The Hoops HD Report – Final Four Edition

Posted on March 27, 2023 by David Griggs

The Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight were as crazy and surprising as they’ve ever been in recent memory!!  Florida Atlantic won a pair of exciting games to go to their first ever Final Four after having only been to one NCAA Tournament in their entire history prior to this year.  San Diego State wasn’t expected to do much after beating a 12 and 13 seed to advance to the Sweet Sixteen, but they knocked off Alabama in a shocker (at least to us), and held on to beat Creighton in a thriller to advance to their first ever Final Four.  Miami FL advanced to their second straight Elite Eight game after a shocking and decisive win over Houston, and then got by a really good Texas team to get to their first ever Final Four.  UConn has been the most impressive team in The Tournament so far and blew past both Arkansas and Gonzaga to advance.  We recap all the action, look ahead to the Final Four and discuss those matchups, and more…

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

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NIT Talk: HoopsHD interviews North Texas dance team member Camryn Stowers

Posted on March 26, 2023 by Jon Teitel

This has been a dream season for C-USA. In addition to FAU making the Final 4 for the 1st time ever, both North Texas and UAB are still alive in the Final 4 of the NIT. The Mean Green have won 29 games (and counting) and had a good chance to sweep the Owls during the regular season before coming up short in a pair of 4-PT losses. In addition to shining a light on the players who got the job done on the court, it is also important to recognize the spirited students who have worked just as hard on the sidelines, such as band members/cheerleaders/dancers. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with North Texas dance team member Camryn Stowers about being part of 1 of the best basketball conferences in the country.

You are from Houston: what made you choose North Texas? I have a lot of family/friends in the DFW area so I traveled up here all the time as a kid during family road trips. My uncle works here so it just came full-circle, plus I fell in love with the dance team. They also have a great psychology program here.

You have been dancing for most of your life: how did you 1st get into it, and what is the best part? Technically I have been dancing for 19 years but my mom was dancing while she was pregnant with me so perhaps even earlier than that! I love dancing because it lets me move around and let go of all the stresses in my life.

You are a co-captain this year: what is the key to being a good leader? There are many keys but a big 1 is to be authentic. If not then you will never be able to grow your team. 1 of my favorite sayings is, “There is never any comfort in the growth zone and never any growth in the comfort zone”.

You are majoring in Psychology Pre-Med and minoring in Human Development and Family Science: why did you choose those subjects? My mom is a mental health counselor so I have always grown up around it and learned the importance of protecting your mental health. I initially wanted to do forensic psychology but I love working with kids and want to help them stop any problems before they start.

Your post-graduation plan is to become a Pediatric Psychiatrist: how many more years of school will that take (if any), and what does a Pediatric Psychiatrist do? I want to get my doctorate so I am looking at another 5-8 years after college: pray for me! I would prefer to be more on the clinical side: legally prescribing medication and seeing what the kids are growing through. I also want to help their families in general.

You are an executive board member of your chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha: what is Greek life like at North Texas? It is incredible! I am still a neophyte who just crossed last spring but I have embraced everything that the university has to offer. I have learned much through out community service projects: we work with a lot of kids/elderly folks, which I think is great.

Some of your hobbies include singing/cooking: do you have a favorite song, and do you have a favorite food? It is hard to pick 1 song, as it changes every day, but SZA’s “SOS” album is the 1 in my head at the moment. Bacon is my favorite pizza topping and I love all kinds of Italian food.

Last year your conference only had 1 team win 27 games (UAB), but this year you have 3 teams still alive who have already won 28 games (FAU/North Texas/UAB): what is it like to have such a competitive league? I am extremely proud of the Mean Green. We did not win the C-USA title this year but did set a school record for wins in 1 season. We are moving into the AAC next year: it is a bigger conference but we are more than capable of competing.

How did your school decide who gets to go to the NIT, and what will it mean to you to see your group doing its thing in front of a national TV audience? We have a travel squad of all vets. Our coach chooses the most elite performers who can project/connect with the crowd. It is always bigger than yourself when it comes to dance, so as a student ambassador it is extremely cool to be on the frontlines while showcasing our school. We are currently #2 in the nation in D-1A pom!

Any predictions for the Mean Green on Tuesday vs. Wisconsin in Las Vegas? A blow out win! A win for the Mean Green is always a win for me so Go Mean Green! As our fight song says: “Victory in store whatever the score”.

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All-Access at the West Regional in Las Vegas: UConn postgame celebration

Posted on March 26, 2023 by Jon Teitel

The NCAA tournament is about basketball but also so much more: the 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 of the angles so you can look forward to a cascade of coverage in the days ahead. Jon Teitel culminates our coverage from Las Vegas with some illustrious images from the UConn postgame celebration.

