All-Access at the 1st/2nd rounds in San Diego: Arizona vs. Wright State

Posted on March 18, 2022 by Jon Teitel

The NCAA tournament is about basketball but also so much more: the fans, bands, cheerleaders, etc. The 1st/2nd rounds are taking place in 8 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 San Diego with a recap of Arizona vs. Wright State.

I was starting to run out of gas after 2 games in a row but was saved by a delicious evening meal of fish tacos/chips/potato salad/cookie!
Let’s tip it off with my Wildcats:

Arizona SO PG Kerr Kriisa is in uniform but SR Justin Kier took his place in the starting lineup while Kerr recovers from an ankle injury:

The Wildcats came out red-hot, building a 16-5 lead by the 1st TV timeout thanks to 7-9 FG. Wright State was able to hang around by winning the turnover battle: they did not commit a single TO in the 1st 11 minutes (by comparison, Arizona had 10 TO before the under-8 timeout). The Wildcat offense kept on dominating, as they knocked down 16 of their 1st 22 shots, but Wright State JR PG Trey Calvin singlehandedly kept his team in the game with 14 PTS in the 1st half to help close the deficit.

Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd must have been happy with a double-digit lead as he headed to the locker room up 42-31, but who knows what the 2nd half would have in store.

Wildcat JR C Christian Koloko kept finding open teammates for baskets over and over, setting a career-high with team-high 6 AST to go along with 17 PTS/13 REB/5 BLK (in just 30 minutes in his very 1st NCAA tourney game!):

Arizona made a ton of threes all night long (11-20) to win it going away 87-70.
In the postgame press conference I asked Christian Koloko about his record-setting stat line that had never been done before in the history of the NCAA tourney. He said that it feels good but that he was just playing basketball and it happened to end up that way so he was happy.

I asked Coach Tommy Lloyd about Koloko having 6 AST tonight after only having 5 AST during the entire month of March. He said that Wright State was really collapsing on his big man in the paint and that Christian had 2-4 post entries which he eventually passed out for open threes. The coach commended him for making great decisions.

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All-Access at the 1st/2nd rounds in San Diego: Alabama vs. Notre Dame

Posted on March 18, 2022 by Jon Teitel

The NCAA tournament is about basketball but also so much more: the fans, bands, cheerleaders, etc. The 1st/2nd rounds are taking place in 8 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 San Diego with a recap of Alabama vs. Notre Dame.

If you were hoping that these schools only had injuries on the football field then you would be sorely mistaken. Tide JR PG Jahvon Quinerly was helped off the court into the locker room before the 1st TV timeout with an apparent knee injury and uncertainty as to whether he would return (note: he did not).

However, FR JD Davison filled in quite admirably with 11 PTS/9 AST in 37 minutes off the bench.

Irish SR G Cormac Ryan was on fire the entire 1st half with 18 PTS/7-8 FG including the conversion of a LONG alleyoop pass for a layup in the final 45 seconds as his team took a 41-36 lead at the half.

Alabama coach Nate Oats looked concerned about whether Quinerly would return as he walked to the locker room (his teammate/brother Jaden is a walk-on).

Alabama hung around for most of the 2nd half but Ryan never let up from long distance. He set a pair of career-highs with 29 PTS/7-9 3PM as the Irish pulled away to win 78-64.


In the postgame press conference I asked Ryan about the fact that his team is now 15-1 this year when they make at least 10 threes. He said that the 3-PT shot is a huge weapon for them because they have so many guys who can shoot it at a high level. When they are guarding well on defense and making their threes they are very hard to beat.

I asked Coach Mike Brey about his PG Prentiss Hubb playing 79 minutes in the past 48 hours in 2 different time zones and only turning the ball over ONCE. He said that when Prentiss rotated into the role of just delivering the ball instead of hunting his shot, Brey put him into the starting lineup and he finally understood the weapons he has around him. It has been fabulous to watch him play and that is an amazing stat because they harp on taking care of the ball. They have a sign in the locker room that simply says, “Don’t skip class and don’t turn the ball over and we will get along just fine!”

