Hoops HD

Tourney Talk: HoopsHD interviews Montana dancer Lily Halvorson

Posted on March 19, 2025 by Jon Teitel

Last Wednesday Montana beat Northern Colorado 91-83 in the Big Sky tourney title game to earn an automatic bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Grizzlies started this season 11-8 but have won 14 of their past 15 games and are now heading back to the NCAA tourney for the 1st time since 2019. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Montana dancer Lily Halvorson about being a good leader and making the NCAA tourney.

You are from Olympia, WA: what made you choose Montana? I wanted a school with a strong sense of community, and I definitely found that at Montana. My biggest draws to UM were the dance team, the environment, and the culture of sports here: it is unmatched! The combination of great academics, an amazing college town, and the opportunity to continue dancing at a high level made it the perfect fit for me.

You are majoring in business marketing and minoring in psychology: how did you choose that subject? I love the design and creativity aspects of marketing and have also always been fascinated by how people think and what influences their decisions, so combining psychology with marketing felt like the perfect blend. Plus, the business school at UM is incredible!

You are a junior: do you have a post-graduation plan yet? I am still figuring out the specifics, but I know I want to work in the marketing field, Being part of the dance team has also shown me how much I love working with people and the power of community, so I definitely want that to play a part in my career as well,

You are captain of the dance team: what is the key to being a good leader? I feel strongly about leading by example, bringing energy, work ethic, and positivity every single day no matter what! However, I also think being a good leader means knowing how to support your teammates, make sure everyone feels valued, and create an environment where people want to push themselves.

One of your hobbies is spending time outdoors: do you have a favorite outdoor spot that you recommend? There are so many great spots, but one of my favorite classics is the trail that runs along the river. It is a classic Missoula walk/run with the best views of the river and downtown!

Last Wednesday the Grizzlies beat Northern Colorado in the Big Sky tourney title game to clinch the title: what was the reaction like when the buzzer finally went off, and how excited is everyone on campus this week? It was amazing! The energy in the arena was insane: I feel so lucky that we had the privilege to be right there with the team in that moment. It was a long couple days of back-to-back games for us…but so worth that moment!! People on campus are so proud of the team bringing Montana to the top. As we took off for Denver, we could feel the Griz community’s support!

Your team lost a couple of games in mid-January but since then they have won 14 of 15 with just a 3-PT OT loss at Portland State: has it reached a point where everyone just expects the team to win every time that they step onto the court? I think there is a lot of confidence in the team, but also a ton of respect for the tough competition. They have put in the work to get this far and you can see it in how they play. I do not think it is an expectation of winning, but more about knowing they have the ability to win!

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 University of Montana Spirit Squad as a whole is made up of the Cheer Team and Dance Team. Cheer travels for all post-season football and Dance travels for all post-season basketball, which means the Dance Team gets to follow the basketball team as far as they go this postseason. That includes Boise for the conference tourney and Denver for March Madness! We are so incredibly excited: it is such an amazing opportunity to perform in front of a national audience. We are lucky to represent Montana and the amazing support system we have there. We have worked so hard for this moment and I think it will be surreal to see our team out there in the tournament.

Does your squad have anything extra-special planned for this week? This week we are all focused on the game! We have the incredible opportunity to perform at halftime, and we will be out there with our amazing band during a few timeouts. Our goal is to bring that strong Griz energy and represent Montana well!

Any predictions for your game on Thursday vs. Wisconsin in Denver? I think it is going to be a great game! Wisconsin is a strong team, but Montana has a lot of momentum/talent. We believe in our guys, and I think they are ready to make some noise in this tournament. I have a good feeling and it is going to be a fun one to watch!

