All-Access at the South Regional in Atlanta: HoopsHD interviews Michigan basketball father Rhodney Donaldson

Posted on March 28, 2025 by Jon Teitel

The NCAA tournament is about basketball but also so much more: the parents, 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 the angles so you can look forward to an abundance of access in the days ahead. Jon Teitel commences our coverage from Atlanta by chatting with Michigan basketball father Rhodney Donaldson about his son Tre making the NCAA tourney each year and his predictions for this weekend.

Your son Tre began his career at Auburn (where he was primarily recruited as football prospect): which sport was he best at in high school and which sport did he enjoy the most? He was probably more of a football prospect at the beginning, but became more of a basketball prospect as the summer progressed. I thought football was leading the pack for him, but as he started to have more success with basketball that is when it took over. When he was in high school I asked him to write down his goals for the years ahead and everything had to do with basketball…so I said why are you playing football! I think he always wanted to play in the NBA, but he was also very good at football.

He made a pair of NCAA tourneys with the Tigers: did you get to travel to Birmingham/Spokane? I got to attend both of those tourneys: to see him run out of that tunnel with a smile on his face made me so happy/proud as a father.

Why did he decide to transfer to Michigan, and how weird is it for him to be facing his old team on Friday? We are an Auburn family and he loved it there: he just wanted a bigger role and saw an opportunity to go elsewhere. His decision to leave Auburn was extremely hard for all of us, but he had to do what was best for him.

The Wolverines have a new coach this year in Dusty May: what makes him such a great coach? Dusty and Tre hit it off very fast, both on the phone and during his visit. He is transparent and every 1 of his answers to all of Tre’s questions was exactly what Tre wanted to hear. That is all we could ever ask for, and that is all Tre wanted.

In the Big 10 tourney semifinal 2 weeks ago he scored 12 PTS including a game-winning layup with 0.4 seconds left in 1-PT win over Maryland (www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Cn7SJpRENc): where does that rank among the best play in Donaldson family history? That might be the best 1! I was there in person, but I do not typically jump up and down or show a lot of emotion. I am so proud of him that I am just stoic/locked in watching him celebrate so that I do not miss a single moment. It is refreshing for me to just sit there and enjoy it.

He is top-10 in the conference with 4.2 APG this year: what makes him such a good PG? His biggest attribute is his ability to make his teammates better. He gets a thrill out of seeing other people succeed by making the right play. He is so happy for his teammates and seeing LJ Cason weather the storm and for Roddy Gayle Jr./Rubin Jones. He has always been a pass-1st guy: when he was small and would score 30 PTS in a game I would sit him down: he hated sitting on the bench so it turned him into that guy.

The team finished the regular season with 3 straight losses but have bounced back to win 3 games in the Big 10 tourney and 2 games in the NCAA tourney: what has changed over the past 2 weeks? I think their confidence has changed. The team will go as far as Tre goes, so if he is bringing the energy/excitement then his teammates will feed off that. It is a new team so everything is a “1st” for them: it takes a while but they are finally turning the corner and starting to understand each other. Their chemistry has evolved/connected.

He is a junior: does he have a post-graduation plan yet? Not yet. Like every other college basketball player, he dreams of playing in the NBA. We will let him keep dreaming and give himself a chance to achieve that goal and play at the next level.

You played basketball at Troy, his mother Stacie played softball at Florida State, and your brother Duke played football at Auburn: who is the best athlete in the family, and who will Duke be cheering for tonight?! I think my daughter Preslee is the best athlete…but Duke is cheering for Michigan 100%!

Any predictions for this weekend in Atlanta, and what would it mean if you end up facing Michigan State on Sunday for a spot in the Final 4? I do not have any predictions, but my heart is pulling for Michigan with everything I have. If they face the Spartans it would be storybook and give us the chance to have the last laugh. I would think Michigan State would have a sense of comfort and feel that we cannot beat them, so we would have nothing to lose and have the biggest chip on our shoulder. I hope we get to that point!

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All-Access at the South Regional in Atlanta: HoopsHD interviews Michigan State basketball mother Allison Cooper

Posted on March 28, 2025 by Jon Teitel

The NCAA tournament is about basketball but also so much more: the parents, 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 the angles so you can look forward to an abundance of access in the days ahead. Jon Teitel commences our coverage from Atlanta by chatting with Michigan State basketball mother Allison Cooper about her son Carson making the NCAA tourney each year and her predictions for this weekend.

