All-Access at the CAA Tournament: HoopsHD interviews Monmouth Pep Band Manager Lincoln Pereira

Posted on March 2, 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 in Washington, DC, next week 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 commences our coverage with an interview of Monmouth Pep Band Manager Lincoln Pereira.

You are from Springfield, NJ: how did you choose Monmouth? One of my childhood friends committed to Monmouth and introduced me to the school. Coming out of COVID, we both wanted to have someone familiar with us on campus, so we decided to become roommates.

You are a junior History and Education major: how did you choose those subjects, and do you have a post-graduation plan yet? I have wanted to teach for as long as I can remember. I had the amazing opportunity to attend a vocational-technical program for teacher education during high school, and I figured that if I still liked the career after four years of learning it for free then I would pay to get a degree in it! I hope to get a full-time job as a high school history teacher while pursuing my master’s degree at Monmouth for history.

You play bass drum in the Monmouth Pep Band: how long have you been playing that instrument? I have been a percussionist since fourth grade, which is when every American child must make the lifelong decision about what instrument they want to play. I became a bass drummer specifically in my sophomore year of high school during marching band, which means I have been playing bass drum for 7 years.

You are also Band Manager: what kind of duties does that involve, and what is the hardest part of the job? As the Band Manager, I serve as the liaison between my band director and the rest of the band. That typically involves making sure that everyone has the information on practices, games, uniforms, and other technicalities. The most involved (and most fun) part of the job comes during conference season when I help my band director keep track of band members, hotel rooms, and instruments.

You are a member of Phi Alpha Theta (the National History Honors Society): how do you balance your work in the classroom with your work in the Band? The balancing act gets tough on occasion, but the best thing that an involved student can do on campus is develop positive relationships with their professors. If I ever need to miss class for a band-related event I make sure that I build a reputation in the class as a punctual/engaged student, which tends to make professors more forgiving of absences. I am also familiar with doing homework assignments while on the road with the basketball team.

You are a big Dungeons & Dragons player: have you noticed an increase in the game’s popularity due to its appearance on TV shows such as Stranger Things/The Big Bang Theory and the Honor Among Thieves movie that came out last year? Absolutely. The recent popularity of D&D has been exciting to watch, as I always thought the game could be fun for every type of person, and many more people who had previously never heard of D&D are now trying it out!

What kind of music does the Band play at games, and do you have a favorite song to perform? Our band likes to play a variety of songs, ranging from recognizable classic rock and pop tunes to big band jazz pieces. We also make sure to play some Bruce Springsteen to represent New Jersey. My personal favorite song to play is Trombone Shorty’s “Hurricane Season” because of both my love for jazz and my love for complicated drum breaks.

How does the Band decide who gets to go to the CAA tourney, and will your group be doing anything special for the postseason? The silver lining of being a small (maybe 30-piece) band is that everyone can travel to the tournament! Typically, when the band season ends, we like to get together in a conference room, order pizza, and play Jackbox games.

The Hawks only won 7 games last year but have already doubled that total this year: was last year as rough as it sounds, and can I assume your Band experience has improved this year now that the team has improved? My favorite part of this season has been seeing the student section slowly fill up with every subsequent win. Last year, the spirit squad had to make the noise-equivalent of a whole stadium of fans since nobody was interested in going to on-campus games. Since the team has improved, I often find myself getting invigorated by the energy of the fans.

Any predictions for your conference tourney opener vs. Campbell next Saturday? I have intense sports superstitions so I cannot give you a prediction out of my fear of Karma!

