Marching To Madness

Nebraska head coach Fred Hoiberg ripped nets and lit up scoreboards when he played at Iowa State He then perfected a 10-year career in the NBA, where he shot a career 39.6 percent from three. Hoiberg’s Cornhuskers ended with 21 wins, taking victories over UCF, Boise State, Georgetown, and Arizona State in the College Basketball Crown. Coach Hoiberg discusses the development of Nebraska’s three-point game, the Cornhuskers’ vaunted play of Brice Williams and Juwan Gary, along with an incredible list of basketball celebrities who were his coaches in his career. Topics of Discussion Include: How his level of play and NBA experience helped develop his philosophies than he uses as a coach in today’s game The Crown Championship Brice Williams and Juwan Gary as the catalyst of his team Getting votes in the Mayorial election in Ames, Iowa, and much more

Coach Quannas White came to Louisiana from Houston, where he was a major key to the Cougars’ success and their appearance in the national championship game this season. Coach White is a native of New Orleans and played for Coach Kelvin Sampson at Oklahoma, where he helped lead the Sooners to the Final Four in 2002 and the Elite Eight in 2003. White was an excellent playmaker at OU and had a lethal three-point shot. Topics of Discussion Include: Differences in playing and coaching for Kelvin. Sampson The return of Kyran Ratliff Offensive philosophy and methods of attack with each possession Building a program’s culture

Coach Kevin Hovde recently cut the nets in San Antonio as he was coach Todd Golden’s offensive coordinator at Florida, as the Gators took a 65-63 victory over the Houston Cougars for the NCAA Tournament Championship. Coach Hovde returns to Columbia, where he was on Coach Kyle Smith’s staff from 2011-2016. He was an excellent hire by Lions brass with his definition of culture, the ability to build basketball players, and a deep knowledge of the game, of all facets of the game.  The Lions limped to a 1-13 record in the Ivy League last season, but the rebuilding of the defense, combined with the team’s upcoming offensive acumen, will allow Columbia to rise in the Ivy League. Topics of Discussion Include: How Kyle Smith and Todd Golden have been keys in Coach Hovde’s career Building the Columbia culture Kenny Noland’s return to the program Setting up three-point shooters in the transition offense

Wofford went on the three-game gauntlet in the Southern Conference Tournament as the Terriers cut down the nets in Asheville, NC, after a 92-85 SoCon Finals win over Furman. We discuss some strategy, basketball philosophy, and more on the 1,019th episode of MTM. We discuss Corey Tripp, Kyler Filewich, and Southern Conference basketball. Topics of Discussion Include: Wofford winning three in a row for the SoCon crown Matching up with Tennessee, who had been a Top 5 team nearly all season. Corey Tripp as a playmaker and a three-point shooter The talent level in college basketball

First-season head coach Luke Loucks returns to Florida State where he appeared in 136 games in his four seasons and recorded 391 assists, tenth best in Seminoles history. Coach Loucks developed an in-depth career as an NBA assistant with the Sacramento Kings, Golden State Warriors, and Phoenix Suns as he will use an impressive transition game with the Seminoles. Coach discusses his work in the NBA, the return to Florida State with some strategy and philosophy in an excellent conversation. Topics of conversation include: Coach Loucks’ stops with the Kings, Warriors, and Suns Philosophy on building a roster with the transfer portal and the NIL Primary duties with the Warriors in the back-to-back NBA Championships of 2017 and 2018 Coach Leonard Hamilton’s influence

Tony Delk makes his first appearance on the courts here on “Marching to Madness”. The former Kentucky and NBA three-point shooter is now a scout for the Dallas Mavericks and hosts the Tony Delk Basketball Academy (tonydelk.com) in the Atlanta area. This is an analytical discussion on Tony’s philosophies with the three-point shots, and he also looks at Kentucky Basketball, the Final Four, playing for coach Rick Pitino, and more. Topics Include: How the to maintain the three-point shot Kentucky’s often injured season in Mark Pope’s first year Florida’s National Championship Maintaining as an analyst at ESPN

Houston Cougars coach Kelvin Sampson will take his Cougars into the Final Four for the second time since 2021 as they face the Duke Blue Devils on Saturday. The Cougars have won 30 of their last 31 games which includes an outright Big 12 regular season championship, the Cougars’ second Big 12 Tournament crown in as many years inside of the league, and the Coogs defeated Purdue and Tennessee last weekend to win the Midwest Region and a berth in the 2025 Final Four. Topics Include: The Cougars’ wins over Purdue and Tennessee to assume their Final Four berth Versatility from the guard spots with LJ Cryer, Milos Uzan, and Emanuel Sharp J’Wan Roberts’ inside game on both ends of the floor Saturday evening’s FInal four Matchup with Duke … And much more!

