Tourney Talk: HoopsHD interviews North Carolina cheerleader Jada Angel

Posted on March 18, 2023 by Jon Teitel

The North Carolina men’s basketball team made the title game last April before losing to Kansas. They could not make it back to the NCAA tourney this year but their women’s team made the cut and will play St. John’s this afternoon. 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 Carolina cheerleader Jada Angel about her book recommendation.

You are from New York: what made you choose UNC? When choosing a college to attend I wanted to go to a big school with school spirit and amazing academics…and Carolina had all three. Another thing I loved about Carolina was the atmosphere: there is just something about Chapel Hill that feels like home.

You have been cheering for most of your life: how did you 1st get into it, and what is the best part? I got into cheerleading through my hometown friends who were cheering at the time. They taught me their routine and we performed it for my parents. After that, I begged my mom to let me join my youth league team and my love for the sport grew from there. The best part of cheerleading is the connections/bonds you form through participating in the sport.

You are majoring in Environmental Studies and minoring in Composition/Rhetoric/Digital Literacy: why did you choose those subjects, and what is the post-graduation plan? I have always loved the outdoors and was interested in how human behavior impacts the environment and how these effects may be addressed. My minor focuses on how corporations, advocacy groups, and governmental agencies develop campaigns and messages on various platforms. Once I graduate I plan to work in sustainability consulting and marketing.

You have spent several years as a cheerleading coach: what is the hardest part of being a coach? The hardest part is keeping your emotions in check. As a coach, I only want the best for my athletes and while working with them I form bonds and relationships…but cheerleading is also a numbers sport and the love for an athlete cannot outweigh the best decisions for a team.

1 of your hobbies is reading: do you have any book recommendations? Alice Sebold’s “The Lovely Bones” is a book I recommend. The topic of accepting life’s events even if you aren’t in control of them is discussed in the book. It is written in snapshots that connect the lives of living people together. The plot centers around a family’s sadness and the unsolved murder of the main character, Susie. The reader experiences moments of pure adrenaline as they follow the protagonists in their quest for knowledge, motivation, and the murderer itself.

Your men’s team made the NCAA title game last year before losing to Kansas: what is your favorite memory from their remarkable run? The spirit and camaraderie in the Hill was my favorite part of the men’s basketball team’s championship journey last year. Nobody anticipated that we would defeat Baylor or get as far as the title game. Being the underdogs that we were, beating the odds was remarkable. Defeating Duke in the Final 4 and rushing Franklin Street for the second time that season was the cherry on top!

Your women’s team made the ACC tourney quarterfinals before losing to Duke: how do you describe the rivalry to someone who has never seen it in person? The UNC-Duke rivalry is the best rivalry in college sports. I would explain it as, “the moment.” It is not only a fight for the better blue (which is Carolina Blue!) but for state and national dominance.

How does your school decide who gets to go to the NCAA tourney, and what will it mean to you to see your group doing its thing in front of a national TV audience? Our coaches choose who gets to travel based on skill/seniority. I have been given an amazing opportunity to travel with the women’s basketball team to two NCAA tournaments during both of my years as a cheerleader at Carolina. I am grateful for the opportunity to cheer in March Madness. It is not often you see a program as diverse as ours on national television.

Does your squad have anything extra-special planned for Columbus? We plan to give every game our all. The women’s basketball team has worked so hard this season, battling injuries/obstacles and they deserve to have the love and support the cheerleading team can give to them. As a squad, we will bring energy to Columbus.

Any predictions for the Tar Heels on Saturday afternoon vs. St. John’s? I have 100% confidence in the UNC Women’s Basketball team and we will win the game against St. John’s: Go Heels!

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NCAA Tournament 2nd Round Preview

Posted on March 18, 2023 by John Stalica

Saturday Games (all times Eastern)

(13) FURMAN vs. (5) SAN DIEGO State (12:10 PM, CBS) – Furman advanced to the 2nd round with a furious comeback in the closing seconds against Virginia; for the Paladins to advance to the Sweet 16, they will need to pull off another upset against a San Diego State team that survived an upset bid of their own against Charleston on Thursday. The Aztecs snapped what was an 11-game losing streak by the Mountain West in NCAA Tournament play.

(5) DUKE vs. (4) TENNESSEE (approx. 2:40 PM, CBS) – Duke continued their red-hot play with a blowout win against Oral Roberts in their opener; Tennessee needed a full 40 minutes to survive against a game Louisiana squad on Thursday. With the Vols out a key starter, Duke will likely be favored in this game.

