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 Los Angeles with an Alabama locker room interview.
SR G Aaron Estrada
In 2020 at St. Peter’s you were named conference ROY: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? I was just finding myself and did not try to force anything.
Alabama is the 4th college of your career: has it been exhausting to keep moving around or worth it because now you are in the Sweet 16? It is worth it to me. Everyone wants to be somewhere they will thrive: I could have stayed at St. Peter’s but wanted to try something different. Oregon was the worst move I made as I did not get a lot of playing time, but things worked out well at Hofstra.
Do you think that you and Mark Sears have combined to be the best backcourt in the country? We are the best: you do not see many backcourt that feature 2 lefties, and we have a lot of versatility.
You gave up 102 PTS to Florida in a loss in the SEC tourney quarterfinals: what was working so well for your team in the 1st/2nd rounds of the NCAA tourney last week? Our defense. Our offense was not that great vs. GCU but we stuck together on defense.
What do you know about North Carolina? They are a 1-seed for a reason and certainly not a push-over so we just need to be locked in on defense.
Check back for a lot more access all week 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 Los Angeles with a Clemson locker room interview.
SR G Jack Clark
Your grandfather John Parker was 1 of the 1st African-American referees in the NBA: how close were you 2 before he passed away in 2018? We were very tight: he was my mom’s father and only lived about 30 minutes away from our house so I would often go watch TV with him at his home.
You transferred to Clemson from NC State last year: do you still talk to any of your former teammates who are also in the Sweet 16 this week? Those are still my guys and we talk all the time: the team they have this year is not exactly the same as last year but some of my old teammates are still there (DJ Burns/Casey Morsell/etc.).
You missed 10 games this year due to leg/groin injuries: how is your health? I feel good, certainly better than before, but am still not 100%.
You had a 24-PT loss to BC in the 2nd round of the ACC tourney: what was working so well for your team in the 1st/2nd rounds of the NCAA tourney last week? Everyone is playing together in an unselfish manner. We are all playing hard and scoring PTS whenever we can.
What do you know about Arizona? They are big/fast/can shoot/are physical. It is a Baylor-type of situation so we will use a similar game plan.
Check back for a lot more access all week long!
Posted inNews and Notes|Taggedclemson, Jack Clark|Comments Off on All-Access at the West Regional in Los Angeles: Clemson locker room
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 Los Angeles with the Alabama open practice.
There were plenty of people to see at the Alabama open practice on Wednesday afternoon:
SR G Mark Sears (who is averaging 28 PPG through his 1st 2 NCAA tourney games this month):
SO G Rylan Griffen (who is now 4-1 during his NCAA tourney career):
SR G Aaron Estrada (who is averaging 7 APG through his 1st 2 NCAA tourney games this month):
SR F Grant Nelson (who struggled last week but is still a great FT shooter if the game comes down to the wire):
Head coach Nate Oats chatting with Brian Anderson/Jim Jackson before they call the game for CBS:
Check back for a lot more access all weekend long!
Posted inNews and Notes|TaggedAlabama|Comments Off on All-Access at the West Regional in Los Angeles: Alabama open practice
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 Los Angeles with the Clemson open practice.
There were plenty of people to see at the Clemson open practice on Wednesday morning:
Head coach Brad Brownell (who was in the NIT last year but is making his 1st straight trip to the Sweet 16):
SR G Joseph Girard (transfer player who scored 12 PTS for Syracuse in a 2021 Sweet 16 loss to Houston):
SR G Chase Hunter (who scored a team-high 20 PTS in their 8-PT win over Baylor last Sunday):
SR F PJ Hall (who has not played more than 20 minutes in either of his 2 NCAA tourneys games last due to foul trouble):
JR F Ian Schieffelin (who is shooting an insane 50 3P% this season):
Check back for a lot more access all week long!
Posted inNews and Notes|Taggedclemson|Comments Off on All-Access at the West Regional in Los Angeles: Clemson open practice
Chad is joined by a full panel as they recap the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament, and look ahead to the Sweet Sixteen and potential Elite Eight games coming up this week. The Round of 32 ended up being kind of chalky, but we did have some exciting upsets in the Round of 64 with Oakland knocking off Kentucky, Yale getting past Auburn in what was a great matchup, and Duquesne getting their first NCAA Tournament win in most people’s lifetime. We discuss all that, give our picks for the upcoming games, and more…
And for all you radio lovers, below is an audio only version of the show…
It has been a wild month for Auburn: 3 straight wins to finish the regular season, 3 straight wins to clinch an SEC tourney title, and then a 2-PT loss to Yale in the NCAA tourney last Friday. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Auburn cheerleader Millie Smoke about her team’s remarkable run.