Posted in News and Notes | Tagged Lily Halvorson, Montana | Comments Off

Tourney Talk: HoopsHD interviews Columbia SR PG Cecelia Collins

Posted on March 19, 2025 by Jon Teitel

Last Saturday Columbia lost to Harvard 74-71 in the Ivy League women’s tourney title game but still earned an at-large bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Lions and the rest of the conference were shut down for COVID in 2020-21, but have now won 23+ games for the 4th year in a row and are heading to the NCAA tourney for the 2nd year in a row. Yesterday HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Columbia SR PG Cecelia Collins about having a triple-double and making the NCAA tourney.

In 2022 as a freshman at Bucknell you became the 1st freshman in more than 20 years to make an All-League Team: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? That preseason was crucial for me. I was not a highly recruited player, so I came in with an open mind/worked hard/put on some muscle. It was a learning experience, but I had some great upperclassmen who I could lean on.

Why did you decide to transfer in 2023, and what made you choose Columbia? I was looking for a new environment and wanted to push myself out of my comfort zone. The team was super-welcoming and I trusted them right away: I am very proud of my decision.

Last year you led the conference in assist/turnover ratio: what is the key to being a good PG? I have been able to learn from so many PGs including my teammate Kitty Henderson. When you are surrounded by great players it makes it easy. We have such great shooters that it allows me to get easy assists, and early on I was taught to take care of the ball.

Your 86.1 FT% was also top-35 in the nation: what is the secret to making FTs? I wish I had that answer since I am not shooting as well this year (74.4 FT%)! Confidence comes from preparation, so I was always in the gym trying to make 10 in a row while shooting under pressure.

In the 2024 NCAA tourney you scored 13 PTS in a loss to Vanderbilt: what did you learn from that loss that you think will help you this year? I had never played in March Madness before. It was a rollercoaster of emotions to lose to Princeton on a Saturday and then get selected to the tourney the next day, so this year I will go in with a clear head and execute the game plan.

Last summer you did an internship with the NBA: how was it? It was great! I was an events intern and able to travel to Las Vegas for the Summer League, work at the draft, and connect with so many different people. I learned a lot of new things about the business side of the sports industry and the importance of making connections.

Earlier this month you had the 3rd triple-double in school history (16 PTS/10 REB/10 AST) in a win over Yale to clinch the #1 seed in the Ivy League tourney: where does that rank among the best all-around games of your career? It is up there. It is something I have wanted to do since I was little: you are never sure if you can do something like that, but it was great to share that weekend with Kitty because she did the same thing the night before!

You had a 3-PT loss to Harvard in the Ivy tourney title game but still received an at-large bid to the NCAA tourney: how did it feel to hear your team’s name called on Selection Sunday? It was very exciting. It was different this year because we were predicted as 1 of the “last teams in” so we had more hope. It was such a relief so we will not take it for granted and be prepared for Washington.

Harvard/Princeton also heard their names called: how competitive is your conference considering it contains 3 of the 68 best teams in the country? It is very competitive. When you look at the top-3 teams, we each handed each other a loss during the season. The teams are getting better and better, and we are all grateful for this recognition that I feel we deserved a long time ago. To have 3 bids from a mid-major league is super-cool.

How do you feel about being a #11 seed, and what do you know about Washington? We feel great about it. Our coaching staff has put together a good game plan. They shoot the 3-ball well and have some skilled guards/post players so we will spend a few days preparing for them and then put our best foot forward on Thursday.

Posted in News and Notes | Tagged Cecelia Collins, Columbia | Comments Off

Tourney Talk: HoopsHD interviews Tennessee cheerleader Bethani Morris

Posted on March 19, 2025 by Jon Teitel

Last Sunday Tennessee lost to Florida 86-77 in the SEC tourney title game but still earned an at-large bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Volunteers have now won 25+ games for the 4th year in a row and are heading to the NCAA tourney for the 5th year in a row. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Tennessee cheerleader Bethani Morris about being a national champ and making the NCAA tourney.