(8) ARKANSAS vs. (1) KANSAS (5:15 PM, CBS) – Arkansas was a team that started the year on a hot streak before injuries cooled off the Razorbacks. They have since righted the ship and did not have much trouble against Illinois in their opener. Kansas won their opener against Howard with interim head coach Norm Roberts on the bench; Bill Self was still recovering from a procedure performed during the Big 12 Tournament. (UPDATE – Self will not be on the bench for today’s game)

(15) PRINCETON vs. (7) MISSOURI (6:10 PM, TNT) – Princeton pulled off the major stunner on Thursday with a comeback against Arizona; it was the Tigers’ first victory in the NCAA Tournament since 1998. They now face a Missouri team that beat Utah State in their opener on Thursday.

(9) AUBURN vs. (1) HOUSTON (7:10 PM, TBS) – This could be an interesting setup with Auburn having a “home court” advantage against a Houston team that had to play a full 40 minutes against Northern Kentucky on Thursday. And I use quotes because while the crowd normally pulls for the underdog to win, I have a hard time imagining a partisan Alabama crowd pulling for their archrival in this one.

(10) PENN STATE vs. (2) TEXAS (approx. 7:45 PM, CBS) – Penn State had no trouble against Texas A&M in their opener and won in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 2001 NCAA Tournament; that year also saw the Nittany Lions pull off a stunner against UNC to advance to the Sweet 16 that year. Texas also snapped what I believe was a 6-game losing streak in the NCAA Tournament with their win against Colgate.

(7) NORTHWESTERN vs. (2) UCLA (approx. 8:40 PM, TNT) – UCLA is now the last team remaining from the Pac-12 after their 1st-round victory; they will take on a Northwestern team that is making only their 2nd NCAA Tournament appearance of any kind.

(8) MARYLAND vs. (1) ALABAMA (approx. 9:40 PM, TBS) – The nightcap in Birmingham will feature a Maryland team that had their biggest win away from home since November with their comeback victory against West Virginia. They will take on an Alabama team that beat Texas A&M-Corpus Christi with ease.

Sunday Games (all times Eastern)

(11) PITTSBURGH vs. (3) XAVIER (12:10 PM, CBS) – We nearly had an occurrence where a 1, a 2, a 3 AND a 4 seed could have lost their first-round games. Xavier needed a 13-point comeback against Kennesaw State to move on to the 2nd round; they will face a Pittsburgh team that won a rock fight against Iowa State on Friday. They held the Cyclones to 23% shooting from the field in their win.

(6) KENTUCKY vs. (3) KANSAS STATE (approx. 2:40 PM, CBS) – Kentucky exorcised their ghosts from last year’s run with a win against Providence in their opener; they will be looking to avenge a loss to Kansas State in the 2018 NCAA Tournament when both teams met in the Sweet 16 that year.

(7) MICHIGAN STATE vs. (2) MARQUETTE (5:15 PM, CBS) – Marquette secured their first NCAA Tournament victory since 2013 when they beat Vermont on Friday; Michigan State secured their spot for the 2nd round when they opened the 2nd half against USC on a run and ended up beating the Trojans without too much trouble.

(5) SAINT MARY’S vs. (4) CONNECTICUT (6:10 PM, TNT) – For one half, Iona looked like they were prime to upset UConn, but the Huskies shifted into overdrive for the 2nd half and completely overran the Gaels in their opening game. Saint Mary’s survived a potential 5-12 upset with their win against VCU on Friday.

(6) CREIGHTON vs. (3) BAYLOR (7:10 PM, TBS) – This is a rematch from the 2014 2nd round when Baylor pulled off a mild upset in what turned out to be Doug McDermott’s last game at Creighton. The Bluejays outlasted NC State in their opener; Baylor also had a brief scare against UC-Santa Barbara before kicking into another gear and pulling away from the Gauchos in their opener.

(16) FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON vs. (9) FLORIDA ATLANTIC (approx. 7:45 PM, TruTV) – FDU’s upset against Purdue may have been even bigger from a NET standpoint than UMBC’s win against Virginia 5 years ago; it was also the first win for a Northeast Conference team in the NCAA Tournament outside of the First Four. They will play a Florida Atlantic team that had multiple lead changes against Memphis and ultimately got a game-winner with less than 5 seconds to play.

(5) MIAMI vs. (4) INDIANA (approx. 8:40 PM, TNT) – Indiana played well into the night in their victory against Kent State on Friday; they will take on a Miami team that closed their game against Drake with a 16-1 run in the final 5:40 of their game to move on to Sunday night’s matchup.