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All-Access at the 1st/2nd rounds in San Diego: Montana State vs. Texas Tech

Posted on March 18, 2022 by Jon Teitel

The NCAA tournament is about basketball but also so much more: the fans, bands, cheerleaders, etc. The 1st/2nd rounds are taking place in 8 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 San Diego with a recap of Montana State vs. Texas Tech.

I began the big day with a filling pregame meal: chicken sandwich/chips/potato salad/cookie. A guy at my table is from the local area and was telling me some nice Bill Walton high school stories. The whole TNT crew is here: Lisa Byington/Steve Smith/Avery Johnson/Lauren Shehadi.

We got bands, cheerleaders, and mascots, oh my!


Let the madness begin. The Red Raiders got rolling early with a 10-2 lead, forcing Bobcats coach Danny Sprinkle to call a timeout less than 3 minutes into the game. They kept pouring it on after the timeout, opening up a 30-9 lead by making 10 of their 1st 12 FG. JR G Terrence Shannon Jr. was the 1st half star with 15 PTS/3-4 3PM/4 AST as his team led 52-25 at halftime.

Coach Mark Adams must have been thrilled with such a large lead as he studied the stat sheet while shuffling off the court.

SR F Bryson Williams was solid in the 1st half with 8 PTS but used his 6’8”, 240-pound frame to explode in the 2nd half and finish with 20 PTS/8-10 FG in only 18 minutes.

His team made 36-54 FG and set a school record for most PTS in an NCAA tourney game in the 97-62 win.

In the postgame press conference I asked Bryson about breaking the school’s NCAA tourney scoring record (set in 1996 vs. a North Carolina team featuring Antwan Jamison/Vince Carter/Dean Smith!), especially considering that they are known for their defense this year. He said that their offense feeds off of their defense and that the deflections on 1 end of the court help a lot on the other end of the court.

I asked Coach Mark Adams about the importance of having nobody on his team play more than 29 minutes. He said that he talked with his staff on the bench about giving his guys some rest so that they would be fresh for Sunday, and since all of his subs played so well it allowed his starters to come off the court early, which was a big positive.

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NCAA Tournament First Round: Friday, March 18th

Posted on March 18, 2022 by David Griggs

-#10 LOYOLA CHICAGO VS #7 OHIO STATE.  We were really big on this Loyola team coming into the year, and while there were times they appeared to be disappointing they really did pull it together late and looked impressive in the MVC Tournament.  They are looking to get past the Round of 64 for the third time in five years.  Ohio State has also shown signs of being really good, so this one should be a good one.

#15 JACKSONVILLE STATE VS #2 AUBURN.  Jacksonville State got in via the Atlantic Sun auto-bid even though they didn’t win the conference tournament, but they were still arguably the most deserving team.  Many think Auburn is good enough to win it all, and I think they’ll coast in this one.

#14 MONTANA STATE VS #3 TEXAS TECH.  I really like this Montana State team and was very impressed with what they did in the Big Sky this year.  That being said, I just think this Texas Tech team is too much for them.  The Red Raiders proved that they can play and beat the very best, and had some of the best singular wins of any team this entire season.  As great as an upset would be, I just don’t see it happening.

#14 YALE VS #3 PURDUE.  Yale gets in after winning the Ivy League and beating out a pretty good Princeton team, but Purdue seems to be way over their heads.  The Boilers weren’t always flawless, but they have shown that they can be as good as anyone in the country.

#15 DELAWARE VS #2 VILLANOVA.  Nova is just too much of a heavyweight.  Delaware has had a great season and it’s exciting to see them back in the Big Dance, but I don’t see them staying with the Wildcats.

#10 MIAMI FL VS #7 USC.  I’ve liked this Miami FL team all year.  They have some huge wins against teams like Duke, and I always thought they should be getting more respect than what they were.  Well, now is a chance to really earn some respect!  It wouldn’t just shock me if they won today, but I could see them getting to the second weekend of this Tournament.

#11 NOTRE DAME VS #6 ALABAMA.  Notre Dame is coming off a thrilling win against Rutgers, so they should enter this game with a lot of momentum and I can actually see that working to their advantage.  Alabama had some great wins this year, particularly beating Gonzaga in Seattle, but there were also times where they struggled away from home, so don’t be surprise if the Irish really make them sweat.

