Tourney Talk: HoopsHD interviews St. John’s cheerleader Kolbey Nastri

Posted on March 27, 2026 by Jon Teitel

Earlier this month St. John’s beat UConn 72-52 in the Big East tourney title game to earn an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. The Red Storm have now made the NCAA tourney for the 2nd year in a row, and after a buzzer-beating 67-65 win over Kansas last Sunday, they will face #1 seed Duke in DC tonight with the winner going to the Elite 8. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with St. John’s cheerleader Kolbey Nastri about making the Sweet 16 and facing Duke.

You are from East Haven, CT: what made you choose St. John’s? Coming from East Haven, I wanted a school that still felt close to home but also pushed me outside my comfort zone. Saint John’s really stood out because of its strong sense of community, its reputation in both academics and athletics, and the energy around campus. Once I visited, it just felt like the right fit: the campus, the cheer team, as well as the coaching staff were so welcoming, and I knew I had to be a part of this community. I would not change the experiences I am making here for the world: it is truly so rewarding to be part of this school and this cheerleading program.

You are majoring in psychology: how did you choose that subject? I have always been passionate about helping others, and psychology really stood out to me because it offers a wide range of graduate programs and many career paths that are focused on making a positive impact in people’s lives.

You are a freshman: do you have a post-graduation plan yet? Upon graduation, I intend to pursue an occupational therapy program to get my doctorate in OT.

You are on the cheer team: how long have you been cheering for? I have been involved in cheerleading for six years.

You were a captain on your high school cheer team: what is the key to being a good leader? In high school, I was a two-year captain, and one key aspect of being a good leader is supporting your team. Whether in high school or college, cheerleading always involves working hard toward a shared goal. It is essential to listen to others, stay positive, and motivate everyone to work towards that common goal.

St. John’s started this season 9-5, but have won 21 of their past 22 games: has it reached a point where the fans just expect them to win every time that they step onto the court? The fans definitely do not expect us to win every game, but with each victory, both the fanbase/cheerleaders gain more confidence in our team’s abilities, making every game exciting.

Last weekend Dylan Darling made the game-winning layup at the buzzer in a 2-PT win over Kansas (www.reddit.com/r/CollegeBasketball/comments/1s111cs/dylan_darling_takes_it_straight_to_the_cup_and_st): what was the reaction like on campus when he made that sensational shot? The reaction on campus and beyond was truly amazing and something very rare. Everyone from future students to current students and even alumni were beyond thrilled when Dylan made that shot. His game-winning layup caused genuine excitement throughout the Saint John’s community, and everyone shared the same emotions of happiness and celebration.

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 school bases its selections on seniority, so as a freshman I never expected to get this incredible opportunity…but since my stunt partner is a senior, we pushed ourselves hard all year long, and that dedication really shows when it is time to be chosen. Seeing my group on national TV is especially meaningful because I get to share this unforgettable experience with so many amazing people who truly deserve this moment more than anything.

Does your squad have anything extra-special planned for DC? The cheer team just wanted to walk around, explore DC, and try some of the local food. But honestly, the main thing was just being in the moment, taking everything in, and really enjoying the experience as it happened.

Any predictions for the Red Storm tonight vs. Duke? We are going to do great. I really believe in this team and know we can pull off a huge upset. We have beaten #2 seed UConn before, so this feels like just another chance to show out and show how we play: let’s go RED STORM!!

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All-Access at the East Regional in DC: UConn open practice

Posted on March 26, 2026 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 DC with the UConn open practice.