(6) TCU vs. (3) GONZAGA (approx. 9:40 PM, TBS) – Mike Miles Jr. hit the game-winner against Arizona State to help the Horned Frogs advance to the 2nd round; Gonzaga advanced with a win against Grand Canyon on Friday.

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Tourney Talk: HoopsHD interviews Miami Sunsations Dancer Allison Marsh

Posted on March 17, 2023 by Jon Teitel

Last Friday Miami lost to Duke 85-78 in the ACC tourney semifinals but still received an at-large bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Hurricanes only won 10 games in 2021 but have now won 25+ games in back-to-back seasons and clinched the school’s 2nd straight NCAA tourney bid. 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 Miami Sunsations Dancer Allison Marsh about being a captain.

You are from Highlands Ranch, CO: what made you choose Miami? I only applied to schools that had warmer weather than Colorado. I loved Miami after I checked it out and the environment is so amazing that it was the best decision for me.

You have been dancing for most of your life: how did you 1st get into it, and what is the best part? I started dancing when I was 3 years old. I think that my mom wanted me to have something active to do so that I could channel my energy outside our house. I do not know what my life would be without it.

You are the Competition Captain for the Sunsations Dance Team: what is the key to being a good leader? I lead the competition part of our season that includes UDA Nationals in Orlando in January. It is such a spectacular event and I work with the coaches by leading the practices for both jazz/hip-hop. I help with choreography/formations to create 2 great competition pieces.

You are majoring in Health Science on the Pre-Medical Track and minoring in Public Health/Biology/Art History: why did you choose those subjects? I always knew that I wanted to be a doctor: both of my parents are physicians and I have spent a lot of time with them at hospitals. Miami has a spectacular pre-med program…and I also love art history classes.

What is the post-graduation plan? I was accepted into the Miller School of Medicine at Miami so I take the MCAT in April and then will start classes this fall.

You are a big skier: do you have a favorite ski destination? Vail is where I have always skied: it is a Colorado rite of passage to be on a ski team at a resort. I do not get the chance to ski much in Miami but I do miss it.

Your team won 25 games this year before losing to Duke in the ACC tourney semifinals last Friday: what is the mood like on campus now that the NCAA tourney is finally here? The hype is insane! Our home stadium is always sold out and the fans are incredibly loud.

How does your school decide who gets to go to the NCAA tourney, and what will it mean to you to see your group doing its thing in front of a national TV audience? Our coaches select who will travel, which is such a spectacular opportunity. I love performing at Coral Gables but it is great to dance elsewhere as well.

Does your squad have anything extra-special planned for Albany, and how cold is it outside?! It is really cold and feeling a bit like home! We are doing a halftime dance with a routine that we performed at the FSU football game. We are also working with Erin Andrews (who will let us wear some items from her clothing line) and are getting some more hype with a new video we are filming for our TikTok page.

Any predictions for the Hurricanes tonight vs. Drake? I think it will be a Canes win. I hope that everyone is healthy and that we just do what we have been doing all season: there have been enough upsets so far!

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The Hoops HD Report – NCAA Tournament Special

Posted on March 17, 2023 by David Griggs

Chad and the panel begin by looking at the teams that actually made it into the field and briefly discuss what the committee did that we agree with, the things that we disagreed with, and the teams that were left out that we thought should have been in.

After that, we look at the Field of 68 and fill out the full bracket as a panel.  We discuss match-ups, potential match-ups, upsets, our Final Four, and our National Champion.

In closing, we briefly look at the NIT and CBI Tournaments, and lastly we reveal this year’s AC8 field!!

Below is the bracket we filled out, but do not look at it until you watch the show!!!

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

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Tourney Talk: HoopsHD interviews UCSB Dance Team captain Tevai De Mello

Posted on March 17, 2023 by Jon Teitel

Last Saturday UCSB beat Fullerton 72-62 in the Big West tourney title game to clinch an automatic bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Gauchos only won 17 games last year but have won 27 games this year and clinched the school’s 2nd NCAA tourney bid in the past 3 years. 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. Yesterday HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with UCSB Dance Team captain Tevai De Mello about her leadership/advocacy experience.

You were born/raised in San Diego: what made you choose UCSB? Santa Barbara feels like a mini-San Diego, and as someone who considers myself a homebody I am so glad that I am only a 4-hour drive from home. Location aside, UCSB is an amazing school and I am so grateful for all of the opportunities that I have had through UCSB to grow as a student/dancer/person.