You were born/raised in Knoxville: how easy was your decision to go to college at Tennessee? Picking Tennessee was one of the easiest decisions in my entire life! I grew up going to Neyland Stadium with my family and have the best memories as a child of those games. Both my grandmother/mother attended UTK. We had season tickets to football and basketball games, but made our way to lots of baseball games as well. I knew when I became a freshman in high school that my goal was to become a Tennessee Cheerleader. I started attending clinics, meeting team members, I met our coach (Chelsea Bowlin) at my local gym. When my junior year rolled around, I knew that I only wanted to attend UTK, so I studied hard for the ACT to ensure that I would be enrolled. By the time I started my senior year, I only applied to go to school at UTK. I applied the first day that it was open to give myself the best chance possible. I do not recommend only applying to one school, because I had no back-up plan. Thankfully I was accepted: going to school in my hometown has been everything I dreamed it would be! Knoxville hass the best college atmosphere, and I have been so blessed to be here at a time when we have become so dominant across all sports. I have been a die-hard Tennessee fan my entire life!

You are majoring in Marketing with a sales track: how did you choose that subject? When I applied to school, I was accepted into the Nursing program. Before I started classes that fall, I realized that I really did not have a calling to be a nurse, or a good plan of what I wanted to do. I ended up switching to business and marketing to give myself more options after graduation. I also selected sales because my dad has been in sales my entire life and it has always been intriguing to me! I like that I can get into different fields with my degree.

You are planning to attend the Master’s in Marketing program at UTK for another year after graduating in May: do you have a post-Master’s plan yet? I do not have any set plans yet. I will graduate in May of 2026 from the Master’s Program, and from there I hope to have a job lined up! Like I said earlier, I would love to get involved in Sales, but I am also open to other opportunities that come my way. Medical device and pharmaceutical sales interest me, as I originally planned to be in health care. If I could work in sports in some capacity that would be my absolute dream!! The Master’s program at UTK emphasizes and creates lots of networking opportunities, so I plan to find a job to start after I graduate. It would take a lot to get me to move from Knoxville because I love it here so much…but I am open to a lot!

Last year you were named UCA Game Day National Champion: what did it mean to you to receive such an outstanding honor? Winning UCA Game Day Nationals was so rewarding because it felt like a long time coming. It came after two years of receiving third place and then second place, even though we had some amazing routines. When we go to Nationals, a saying that has been passed down from past team members is, “Bring them to Neyland”. We say this because the game day division is all about showing the judges what a game day is like and bringing our atmosphere to the stage. We are so fortunate to have the best atmosphere in all of college sports. Although we say “Neyland”, we truly mean every single sports atmosphere here on campus. It is an honor of mine to get to represent the school and be a part of something so big.

What has been the highlight of the season so far: starting 14-0, Senior Night, other? The highlight of the season for me so far was the Alabama game at home when we made the buzzer beater to win the game (www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbtYN1Wvf84). Cheering at a basketball game is so fun to me because as cheerleaders we are sitting on the court and get to see all of the action and be right there for it. The energy in Thompson-Boling Arena on that day was unmatched. And when Jahmai Mashack made that shot for the win, it was so exciting to hear the arena erupt like it did! Since it was against Alabama, it was that much sweeter to win like that too. Hearing “Dixieland Delight” and smelling the cigar smoke (a tradition that fans partake in) fill up the arena was just the cherry on top!

The Volunteers lost to Florida in the SEC tourney title game but still earned an at-large bid to the NCAA tourney: how exciting was it to hear your team’s name called on Selection Sunday? It is so exciting to be part of a team that gets to go to March Madness. We are a #2 seed, which is awesome/exciting, but it really is a crazy tournament with all of the upsets and everything that goes on throughout the month. It is so cool to be at a school where both the men and women get to compete for a national title: they both have a great shot at winning it.

You were 1 of a record 14 SEC teams to make the tourney: what is it like to be part of the greatest conference in the history of the sport? Being a part of the SEC is such a unique/cool experience. This year especially, you can see how strong the conference really is. It is inspiring to be around the best of the best and compete with each other. There is a lot of love (and a whole lot of rivalry!) in the building during the tournament. The SEC tournament just has a certain feel to it: it really does ‘just mean more!’