It has not been an easy month for the Hurley family after Bobby got fired from ASU, then saw Braden Smith pass him for the all-time career AST record…but they do have 1 coach in the Sweet 16 in Dan (left) and another coach in the Hall of Fame in Bob Sr. (right), so 2 out of 3 ain’t bad:

There might not be a player in the country who is having a better NCAA tourney so far than big man Tarris Reed Jr.: 31 PTS/27 REB in a win over Furman and 10 PTS/13 REB/3 BLK in a win over UCLA:

Unlike most other teams, the star player (Reed) has not been receiving much help from his entire supporting cast. FR Braylon Mullins has risen to the occasion with 15 PPG through his 1st 2 career NCAA tourney games, but Silas Demary Jr. missed the Furman game with a Grade 2 high ankle sprain and calf/Achilles injury before coming back to score just 2 PTS vs. UCLA, and Solo Ball has been ice-cold by making just 1-12 3PM through 2 games and going scoreless in 13 minutes vs. the Bruins:

Unlike every other team, UConn has a 2-time champion in Alex Karaban, and if you played like he has (22 PTS vs. Furman and 27 PTS vs. UCLA while knocking down a combined 8-17 3PM) then you would be smiling too:

Check back for a lot more access all weekend long!

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All-Access at the East Regional in DC: UConn locker room interviews

Posted on March 26, 2026 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 DC with some UConn locker room interviews.

SR G Alec Millender

You began your career at IU Indy: why did you decide to transfer to UConn? This was my dream school. I wanted to experience stuff like this: a big-time game on a big-time stage.

Your sister Ashton won 4 NCAA tourney games as a player at DePaul: who is the best athlete in the family? I am! She is very talented, but I am a better multi-sport athlete. I played baseball in the past, and in the 4th grade I was the #1 running back in the nation.

Your team started 22-1 but went 7-4 in its final 11 games before the NCAA tourney: how were you able to turn things around last week? Buckling down. We aired out all our problems, which brought us closer together, and we know that the biggest goal is still ahead of us.

What makes Dan Hurley such a great coach? The way he balances passion with care. He will get on you, but it comes from a place of love.

What do you know about Michigan State? They play hard, so whoever does the tougher things will come out victorious.

SR F Alex Karaban

You have won as many NCAA tourney games as any other active player in the country: what is the secret to winning games in March? Having a great coach and teammates. You must take it 1 game at a time: even after we found out who we had in front of us, it is just about living the dream.

Last month you were inducted into the Huskies of Honor: what did it mean to you to receive such an outstanding honor? It means everything because it stamps my legacy here forever. It is a blessing and when I come back to visit in 20 years it will be fun to see my name up there.

Your team is top-15 in the nation in PPG allowed: what is the key to playing great defense? We all bought into the game plan and helped each other out.

What makes Dan Hurley such a great coach? The relationships/connections that he makes. I always feel that I can talk to him about anything because he balances pushing us with supporting us.

What do you know about Michigan State? They are super-fast and ultra-physical. They have a Hall of Fame coach and are playing their best right now, so we have much respect for them.

Check back for a lot more access all weekend long!

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All-Access at the East Regional in DC: Michigan State locker room interviews

Posted on March 26, 2026 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 DC with some Michigan State locker room interviews

SR G Nick Sanders

Your father Barry was a Hall of Fame RB for the Detroit Lions (www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0VGmQ4SvTY): will he be in attendance this weekend, and how much of your success is due to good genes? I think he is coming to DC. He was such a freak athlete, but I need to give my mom some credit as well: she played volleyball/basketball.

Your team was 6-5 in its final 11 games entering the NCAA tourney: how did you turn things around last week? We all locked in a little more and watched some film: you want to be ascending in March.

What makes Tom Izzo such a great coach? He is unselfish and cares about his players/staff. He has already accomplished everything (including winning an NCAA title/making the Hall of Fame) so he just wants us to succeed.

Is Jeremy Fears Jr. just the next 1 in a long line of great Michigan State PGs or is he at another level? He is on track to be as good as (if not better than) the PGs who came before him like Mateen Cleaves/Magic Johnson because he just works hard.

What do you know about UConn? They won a title in 2 of the past 3 years and have that championship DNA so we will have to play as hard as hell.

SR G Denham Wojcik

Your father Doug is the associate head coach at Michigan State: is that the main reason you transferred from Harvard? I had some injuries in the past and wanted to be at a bigger program with a lesser role where I could be part of something special. My dad was certainly a factor, and Coach Tom Izzo was the other big reason.