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Hoops HD Daily Rundown – Saturday, Mar 2nd

Posted on March 2, 2024 by David Griggs

HOOPS HD SURVIVAL BOARD WATCH (Click Here to View the Whole Board):

MAC: 
-Northern Illinois out with a loss (at Akron) or wins by both Western Michigan (at Ball State) and Kent State (vs Central Michigan)
-Eastern Michigan out with a loss (vs Miami-Ohio) and wins by both Western Michigan (at Ball State) and Kent State (vs Central Michigan)

NEC:
-Saint Francis U out with a loss (vs Le Moyne) and a Stonehill win (at Central Connecticut)

OVC:
-TennesseeTech out with loss.  Also out with a win, a Southern Indiana win and one of Morehead State, Tennessee State or SIUE win

SWAC:
-Prairie View out with loss (vs Alcorn State) and Alabama A&M win (vs Alabama State) and Pine Bluff win (vs Miss Valley)

IVY:
-Harvard out with a loss (at Yale) or a Brown win (vs Dartmouth)

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NEWS AND NOTES:

-Dayton and Loyola Chicago did not disappoint! The game was close all throughout and came down to the last minute of play before Loyola held on for the 77-72 win. Dayton is in no danger of missing the field, but they probably aren’t within reach of a protected seed like we thought a few weeks ago. It was a missed opportunity at a quality road win, and it knocks them down to 3rd place in the conference standings, and 2 games behind the Richm0nd Spiders, who can clinch a share of 1st place with a win today.

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HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:

-FLORIDA AT SOUTH CAORLINA (SEC). Both teams are in the top 25, both appear to be positioning themselves to land in the top half of the bracket, and South Carolina seems to be within reach of a protected seed. It’s a resume building opportunity for both teams, and it should be a good game.

-VILLANOVA AT PROVIDENCE (Big East). This is a super-bubblicious game with super high stakes for both teams. We have Nova right on the bubble, and Providence just inside it, but Providence is also coming off a rough loss and needs to bounce back. This has the feel of a pivotal high-stakes game for both teams.

-KANSAS AT BAYLOR (Big 12). Both teams seem to be virtual locks for protected seeds, and this is a big resume-building opportunity today. Kansas is looking to bounce back from a surprising loss against BYU, and Baylor is looking to pick up a signature road win

-ILLINOIS AT WISCONSIN (Big Ten). Wisky is going in the wrong direction and needs to bounce back. This should be a winnable game considering they’re at home, but it is hardly a guarantee. Illinois does have some nice road wins and they are within reach of a protected seed. This win would definitely boost their resume.

-OREGON AT ARIZONA (Pac 12). Arizona is among the five (and maybe six) teams that look to be in solid contention for a #1 seed, but they have to hold serve in games like this in order to get there. Oregon is outside the bubble, but if you look at them they do have some good stuff on their resume, and while this win is a huge long-shot, if they were to get it, it could actually vault them all the way into our field.

-MARQUETTE AT CREIGHTON (Big East). Both teams are ranked in the top 15, both appear to be solid protected seeds, and while I don’t think Marquette will play their way all the way up to the #1 line, it wouldn’t shock me at all to see them get a #2 seed. In short, it’s mostly a litmus test as both teams look like solid protected seeds that will remain that way despite who wins, but it should still be a fun game and will impact the seedlist.

-MISSISSIPPI STATE AT AUBURN (SEC). Mississippi State has just two true road wins on the year, but the two they’ve won were the last two they’ve played. I think they’re reasonably safe as far as making the field so long as they continue to hold serve, but if they were to get THIS win on the road, but would really give their resume a boost and shoot them up the seedlist. Auburn looks to be within reach of a protected seed so long as they hold serve the rest of the way.

-SOUTH FLORIDA AT CHARLOTTE (American). South Florida has already clinched at least a share of 1st place and can get it outright with a win today. While Charlotte is not a team that’s inside the bubble, this would still be a good road win for the Bulls and help strengthen their case that they belong in the NCAA Tournament even if they don’t win the conference tournament. Charlotte is 11-1 at home, and a solid win by South Florida should give their metrics a boost, which is important because some of their metrics could use some boosting.

