Hoops HD Daily Rundown – Thursday, Feb 12th

Posted on February 12, 2026 by David Griggs

For our latest UNDER THE RADAR Video Podcast – CLICK HERE

SURVIVAL BOARD UPDATE:

-LITTLE ROCK AT WESTERN ILLINOIS (Ohio Valley). Western Illinois becomes mathematically eliminated from making the conference tournament if they lose this one tonight. They are coming off their first conference win of the season after knocking off Eastern Illinois a couple nights ago.

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NEWS AND NOTES:

-Michigan and Connecticut both sweated a little bit on the road against what appeared to be vastly inferior opponents, but both got control in the second half and both held serve.

-Florida went on the road and absolutely blew out Georgia. This was a Georgia team that at least looks like they can get inside the bubble, and Florida just blew them off their own floor 86-66 is rather impressive. The Gators haven’t been perfect, but they’ve looked like the best team in the SEC.

-Virginia Tech got a massive 76-66 road win at Clemson, which will help their resume out a ton. Clemson had won 13 of their last 14 going into this one, so for VA Tech to beat them at home is huge.

-Iowa, who had been looking really solid, stubbed their toes last night with a road loss at Maryland. Maryland has a losing overall record and is just 3-10 in Big Ten play, so this is a bit of a black eye for the Hawkeyes.

-USC could not get it done at Ohio State in a game between two teams that are right on the bubble. Ohio State pulled it out 89-82. I don’t think this gets the Buckeyes in yet, but it certainly helps.

-California needed to show they could routinely win on the road against mediocre teams and last night they failed to do that. In a crazy game that saw multiple overtimes and saw the lights go out, Cal fell at Syracuse 107-100 in what is a very damaging loss.

-Missouri got one of their biggest wins of the year as they went on the road and beat Texas A&M in an 86-85 thriller. Mizzou was floating around the bubble, so for them to pick up a true road win against a team that’s likely in the middle of the bracket is really big for them. TAMU has now lost three straight after getting off to a fantastic start.

-New Mexico picked up a really nice 70-64 win at Grand Canyon. GCU is not the easiest place to win, and the committee should give the Lobos some credit for this, but it may not be enough in and of itself to put them back inside the bubble.

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UTR WATCH:

-Tonight’s slate is all Under the Radar games

-NJIT @ New Hampshire (America East) – NJIT is tied with UMBC in the loss column for the 1st place spot in the AEast

-UMBC @ Maine (America East) – this may be a tough road test for UMBC given how much better Maine has been playing

-Marist @ Merrimack (Metro Atlantic) – Merrimack is still holding on to the 1st place spot in the MAAC

-High Point @ USC Upstate (Big South) – High Point is tied with Winthrop atop the Big South standings. This should be a winnable road game against an Upstate team that’s struggled this year

-Detroit Mercy @ Wright State (Horizon League) – Wright State has a one game lead on Oakland in the HL standings and needs to hold serve at home

-Elon @ UNC Wilmington (CAA) – UNCW sitll has a one game lead over Charleston and has basically beaten everyone except William & Mary. They may get a test today even though Elon is pretty far down the standings

-Portland State @ Northern Arizona (Big Sky) – Portland State is running away from the Big Sky and should wrap up the top seed in the tournament soon

-UT Martin @ Lindenwood (Ohio Valley) – UT Martin still has a one game lead in the standings despite their loss to Morehead State last week. They could be challenged on the road tonight by a Lindenwood team that’s fighting to position themselves in the conference standings

-California Baptist @ Southern Utah (WAC) – Cal Baptist has won eight straight conference games and is tied with Utah Valley atop the WAC standings. They need to keep winning to lock up the top spot

-Northern Iowa @ Belmont (Missouri Valley) – Belmont’s at-large hopes may have vanished after their loss at Bradley over the weekend. They face a very good and red hot Northern Iowa team that is exceptionally dangerous now that they’re healthy. This should be a good one tonight

-Utah Valley @ Utah Tech (WAC, Bee Hive) – this is a big game in the WAC standings. Unfortuantely we may not be able to see it unless Utah Valley pays the fine before tipoff. Their games cannot be streamed.