In high school your son Carson was an all-state soccer goalie: which sport was he best at, and which sport did he enjoy the most? He enjoyed whatever season it was, so during soccer season his favorite sport was soccer. He really excelled in it and was on an elite team with a goalkeeper from Egypt who worked with him and helped him improve a ton. There was less knowledge being shared by his basketball team, but he improved his basketball skills a lot.

Your family is from Jackson, MI: what made him choose Michigan State? He was down at IMG Academy and starting to get some offers that fall, but he told my husband and I that he wanted to hold out until he got a high-major D-1 offer. 1 of his coaches at IMG contacted an assistant coach at Michigan State and told him to keep an eye on Carson, and they came down a few months later to watch him. It was fun: we kept our visit to East Lansing a secret and he signed on Mother’s Day, which was a shock to everyone.

Coach Tom Izzo has made 27 consecutive NCAA tournaments, which is the most in men’s college basketball history: what makes him such a great coach? His ability to manage each player: he makes each player want to do their best for him. Even as adults we are starstruck when we talk to him!

Carson’s FT% has increased a lot every single year: what is his secret to making FTs? Just putting in the time. At 1 point he was taking 100 extra shots/day, which took a long time, but he knew that he had to get his percentage up.

He is a junior: does he have a post-graduation plan yet? His goal is to make the NBA so he will work with Izzo to improve whatever skills he needs to get there.

The Spartans won 8 straight games before a 3-PT loss to Wisconsin in the Big 10 tourney semifinals (Carson had 10 REB): how devastating was that loss, and how have they been able to turn things around since then? The parents/fans took the loss harder than the players because they knew that their season was not over yet. I talked to Carson after the game and told him that he played well, and he agreed.

The team has won at least 1 NCAA tourney game during each of his 3 years in East Lansing: do you keep your March schedule clear because you expect to be traveling with the team every single spring? With Izzo: yes! Carson has 2 younger brothers on spring break, so we slowly made our way down to Atlanta. Even next week we have no plans in case we must travel to Texas!

The SEC set a record this month with 14 NCAA tourney bids, but several Big 10 schools are also still alive (including Maryland/Michigan/Purdue): where do you think the Big 10 ranks among the best conferences in the country? I watch a lot of high school basketball (since my kids play) as well as Michigan State. It seems like the Big 10 has a lot of teams in the NCAA tourney each March so they have to be up there.

He was born on 4/9/04: do you have any big plans for the big 2-1 in a couple weeks? We are just focusing on the tourney for now and have not brought it up at all. It is a nice time to celebrate the end of the season…and finally get some sleep!

Any predictions for this weekend in Atlanta, and what would it mean if you end up facing Michigan on Sunday for a spot in the Final 4? That would be very cool. Both schools have a chance to win tonight. Having a 3rd win over Michigan would be an amazing confidence boost…but it certainly will not be easy.

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All-Access at the South Regional in Atlanta: Auburn open practice

Posted on March 28, 2025 by Jon Teitel

The NCAA tournament is about basketball but also so much more: the parents, 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 the angles so you can look forward to an abundance of access in the days ahead. Jon Teitel continues our coverage from Atlanta with the Auburn open practice.

I needed some fresh air, so I took a lap outside the arena and saw a pair of great statues: Evander Holyfield (who grew up in Atlanta and became the only 4-time world heavyweight champion in boxing history):

…and Dominique Wilkins (who made 9 straight All-Star Games for the Atlanta Hawks before being inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame):

I assumed Michigan State had vacated the court so that Auburn could begin its practice…but I saw Hall of Fame coach Tom Izzo chatting with the CBS broadcast crew (Ian Eagle/Bill Raftery/Grant Hill/Tracy Wolfson):

National POY favorite Johni Broome was holding court on the court with ½ of his team gathered around him:

…and he was the focus of most of the media when he stepped up to the line to practice his FTs:

Check back for a lot more access all weekend long!

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All-Access at the South Regional in Atlanta: Auburn locker room

Posted on March 28, 2025 by Jon Teitel

The NCAA tournament is about basketball but also so much more: the parents, 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 the angles so you can look forward to an abundance of access in the days ahead. Jon Teitel continues our coverage from Atlanta with some Auburn locker room interviews.

SR C Dylan Cardwell

You were born in Augusta (150 miles east of Atlanta): did you ever get to attend the Masters? I went once when I was in kindergarten: the only thing I remember is that they had good sandwiches.

Your brother Drake is your teammate: what has it been like to share this magical season with him? It has been great: we grew up playing basketball together, but this is his 1st time in the NCAA tourney.