-WAKE FOREST AT VIRGINIA TECH (ACC). Many seem convinced that Wake is inside the bubble. I for one think they are right on it and still have some work to do, especially considering they lost on the road at Notre Dame last week. To date, they are just 2-8 in true road games, and the two games they did win were against weak teams. While they do have some decent wins at home, I think they’ve only beaten two teams at home that have winning road records. Having said all that, a win today at VA Tech would constitute “doing a lot of work.” VA Tech is very strong at home, and if Wake pulls this off the committee should give them a lot of credit for it.

-IOWA AT NORTHWESTERN (Big Ten). Iowa is moving closer to the bubble, and if they can knock off Northwestern it would be a huge step forward. Northwestern seems to be moving up the seedlist and they should be able to hold serve at home. While Iowa has been playin better they’ve still struggled on the road this year.

-VIRGINIA AT DUKE (ACC). It’s been painful watching Virginia, but their paper is actually solid and they look to be a solid tournament team. If they can win this then their resume will suddenly look a ton better. Duke, on the other hand, should land on one of the top four lines so long as they can hold serve the rest of the way.

-PITTSBURGH AT BOSTON COLLEGE (ACC). I think Pitt is a lot closer to the bubble than what most other people think. Having said that, if they can’t win this one on the road, I will probably no longer think that.

-VCU AT RICHMOND (Atlantic 10). This game is worth paying attention to. It’s a rivalry game and it should be a good one, but the real reason to watch is that Richmond has a two game lead over Dayton in the A-10 standings and can clinch at least a share of 1st place, and since they won head-to-head, they presumably hold the tie-breaker.

-HOUSTON AT OKLAHOMA (Big 12) – Houston is the top ranked team, they deserve to be the top ranked team, and while this is a very tough road game to win against a probable NCAA Tournament team, they’ve shown that they can win tough games on the road. It would be a nice resume boost for the Sooners if they can pull it off, but even at home this is a very tough game to win.

-MICHIGAN STATE AT PURDUE (Big Ten). Michigan State looks like a team that should make the NCAA Tournament, and Purdue looks like a team that could go to the Final Four. A win for the Spartans would silence any and all critics, but it’s much easier said than done.

-TENNESSEE AT ALABAMA (SEC). Tennessee could still end up as a 1 seed, and a win today would be a huge statement that they belong up there. Alabama looks like they can end up as a protected seed, and a win today for the Tide gets them one step closer to that. Even with a loss I still think the Vols are safely on the #2 line (for now).

-NEW MEXICO AT BOISE STATE (Mountain West). After their loss to Air Force, New Mexico’s resume is starting to look incredibly flimsy. A win today can completely offset that because Boise State keeps looking better and better, and just blew out that same Air Force team that won at New Mexico. Boise is on pace to land in the top half of the bracket if they continue to hold serve.

-TCU AT BYU (Big 12). BYU is coming off a massive win at Kansas and has all but locked themselves into the NCAA Tournament, and is now playing to continue to improve their seed. TCU is also solidly in the field and can put another really big road win on their resume, which would move them up the seedlist.

-GONZAGA AT SAINT MARY’S (West Coast). Saint Mary’s can complete the perfect season with a win over their rivals tonighht. They can also make Gonzaga sweat it out because while the Zags appear to be inside the bubble, they aren’t quite a lock yet. Having said that, if they win tonight, they likely will be. The Zags looked really impressive earlier this week against San Francisco, but this is a much tougher test tonight.