-Hawaii @ Cal State Bakersfield (Big West) – It’s never easy for Hawaii to go on the road and win, but this is one they should pick up and they should be able to maintain their one game lead over UC Irvine

Posted in Daily Rundown, News and Notes, Survival Board | Comments Off on Hoops HD Daily Rundown – Thursday, Feb 12th

Under the Radar – Week 15

Posted on February 11, 2026 by David Griggs

Tonight’s feature conference is the Big West where Hawaii, UC Irvine, and UC Santa Barbara are battling it out and where we have several key games coming up this week. Hawaii has been nearly unstoppable at home and UCSB is starting to look a lot better.

After that we run through the other 22 UTR leagues and look at how Liberty is still unbeaten (albeit barely) in Conference USA, and Belmont had a tough loss at Bradley that will probably end their at-large hopes. Stephen F Austin has a two game lead over McNeese in the Southland and has a big week coming up. The CAA and Sun Belt are both wide open with several big games coming up this week. We discuss all that, and more!! And as we do every week, we close with this week’s Under the Radar Top Ten.

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

Posted in Podcasts, Under the Radar, Videocasts | 1 Comment

Towering Twin: HoopsHD interviews McDonald’s All-American Darius Ratliff

Posted on February 11, 2026 by Jon Teitel

If you want to win an NCAA title then you usually need a good coach, a great resume…and a McDonald’s All-American. Only 2 championship teams from 1979-2020 did not have such a player (2002 Maryland/2014 UConn), and while Florida won a title last April without 1, Coach Todd Golden added Arkansas transfer/2024 McDonald’s All-American Boogie Fland to his roster last May. The rosters for this year’s McDonald’s All-American Game were announced last week after selecting the 24 best players in the nation from a list of several hundred nominees. If you do not think these guys can make an immediate impact in the fall, just ask Coach Tommy Lloyd how he likes having 2025 honorees Brayden Burries/Koa Peat at Arizona! Unlike most years when 1 school stands out as the big winner with the most All-Americans, there are 3 different programs tied for the current lead with 2 each (Duke/Missouri/USC) and a whopping 8 players who have not yet committed to a college. Earlier this week HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Darius Ratliff about being named a McDonald’s All-American and sharing the honor with his twin brother.

You missed part of last season with a foot injury: how bad was it, and how were you able to get back onto the court? It was not too bad, just a stress fracture, but I went to rehab and had to miss the 2nd half of last season.

You received offers from several great schools including Alabama/Arkansas/Texas but signed with USC last October: what was the biggest factor in your decision? The commitment they had to both me and my brother: during our visit they said that we were a priority.

Coach Eric Musselman’s team is currently 18-6: do you think they will make the NCAA tourney next month? If they stay healthy: definitely.

Earlier this month you were named a McDonald’s All-American: what did it mean to you to receive such an outstanding honor? It meant a lot and showed all the work that I have put in. I have been to 3 McDonald’s games in the past as a spectator, so it is exciting to finally be going there as a player.

Your twin brother Adonis received the same honor: how special is it for your family to have 2 Ratliffs on the team? It is a blessing because it does not happen a lot. It shows how hard we have pushed each other to succeed.

Adonis will be joining you at USC this fall: is it true that playing together in college was “non-negotiable”? No: we were recruited separately by different schools.

Your high school teammate Jasiah Jervis was also named an All-Americans: what is it like to play on a team with so much talent? It makes the game easier: if our opponent focuses on just 1 player, then we can still find someone else to beat them.

You are listed at 7’: what position do you play now, and what position will you feel most comfortable at in college? I am playing center now and would feel comfortable playing PF in college.

Your father Theo was an NBA All-Star in 2001 and led the league in BLK 3 times from 2001-2004: who is the best athlete in the family? I would say my dad due to all the accolades he has.

Your high school team has won 3 straight state titles: do you think you can make it 4 in a row this spring? Yes: we have the pieces/size/IQ, so we just need to buy into it as a team.

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Hoops HD Daily Rundown – Wednesday, Feb 11th

Posted on February 11, 2026 by David Griggs

NEWS AND NOTES:

-TCU had hit the skids and desperately needed a big win. And last night, they got one. They held of Iowa State 62-55. It was close all throughout, but TCU kept making big plays and made enough down the stretch to pull off the upset win, which is their biggest of the season and will likely be a difference maker in them making the field.

-Purdue jumped out to a big lead on Nebraska, but the Huskers fought back to force overtime and appeared to be positioned to win it. Purdue took control in overtime and held on to win after a Nebraska player slipped on the floor on what ended up being their last possession of the game. The Boilers escaped with their best win of the season 80-77.

