Marching To Madness

East Tennessee State head coach Desmond Oliver checks in to talk Buccaneers as his team has battled through injury and currently sits at 3-2 in the Southern Conference and tied for fourth place. ETSU took a 96-74 win over The Citadel on Wednesday evening when guard Jordan King led the Buccaneers with 42 points as he was 14-of-19 from the floor. Topics of discussion include: Important situations in the deep SoCon Jordan King’s 42-point performance Jordan Haynes’ productivity in shooting 58% from the floor Three-point shooting on both sides of the basketball

Loyola Marymount head basketball coach Stan Johnson has the Lions currently at a 12-6 start in the WCC. Cameron Shelton is LMU’s leading scorer and the fourth in the WCC at 18.0 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. Loyola Marymount has a solid defense against the three that only allows 6.2 made triples and 30.9 percent from three. Topics of discussion include: How Cam’s shooting percentage is a solid part of the team The skills of Kelli Leaupepe and how they allow him to find shots The depth of the WCC The Lions’ defense against the 3

Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson is back on “Marching to Madness” as his Cougars are now 16-1 and back to being rated No. 1 in the nation. Houston has the top defense in the nation as the Cougs lead the nation in holding the opposition to 33.2 percent from the floor and 51.5 points per game. Topics of discussion include: The depth at guard with Marcus Sasser, Tramon Mark, and Jamal Shedd as the three starters in the backcourt The ability of freshman Jarace Walker How this top-rated defense is consistent Many thoughts on philosophy and abilities in the program Much more!

North Carolina State head coach Kevin Keatts is back on “Marching to Madness” as his the Wolfpack are 13-4 overall and play with one of the nation’s top point guards in Terquavion Smith while Ole Miss transfer Jarkel Joiner and Casey Morsell are solid guards on the perimeter. Topics of discussion include: The Wolfpack’s defense in the win over Duke The trifecta in the backcourt of Smith, Joiner, and Morsell DJ Burns in the pivot Player development from Coach Keatts and his staff

New Mexico head coach Richard Pitino is back on “Marching to Madness” as his Lobos were the last team to lose a game in college basketball this season. Saturday’s home matchup with UNLV is the first sell-out for New Mexico since 2015. Topics of discussion include: The shooting prowess of Jamal Mashburn, Jr. and Jaelen House Morris Udeze and Josiah Allick as the Lobos still feature double posts inside of their attack Solid defensive for the Lobos who allow opponents to shoot 41 percent from the field The depth of Mountain West basketball once again … And much more!

Coach Sonny Smith is back on “Marching to Madness” as he discusses his programs at Auburn, VCU, and ETSU where he had solid rebuilds at all three schools. Smith took Auburn to five consecutive NCAA Tournaments and had them on the cusp of the Final Four when the Tigers lost to eventual national champion Louisville in the Elite eight in 1986. Topics of discussion include: The dynamics of Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl How Jaylin Williams and Johni Broome have reasserted the post position at Auburn The Tigers’ depth at guard Would Sonny rather be a connoisseur of the Transfer Portal or the NIL? … And much more!

Coach Mike Magpayo checks in as he is in his third season as the head coach of the UC Riverside Highlanders. UCR is 8-5 against after last night’s Big West opening win vs. Cal-Bakersfield after going against a  tough non-conference schedule where they finished 7-5. Topics of discussion include: Zyon Pullin’s success in the workouts for the NBA Draft Flynn Cameron’s existence on the perimeter with Pullin Matching up against a tough non-conference schedule to pull a 7-5 record Lachlan Olbrich and Kyle Owens in the paint … And much more!