You have been dancing for more than a decade: how did you 1st get into dancing, and what is the best part? My mom used to dance when she was younger so she signed me up for a ballet class to see if I would like it too. I did not want to go at first because I was scared to step outside of my comfort zone, but per usual my mom was right and I ended up falling in love with dance. Twelve years later, dance is still my creative outlet and the friendships I have formed through dance are unmatched.

You have been team captain for the past 2 years: what is the key to being a good leader? The most memorable leaders that I have had in my life have always led by example, so I strive to hold myself accountable and to the same standards that I encourage my teammates to uphold. Communication is also a major factor so I think it is important for leaders to cultivate a team dynamic where everyone feels comfortable voicing their own opinions. This mutual respect for your teammates is so beneficial for the overall wellbeing/success of the team.

You are majoring in Psychological and Brain Sciences: how did you choose those subjects? I have always been drawn to psychology because it is relatable/applicable to our everyday lives. I think it is an important subject to study, not only for my own well-being but also for others.

You graduate in a few months: what is the post-graduation plan? Dance is a very important part of my life so I hope to continue dancing professionally after I graduate. I also currently work with an organization called Voice in Sport: I advocate for change regarding Title IX and inequality in our current sports landscape. After I graduate I plan to use my leadership/advocacy experience to further promote these initiatives for the dance community and for other future athletes.

This year at the UDA Collegiate Nationals your team placed 3rd in the nation in D-1 Jazz and 4th in the nation in D-1 Pom: how have you been able to accomplish so much despite being a self-coached/self-funded squad? When you are all working towards a common goal you learn to have a different type of appreciation/respect for one another. Not having a coach taught us how to work as a team. Leaving UDA Nationals with two national titles was even more rewarding knowing that it was our teamwork that got us so far.

Last Saturday in the Big West tourney title game you had a 10-PT win over Fullerton to make the NCAA tourney for the 2nd time in 3 years: what has the reaction been like since returning to campus? This year UCSB started transitioning into a more immersive gameday experience, which has immensely elevated our school spirit. The spirit teams undoubtedly play a major role in this and since returning from the Big West Tournament I have noticed a lot of excitement/admiration. Everyone is so proud of the men’s basketball team for coming out on top as the Big West Champions and we cannot wait to see our school represented in March Madness!

How does your school decide who gets to go to the NCAA tourney, and what will it mean to you to see your group doing its thing in front of a national TV audience? The UCSB Athletic department invited each spirit team (Dance/Cheer/Pep Band) to cheer on our Men’s and Women’s Basketball teams at the Big West Tournament, but due to conference rules each spirit team was only allowed a limited number of attendees. Bands were limited to 29 people, while dance/cheer teams can only bring 12 members to sit courtside. A majority of my teammates had schedule conflicts so only eight of us were able to represent the Dance Team at the tournament. This was the first year since COVID that the UCSB spirit teams were able to attend the Big West Tournament. Being reintegrated into the tournament and witnessing the championship win first-hand was an amazing experience! I am just grateful that my team is getting more recognition this year and that I am able to end my era of collegiate dancing on such a high note.

Does your squad have anything extra-special planned for the NCAA tourney? Unfortunately, none of the UCSB spirit teams will not be attending the remainder of the NCAA tournament but we will still be cheering on the Gauchos from our living rooms!

Any predictions for the Gauchos on Friday afternoon vs. Baylor? The Gauchos are as hungry as ever and have been working hard all season so I have full confidence that UCSB will come out on top!

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Tourney Talk: HoopsHD interviews Indiana band member Kal Ellison

Posted on March 16, 2023 by Jon Teitel

Last Saturday Indiana lost to Penn State 77-73 in the Big 10 tourney semifinals but still clinched an at-large bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Hoosiers only won 12 games in 2021 but have now had back-to-back seasons of 21+ wins and claimed the school’s 2nd straight NCAA tourney bid. 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 Indiana band member Kal Ellison about growing up in Bloomington.

You are from Bloomington, IN: what made you choose Indiana? I am from Bloomington so I was used to being in/around the campus already. IU is a big school so it was nice to already be familiar with it before becoming a student. The main reason I chose IU though was because I wanted to join a marching band in college and out of the schools I applied to, IU had the best marching band. Through the band I have made a lot of friends and was able to make a large campus feel smaller by being in the band.

How did you 1st get into music, and what is the best part of being in the band? I first got into band in middle school. I wanted to start playing an instrument because my older sister was in band and I wanted to have that same experience. I have played a lot of different instruments since middle school and was in the marching band in high school as well as in college. The best part of being in band is getting to make music with a lot of the different people and the friends that you meet through it.