-Wisconsin had a flimsy profile with just one good win on it coming into yesterday. They now have a profile with two of the best wins that any single team has this season. They went into Illinois and knocked off an Illini team that had been looking like a Final Four team. The 92-90 win is a huge boost for the Badgers.

-Miami FL was another team that was squarely on the bubble and who needed a big win, and also got it. They beat North Carolina 75-66, who was coming off their big and emotional win against Duke. This will give their profile a nice boost even though it was a home win.

-Virginia and BYU both got scares on the road, but both escaped with wins. BYU in particular really needed their win at Baylor.

-Villanova survived a massive scare at home against Marquette, but made some big plays in the final minute to escape 77-74.

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HIGHIGHTED GAMES:

-USC AT OHIO STATE (Big Ten). This is a bubblicious game that both of these teams really need. Not only are both fighting for spots inside the bubble, both are fighting each other for a spot inside the bubble, so there should be a huge sense of urgency to this one.

-FLORIDA AT GEORGIA (SEC). Florida looks to be a protected seed and is playing as well as anyone in the SEC right now. They’ll be challenged on the road tonight against a Georgia team that should end up making the field and who can really help solidify their tournament profile if they can pull off the upset tonight. This is also a rivalry game, so it should be a fun one.

-VIRGINIA TECH AT CLEMSON (ACC). VA Tech is right on the bubble and this is the kind of game that could make the difference as to whether or not they get in. It’s also a very tough game to win. Clemson is in the rankings, but they’re still being undervalued for how good they are. They’re 13-1 in their last 14 games and have been playing the same ACC teams that Duke, Virginia, and North Carolina are playing, and they should be able to hold serve at home tonight.

-MISSOURI AT TEXAS A&M (SEC). Both teams need to build up their profiles, and Texas A&M needs to pull themselves out of the two game losing streak they’re on. Missouri has some nice wins, but this would be their best win away from home and do a ton to make their resume look better.

-NEW MEXICO AT GRAND CANYON (Mountain West). New Mexico is outisde the bubble after their loss this past weekend, but they are still close enough to it to reach it and a road win like this would go a long way toward them getting back on the right side of the cut line. Grand Canyon probably can’t reach the bubble, but they have been playing better and are a potentially dangerous team, especially when they are at home.

OTHER NOTABLE GAMES:

-Iowa @ Maryland (Big Ten) – Iowa has been on a roll lately and is going for their 7th straight win and 4th true road win

-VCU @ La Salle (Atlantic 10) – VCU will at least be on the bubble if they win out, which they are seemingly good enough to do

-California @ Syracuse (ACC) – Cal is right on the bubble and needs to show they can routinely win games like this. Simple as that.

-Alabama @ Ole Miss (SEC) – Bama will be tested in this one, but it is a game they are likely to win

-Connecticut @ Butler (Big East) – UConn will likely blow through the rest of the regular season

-South Florida @ Wichita State (American) – the American appears to be wide open and these are two of the better teams. This is a tough road test for South Florida

-Providence @ Seton Hall (Big East) – Seton Hall needs a Herculean finish in order to end up inside the bubble

-Colorado @ Texas Tech (Big 12) – Texas Tech shouldn’t have any trouble in this one

-UAB @ Tulsa (American) – Tulsa is one of the teams in the hunt for 1st place in the American and needs to hold serve tonight

-Michigan @ Northwestern (Big Ten) – it’s never easy to win on the road…except when it is. Michigan should roll in this one

-Tennessee @ Mississippi State (SEC) – Tennessee has not been the best road team, so while this game is not a showcase game, it’s still sort of important because it’s a winnable road game for the Vols, and it’s one they could really use

-Seattle U @ Santa Clara (West Coast) – Santa Clara is right on the bubble and needs to hold serve in this one

-Pepperdine @ Saint Mary’s (West Coast) – SMC has a solid record, but their profile doesn’t top out that high so it’s important that they keep holding serve in games like this if they want to land inside the bubble

UTR WATCH:

-Chattanooga @ East Tennessee State (SoCon) – ETSU recently suffered a loss but they are still on top of the SoCon standings

-Austin Peay @ Queens (Atlantic Sun) – these are two of the better teams in the ASun with Austin Peay in 1st place and Peay just two games behind with a chance to make up some ground tonight

-Bellarmine @ Central Arkansas (Atlantic Sun) – in one of the bigger UTR stories of the season, Central Arkansas is just one game out of 1st place!