#11 VIRGINIA TECH VS #6 TEXAS.  I was never all that big on this VA Tech team this year, but I cannot deny that what they did in the ACC Tournament was absolutely incredible.  It wouldn’t shock me if they kept it going and managed a win today.  Texas is good.  Texas is talented.  Texas appears to be better.  But…VA Tech has picked a great time of the year to be playing their best basketball.

#13 CHATTANOOGA VS #4 ILLINOIS.  I know that this is a popular upset pick in certain circles, and Chattanooga certainly had an impressive year, but it seems like every time they had a chance to swing over their heads they came up just short.  I don’t think the Illini will have too much trouble moving on.

#15 CAL STATE FULLERTON VS #2 DUKE.  Cal State Fullerton is the team most of America will be rooting for!!  Duke is the team that most of America is expecting to win!!  And…rightfully so.

#11 IOWA STATE VS #6 LSU.  I like this Iowa State team, and quite frankly thought they are good enough and did enough to be seeded a little better than 11th.  On the flip side, LSU seems to be on a downward spiral with their coach getting fired just prior to the start of The Tournament.  Iowa State seems like the team to pick, but who knows?  Maybe the LSU players and team really rally around each other and are able to go on a run.

#16 WRIGHT STATE VS #1 ARIZONA.  Wright State is coming off their First Four win over Bryant, but are simply way too overmatched against an Arizona team that is good enough to win this whole tournament.

#12 UAB VS #5 HOUSTON.  I like this UAB team a lot, and I think Houston is overseeded.  I’m genuinely impressed with what Houston has done this year and how they’ve been able to keep winning despite so many key injuries, but I still don’t think their resume indicated they should be seeded this high.  UAB will be a popular upset pick and it wouldn’t shock me at all if it happened.

-#10 DAVIDSON VS #7 MICHIGAN STATE.  I like how this Davidson team plays, and I’d love to see them get to the Round of 32.  Michigan State is a team that we thought would be better, but still appears to have all the pieces to play at a high level and go deep into this tournament.  It wouldn’t shock me if the Spartans lost today.  It also wouldn’t shock me if they went all the way to the Final Four.

-#14 COLGATE VS #3 WISCONSIN.  I like this Wisconsin team a lot and while I’m impressed with what Colgate did in the Patriot League, I just think this Wisky team is way too much for them.  It wouldn’t shock me at all if Wisconsin went very deep into this tournament.

-#9 TCU VS #8 SETON HALL.  I like what both of these teams did this year and pretty much think this game is a toss up.  I think I like TCU just a little more, but both are good, both are battle tested, and both are capable of giving Arizona a game in the Round of 32.

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Tourney Talk: HoopsHD interviews Iowa cheerleader Libby Brosius and dancer Cassidy Erner

Posted on March 17, 2022 by Jon Teitel

Last Sunday Iowa beat Purdue 75-66 in the Big 10 tourney title game to earn an automatic bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Hawkeyes lot their regular season finale at Illinois but won 4 games in 4 days to make the NCAA tourney as a top-5 seed for the 2nd year in a row…although it did not end well. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Iowa cheerleader Libby Brosius and dancer Cassidy Erner for a combo interview about dealing with COVID and the post-graduation plan.

What made you choose Iowa? Libby: My parents both attended the school and my mom was a cheerleader so it was always something that I wanted to do. Cassidy: I have always been interested in being on the Iowa dance team my whole life and was a huge fan.

How did you 1st get into cheerleading/dancing, and what is the best part? L: I have some family who cheered. I think the best part is simply that I have a lot of fun doing it. C: My mom put me in a dance class at age 6 and I never wanted to stop after that. I could never imagine giving up that passion so I stuck with it during college.

What do you think the role of a college cheerleader/dancer is today, and how has it changed over time? L: We are very much ambassadors of the university we attend. It was always like that but we get more recognition now and it is more competitive, such as when we compete at nationals. C: It is a really cool opportunity to root on all of our sports teams and compete against other universities

What are you majoring in, and why did you pick that subject? L: I am a recreational therapy major. I took a visit to the children’s hospital as a freshman and absolutely fell in love with the idea of helping kids. C: I am currently in nursing school. It is definitely a challenge but it is cool: I get to interact with patients and always knew that I wanted to go into the medical field.