Coach Lennie Acuff leads his Lipscomb Bison to the ASUN regular season and tournament crowns. In the championship, the Bison turned back North Alabama, 76-65, and await their NCAA Tournament seed on Sunday. Lipscomb’s Joe Anderson was the tournament MVP. Topics of Discussion Include: Turning the page to the championship after a tough semifinals win over Queens The efficiency of play on both ends of the floor The leadership and talent of Ron Anderson Anderson and Gyasi Powell on the three-point line … And much more!

Sonny Smith was the head coach at Auburn from  1979-1988 when he took the Tigers to six NCAA Tournaments and the Elite Eight in 1986 where the lost to eventual nation champion Louisville. Sonny has an offensive mind and he is a transition coach, and he developed Charles Barkley, Chuck Person, and Chris Morris as they were needed players in rotations in the NBA. Sonny chats about the 24-25  Auburn Tigers and their place in history. Topics of Discussion Include: The presence of SEC Player of the Year Johni Broome Chad Baker-Mazara’s shooting, defense, and his overall enthusiasm The deep guard rotation Bruce Pearl’s winning personna … And much more!

Coach Harrick was front row and center in March as he led the UCLA Bruins to the 1995 national championship and led four different programs in 16 of his 23 head coaching seasons. Jim was a players’ coach who helped his players achieve at high levels on and off the floor. He posted 470 wins in those 23 years as the buy-in from his players reflected his ability to communicate with them and teach the game. Topics of Discussion Include: The depth of talent, skill, and coaching in the SEC Kelvin Sampson has the Houston Cougars poised for a long run in March The rise of St. John’s under Rick Pitino Thoughts and memories of leading Pepperdine to four NCAA Tournaments and sendingthe Rhode Island Rams to the Elite 8 … And much more!!!

Coach Mark Gottfried played guard at Alabama from 1984-87 and shot a high percentage as a playmaker. He followed basketball in his career when he was an assistant at UCLA for Coach Jim Harrick on the 1995 UCLA Bruins national championship team which preceded his skills as a coach. He won 498 games at Murray State, Alabama, NC State, and Cal State Northridge. He took the Crimson Tide to five consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances in 11 years, which included the Elite Eight in 2004. He guided NCSU for six years, two in the Sweet 16. Log onto https://www.coachmarkgottfried.com/ and learn about Gottfried’s GIV Program and how it is instrumental in every walk in today’s society.

The UNC Asheville Bulldogs are once again poised near the top of the challenging Big South Conference. Coach Mike Morrell has produced one of the nation’s better offensive teams since the Bulldogs average 82.5 points per game, shoot 47 percent from the floor, and find 62.7 field goal attempts per contest. UNCA and Big South regular-season champion High Point had two interesting games as the Bulldogs won, 103-99, at home in January. The Panthers won a similar contest, 104-100 in overtime, in February. Topics of Discussion Include: UNCA’s stellar offensive efficiency The abilities of shooter Jordan Marsh as a team catalyst The Big South rating second among CBB’s 31 conferences in efficiency Toyaz Solomon’s effectiveness in the paint

Coach Padgett joins “Marching to Madness” actually on the Friday before the Oklahoma game and talks about the Bulldogs who have won three of its last five. Coach Padgett played on Kentucky’s national championship team in 1997. He was first-team all-America in ’97 and a first-round pick of the Utah Jazz in 1998, soending the next eight seasons in the NBA. Bulldogs head coach Chris Jans brought Coach Padgett with him as his assistant three season ago when he took over the program. According to kenpom.com, the Bulldogs are rated No. 29 and are in the top one-tenth in CBB in offensive and defensive efficiency. Josh Hubbard and Cameron Matthews provide a nice one-two punch for the Bulldogs. Topic of Discussion Include: Playing for Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino and the venerable Tubby Smith Josh Hubbard’s efficiency on the point KeShawn Murphy and Cameron Matthews express versatility How Coach Padgett focuses on game preparations with the coaching staff … And Much More!!!