You previously were the drum major for the Marching Hundred: what is it like to be out there on the football field in front of tens of thousands of fans? During my first year as drum major I was fairly nervous about performing in front of so many people. It is a lot different than being a regular marching band member who is marching with an instrument because you are able to blend in/hide that way. As a drum major I was tossing a large stick in the air that I needed to catch and also blowing a whistle very loudly for the band and all the fans to hear. Any mistake that you make is easily noticed by those watching. However, in my second season leading the band as drum major it was a lot easier and less nerve-racking. This past season was also a lot of fun for me to perform, especially since our marching band had just gotten a twirler (Sydney Butz), which we have not had for a very long time. It was a lot of fun to perform alongside her and create routines with her.

You play the mellophone in the Big Red Basketball Band: what on earth is a mellophone, and what kind of songs does the band perform at games? A mellophone kind of looks like a fat trumpet with a wide front facing bell. It is an instrument used for marching band and pep bands as a mid-range instrument instead of a French Horn. A French Horn has a bell that faces backward and is also quite hard to play so it is not really ideal for a marching band: you want to project your sound forward and it is also more difficult to play while marching. The Big Red Basketball Band (BRBB) has about 75 different tunes that we can play. Our more notable ones that we typically play for most games (since we cannot get through all 75!) are of course our fight songs (Indiana Our Indiana, Indiana Fight) as well as “Seven Nation Army”, “Sweet Georgia Brown” (which we start every game with), “Basket Case”, “Welcome to the Jungle”, and “The William Tell Overture” (which is part out one of our timeouts, known as the greatest timeout in college basketball!). My favorite song is named after one of our directors, Dr. Eric Smedley: it is the Shakira song “Objection” but we just call it “Tango di Smedley”. The song has a mellophone feature in it that is really fun to play.

You are majoring in exercise science: why did you choose that subject? I chose exercise science because it allowed me to learn in a variety of science classes with a focus on exercise. I felt like I could go into a lot of different professions that I was interested in by choosing exercise science. I do not exactly know what I want to do for the rest of my life but I am very happy with where I am currently.

What is the post-graduation plan? I actually graduated last December so my current schedule is the short-term post-graduation plan. I am learning a lot and meeting a lot of great coaches by interning in Memorial Stadium, and my coaching continues to get better as I learn from them. It is really nice to take what I learn there and then transfer it over to my personal training job in town where I have about 20 clients at the moment at Force Fitness and Performance. I want to eventually get a job working for a college athletic department. I am not exactly sure what job specifically, which is part of why I am doing the internship to try and figure that out. I will probably need to go to grad school to become qualified for a position but I am not in a hurry to rush to grad school right now.

You also work as a personal trainer and assist in the Memorial Stadium weight room as strength and conditioning intern: have you had a chance to work with any of the players on the basketball team? I have not had the chance to work with the basketball team: I believe they have their own weight room in a different building which is not in Memorial Stadium. I have mostly been working with volleyball, softball, women’s soccer, field hockey, and some athletes from track and field. Interns are not assigned to specific teams: those just happen to be the teams that are in the gym when I am available, but they are all a lot of fun and I really enjoy being there with them.

Last Saturday your team lost to Penn State in the Big 10 tourney semifinals: what is the mood like on campus now that the NCAA tourney is here? Spring break at IU started 2 days after our game against Penn State, so there have not been any students on campus, so I cannot really speak to whether it affected the mood on campus at all.

How does your school decide who gets to go to the NCAA tourney, and what will it mean to you to see your group doing its thing in front of a national TV audience? The band takes 29 members/1 director to tournaments. There are around 145 band members in the BRBB that are split up into 2 separate bands: a women’s team band which anyone is welcome to be in, and a men’s team band which members audition to get into. These bands are entirely composed of members from that Marching Hundred members the previous fall. That is a LOT of band members to choose from for travel and the decision is based on multiple factors. Everyone shares their availability to see who can go on the trip so that it does not interfere with exams/projects/classes. They also take into account your attendance during that regular season of basketball and how many years you have been a member of the BRBB. From there our band directors will choose which members go on tournament trips.

Does the band have anything extra-special planned for Albany, and any predictions for the Hoosiers on Friday night vs. Kent State? In Albany we went to an open practice for the team. This is the first time I had been to one and the first time I have seen the band invited to one. We played some songs for them during the practice and I really hope that the team enjoyed it. It was fun being there to support the team and I hope having the band at their practice was not too distracting. Other than that, we have just been enjoying exploring Albany. As for the upcoming game against Kent State, I sure hope that our Hoosiers come out on top. I think they will win…and it would be nice to spend a few more days in Albany.

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