OTHER NOTABLE GAMES:

-Tulane @ Florida Atlantic (American) – FAU is safely inside the bubble, but they need to hold serve. Any additional losses to non-tournament caliber teams, especially at home, will hurt their profile

–Butler @ DePaul (Big East) – If Butler wins out and picks up another key win in the Big East Tournament they may get a serious look, but they are solidly outside our bubble right now

–Arkansas @ Kentucky (SEC) – Arkansas has had a disappointing season, whereas Kentucky is really starting to hit their stride. The Wildcats can end up as a protected seed and they should be able to hold serve in this one

–Oklahoma State @ Texas (Big 12) – Oklahoma State has had some good games recently, but Texas is coming off a great win at Texas Tech and should be able to hold serve at home in this one

–UTSA @ SMU (American) – I suppose at-large hopes are still barely flickering for SMU, but while they may be on the board I don’t think they get into the field without winning the auto-bid

-Iowa State @ UCF (Big 12) – this should be a winnable road game for the Cyclones, which would be their 5th of the year, and should keep them on pace to earn a protected seed

–NC State @ North Carolina (ACC) – this is a rivalry game, and sometimes that can be a bit of an equalizer, but NC State is outside the bubble and UNC is within reach of the #1 line, so the Tarheels should be able to hold serve at home

–Wyoming @ Colorado State (Mountain West, Front Range) – We at Hoops HD Love the Front Range!!! Colorado State is solidly inside the bubble and will remain there so long as they can continue to hold serve. This is a rivalry game, but it’s one they should win

-UCLA @ Washington State – since their big win at Arizona, Wazzu has lost to Arizona State and struggled to beat a less-than-great USC team the other night. They’re safe for a bid and should land in the top half of the bracket if they can continue to hold serve, but slip-ups against teams outside the field will hurt their seed

–Kansas State @ Cincinnati (Big 12) – K State is outside the bubble and needs a strong finish to get inside of it. A road win in a game like this would certainly help

–Clemson @ Notre Dame (ACC) – Clemson is clearly the superior team and I think they could even play their way onto the top four lines, but while ND is nowhere near the NCAA Tournament, they have been able to give several good teams fits on their home court this year

–Syracuse @ Louisville (ACC) – some feel that Cuse is getting closer to the bubble. I think I agree, but a loss tonight changes all that

–Ole Miss @ Missouri (SEC) – If Ole Miss is going to play their way back inside the bubble, they need to win this game tonight. They need to do a lot more after this, but a loss tonight could all but eliminate them

-California @ Utah (Pac 12) – Utah still has some work to do and they need to hold serve in this one. They also need to be on upset alert. Cal is nowhere near the bubble, but they have been playing better over the past four weeks

–San Jose State @ UNLV (Mountain West) – UNLV continues to string together wins and make a case that they should at least be on the bubble. They should be able to get this one tonight without too much trouble, which gets them to 11-5 in the MWC

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UNDER THE RADAR CONFERENCE WATCH:

-Appalachian State has clinched 1st place in the Sun Belt

-Eastern Kentucky, despite the loss, clinched the top seed in the Atlantic Sun

-Yale, Cornell, and Princeton all won and are all deadlocked in the Ivy League standings, and Brown won a huge game against Harvard and can wrap up 4th place and the last conference tournament spot with a win today.

–Stonehill @ Central Connecticut (Northeast) – Central Connecticut can still get at least a share of first place, but they need to win this one and they need Merrimack to lose at Sacred Heart

–High Point @ Longwood (Big South) – High Point has already clinched 1st place

–Hofstra @ Charleston (Coastal Athletic) – Charleston has already clinched 1st place, but could get a battle at home tonight against a Hofstra team that’s looked pretty good since mid-January

–South Dakota State @ North Dakota State (Summit League) – South Dakota State has already clinched 1st place, but will still want to end the season with a road win against their rivals

–The Citadel @ Samford (SoCon) – Samford has already clinched 1st place and should blow thorough this one tonight

–UMass Lowell @ Vermont (America East) – Vermont has already clinched at least a share of 1st place and can get it outright with a win today. UMass Lowell can pull within a game and still be mathematically alive with a win, but even with a win it looks like Vermont is in the driver’s seat

–Lindenwood @ Morehead State (Ohio Valley) – Morehead State can clinch at least a share of 1st place, but they’re in a 3-way tie with Little Rock and UT Martin and both would have to lose for them to get it outright