That is 1 nice looking West Regional trophy!

Everyone was in a great mood as the Huskies hoisted the trophy amid the confetti.

Exactly 1 month ago Dan Hurley’s brother Bobby ruined my weekend thanks to Desmond Cambridge making a 60-footer at the buzzer to upset my Wildcats in Tucson: how great was it that I got to see him in person in Vegas cheering on the Huskies?!

In 1989 PJ Carlesimo led Seton Hall to the title game and lost by a single point in OT. A couple of years later he had a freshman name Dan Hurley join his team, and today PJ was the Westwood One college basketball radio analyst watching his former player make the Final 4.

Amazingly, PJ is not even the greatest coaching influence on Dan, whose father Bob Sr. Hurley won 26 state titles in 39 years as a high school coach and in 2010 became only the 3rd high school coach to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

1 of the warmest scenes was seeing Dan’s wife Andrea leap into his arms to give him a huge embrace.

The band/mascot/cheerleaders all had a lot of spirit left over despite a hectic month of travel: Philly to face Villanova in the regular season finale, NYC for the Big East tourney, Albany for the 1st 2 rounds of the NCAA tourney, and Vegas for this unforgettable weekend.


I just wish that Coach Hurley could get a little more hyped about making the Final 4:

1 of the best sightings was Dr. Charles McClelland: I got to interview him last month, and next year he will become the 1st person from an HBCU league/school to chair the NCAA men’s basketball selection committee.

Joey Calcaterra had been winless vs. Gonzaga in 7 games while at San Diego but he decided 8 was enough as he scored 8 PTS in 13 minutes last night.

Some people from Joey’s cheering section were very excited to take a postgame photo…

And some were not (although I am loving his hoodie):

FR Alex Karaban played like a SR during his 2 games in Vegas with 12 PPG/6 RPG/71.4 FG%.

Adama Sanogo dominated the paint during his 1st 4 NCAA tourney games with 20 PPG/10 RPG/65.5 FG%.

Jordan Hawkins turned into the best shooter in the NCAA tourney with 16-31 3PM through his 1st 4 games.

Donovan Clingan’s shirt says it all, as the 7’2” giant was “Made Four This”.

Andre Jackson Jr. is a co-captain along with Sanogo and had 1 of the best all-around performances vs. the Zags that you will ever see: 8 PTS/9 REB/10 AST/0 TO.

Everyone got to climb the ladder to cut down a piece of the net, including UConn assistant coach Luke Murray, while his 2 young sons hung on for dear life.

You might have heard of Luke’s father Bill, who I hear is an actor of some acclaim.

After the postgame conference they packed up the trophy and headed back to Storrs before hopping on a plane to Houston later this week.

That is a wrap from Vegas, hope you enjoyed all the coverage, and we cannot wait for 1 wild weekend to determine a champion!

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Tourney Talk: HoopsHD interviews FAU dance captain Dani Garcia

Posted on March 26, 2023 by Jon Teitel

It has been a dream season for FAU: 28-3 in the regular season, then 3 wins in 3 days to clinch the C-USA tourney title, then 4 straight single-digit wins (and counting!) in the NCAA tourney over Memphis/Fairleigh Dickinson/Tennessee/Kansas State to join Wichita State’s 2013 squad and my 1979 Quakers as the only #9 seeds to ever make the Final 4. In addition to shining a light on the players who got the job done on the court, it is also important to recognize the spirited students who have worked just as hard on the sidelines, such as band members/cheerleaders/dancers. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with FAU dance captain Dani Garcia about a season for the ages.

You are from Palm Beach Gardens, FL: what made you choose FAU? I chose FAU because I wanted to be close to home but still get the full college experience.

How long have you been dancing, and what is your favorite part? I have been dancing for 17 years. My favorite part is the feeling I get when the choreography just clicks and you can put your heart/passion into your motions.

You are captain of the dance team: what is the key to being a good leader? I think the key to being a good leader is empathy. People will always work harder for someone they know has their back and cares about their well-being.

Your favorite kind of food is Cuban: any specific dish you recommend? I love black beans, white rice, and yuca. They are mostly side dishes but they steal the show!

You are majoring in business health administration: why did you choose that subject? I chose this so that I could still make an impact while not having to go to as much extra schooling that would be required for someone like a doctor.

You graduate in a few months: what is the post-graduation plan? I have no plans thus far. My plan is to see what opportunities come my way and then decide from there. I start an internship prior to graduation so once I finish that I will apply for some jobs in August.

