MISSOURI VALLEY QUARTERFINALS

WEST COAST SECOND ROUND

CAA FIRST ROUND

SOUTHERN FIRST ROUND

SUMMIT LEAGUE FIRST ROUND

Posted in News and Notes | 1 Comment

Hoops HD Daily Rundown – Thursday, Mar 7th

Posted on March 7, 2024 by David Griggs

NEWS AND NOTES:

For our latest CHAMPIONSHIP WEEK VIDEO NOTEBOOK where we recap all of last night’s conference tournament action and preview all of tonight’s – CLICK HERE

-Connecticut, as good of a year as they’ve had, probably got their best win of the season yesterday as they knocked off Marquette on the road 74-67. It was their first true road win against a solid protected seed, and they pretty much had a lead from start to finish. Marquette was shorthanded, but even with that it was a very impressive performance for the Huskies.

-Tennessee just keeps getting big wins, and got another one on the road against a very good South Carolina team 66-59. It wasn’t a blowout by any means, but at no point in the game did it feel like Tennessee was not in control.

-I’ve been dogging BYU for most of the year for their lack of success on the road. They did not win at Iowa State last night, but they were in the game until the final minute before losing 68-63, and Iowa State is one of the toughest places in the country to play. They also won at Kansas a short time ago, so even though they lost I’m much more of a believer in BYU now than I was about a week ago.

-Seton Hall needed a win in the worst way yesterday, and got it 66-56 over Villanova. Both teams were on the bubble, and Nova had been playing well, so it was a very pivotal game for both teams. Seton Hall may be breathing a little bit easier, but they are still breathing hard!

-Mississippi State continues to struggle in true road games. I think they are still inside the bubble, but they have just two true road wins on the year, and came up short last night against Texas A&M 75-69.

SURVIVAL BOARD WATCH (CLICK HERE to see the whole board):

SWAC:
-Alabama State out with a loss and wins by both Alabama A&M and Arkansas-Pine Bluff

HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:

-RUTGERS AT WISCONSIN (Big Ten). Wisky needs to win this game, or to put it another way, they need to not lose this game. They’ve lost 7 of their last 9 and have gone from looking like a Big Ten frontrunner who would earn a solid protected seed to a team that has slid way down the seedlist. They cannot afford to lose at home to a Rutgers team that is nowhere near the field.

-GRAMBLING AT ALABAMA A&M (SWAC). A win for Grambling will give them an outright first place finish!!

-WASHINGTON AT WASHINGTON STATE (Pac 12). Wazzu is a virtual lock for the NCAA Tournament and is just looking to finishing up the season by continuing to build up momentum. If they hold serve they should be seeded in the 6 to 7 range, and perhaps even better depending on what they do in the Pac 12 Tournament. But tonight they just want to beat their rivals in the last ever Pac 12 match-up between these two.

-COLORADO AT OREGON (Pac 12). We have Colorado right on our bubble, but I personally don’t even understand why we have them their. Their resume is rather weak, but having said that this would be the best win of the year on their resume and will get them a much more serious look from the committee.

-ARIZONA AT UCLA (Pac 12). This is another conference rivalry is coming to an end. Hopefully these two will continue to play OOC in future years. This year’s edition looks like a big mismatch with Arizona being close to a #1 seed and UCLA being nowhere near the field. UCLA has played well at times this year, and was actually very competitive in the first game, so Arizona won’t want to completely overlook them.

-UTAH AT OREGON STATE (Pac 12). Utah is outside the bubble and needs a strong finish to get any sort of real look from the committee.

Posted in Championship Week Video Notebook, Daily Rundown, News and Notes | Comments Off