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? At Tennessee, we send cheer/dance/mascots as a part of our spirit squad. Once they do the numbers, it turns out that 4 cheer couples can go (one girl + one boy on the team = a ‘”couple”‘) and 4 dancers get to go along with our mascot (Smokey). Our coaches decide who gets to travel mainly by seniority and grades. I am a senior so I am FINALLY getting to travel and am so excited! It is especially fun because the people I am traveling with are mainly upperclassmen. I have known them for a while and we have become a tight-knit group after traveling together this year!

Does your squad have anything extra-special planned for next week? Something special that we have planned for this week is that we are getting to wear a “travel uniform”. We usually only bring these uniforms out for special trips and it feels like an honor to wear them. We also always bring our A-game to the court when we support our Vols on the road!

Any predictions for your game on Thursday vs. Wofford in Lexington? My prediction is that the Vols will advance and will be playing again on Saturday! I think that this basketball team is special and you can see how badly the want it. There is a lot of heart behind the team and they seem to be peaking at the right time. If I had to put a number to it, I would say an 88-70 Vols’ victory. March Madness can be interesting with upsets so I think Wofford may put up a good fight in the beginning, but I think that we will pull away in the end. I think this is the year for the Vols!

Posted in News and Notes | Tagged Bethani Morris, Tennessee | Comments Off

Tourney Talk: HoopsHD interviews Drake cheerleader Alli Brotherton

Posted on March 19, 2025 by Jon Teitel

Earlier this month Drake beat Bradley 63-48 in the MVC tourney title game to earn an automatic bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Bulldogs brought in a new coach this year in Ben McCollum but they have not lost a step as they are now heading to the NCAA tourney for the 3rd year in a row. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Drake cheerleader Alli Brotherton about her love of animals and making the NCAA tourney.

You grew up in Wapello, IA: what made you choose Drake? I chose Drake not only because they were starting up the zoo and conservation science major, but also because you could tell how much the professors cared about their students and their success. Coming from such a small town, while I knew I wanted to live in a bigger city, having the benefits of a smaller university (like more personal connections with professors) was super-appealing.

You played several sports in high school: which 1 were you best at, and which 1 did you enjoy the most? I was definitely involved in a lot of sports during high school: that is 1 of the perks of going to a small school. I would say I was best at cheer and our dance/pom team, part of which was why I was excited to get the opportunity to cheer at Drake. While cheer is for sure top-2 for what I enjoyed most, I would have to go with soccer as the favorite sport that I have played. I grew up playing soccer my whole life and was grateful for the opportunity to continue to play throughout high school.

You are majoring in Zoo and Conservation Science with a minor in Biology: how did you choose those subjects? I originally came to Drake with Biology as my major. I had thought for the longest time that I wanted to go to vet school, but realized that I am much more interested in the care of animals who are in need of sanctuary, like exotic animals that were rescued from the exotic pet trade or kept as house pets. Zoo and Conservation Science was originally my concentration, but when it became an option for it to be my major I took the opportunity right away because it is geared towards animal welfare, which is right up my alley. As for my Biology, I am still interested in the veterinary side of things so I was not ready to completely give it up, which is why I left it as my minor!

You are a senior: what is the post-graduation plan? After graduation, I plan to stay here in Des Moines for another year to continue working as a vet assistant before hopefully securing an internship or job at a big cat sanctuary.

1 of your hobbies is reading: any book recommendations for our readers? I am a big fan of fiction and romance novels, with my favorite book being “Normal People” by Sally Rooney. I am a huge fan of hers and would recommend people to read any of her books! They dive into complex issues like relationships/politics/family, which I find quite interesting.

In the MVC tourney title game the Bulldogs had a win over Bradley to clinch the title: what was the reaction like after the final buzzer went off, and how excited is everyone on campus this week? The energy was just through the roof and I know we were all super-excited to punch our ticket to March Madness once again. This will be the third year we get to go and we are all grateful to get the opportunity to cheer on our Bulldogs just a little bit longer. Back on campus, I think everyone is just as excited/proud of the team as we are!