Your basketball team only won 19 games last year: how exciting has it been this year to dance for a team that has 35 wins (and counting) and is undefeated at home? This basketball season has been a dream for me, although I love game days for both basketball/football. Cheering on a winning team is always a little easier and more rewarding. I am grateful that I am here to experience the history being made.

How did your school decide who gets to go to the NCAA tourney, and what did it mean to you to see your group doing its thing in front of a national TV audience? My coach decides who she wants to go. It is a once-in-a-lifetime experience to be in front of a national crowd.

Your team has turned into 1 of the all-time tourney Cinderellas: how incredible has this journey been? It was some of the best college basketball that I have ever seen. Those close games were really special and it is always really cool to see your team put in the work to get there.

Any predictions for the Owls next weekend in Houston? Well I always say the Owls will come out on top so GO OWLS!!

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All-Access at the West Regional in Las Vegas: UConn-Gonzaga

Posted on March 26, 2023 by Jon Teitel

The NCAA tournament is about basketball but also so much more: the 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 of the angles so you can look forward to a cascade of coverage in the days ahead. Jon Teitel continues our coverage from Las Vegas with a recap of UConn-Gonzaga.

Nothing to see here, just a couple of guys dropping by the arena to wrap up a business trip: Mark Few (who has the highest winning percentage in D-1 history with a minimum of 600 games) & Drew Timme (3-time consensus All-American):

Adama Sanogo/Andre Jackson Jr. were also all business during warmups:

I wonder if 2006 national POY Adam Morrison (who is the radio color commentator for Gonzaga basketball) would be able to avoid any semblance of bias:

It always helps to have your Hall of Fame father on hand to support you in the form of Bob Hurley Sr.:

The UConn & Gonzaga cheerleaders were ready:

…as was Danny Hurley, walking out of the tunnel for the biggest game of his life:

I anticipated a great game because these teams have met 5 times in the past, all at neutral sites, and all of them were decided by 5 PTS or less, so let’s tip it off:

Gonzaga’s 2 heroes from their win over UCLA on Thursday continued to produce on Saturday. Both Timme and Julian Strawther were able to score a bunch of PTS in the lane, combining for 18 of their team’s 32 PTS in the 1st half. 1 of UConn’s breakout stars was FR Alex Karaban. After marching into the NCAA tourney like a lamb with just 9 PTS combined in his 1st 2 games, he scored 11 PTS vs. Arkansas on Thursday and scored 10 more in the 1st half vs. Gonzaga including a 3 in the final seconds right before halftime to give his team a 7-PT lead as they headed to the locker room.

Timme has never fouled out of a postseason game, but after picking up 2 fouls in the 1st half and then 2 quick fouls during the 1st 3 minutes of the 2nd stanza, Coach Few had no choice but to take him out of the game despite trailing 44-34. By the time he came back a few minutes later UConn had completed an 8-0 run to make it 52-34, and it did not get better from there. While Sanogo finished with a double-double (10 PTS/10 REB) and Jackson nearly messed around and got a triple-double (8 PTS/9 REB/10 AST/0 TO), the 2nd half turned into the Jordan Hawkins show. The SO G from Maryland had made at least 3 shots from behind the arc in each of his previous 3 tourney games, but took it to another level against the Zags by tying his career-high with 6 3PM (while the entire Gonzaga team combined to make 2-20 3PM). UConn was up 65-40 at the under-12 timeout (which as far as I can tell is the 1st time in Timme’s 133-game college career that he has ever trailed by 25 PTS) and up 80-47 with 4 minutes to play as they blew out the Bulldogs 82-54.

In the postgame press conference I asked Hawkins (on the left) if he just felt like he was in the zone all night long. He said that after the 1st 1 went in he just kept taking them and credited his teammates for finding him:

I attempted to get Coach Hurley to confirm that between his Hall of Fame father, 2-time NCAA champion brother, and now himself and his son Andrew heading to the Final 4 next weekend, they could properly be considered among the preeminent families in the history of the sport alongside the Barrys (Rick/Jon/Brent/Drew), the Currys (Dell/Steph/Seth), and the Drews (Homer/Bryce/Scott). He would neither confirm/deny but is certainly proud of his family. His dad is the patriarch who is 1 of the best coaches of his generation, and he is just blessed that his father pushed him and his brother Bobby to succeed. Now he is happy that he gets to take his dad to the Final 4:

That is a wrap for the recap, but check back later this weekend for 1 HECK of a photographic celebration with the West Regional champs!

