WAC Media Day Recap and Response

Posted on October 29, 2025 by David Griggs

CLICK HERE For All of our Preseason Coverage, Including Interviews, Podcasts, and Conference Previews

WAC MEDIA DAY PRESEASON COACHES POLL:

  1. California Baptist
  2. Utah Valley
  3. Abilene Christian
  4. UT Arlington
  5. Tarleton State
  6. Utah Tech
  7. Southern Utah

COMMENTS FROM DAVID:

This is the last year of the WAC as we know it. It is being rebranded/merged into the United Athletic Conference next year. I have always liked this conference and am genuinely sad to see it go. The Mountain West, which we do not consider to even be an Under the Radar conference (well, Joby Fortson might) came from the WAC once upon a time when the then 16 full members decided they were too bloated and wanted to form two conferences of 8 teams instead. My GOODNESS things were different back then!

And, for the WAC finale, the league will be playing a TRIPLE-Round-Robin format!!!

-California Baptist was a modest 9-7 in WAC play a year, but with the return of Dominique Daniels, who is one of the best players in the league, as well as the additions of some standout players from lower divisions, the expectations are high for the Lancers and we may see them make their first ever NCAA Tournament as a D-1 team this year.

-For all the hype that Grand Canyon got last year, it was actually Utah Valley that dominated the league. Unfortunately they did not win the conference tournament and therefore did not receive a bid to the NCAA Tournament. Just one starter returns from a team that won 25 total games a year ago and lost just one conference game in regular season play. They do not have much in the way of proven D-1 experience, so it will be interesting to see if this roster can come together and continue their winning ways.

-Abilene Christian was a .500 team both in league play and overall for the season. They were playing much better down the stretch as they won 7 of their last 9 before losing in the conference tournament. Bradyn Hubbard, who was a double-digit scorer and the team’s leading rebounder, returns to the roster this year. He will be joined by Charlie Yoder, who was a standout player in NAIA last year and who I think can compete and contribute right away in the WAC. They have some other transfers who can probably step in right away and contribute as well. I really like this Abilene Christian team this year and think they have as good of a chance at winning the league as anyone.

-UT Arlington has just one starter back from a team that won just 13 games a year ago. Raysean Seamster was a solid all around player who had some great performances, but he cannot do it by himself. They do have a smattering of transfers with D-1 experience who will need to step up this year.

-Tarleton State coach Billy Gillispie has been in the news this offseason. After winning 25 games two years ago, the Mavericks won just 12 last year. Gillispie is a proven coach, but he does not always get along with his players. Dantwan Grimes, who was a double-scorer for Baylor last year, comes in and will be a huge piece right away. They have some other D-2 and JUCO transfers who can probably play in the WAC right away. They will almost assuredly be a tough defensive team, and I think we will see noticeable improvement this year. I certainly like them m0re than the preseason voters seem to.

-Utah Tech won just 2 WAC games last year and the expectations are not high this year. Just one starter is back, and while you never want to underestimate a member of the mythical Bee Hive Conference I do not see them being very good this year. Speaking of the Bee Hive…

-Southern Utah is picked dead last. While I do not like them quite as much as the teams that I think will finish near the top, I do not expect them to finish dead last either. I think they have enough proven D-1 experience to at least be better than mythical (and actual) conference rival Utah Tech.

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The Hoops HD Report – ACC Conference Preview

Posted on October 28, 2025 by David Griggs

CLICK HERE For All of our Preseason Coverage, Including Interviews, Podcasts, and Conference Previews

Chad and the panel take a look at all 18 teams in the ACC. While the conference does appear to be better from top to bottom, we still think there are only a limited number of teams that will end up dancing this March. Duke and Louisville look to be as good as anyone in the country, NC State is loaded with talent from the transfer portal, and Virginia has a fascinating roster. We discuss all that, and more!

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

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The Hoops HD Report – Big 12 Conference Preview

Posted on October 27, 2025 by David Griggs

CLICK HERE For All of our Preseason Coverage, Including Interviews, Podcasts, and Conference Previews

Chad and the panel take a look at this year’s Big 12. Houston was last year’s runner up and is looking like another Final Four caliber team this year. Texas Tech and BYU are two other teams that have huge expectations this year. We run through all 16 teams and discuss who we think the conference contenders are, who will make the NCAA Tournament, and who will be on the outside looking in.