You missed all last year due to surgery: how is your health? I am doing great. There is no time of the season like March so I will worry about everything else later.

Your father made 3 NCAA tourneys with David Robinson at Navy, your mother Lael did basketball/track at Navy, and your brother Paxson played basketball at Brown/UNC: who is the best athlete in the family? My mom was a pretty good athlete, my dad made it to the Elite 8 and has the most accolades, and my brother can shoot it the best. I have the most speed/quickness, but we are all close.

What makes Tom Izzo such a great coach? He is relentless and puts the time in so we are never unprepared. He always has a game plan and loves his players.

What do you know about UConn? It is going to be a bloodbath. They are physical and have played through a lot of things. Tarris Reed is a big presence inside, but we will be ready.

Check back for a lot more access all weekend long!

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All-Access at the East Regional in DC: Duke locker room interviews

Posted on March 26, 2026 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 DC with some Duke locker room interviews

SO G/F Isaiah Evans

Earlier this month you were named 3rd-team all-ACC: what did it mean to you to receive such an outstanding honor? It means a lot: it is always nice to get recognized.

Your team is 27-0 when you have made at least 3 threes in a game: what makes your 3-PT shooting so crucial to your team’s success? It just allows us to force the opposing defense to spread out a lot.

What makes Jon Scheyer such a great coach? He understands the game at a different level.

Is Cameron Boozer just the next 1 in a long line of great Duke players or is he at another level? Most of the great players in Duke history have won at least 1 title so we will have to see what he does in the weeks ahead.

What do you know about St. John’s? They play hard on defense and have a lot of physical guys who attack the paint

Associate head coach Chris Carrawell

You were ACC POY in 2000 and won 4 straight ACC regular season titles: how were you able to have so much success as a player? I had a lot of talent around me and guys who played for each other on both ends of the court. We also had a pretty good coach in Mike Krzyzewski!

Since you might face UConn in the Elite 8, what do you remember about losing to them in the 1999 NCAA title game? (Long pause while he stared at me) It is still a sore spot for me because it was such a tough loss. We were 1 game away from the title but ran into a great UConn team with guys like Rip Hamilton. As for the Elite 8, 1st we must 1st take care of business vs. St. John’s.

What makes Jon Scheyer such a great coach? He had an amazing feel for the game as a player. It does not always transfer to being a coach, but he hit the jackpot.

Is Cameron Boozer just the next 1 in a long line of great Duke players or is he at another level? He is in the upper echelon: I would put his freshman year up there as 1 of the 2-3 best we have ever had at Duke, especially when you consider he is doing it at age 18 against the schedule we had this season. Hopefully we still have a long way to go…but he has been even better than advertised.

What do you know about St. John’s? They are an amazing team and 1 of the hottest in the country. They won the Big East and have 1 of the best coaches ever in Rick Pitino: it seems like he has been coaching college basketball during my entire life, and he even recruited me to play for him when he was coach at Kentucky. It is criminal that Zuby Ejiofor did not make any All-American teams because he is 1 of the best players in the country. They have veterans like Bryce Hopkins who put the team 1st and relentless players like Dylan Darling. They play hard and play together so it will be 1 hell of a Sweet 16!

Check back for a lot more access all weekend long!

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All-Access at the East Regional in DC: Michigan State open practice

Posted on March 26, 2026 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 DC with the Michigan State open practice.

Coach Tom Izzo has led the Spartans to 8 Final 4s: if he wins 2 more games this weekend then he will tie Roy Williams for the 4th-most Final 4 appearances in history:

Jeremy Fears Jr. is arguably the most controversial player in the country, but considering he is leading the nation with 9.4 APG, it seems to be working out quite well for him:

His supporting cast is not too shabby either, as Jaxon Kohler/Coen Carr/Carson Cooper are all scoring 11-13 PPG:

This weekend is a homecoming of sorts for FR F Cam Ward, who grew up in Upper Marlboro, MD, and played basketball for his father Rodney at Largo High School:

Check back for a lot more access all weekend long!

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