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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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 St. John’s locker room interviews.
FR G Casper Pohto
You were born in Sweden: how big is basketball in your homeland? It is growing, and is now the 2nd-biggest sport behind soccer.
You are out for the year due to hip surgery: how is your recovery going? Good: I am starting to jump/run. I also broke my right thumb last summer, but I am getting my cast off in 2 weeks.
What makes Rick Pitino such a great coach? His attention to detail and how much he cares about his players.
Your team played in this gym before (a 95-83 win over Georgetown last New Year’s Eve): do you think that gives your team any advantage? I feel it gives us an advantage: it is always good to be familiar with the rims/court/environment.
What do you know about Duke? They are tough/big and shoot the ball well. It will be a tough game so we just need to pay attention to the scouting report.
SO G Ian Jackson
You are nicknamed “Captain Jack”: who gave you the nickname and how do you like it? I love it now…but I hated it at 1st! The 1st coach I ever had (in 6th grade) gave it to me.
In the 2024 McDonald’s All-American Game you scored 21 PTS for the East in a 2-PT win over the West: which of your fellow honorees impressed you the most (Cooper Flagg/Dylan Harper/Derik Queen/other)? It is hard to pick just 1 because the majority of them are in the NBA! We had a super-deep group of talented guys.
Why did you transfer from UNC last year? I wanted a chance to get better, learn, and grow my game.
What makes Rick Pitino such a great coach? His love for the game. He is very detailed and never lets us fail.
What do you know about Duke, and as a former Tar Heel how special would it be to beat them? It would be special to make the Elite 8 no matter who we beat…although I lost to them 3 times last year. They have a great coach/players, understand what they have to do, and defend at a high level.
Check back for a lot more access all weekend long!
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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 DC with the St. John’s open practice.
All the media dignitaries were up early on a Thursday morning to check out the Red Storm including the entire CBS crew (Ian Eagle/Bill Raftery/Grant Hill/Tracy Wolfson)…and Tom Crean:
Coach Rick Pitino has already led Providence/Kentucky/Louisville to the Final 4 over the past 4 decades…and if he can win 2 more games this weekend he will become the 1st coach to ever take 4 different schools to the national semifinals:
The Big East is running out of awards to awards to give Zuby Ejiofor this month: conference POY/conference DPOY/conference tourney MOP/conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year/etc.:
However, this is far from a 1-man show, as he has a great supporting cast including Ian Jackson/Dillon Mitchell/Joson Sanon/Oziyah Sellers:
I even got a good-not-great action shot of Bryce Hopkins dunking on a fast break:
Check back for a lot more access all weekend long!
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Chad and the panel review the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament. We look at how dominant teams like Houston and Arizona were, Iowa’s big upset over Florida, High Point’s incredible effort in their upset against Wisconsin and near upset against Arkansas, and all of the other action. We also preview the upcoming Sweet Sixteen games and then take a quick look at the NIT.
And for all you radio lovers, below is an audio only version of the show…
Last week Illinois lost to Wisconsin 91-88 in OT in the Big 10 tourney quarterfinals but still earned an at-large bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Illini have now made the NCAA tourney 6 times in a row, and after a dominant 105-70 win over Penn on Thursday, they will face #11 seed VCU in Greenville on Saturday evening with the winner going to the Sweet 16. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Illinois cheerleader Ellie Slaughter about being a good leader and making the NCAA tourney.
You are from Bloomington, IL: what made you choose Illinois for college? I chose Illinois because I have always wanted to stay somewhat close to home, and growing up as an Illini fan made the decision a lot easier! I love the school pride, and the university provides opportunities both academically and through athletics.
You are majoring in Political Science with a minor in Legal Studies: how did you choose those subjects? After graduating high school, like most kids, I was a little unsure of what I wanted to do in my future. Political Science offers a broad number of classes and opportunities post-grad. After taking a few PS classes, I quickly grew an interest in understanding the systems of the law, which led me to apply for a Legal Studies minor.
You are a junior: do you have a post-graduation plan yet? I am currently studying for the LSAT, plan to take it this summer, and then will apply to law schools in the fall!
You are on the cheer team: how long have you been cheering for? I did competitive gymnastics for about 15 years of my life, so that took up the majority of my time, but I participated in junior high and high school cheerleading. With the help of gymnastics, I was able to use my skill-set and try out for the Illinois Cheer Team! This is my third year on the team.