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

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NEC Media Day Recap and Response

Posted on October 27, 2025 by David Griggs

CLICK HERE For All of our Preseason Coverage, Including Interviews, Podcasts, and Conference Previews

NEC MEDIA DAY PRESEASON POLL:

  1. Long Island
  2. Central Connecticut
  3. Stonehill
  4. Mercyhurst
  5. Fairleigh Dickinson
  6. Chicago State
  7. Saint Francis
  8. Wagner
  9. Le Moyne
  10. New Haven

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-NEC TEAM:

-Bernie Blunt III – SR, G – Mercyhurst
-Malachi Davis – SR, G – Long Island
-Jamal Fuller – SR, G/F – Long Island
-Hermann Koffi – SO, G – Stonehill
-Darin Smith Jr. – SO, F – Central Connecticut

COMMENTS FROM DAVID:

-Be sure and download NEC On The Run from whatever app store suits you. It is a free app and provides quality broadcasts of all NEC home games. It’s awesome! I’m serious!!

-Long Island is the consensus, and basically unanimous, pick to win the NEC this year. They finished in 2nd place last year and finished the year with seven straight wins before losing in the NEC Tournament. Malachi Davis returns to the roster after averaging just under 18ppg last season. Two other starters are back, so they have some proven experience in their rotation. They have also added some pretty solid players from the portal, so it would not shock me to see the Sharks dominate the league this year.

-Central Connecticut was the 1st-place team last year and won 25 total games, but failed to make the NCAA Tournament after losing a rock fight to Saint Francis in the NEC Championship game. Unfortunately all five starters are gone so CCSU will have to rebuild their roster. They do have some high-level D-2 transfers mixed in with a few guys who came off the bench last year, so the cupboard is not completely bare.

-Stonehill is eligible for the NCAA Tournament this year!! And they have some experience as three starters return from last year’s team. The Skyhawks kind of fell apart in the latter part of the season losing four of their last five games, but Hermann Koffi had a great season as a freshman last year and should be able to step up even more this year. They have some experience mixed in with some decent looking transfers.

-Mercyhurst is still transitioning and they managed 15 wins a season ago and finished 3rd in the conference standings, which is not bad at all for a transitional team. Just one starter is back in Bernie Blunt III, who averaged over 12ppg and is a phenomenal free throw shooter. He cannot do it all by himself, though, and I am thinking it may be a rough year for the Lakers.

-Fairleigh Dickinson is having to rebuild their entire starting lineup. They are relying on players who were productive at lower divisions last year to come in and contribute right away. Whenever a roster turns over this much its hard to say just how good they are going to be. I am gonna be honest: I do not have much of a read on this year’s team.

-I cannot help it. I know we are not supposed to play favorites, but I have always had a huge soft spot for Chicago State. I am not saying that to be funny: I would LOVE for this program to start to experience some success. This is their second year in the conference after being forced to play as an independent, and I think that is a good start. The team won just 4 total games last year and was among the worst in the nation. The entire starting lineup is gone, and the roster turnover may be a chance for them to try and improve some. They have turned to some players who were prolific scorers at lower divisions to help infuse some energy into the roster. They have also added some D-1 transfers who saw limited minutes and are presumably seeking out more playing time. If this team can host an NEC quarterfinal game that would be a big success and a big step forward for this program. That being said: if I am being honest…I do not think it happens.

-Saint Francis finished a modest 8-8 in NEC play last year, but won the conference tournament and advanced to the NCAA First Four. A short time after that the school announced they were leaving D-1. So, this is sort of their swan song. Expectations are understandably low because it is hard to retain key players at the D-1 level when you announce you are leaving D-1. I wish they were not transitioning down. We have always had some love for STFU! I think it is going to be a very long year.

-Wagner has had a tumultuous offseason. The coach was suspended, the roster took forever to finalize, and I believe they were the last team to finalize their schedule for the season. Even before all this happened the prognosis for the season was not good. Just one starter is back and they do not have much in the way of proven D-1 experience.

-Le Moyne is still transitioning, and it is never easy to win while going through that process. Two starters are back from last year’s team that went just 4-12 in NEC play. One of the things they do have is a phenomenal 3-pt shooter in Deng Garang, who shot an amazing 48.6% from beyond the arc last season. They have been effective on the offensive end, but are still struggling as they continue to assimilate to D-1.

-New Haven is this year’s lone first-year-transitional team! They are picked to finish last after going just 12-17 at the D-2 level a year ago. That is not good: teams that struggle in D-2 will likely struggle infinitely more in D-1.