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Doctor of Dunc: HoopsHD interviews McDonald’s All-American Ron Holland

Posted on March 25, 2023 by Jon Teitel

We have not even reached the end of the college basketball regular season but can already start wondering about the stars of tomorrow as the best high school players in the country prepare to receive some national exposure. The McDonald’s All-American Game will take place on Tuesday in Houston, TX, and the Nike Hoop Summit will tip off on April 8th in Portland, OR. Several of this year’s college basketball super-freshmen played in last year’s McDonald’s Game including Gradey Dick (Kansas)/Keyonte George (Baylor)/Jarace Walker (Houston). Earlier this week HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Ron Holland about winning a pair of gold medals and choosing the Longhorns.

In 2021 you won a gold medal with team USA at the FIBA U-16 Americas Championship in Mexico, and in 2022 you won a gold medal at the FIBA U-17 World Cup in Spain: what did it mean to you to win a pair of gold medals? Winning a pair of medals was crazy: it was nice to represent my country even 1 time, but I was able to do so twice, and I have a chance to do it again this year. Knowing that they keep trusting me to represent not only my city and my town but my country: it just means a lot to me that they trust me with their brand and the meaning of USA Basketball. Me and the other guys are the face of the team and the fact that they are giving their all to us and want me to represent our country is just a blessing.

You received offers from several great schools including Arkansas/UCLA but signed with Texas back in November: what was the biggest factor in your decision? The biggest factor was everybody who is leaving, but also the academics. Everybody leaving means that I will get 1 of the best opportunities to go in there and prove that I can be one of the best freshmen ever. I get to put my stamp on why I should be in the NBA draft lottery sooner than later. However, my mom is really big on me being good at things besides basketball. You need to have your books right so that you know how to read a contract: you do not want anybody to be playing with your money. She trusted UT the best with the whole academic thing so I think I will be set with that.

You are part of a great recruiting class that includes AJ Johnson: what makes him such a good player? AJ is a skinny guard who can maneuver and play/guard multiple positions. He complements my game because not only does he try to score but also looks to pass: I feel like we will be a good duo going to Texas. There are other guys who have a chance to come back like Tyrese Hunter, Dylan Disu, or even Dillon Mitchell. I am sure they are not all coming back because those guys are having a great season and probably going to the league. AJ just really complements my game so I feel like we will be great together.

TCU showed the country that they still play some good football down in Texas, but do you think that it is turning into a basketball state due to all of the top-25-caliber teams such as Baylor/Houston/TCU/Texas? I think it is…but honestly I feel like Texas just does everything better than everybody else. I feel like everybody in Texas believes that, and if you do not then you have an issue. If you go down the list of who beat who and all of the names that we have: nobody does it like us!

Earlier this year your mother tweeted that you remained committed to the school even after Coach Chris Beard was suspended (and subsequently fired) after being charged with a 3rd-degree felony for family violence: what kind of relationship do you have with his replacement (Rodney Terry)? I love Coach RT and he loves me. The relationship I have with him: I can tell that he already trusts me more than he should and I really commend him for that. He has shown that he really wants me but I can tell that it is something more. It is deeper than that: I feel like he needs me and I really need him too. I love the relationship we have and I cannot wait for him to be my coach.

You are 6’8”: what position do you play now, and what position will you feel most comfortable at in college? Right now in high school I am position-less because I can guard anybody and do everything that a guard or big man can do. However, in college I feel like they are going to have me focused on being a small forward/power forward or perhaps a shooting guard. Regardless of those 3 positions, I know that I can still get down there and bang in the post but can also guard the post and defend point guards and control/handle the ball like a point guard. I shoot it at a high level and will just control my team, facilitate things, and be the leader that I am.

Last December your fellow honoree Stephon Castle scored 41 PTS before fouling out in a 4-PT loss by Newton at Red River Hoopfest: will you remind him of the final score when you face him again at the McDonald’s Game in March?! I am definitely going to talk but I do not even know what he is going to say back. He had 41 PTS so he is a very good basketball player, obviously, but we came out with the win and it was a really fun game. I did not really have as good of a game as I wanted to, but it gave my teammate KJ Lewis a chance to show why he is 1 of the top players in the country. I think he had 34 PTS that night as well: we have the kind of team where you never know whose night it will be.

In January you were named a McDonald’s All-American: what did it mean to you to receive such an outstanding honor? It meant a lot just knowing that I can showcase my talents all over the country and am able to put myself in the conversation with other great players. Knowing that I get a chance to go out there and show the world that I am one of the greatest players in the country and represent my city: it is just a whole lot of love.

How excited were you to see that your fellow 2-time gold medalist Jeremy Fears was also named a McDonald’s All-American? We talk almost every day: that dude and I have been through a lot together: from making the team USA roster to playing with and against each other in AAU and being at all of the camps. Just knowing that 1 of my brothers made it brought a whole lot of joy to me and felt really good.

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