You were a 3-time SEC Academic Honor Roll selection: how do you balance your work on the court with your work in the classroom? My mom taught me that you had to be smart to get into college. After I got here, Auburn has provided me with any help that I needed.

You are the host of “Chillin’ with Dylan” digital video series: what is it about? It has been a great experience: I get to go around campus and just highlight how great our school is.

You are the winningest player in Auburn history: what is the secret to being a winner? Jesus Christ…but also being a hard worker and buying into everything.

What do you know about Michigan? They are gritty competitors so it will be an exciting matchup.

SR F Ja’Heim Hudson

You were born in Hinesville (4 hours southeast of Atlanta) and started your career at Georgia State (whose arena is just 2 miles south of State Farm Arena!): how nice is it for you to come back to your home state? It is great to get to play in my home state: Atlanta is like my 2nd home.

Your nickname is “Turtle”: who gave you the nickname, and how do you like it? My auntie Crystal gave it to me when I was young because I would always move slow. I hated the name at 1st…but now I love it!

1 of your high school teammates was Isaiah Collier, who was a 1st round pick by Utah in the 2024 NBA Draft: how close are you 2? We are still close and keep in touch and chop it up. He has been doing very well in the NBA and is 1 of my favorite teammates ever: we won a state title together at Wheeler in 2021.

The SEC set a record this month with 14 NCAA tourney bids: what is it like to be part of the best conference in the history of the sport? It is very competitive every night and all the games are sold out.

What do you know about Michigan? 2 things: the Fab 5…and that they will lose on Friday night!

Check back for a lot more access all week long!

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All-Access at the South Regional in Atlanta: Michigan locker room

Posted on March 28, 2025 by Jon Teitel

The NCAA tournament is about basketball but also so much more: the parents, 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 the angles so you can look forward to an abundance of access in the days ahead. Jon Teitel continues our coverage from Atlanta with some Michigan locker room interviews.

JR F Will Tschetter

You graduated in 3 years and were a 2-time academic all-conference selection: how do you balance your work on the court with your work in the classroom? Time management is crucial, especially at a school the caliber of Michigan, and redshirting during my 1st year also helped a lot.

Your mother Kasey is the all-time leading scorer in North Dakota State basketball history, and your father Garth played football at North Dakota State: who is the best athlete in the family? My mom has the most accolades due to what she has accomplished…but I am a close 2nd!

You played French Horn/trumpet in your high school marching band every year at the Minnesota State Fair: what was that like? The State Fair was always a fun time and served as the band kickoff for the year. The only downside is that we were always so sweaty in our band uniforms because it was hot as s—!

You were a straight-A student in high school except for an A-minus in your sophomore year Spanish class: que paso?! I slacked off a bit and regret not taking it more seriously. Our former associate head coach Phil Martelli would always give me crap about it by calling me “3.99” to remind me of my imperfect GPA!

Michigan State football coach Mark Dantonio was interested in having you play TE: how close did you come to joining the football team? I played both sports when I began high school but by the start of my junior year I decided to focus on basketball. I learned that there is a big difference in recruiting between basketball and football.

Since no official campus visits were allowed during COVID, you and your mother drove 588 miles to Ann Arbor to visit the campus on a road trip during the 4th of July, then you made your official announcement from the Stewartville Basketball Twitter account because you had no social media accounts of your own: true? We decided to drive out to my final list of schools (including Colorado State/Michigan) because my mom wanted to give me the chance to see myself on each campus. I did not have any social media accounts back then and am still never really on Twitter.

In 2022 you did a summer internship on a bison ranch: how did that go? I was just texting the guy I interned for. He served as a mentor for what I have studied in school, and I am super-passionate about it.

What do you know about Auburn? They are a well-rounded team who will not give you the ball and Johni Broome is the favorite to be named national POY. We must be locked in and value our possessions and play tough on defense.

Assistant coach/GM (and friend of Rocco) Kyle Church

You grew up in Durham, NC: how big a deal would it be to face your hometown Blue Devils in the weeks ahead? It would be a dream come true…because that would mean we would be playing in the title game! It was great to see basketball at the highest level while growing up and I have always wanted to be a part of this.

You were a walk-on guard at Charlotte under Bobby Lutz: how good a player were you back in the day? Not very good…but I had a lot of fun playing on the scout team and am thankful to Coach Lutz for the opportunity. I have wanted to be a coach for a long time so hopefully I will make a better coach than player!

You have worked alongside Dusty May for more than a decade at Louisiana Tech/Florida/FAU: what makes him such a great coach? He is an unbelievable person/mentor, and I respect his daily work habits: his players will run through a wall for him. I have worked with him for 13 years and he still has a burning desire to improve.