Your team has only lost 3 games all year by a combined 13 PTS: has it reached a point where everyone expects the team to win every time that they step onto the court? While I have a lot of confidence in this team, nobody is perfect, and either way we are super-proud of them. They have been a very fun team to cheer for and the fans always come ready as well, making the game day experience unforgettable.

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? I am not exactly sure how the school decides who gets to go to the tournament, but we are all extremely grateful to be able to go and cheer on our Bulldogs on such a big stage. We are very excited for what is to come and hopefully we can walk away with some more wins!

Does your squad have anything extra-special planned for next week? As of right now, we do not have anything planned. Our main focus currently is ensuring that we are ready for tomorrow!

Any predictions for your game on Thursday vs. Missouri in Wichita? I am feeling super-optimistic about this week and the team advancing, but will be happy no matter what happens.

Posted in News and Notes | Tagged Alli Brotherton, Drake | Comments Off

Tourney Talk: HoopsHD interviews Utah SR F Maye Toure

Posted on March 19, 2025 by Jon Teitel

Utah lost to Texas Tech 75-64 in the Big 12 women’s tourney but still earned an at-large bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Utes only won 5 games in 20221 but are now heading to the NCAA tourney for the 4th year in a row. Yesterday HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Utah SR F Maye Toure about being a good rebounder and making the NCAA tourney.

You were born/raised in France: how big is basketball in your home country? It is very big: we have competitive leagues and great competition all year long.

There are several great men’s college basketball players from France (Adama Bal at Santa Clara/Daniel Batcho at Louisiana Tech/Maxime Raynaud at Stanford/etc.): how well do you know any of them? I only know Maxime from the list above, but I knew some other guys who played in the US in the past.

In 2022 you won a bronze medal at the 3×3 World Cup: what is the biggest difference between 3×3 and 5-on-5? I love 3×3: it is very physical/fast-paced and you must move smartly on the court. There are not a lot of fouls called so it makes you tougher and helps you get in better condition.

You began your college career at Rhode Island, and in 2023 you were named 1st-team all-conference/Most Improved Player of the Year: what did it mean to you to win such outstanding honors? I was proudest of the Most Improved honor. I came off the bench during my 1st 2 years but that is when I grew the most. It was comforting when I finally became a starter and I never lost trust in myself because I would wake up at 5AM every day and worked hard all the time. I could not see the progress at 1st, but after winning the award I felt that I did not do it all for nothing.

Why did you decide to transfer last year, and what made you choose Utah? It was the end of my cycle at URI: I love the program but wanted to challenge myself more in a bigger league. This is the 1st time that I have ever been in a culture like this: everyone has their eyes on the prize and is disciplined and there is no drama. It is like a family here so I knew it was the right fit for me.

You joined the Big 12 this year: how do you feel about your new conference? It is a very physical league, and every opponent has its own strength and poses a good challenge.

You are leading the team this year with 6.8 RPG: what is the secret to being a good rebounder? Just doing your work early: you cannot try to get a rebound after the shot hits the rim. You must start before the shot is even taken.

You played several tourney-caliber teams this year including Mississippi State/Notre Dame/Kansas State/Baylor/TCU/Oklahoma State/West Virginia: which of them impressed you the most? I was impressed by a couple of them. Mississippi State had a very aggressive team and really challenged us for 40 minutes. Notre Dame/Baylor are also great teams who were tough matchups for us.

You lost to Texas Tech in the Big 12 tourney but still received an at-large bid to the NCAA tourney: how did it feel to hear your team’s name called on Selection Sunday? It feels great! This is my 1st time in March Madness. We expected a different outcome in the conference tourney, but we have bounced back and will not take it for granted.

How do you feel about being a #8 seed, and what do you know about Indiana? I feel good about it. They play different than we do…but we can beat them.