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Ivy League Media Day Recap and Response

Posted on October 27, 2025 by David Griggs

CLICK HERE For All of our Preseason Coverage, Including Interviews, Podcasts, and Conference Previews

IVY LEAGUE MEDIA DAY PRESEASON POLL:

  1. Yale
  2. Harvard
  3. Cornell
  4. Princeton
  5. Dartmouth
  6. Brown
  7. Penn
  8. Columbia

COMMENTS FROM DAVID:

-In the modern day transfer-heavy era, the Ivy League is still the Ivy League. The roster turnover is not nearly as drastic as what we see in virtually all other areas of D-1, and many of these teams probably have an advantage early on because as early as May they have a pretty good idea of what their rotations are going to be. Yunno, kinda like how it used to be for everyone.

-Yale ran away with the league last year, and with three starters back is expected to do the same again this year. If there is a team in this conference that might be good enough to make a run at the bubble, it is the Bulldogs. Nick Townsend is perhaps the best player in the conference. He can score and rebound and is one of the best three-point shooters in the country. The frontcourt is strong and is made up of multiple guys who also have range. When you have frontcourt players that can nail it from beyond the arc, you are a hard team to beat.

-Harvard was a modest 12-15 overall last year, but they were playing much better down the stretch and with three starters back they should be able to carry that momentum into this season. They did miss the Ivy League Tournament last year, but they won five of their last seven. Chandler Pigge, Thomas Batties II, and Robert Hinton are all double-digit scorers who return to the lineup, and they should be able to develop some depth as well.

-Jon Jaques enters his second year as Cornell head coach, and with two key starters back they should be able to continue to compete with the top half of the conference. This is always a fun team to watch because of how much their style conflicts with the rest of the conference. Cooper Noard and Jake Fiegen were both double-digit scorers last season and both can hit from the outside. They will need some guys to step up and play more minutes this year if they are going to keep pace with the top of the league.

-Princeton is in a bit of a reset mode with just one starter back from last season. Guys that came off the bench and saw limited minutes last year will have to step up this year. The middle of the league feels about right for the Tigers. They have a shot at making the Ivy Tournament, but I do not see them competing for the top spot.

-Dartmouth had their best season in recent memory last year and played well enough in the second half of conference play to make the Ivy League Tournament. Three key starters are back including Brandon Mitchell, who averaged over 13ppg last year and is a proven rebounder. Connor Amundsen is also a strong guard for the team. Last year’s success has brought some excitement and raised some expectations. I think they will have another good year and be back in the Ivy League Tournament this year.

-Brown was a modest 6-8 in conference play last year. They return their top-two scorers and should be a little better this year, but most of the league is returning the bulks of their rotations and is also likely to be better. I think they improve some, but still finish in the bottom half of the conference.

-Penn won just 8 total games last year and it is kind of weird to see a program that was a flagship in this conference for so long suddenly struggling like they are now. Ethan Roberts is one of the best players in the conference and his return is huge for the Quakers, but other than him they seem to be lacking in proven experience. I think Penn is better this year, but I also think they are closer to the bottom than to the top.

-Columbia had an unusual season last year. They started off 11-1 and won at Villanova during that stretch…then from December 30th on they won just one game the rest of the way. It was a shocking and almost inexplicable decline. Four starters are back. That may not seem like a big deal for a team that won just one Ivy League game, but let us not forget that they were also 11-1 at one point. The potential is there for this team to surprise some people like they did in November and December of last season.

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West Coast Conference Media Day Recap and Response

Posted on October 26, 2025 by David Griggs

CLICK HERE For All of our Preseason Coverage, Including Interviews, Podcasts, and Conference Previews

WEST COAST CONFERENCE MEDIA DAY PRESEASON POLL:

  1. Gonzaga
  2. Saint Mary’s
  3. San Francisco
  4. Santa Clara
  5. Oregon State
  6. Washington State
  7. LMU
  8. Seattle U
  9. San Diego
  10. Pacific
  11. Pepperdine
  12. Portland

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-WCC TEAM:

-Ryan Beasley – JR, G – San Francisco
-Thierry Darlan – JR, G – Santa Clara
-Braden Huff – JR, F – Gonzaga
-Graham Ike – SR, F – Gonzaga
-Mikey Lewis – SO, G – Saint Mary’s
-Elijah Mahi – SR, F – Santal Clara
-Paulius Murauskas – JR, F – Saint Mary’s
-Elias Ralph – SR, F – Pacific
-Tyrone Riley IV – SO, G – San Francisco
-Harry Wessels – SR, C – Saint Mary’s