–Tennessee State @ UT Martin (Ohio Valley) – see above^^^

-Tennessee Tech @ Little Rock (Ohio Valley) – Tennessee Tech needs to win to stay alive, and Little Rock needs to win to keep pace with Morehead State and UT Martin

–Nichols @ McNeese (Southland) – McNeese has already clinched a share of 1st place, and will clinch it outright if they win. If they win out and then lose in the conference tournament then they should at least be on the bubble

-Florida A&M @ Grambling (SWAC) – Grambling has a 1 game lead over Southern with 4 games to go

–Montana State @ Eastern Washington (Big Sky) – Eastern Washington has already clinched 1st place

–Northern Illinois @ Akron (MAC) – Akron can clinch at least a share of 1st place with a win, and can clinch it outright if Toledo loses at Buffalo

–Detroit Mercy @ Oakland (Horizon League) – Oakland clinches 1st place outright with a win

–Cornell @ Princeton (Ivy League) – this game has serious 1st place implications in the Ivy League, and depending on how things play out this could be the game that decides it

–Harvard @ Yale (Ivy league) – it’s a rivalry game, and it’s a game Yale needs to win in order to keep pace with Cornell and Princeton for 1st place

–Middle Tennessee @ Sam Houston State (Conference USA) – Sam Houston is in a tie with Louisiana Tech with 2 games to go

–Stephen F Austin @ Grand Canyon (WAC) – GCU is in a tie with Tarlton State for 1st place with two games to go and needs to hold on in this one to keep pace

–Long Beach State @ UC Irvine (Big West) – The Black and Blue Rivalry!!!! UC Irvine has a 1 game lead over UC San Diego with three games to go, and can get a step closer toward clinching if they can beat their rivals at home tonight

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Under the Radar Game of the Day – Saturday, March 2nd

Posted on March 2, 2024 by John Stalica

Hofstra (19-11, 12-5) at Charleston (23-7, 14-3) – 2:00 PM ET (FloHoops)

Today’s UTR Game of the Day takes us to the Palmetto State for a CAA showdown between the Hofstra Pride and the Charleston Cougars. Hofstra comes into today’s game in a tie for 2nd place with the Drexel Dragons; the Pride have won four straight going into today’s game. Darlinstone Dubar scored 28 points for Hofstra in their last game, which was a 69-58 victory against UNC-Wilmington.

Charleston has already clinched the regular season title in the CAA; the Cougars are currently being projected as a 13 seed in most NCAA Tournament brackets. Charleston has won eight straight games since losing to UNC-Wilmington at home. Rayne Smith led Charleston with 32 points in a 96-73 victory at home against Campbell.

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Hoops HD Daily Rundown – Friday, Mar 1st

Posted on March 1, 2024 by David Griggs

HAPPY MARCH MADNESS EVERYBODY!!!!!!!

HOOPS HD SURVIVAL BOARD WATCH (Click here to see the whole board):

-IVY LEAGUE:
-Columbia eliminated if they lose to Princeton

ATLANTIC SUN:
-Jacksonville is eliminated with a loss to FGCU AND if either Central Arkansas or Bellarmine win. If Queens and Central Arkansas both win, Jacksonville is out regardless if they win or lose.
-Central Arkansas is eliminated if they lose to North Alabama, or if both Jacksonville and Kennesaw State both win

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NEWS AND NOTES:

-For the latest HOOPS HD BRACKET RUNDOWN, where we build a seedlist on the air line by line and assess each team as we go – CLICK HERE

-For John Stalica’s UTR Game of the Day – CLICK HERE

-Washington State held on against a sub-par USC team, but barely. They trailed for much of the game and had to go on a run in the second in order to pull it out 75-72. USC had several chances at a game-tying 3-pointer on their last possession, but couldn’t get it to fall.