What do you hope to do after graduating? L: I plan to attend the Child Life graduate program at Iowa for the next 2 years. C: I am a junior so not entirely sure yet but either become a registered nurse or attend grad school for nursing.

How frustrating has it been to be part of a spirit squad for a great basketball team during a pandemic? L: It was definitely frustrating when we were unable to do anything because I just wanted to be out there doing what I loved. It is great to have the opportunity again to get back out there but we still have ups and downs. C: It has been a little different for the dance team. We attended nationals but did not get to experience the gameday side of things.

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Tourney Talk: HoopsHD interviews Montana State cheerleader Jaclyn Saunders

Posted on March 17, 2022 by Jon Teitel

Last Saturday Montana State beat Northern Colorado 87-66 in the Big Sky tourney title game to earn an automatic bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Bobcats lot their conference opener to the Bears in early December but got revenge at the right time as they made the NCAA tourney for the 1st time since 1996. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Montana State cheerleader Jaclyn Saunders about dealing with COVID protocols and winning the conference tourney.

You grew up in Montana: what made you choose Montana State? My grandpa and sister both attended Montana State so I decided to keep the tradition going. I also wanted to stay in Montana and heard that MSU had a good Computer Science program.

How did you 1st get into cheerleading, and what is the best part? I started cheering during my freshman year of high school. A lot of my friends were going to try out and I thought that I would give it a try, too! The best part of cheer is the close-knit family type of relationship the girls and guys on the team have. There is truly nothing else like it!

What do you think the role of a college cheerleader is today, and how has it changed over time? The role of a college cheerleader today is as both an athlete and supporter of our athletic teams. I do not believe our role has changed much over time as much as the way that others have viewed us has. Cheerleaders may have just been seen as sideline entertainment in the past but now we are more recognized as strong athletes in our sport.

You are majoring in computer science: why did you pick that subject, and what is the post-graduation plan? I grew up playing computer games 24/7 with my sister. I was always curious how games like that were made, as well as computers in general. I guess I could have been considered a tomboy in my early years and that just carried on through college! Right now I am doing an internship involving web development so I might continue with something like that.

You were named to the undergraduate honor roll last spring: how do you balance your work on the court with your work in the classroom? I learned some major time management in high school while doing sports and taking difficult classes. Those skills transferred over to college although it is definitely not easy. I just have to stay motivated and make sure to spend some time with friends as well as get some rest.

How frustrating has it been to be a cheerleader for a great basketball team during a pandemic? There have definitely been some setbacks as far as the pandemic goes for both cheer/dance but we are very fortunate to be able to do our sport. We were only able to do one event the entire 2020-21 season so this year has been much better and nearly back to normal!

Last Saturday in the Big Sky tourney title game the Bobcats beat Northern Colorado: how excited was everybody to see them make the NCAA tourney for the 1st time since 1996? The atmosphere was amazing for that game. The stadium was nearly packed and probably 90% of the attendees were Bobcat fans. I was confident that they would make it to the championship game…but to have both the men’s and women’s teams winning the tournament was crazy. The fans were ecstatic to say the least.

How does your school decide who gets to go to the NCAA tournament, and what will it mean to you to see your group doing its thing in front of a national TV audience? For both the men’s and women’s tournaments we are allowed 12 spirit squad members plus a mascot. Our coach decides who goes to both the tournaments, but for cheer we try to have 6 couples for stunting purposes. Even seeing ourselves on the big screen during the Big Sky tournament was a huge deal. My family kept sending me videos of us on TV when the men’s game aired on ESPN. We are hoping to get some airtime for the games this week as well!

Does your squad have anything extra-special planned for the NCAA Tournament? We have been practicing hard all season and are just ready to show off our hard work and do our best to support the Cats.

You play Texas Tech on Friday: any predictions? I have heard from multiple people outside of MSU who have the Cats upsetting Texas Tech in their brackets. We have had great seasons in all of our athletics with football going to the national championship and now BOTH of our basketball teams in March Madness. We are on a roll and I do not think our winning streak will end any time soon!

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