You are a captain this year: what is the key to being a good leader? I think the key to being a good leader is to lead by example while also being someone that teammates can trust and rely on. I have learned that being a captain does not always mean you must have the loudest voice. However, you are the connection between the team and the coaches, so it is important to ensure that everyone feels valued and is on the same page.
What has been the highlight of your season so far: beating Texas Tech last November, the team’s 12-game winning streak from December-February, Senior Night, other? The highlight of the regular season was the 12-game winning streak. The energy during that stretch of time from December-February was absolutely unreal, and it was so exciting to be part of that momentum and see how much it brought everyone together. I have also loved getting to travel to Greenville, SC!
The Big 10 had 9 teams make the NCAA tourney: what is it like to be part of 1 of the best basketball conferences in the country? The Big Ten is a super-competitive conference, so being a part of it feels incredible. Each game feels even bigger and more important than the last, so being on the sidelines for it is so special to me!
How does your school decide who gets to attend 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 coaches select 12 cheerleaders (per NCAA cheerleading rules) based on seniority, consistency, and who they feel best represents the team. Having the opportunity to perform in front of such a large crowd is something I have always dreamed of, so I feel incredibly lucky!
Does your squad have anything extra-special planned for Greenville? We are always looking to perfect our stunts and make sure we perform to the best of our ability on gamedays. Outside of cheerleading, we love doing things as a team, like finding local coffee shops or fun dinner spots!
Any predictions for the Illini this month? Based on the team’s energy and momentum, I definitely see them making a strong run…I mean, it is March, so anything can happen!!
Last Sunday VCU beat Dayton 70-66 in the A-10 tourney title game to earn an automatic bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Rams have now made the NCAA tourney 12 times in the past 16 years, and after an awesome 82-78 OT win over North Carolina on Thursday, they will face #3 seed Illinois in Greenville on Saturday evening with the winner going to the Sweet 16. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with VCU Gold Rush Dancer Zeariah Reeves about last night’s amazing win and making the NCAA tourney.
You are from Martinsville, VA: what made you choose VCU? I put in my application for a couple of schools and was unsure what I wanted to do, but I knew that I wanted to be in an enviroment that was different from the factory-area I was used to. I found a family here in the dance team.
You are majoring in International Social Justice Studies: how did you choose that subject? I felt like it chose me! VCU was the place I liked the most and this was just something that I wanted to do. When you are young you have a lot of different things that you want to accomplish, so it was a good starting place.
You are a JR: what is the post-graduation plan? I am graduating this semester and will be auditioning for some pro football teams like the Miami Dolphins/Jacksonville Jaguars. I am hoping to start my masters’ degree for business in the fall/spring depending on my applications/auditions and seeing what other opportunities are available.
You are a member of the Gold Rush Dance Team: how did you 1st get into dancing? I danced for 4 years during middle school. My aunt put me in it, but then I decided that I wanted to do martial arts/kickboxing for several years. When I got to VCU my mentor saw a flyer for a dance audition and suggested I check it out. I was not expecting anything but am still doing it for fun.
You made the Dean’s List last year: how do you balance your work on the dance team with your work in the classroom? Dance is a full-time job and school is a full-time job. I do not let any of it get to me and just put my best foot forward no matter how drained I am. If you show up and try hard then you will do the best you can.
1 of your hobbies is watching movies: any suggestions for our readers who want to watch a good movie? I am a big Marvel fan so any of those movies are amazing. I also liked Avatar because there is so much in it.
How does your school decide who gets to attend the NCAA tourney, and what will it mean to you to see your group doing its thing in front of a national TV audience? There is a bit of seniority, but the biggest thing is your dedication to the team and how you represent yourself. You have to be on top of your academics and do different things to support your team, whether it is helping with choreography or attending extra practices. Seeing my team on the court is unreal: it is hard to describe but definitely something I never take for granted. When you walk onto the court the air is different and it makes you hungry for more.
You beat UNC last night in OT after overcoming 19-PT deficit: where does that rank among the most exciting experiences of your life? Exciting would be an understatement. The energy on the court was great…but I feel we always have that energy. It was just another game, although 1 where most of the crowd was cheering for our opponent.
Your team started 2-2 in conference play but has now won 17 of past 18 games: has it reached a point where the fans expect them to win every time they step onto the court? I do not expect anything other than the team to put its best foot forward while we cheer them on and create a great atmosphere for the team to succeed.
Any predictions for your game vs. Illinois tomorrow? It is going to be amazing. The Illini were cheering us on as we beat the Tar Heels so it will be good to share the court with them.
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