You are from Birmingham, AL: what made you choose Auburn? I do not remember a day in my life where I was NOT a die-hard Auburn fan. From a very young age, I was dressed in Auburn clothes/hats/cheerleading uniforms. Being the 4th child in my family I have always looked up to my older siblings, all of whom attended Auburn before me and had the most incredible experiences. When it came time for me to consider my dreams for a college experience, I could not help but apply to Auburn: first and foremost…and nowhere else! I am so thankful that I made this choice and am so blessed to attend such an outstanding university.
You are majoring in exercise science with a minor in sport coaching: why did you choose those subjects? I have always been fascinated by anything in the medical world. Growing up highly involved in the sports world as a competitive gymnast, I had my fair share of visits to the doctor, orthopedist, and physical therapy clinics. I had great relationships with my doctors/physical therapists and gained so much knowledge from them. When I applied to Auburn, I knew I was interested in the medical field but was unsure of the exact major for me. As I dove deeper into many options for a career path, I landed on the desire to be a physical therapist. I decided to take the route of majoring in Exercise Science and will apply to graduate programs for a DPT sometime soon!
You are a junior: what is the post-graduation plan? Like I mentioned before, my plan is to graduate in the spring of 2025 and then attend graduate school to pursue a doctorate in physical therapy. While I am unsure of where I will get my degree or where I will live, I am sure of my passion to do physical therapy for a living. I would deeply enjoy getting to work with athletes, helping them functionally feel better and return to full performance in their sport.
1 of your hobbies is making delicious/nutritious foods: what is your specialty? I highly prioritize my nutrition and health. I have noticed, especially during college, that when I eat better I feel better. My very favorite meal to cook at home is a simple sheet-pan of veggies paired with either quinoa or cauliflower rice, topped with a nicely-seasoned, air-fried salmon filet or grilled chicken breast for dinner.
What was your favorite memory from this season: beating Alabama at home in February, beating Georgia on Senior Night, winning the SEC tourney, other? Every single Auburn victory is a blessing and amazing memory to be a part of. However, out of those 3, my very favorite would have to be the SEC Championship game in Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. It was truly something special: a one-of-a-kind type of experience that I will cherish forever. I feel incredibly thankful that I got to watch our Tigers win that SEC title! I have never seen first-hand more Auburn excitement/joy/pride/spirit than I did that day.
How does your school decide who gets to go to the NCAA tourney, and what will it mean to you to see your team doing its thing in front of a national TV audience? Our spirit coordinator, Ms. Latisha Durroh, plans and coordinates which cheerleaders go on which trips. She does this based on seniority, along with our individual participation during appearances out in the Auburn community and on campus. Every time I am asked to cheer at an event like the NCAA tournament, I am reminded how great of a gift Auburn Cheerleading is and how great an honor it is!
This is your school’s 3rd NCAA tourney in a row: did you get to cheer in Greenville in 2022/Birmingham in 2023? I made the Auburn Cheerleading squad last spring. As a first-year cheerleader, it has been a blast to get to travel to some of our men’s/women’s basketball tournaments! Last spring, I attended the NCAA tourney in Birmingham as a fan…and was unfortunately heartbroken to see our guys’ season come to such an abrupt end (a 2nd-round loss to Houston)!
Does your squad have anything extra-special planned for the postseason? I am currently at the 1st 4 in Storrs, CT, with the travel squad to cheer on our women’s basketball team in the NCAA tourney. We had a free day to spend in Boston, which was a very fun and new experience for me!
Your sister Izzy is married to Oregon QB Bo Nix: what is he like, and how excited is everyone for the NFL draft next month? Bo is an incredible football player in my opinion, but an even better husband to my sister and brother-in-law to me. He has placed the Kingdom of God at the top of his agenda and loves/prioritizes the people in his life. He also works insanely hard and is more dedicated to the sport of football more than anyone else I know. He is driven/disciplined/resilient and I am so excited for what is in store for him and Izzy in the next stage of their lives!
How did you feel about Auburn’s performance last weekend? I always have faith in our Tigers. In a perfect world, Auburn would go all the way and win it all. However, win or lose, I am their #1 fan both on and off the court and am so honored to get to cheer them on in March: War Eagle!
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