-Troy @ Texas State (Sun Belt) – Troy was in the drivers seat but after two straight conference losses they are in a bit of a tailspin and need this one on the road

-Liberty @ New Mexico State (Conference USA) – Liberty has blown through the league so far and will likely at least be on the bubble if they can win out

Posted in Daily Rundown, News and Notes | Comments Off on Hoops HD Daily Rundown – Wednesday, Feb 11th

Towering Twin: HoopsHD interviews McDonald’s All-American Adonis Ratliff

Posted on February 10, 2026 by Jon Teitel

If you want to win an NCAA title then you usually need a good coach, a great resume…and a McDonald’s All-American. Only 2 championship teams from 1979-2020 did not have such a player (2002 Maryland/2014 UConn), and while Florida won a title last April without 1, Coach Todd Golden added Arkansas transfer/2024 McDonald’s All-American Boogie Fland to his roster last May. The rosters for this year’s McDonald’s All-American Game were announced last week after selecting the 24 best players in the nation from a list of several hundred nominees. If you do not think these guys can make an immediate impact in the fall, just ask Coach Tommy Lloyd how he likes having 2025 honorees Brayden Burries/Koa Peat at Arizona! Unlike most years when 1 school stands out as the big winner with the most All-Americans, there are 3 different programs tied for the current lead with 2 each (Duke/Missouri/USC) and a whopping 8 players who have not yet committed to a college. Earlier this week HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Adonis Ratliff about being named a McDonald’s All-American and sharing the honor with his twin brother.

You received offers from several great schools including Alabama/Arkansas/Texas but signed with USC last October: what was the biggest factor in your decision? I just felt like it was home during my visit. They treated me like royalty and a lot of people who went to USC go on to be very successful in life. Coach Eric Musselman previously coached my dad Theo (as an assistant coach for the Atlanta Hawks in 2002), so they just checked all the boxes.

Coach Musselman’s team is currently 18-6: do you think they will make the NCAA tourney next month? Yes…if they can stay somewhat healthy. Hopefully everyone comes back and they can try to make a run.

Your coach Patrick Massaroni has been named Catholic High School Athletic Association COY for 2 years in a row: what makes him such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you have learned from him so far? He makes sure that each one of us will get into college no matter what. He has a will to win and wants us to make a statement every time we step onto the court: if we are up by 20 then he wants us to win by 40!

Earlier this month you were named a McDonald’s All-American: what did it mean to you to receive such an outstanding honor? It meant everything. I had some injuries early on but worked hard enough to have my name selected.

Your twin brother Darius received the same honor: how special is it for your family to have 2 Ratliffs on the team? You do not see a lot of 7’ twins in high school, but our household is very happy for us. My dad never made it into the McDonald’s game, but we had that goal for a long time and have finally made it happen.

Darius will be joining you at USC this fall: is it true that playing together in college was “non-negotiable”? No. There was a point in time where we were unsure whether to go to the same school, but after the coaches showed us how we could play together we felt that it would work.

Your high school teammate Jasiah Jervis was also named an All-Americans: what is it like to play on a team with so much talent? It makes things a lot easier. If we all can do 1 thing great, then we will probably win the game. We are a dangerous team who plays off each other.

You are listed at 7’: what position do you play now, and what position will you feel most comfortable at in college? I am a 3/4 combo forward now, and I think it will be the same for me in college.

Your father Theo was an NBA All-Star in 2001 and led the league in BLK 3 times from 2001-2004: who is the best athlete in the family? We are all good athletes, but my dad would have to take that title.

Your high school team has won 3 straight state titles: do you think you can make it 4 in a row this spring? Yes, our last regular season game is tonight and hopefully we can go undefeated in league play.

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Hoops HD Daily Rundown – Tuesday, Feb 10th

Posted on February 10, 2026 by David Griggs

For our latest HOOPS HD Video Podcast – CLICK HERE

SURVIVAL BOARD UPDATE:

-EASTERN ILLINOIS AT WESTERN ILLINOIS (Ohio Valley). In what I think is our earliest Survival Board game of all time, Western Illinois will be mathematically eliminated from making the OVC Tournament with a loss tonight, which would mean they would be the first team to be removed from the Survival Board. We could be down to as few as 359 teams tomorrow that are still alive and can still win it all!