Coach Huss and the Panthers currently sit tied for first with the UNC Asheville Bulldogs in the Big South. High Point uses a strong offensive game paced by leading scorers Kezza Griffa (14.6 ppg), D’maurian Williams (14.5 ppg) and Kimani Hamilton (13.4 ppg). HPU works in a fast-paced offensive attack as the Panthers put up 81.9 points per contest (25th/CBB) while shooting 48.9 percent (14th/CBB) from the floor. Topics of Discussion Include: How Coach Huss’s offensive philosophy creates the Panthers’ style of play Depth at guard with Kezza Griffa and D’maurian Williams as shooters, playmakers, and consistent rebounders Kimani Hamilton and Juslin Bodo Bodo in the paint Chase Johnston and Bobby Pettiford adding depth on the perimeter

Coach Skerry comes onto “Marching to Madness” before his Tigers defeated Monmouth, 73-67, on Saturday. It was Towson’s 12th win in its last 13 games as the Tigers hold a one-game lead over UNC Wilmington with three weeks remaining in the regular season. Tyler Tejada (16.5 ppg) and Dylan Williamson (13.8 ppg) are the Tigers’ top two scorers. Topics of Discussion Include: Creating a dominating record in CAA play Tejada and Williamson as the top two scorers Mekhi Lowery as a shooter and rebounder Coach Skerry’s philosophy on a couple of strategies

Going into Saturday’s game with Western Carolina, the UNCG Spartans sat tied with Chattanooga for second and one game behind Southern Conference leader Samford. Coach Mike Jones’s teams always display a defense that can travel, and the defensive consistency puts the Spartans in the mix every season. Kenyon Giles is a top offensive contributor for UNCG. Topics of Conversation Include: Defensive elements that are present in Coach Jones’s system Philosophy on baseline out-of-bounds plays The presence of Kenyon Giles and Ronald Polite, III Donovan Atwell’s three-point presence … And much more!

Coach Russ Turner once again joins “Marching to Madness” as his Anteaters stand at 20-3 and lead the Big West by one game over UC San Diego. UCI features a defensive attack that allows opponents to shoot only 38.6 percent from the floor and produce 13.2 turnovers per game. The Anteaters battle the Tritons on ESPNU on Saturday evening and they feature back-to-back ESPNU dates when UC Santa Barbara visits on Thursday. Topics of Discussion include: Themes of UCI’s tough defense Bent Leuchten and his 15.7 ppg leads four Anteaters in double figures Justin Hohn and Myles Che join Tillis as effective shooter atop the three-point game How to deepen the players’ basketball instincts … And much more!

South Florida Bulls head coach Ben Fletcher visits “Marching to Madness,” as he has done an excellent job moving the program forward after the devasting passing of Coach Amir Abdur-Rahim last fall. The Bulls have plenty of dynamic players, which allows them to create different lineups and enables different matchups. South Florida won 69-64 over Rice on Tuesday, as they were without Jamille Reynolds in the middle, and De’Ante Green went down with an injury early in the game. Topics of Discussion: How the relentless defensive approach helped to defeat Rice on Tuesday The rise of guard Jayden Reid Philosophies and ideas of the creation of gameplans The productivity of versatile Brandon Stroud … And Much More!

Middle Tennessee carved a 5-1 mark over six games and the Blue Raiders are in a three-way tie for the top of Conference USA. This is an up-tempo team and currently MT holds opponents to 6-for-22 each game from the three-point line on average. Jestin Porter and Essam Mostafa set up a nice inside-outside attack in Conference USA. Topics of Discussion Include: Jestin Porter as a primary component in facitiating the Blue Raiders’ system Essam Mostafa leads CUSA in rebounding (9.3 rpg) and finds 9.4 shots per game Cam Weston and Jlynn Counter as a tough matchup in the backcourt The basis of Middle Tennessee’s game plans’ analytical points … And Much More!