-Gonzaga hasn’t looked good for the entire duration of the season, but they have looked really good over the past few weeks, and they got an impressive looking win last night against a pretty good San Francisco team. It’s not the kind of win that jacks up their resume, but it is an indicator that this team is playing at a higher level now than they had been prior to February.

-Nebraska, who has struggled on the road all year, fell on the road again at Ohio State 78-69. I think the Huskers are inside the bubble, but the lack of road wins will hurt their seed. It may be too little too late for Ohio State, but they have been playing exceptionally well since Chris Holtmann (who I like) was replaced as head coach.

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HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:

-DAYTON AT LOYOLA CHICAGO (Atlantic 10). This will likely be a very tough road game for the Flyers. This game is a lot of things. It’s a litmus test to see how good Dayton is and whether or not they can beat a team that’s been playing really well on the road, and it impacts the conference race. If Dayton loses they will fall two games behind Richmond, and a game behind Loyola in the A10 standings.

–Arkansas State @ Appalachian State (Sun Belt) – App State can still get on the bubble if they win this and avoid any early losses in the Sun Belt Tournament. A win today and they clinch 1st place in the SBC

–Dartmouth @ Yale (Ivy League) – it’s still a three horse race in the Ivy League between Yale, Princeton, and Cornell

–Cornell @ Penn (Ivy league) – see above^^^

-Columbia @ Princeton (Ivy League) – see above, and see furtther above^^^. Princeton is in a race for 1st place, and a loss eliminates Columbia

–Harvard @ Brown (Ivy League) – this is not an elimination game, but it has major conference tournament implications as both teams are tied for the 4th place spot, which is the last team to get in

-James Madison @ Coastal Carolina (Sun Belt) – JMU is right on the bubble, but any loss between now and the conference championship game would knock them off of it

–Eastern Kentucky @ Lipscomb (Atlantic Sun) – a win for EKU clinches them 1st place outright, but this is a tough road game against a talented Lipscomb team that is also trying to position themselves in the standings and earn home court advantage through the semifinals

–Fresno State @ Nevada (Mountain West) – Nevada is solidly inside the bubble and will remain there so long as they continue to hold serve

–Air Force @ Utah State (Mountain West) – Utah State is solidly inside the bubble and will remain there so long as they continue to hold serve

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Under the Radar Game of the Day – Friday, March 1st

Posted on March 1, 2024 by John Stalica

Fairfield (18-10, 12-5) at Marist (15-10, 10-6) – 7:00 PM ET (ESPNU)

Tonight’s UTR Game of the Day heads to Poughkeepsie, New York for a Metro Atlantic showdown between the Fairfield Stags and the Marist Red Foxes. Wins in six of their last seven games have allowed Fairfield to take a half-game lead over Quinnipiac in the conference standings despite trailing by three games at one point. Fairfield won their first meeting 82-61 against Marist; Caleb Fields led the Stags with 33 points in that victory.

Marist comes into tonight trailing by only a single game in the loss column against both Fairfield and Quinnipiac. The Red Foxes had won five straight games in conference play, but that winning streak was snapped in their last game after losing 69-60 on the road at Saint Peter’s. Marist has three of their final four games at home, but that lone road game will be played at Quinnipiac next Thursday.

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Hoops HD Bracket Rundown – Feb 29th

Posted on February 29, 2024 by David Griggs

NOTE:  This broadcast was recorded at 10pm, est on Thursday, February 29th.  No games that went final after that, particularly Gonzaga vs San Francisco, were considered when creating this bracket

Chad and the panel build a seedlist line by line and debate, discuss, and assess, and sometimes strongly argue about each team as they go.  Find out who they have on the #1 lines so far, who is safely in, who still has work to do, and who on the bubble just made it in and just missed it.

Below is a final copy of The Bracket, but don’t look at it until you’ve watched the show!!

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

Posted in Bracket Rundown, Bracketology, Podcasts, Videocasts | 1 Comment