You 2 made the 2023 Final 4 at FAU: what is the key to winning games in March? You must have poise and not let your emotions run wild. You must stay in the moment: the only thing that matters is the next play.

What do you know about Auburn? They are having 1 of the best seasons in the history of the sport thanks to Johni Broome and a million guards who can score. We will have to be sound defensively and get a lot of rebounds.

Check back for a lot more access all week long!

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All-Access at the South Regional in Atlanta: HoopsHD interviews Michigan band member Madeline Rosenbaum

Posted on March 28, 2025 by Jon Teitel

The NCAA tournament is about basketball but also so much more: the parents, 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 the angles so you can look forward to an abundance of access in the days ahead. Jon Teitel continues our coverage from Atlanta by chatting with Michigan band member Madeline Rosenbaum about playing alto sax and her predictions for this weekend.

You grew up in a suburb of Chicago called Kildeer: what made you choose Michigan? It is related to my family history. I grew up in a Big 10-heavy household where my mom went to Purdue and my dad went to Michigan, so I knew that I wanted that kind of experience. Those 2 schools happened to be my top-2 choices, but what put it over the edge was Michigan’s marching band and history program.

You are majoring in History/Spanish and minoring in Music: how did you choose those subjects? Ever since I was a kid I have really enjoyed history: I was a big reader and it was almost like a big story to me. I also considered psychology and I took a class as a freshman but decide it was just not for me. I had studied Spanish growing up and felt that I wanted to continue with it. I got to do a semester in Spain and figured I would just make it a major. In addition to the marching band, I also do the concert band.

You are a senior: what is the post-graduation plan? I have a couple of plans. This summer I will have an internship with a company outside of DC that invests in national defense technology security, which will be an exciting opportunity. The marching band will take a trip to Europe as well, but after that I am keeping my options open.

You are part of the Alto Saxophone section: how long have you been playing that instrument, and what is your favorite song to play? I have been playing alto since 4th grade. I remember them bringing all the kids into the band room to try out 3 instruments. I could not make any noise come out of the flute or clarinet…but I was able to play a beautiful C-sharp with the sax. As far as songs, 1 of my favorites with the marching band is an arrangement of “Potential Breakup Song” by Aly & AJ, and in concert band it is “Give us this Day” by David Maslanka.

You enjoy watching all Michigan sports: what is your favorite sports memory from your time in Ann Arbor? I really hit the jackpot in terms of sports during the past 4 years because there are PLENTY to choose from! My freshman year was the 1st time in many years that our football team beat Ohio State, and we did so in the snow. Last year at the Rose Bowl the entire day was amazing: from participating in the parade in the morning to getting a thrilling win over Alabama that evening.

2 of your hobbies are traveling/reading: do you have any travel/book recommendations for our travelers/readers? I recommend going to 1 of my favorite European cities: Prague. I went there several years ago, and everyone was very friendly and there was great food/history. I am reading a good book right now called “Demon Copperhead” by Barbara Kingsolver that is inspired by the Charles Dickens book “David Copperfield”. It won the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, and I am halfway through it.

The team finished the regular season with 3 straight losses but have bounced back to win 3 games in the Big 10 tourney and 2 games in the NCAA tourney: what has changed over the past 2 weeks? I think they got a little rest, which is important because the Big 10 season is so tough. Starting off very well against Purdue gave them a lot of momentum: they only had 6 turnovers during the entire game. Dusty May is a fantastic tourney coach and knows how to prepare for teams with a quick turnaround.

Did you get to go to Indianapolis and/or Denver for any of the games above, and how exciting was it? I was able to go to Indianapolis for the Big 10 tourney and it was great! I remember talking to my parents: I thought we would win…but since my mom is a Purdue alum she was doing some smack-talk! We kept winning and winning and by the end of the semifinal win over Maryland I had no voice left. It was also great to see that more and more fans showed up as we kept winning more and more games.

Does the band have anything extra-special planned for this week? We will play the team out to their bus on Friday night. Most of us have never been to Atlanta so some of us are visiting the Georgia Tech campus and I was at the Georgia Aquarium.

Any predictions for this weekend in Atlanta, and what would it mean if you end up facing Michigan State on Sunday for a spot in the Final 4? I have been thinking about that all week…and I think it would be awesome. We almost played them in the Big 10 title game. Auburn will be tough: Johni Broome is 1 of the best (if not the best) players in college and all their guards are great against drop-coverage. If we face Michigan State after losing to them twice in the regular season it would be the dream scenario!

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