COMMENTS FROM DAVID:

-It is no surprise that Gonzaga is picked to win the league despite only having one starter back from a year ago. If there was ever a year where Gonzaga was not picked to win it, then that would be a shock. They are coming off a 26-win/Round of 32 season, which is actually below their standards. They are having to replace some key pieces, but as you would expect they are loaded with talent. Adam Miller transfers in from Arizona State and will join Braeden Smith in the backcourt. Tyon Grant-Foster is a grad transfer from Kansas (update: www.spokesman.com/stories/2025/oct/24/federal-court-rejects-ncaas-removal-request-in-tyo/), Graham Ike is another grad transfer who had a big career at Wyoming, and Braden Huff saw significant minutes last year off the bench. It is Gonzaga. The expectations are that they will once again be a top-25-caliber team, once again be at or near the top of the WCC standings, and once again be safely inside the bubble come March.

-As dominant as Gonzaga has been, they were not the first place team last year. Saint Mary’s finished three games ahead of them in the conference standings and also made the Round of 32. Just one starter from that team is back, so they are having to reload, and they will be relying on some freshmen that they have signed to keep them at the top. Paulius Murauskas is the lone returning starter, and the lack of experience will likely result in a bit of a setback, but I still expect this to be a solid NCAA Tournament-caliber team.

-San Francisco won 25 total games last. year, which was a solid season, but failed to make the NCAA Tournament. Two starters are back in Tyrone Riley IV and Ryan Beasley, and they should have some guys that came off the bench last year who can step into bigger roles.

-Santa Clara is having to replace all five starters from a 21-win season last year. They have won 20+ games in each of the last four seasons, but have been unable to play their way into the NCAA Tournament. Elijah Mahi returns to the roster after averaging double-figures a season ago and they have a couple of impressive-looking freshmen coming in, but they are not exactly stacked with proven D-1 talent, and while they will likely be a formidable team in the conference, I do not think they will end up near the NCAA Tournament bubble.

-Oregon State won 20 games last season, which is better than what we are used to seeing. All five starters from that team are gone so Coach Wayne Tinkle is tasked with rebuilding the roster. Dez White is transferring in from Missouri State, and a couple of guys who saw significant minutes off the bench are back, so the cupboard is not completely bare.

-Washington State is also having to replace all five starters and they do not have much on the roster in the way of solid D-1 experience. Jerone Morton (Morehead State) is the only player who averaged double-figures at the D-1 level a year ago, so it could be a long season for Wazzu.

-LMU looked pretty strong through January last year, but then kind of fell apart in the second half of conference play. Just one starter returns, but they did pick up two pretty solid players in the portal in Tanner Thomas (Sacred Heart) and Nakyel Shelton (Eastern Illinois), so they do have some pieces to work with.

-Seattle U makes their WCC debut this season after coming over from the WAC! They struggled last year in the WAC, and will likely struggle even more this year in the WCC. Brayden Maldonado is a good outside shooter, and they do have three starters returning so that experience should help them out some, but this is a tougher league than the WAC and they will likely have a tougher time in it.

-San Diego had a pitiful season last year winning just 6 total games and 2 in conference play. All five starters are gone, and perhaps the roster overhaul is something they needed. Dominique Ford comes in from Southern Utah and Toneari Lane comes in from Georgia State, both of whom were double-digit scorers a year ago. They have also added Tim Moore (who is a grad transfer from NJIT) and some other standout players from lower divisions so their roster appears to be upgraded. Hopefully for them that will translate into more wins.

-It has been a while since Pacific had a winning season, and they have failed to even win 10 games in four of the last five years. This year, with just one starter back, it is looking like they will struggle once again. They have gone into the portal to try and build up the roster and landed Alexis Marmolejos (Lamar) and TJ Wainwright (Long Beach State), both of whom are good outside shooters and who averaged double-figures a season ago. If the rest of the roster can step up and give them some help, then we are likely to see at least a few more wins this year.

-It was a tough year for Ed Schilling in his season debut at Pepperdine last year, and the expectations this year are that it will be tough for him again. Just one starter is back and they are lacking in players who have proven D-1 experience.

-After three straight losing seasons Portland is once again expected to struggle this year. All their starters from a year ago are gone, and while Riley Parker is a quality transfer from Saint Francis, no one else on the roster seems to have proven themselves yet at the D-1 level.

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