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NEWS AND NOTES:

-Arizona fell from the ranks of the unbeaten last night. They had a lead all throughout the first half at Kansas, then fell behind but kept it close, but Kansas made the big plays down the stretch that they had to and the Jayhawks held on for a big 82-78 win. Not only do I not think this loss knocks Arizona off the #1 line, I don’t think it even knocks them down from being the #1 overall seed. They’ve still had a great year and are in great shape.

-Saint John’s got a big scare from Xavier and X had the chance to win the game at the end of regulation, but couldn’t get up a decent shot. Saint John’s held on to win in OT 87-82 and may end up as a protected seed if they can keep stringing together wins.

I thought NC State would give Louisville a game last night and perhaps even beat them on the road. That did NOT happen. Louisville blew their doors off 118-77 in what was perhaps one of their most impressive performances of the year considering how well NC State had been playing coming into that game.

-Stephen F Austin got a scare from East Texas A&M, but held on to win 74-70 and hold on to their two game lead in the Southland.

-Belmont struggled at Bradley and couldn’t get it done in regulation despite having a 3pt lead with less than a minute to play. Bradley then pulled away in overtime for a 95-84 win. This pretty much ends Belmont’s at-large hopes.

-UNC Wilmington got a big win at Charleston 76-64, which may be their best one of the year so far considering that it was for 1st place and how well Charleston had been playing.

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HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:

-PURDUE AT NEBRASKA (Big Ten). Both teams are likely protected seeds, both have managed big wins throughout the year, and depending on how things play out between now and the end both may still be within reach of a #1 seed (although it is a bit of a far reach). It should be a wild and fun atmosphere in Lincoln tonight.

-NORTH CAROLINA AT MIAMI FL (ACC). Miami is squarely on the bubble and needs some big wins to solidify their profile. This is a game that could make the difference of whether or not they make the field. UNC is coming off an emotional win against Duke, which was their fifth straight win, but they should be tested tonight because they’re on the road against a team that’s desperate for a win.

-VANDERBILT AT AUBURN (SEC). Vandy has been up and down this year, but they’ve mostly been up. They’re looking to rebound from a somewhat surprising loss to Oklahoma over the weekend where they almost completed a huge comeback, but came up short. Auburn is inside our bubble, but still has work to do and getting this win tonight would help.

-WISCONSIN AT ILLINOIS (Big Ten). Illinois is coming off an overtime loss at Michigan State, but it still playing at a very high caliber and looking like a team that could make it to the Final Four. Wisconsin is inside our bubble, but their resume could use some stabilizing. Having said that, this would be about as stabilizing a win as you could imagine.

-IOWA STATE AT TCU (Big 12). TCU is hovering around the bubble. They’ve shown moments of being good, but more moments of not being good. Having said that, if they could somehow pull off this win tonight it changes the entire complexion of their profile and likely shoots them back up the seedlist.

OTHER NOTABLE GAMES:

-Virginia @ Florida State (ACC) – this should be a chance for the Hoos to pick up another road win, which would be their 7th of the year. right now we have them as a protected seed and they have the chance to climb the seedlist even more

-Notre Dame @ SMU (ACC) – SMU needs to be able to hold serve at home in this one

-Marquette @ Villanova (Big East) – Nova is in the top half of our bracket and should be able to hold serve in this one, although Marquette has been playing a little better lately

-Houston @ Utah (Big 12) – It’s not easy to win on the road, but Houston has been known to make it look easy. The Cougars should be able to get this one

-Duke @ Pittsburgh (ACC) – it’s not easy to win on the road, but some games are less difficult to win than others and Pitt is one of those games. Duke should be able to rebound from their loss on Saturday

-Arkansas @ LSU (SEC) – Arkansas isn’t the best road team, but they’re good enough on the road to where they should win this one, which would be their 4th of the year

-Fresno State @ Utah State (Mountain West) – Utah State needs to hold serve at home against teams that are nowhere near the bubble

-Oklahoma State @ Arizona State (Big 12) – if Oklahoma State is going to reach the bubble they need to start stringing together wins between now and the finish, and they can’t afford to drop this one

-Washington State @ Gonzaga (West Coast) – Gonzaga should roll in this one

Posted in Daily Rundown, News and Notes | Comments Off on Hoops HD Daily Rundown – Tuesday, Feb 10th