Coach Phil Martelli is back as he checks in as the associate head coach to Juwan Howard at Michigan. Coach Martelli won 444 games in 24 seasons as the head coach of the St. Joesph’s Hawks after he spent 10 years as an SJU assistant coach. The coach also provides analysis on the Wolverines thus far. Topics of discussion include: The solid post play of Hunter Dickinson Jaelin Llewellyn’s ACL injury How Jett Howard contributes as a consistent shooter The closeness of the conference races as well as the Big Ten

Coach Jim Harrick won the national championship at UCLA in 1995 as he totaled 470 wins in 23 years as a head coach at Pepperdine, UCLA, Rhode Island, and Georgia. Harrick took all four of those teams to the NCAA Tournament as his teams allowed a 66.7 winning percentage. Topics of discussion include: The 1995 national championship at UCLA Potential national titles at Rhode Island, Georgia, and UCLA 4 NCAA appearances at Pepperdine How Coach Harrick sees the Pac-12 this season

Bob Richey enters his sixth season as the head coach of the Furman Paladins, who have started 9-4 overall and they will be in the mix for the Southern Conference crown once again. Furman has one of the most solid offenses in the game as the Paladins are averaging 82.6 ppg (23rd/CBB) and shooting 50 percent from the floor (18th/CBB). Topics of discussion include: Mike Bothwell being a focal point of the offensive attack as he is the second leading scorer in the SoCon right how with 20.2 ppg. Jalen Slawson as a key overall scorer and rebounder Furman averaging 19.5 assists per game which is fifth in the nation Coach Richey’s looks at the challenging Southern Conference Much more!

In Episode 790 of “Marching to Madness,” Ken Cross welcomes Oregon Ducks’ assistant coach Dana Altman. Coach Martin spent the last five seasons with Frank Martin at South Carolina and now joins forces with Altman in Eugene, Oregon. The Ducks have had several injuries, but have won four out of their last five games which has taken them to a 6-5 mark. Topics of discussion include: The inside-outside combination of Anthony Richardson and N’Faly Dante Kel’el Ware as the third leading scorer Injuries in the Ducks rotation Opening Pac-12 matchups against Washington State and UCLA Much more!

In Episode 789 of “Marching to Madness,” Ken Cross welcomes back Arkansas head coach Eric Musselman. Coach Musselman has pushed the Razorbacks taken the Razorback into the last two Elite Eights in the NCAA Tournament and with a talented and deep roster, he possesses a solid team to watch this season. The Razorbacks are led by Ricky Council, IV, who averages 18.9 points per game as their defense allows 41.3 percent from the field while giving up 63.5 ppg. Topics of discussion include: The talent level of Nick Smith, Jr., and Anthony Black, who were No. 3 and No. 14 in last season’s high school player ratings. Ricky Council, IV, as well as Makhi and Makhel Mitchell and Trevon Brazile as incoming transfers Jordan Walsh as a 54.5 percent shooter from inside the three-point line Forcing 17.8 turnovers per game Much more!

In Episode 791 of “Marching to Madness,” Ken Cross welcomes back Tulsa head basketball coach Eric Konkol. Coach Konkol is in his first season with the Golden Hurricane as he moves over from Louisiana Tech where he won 67% of his games in seven seasons. Guard Sam Griffin and forward Bryant Selebanque are an inside-outside tandem to watch in the AAC. Topics of discussion include: Sam Griffin as the leading scorer and a major three-point threat Bryant Selebanque’s play in the middle of the offense The three-guard offense that features Griffin, Brenden Betson, and Anthony Pritchard The defensive presence that allows only 26.2 percent from behind the three-point line  

In Episode 788 of “Marching to Madness,” Ken Cross welcomes back Utah head coach Craig Smith, who led his Utes to opening Pac-12 wins over Arizona and at Washington State. The Utes also won at Washington State, 67-65, and the two wins allowed Utah to join USC, UCLA, Arizona as only four of the Pac-12 members to start 2-0. Topics of discussion include: Branden Carlson leading 4 Utes in double figures with the win over Arizona The defensive structure that has allowed Utah to hold its opponents to 34% (4th/CBB) Rollie Worster as a versatile guard who figures in both the offensive and defensive attacks Solid depth as 10 Utes average double figures in minutes Much more!

In Episode 787 of “Marching to Madness,” Ken Cross welcomes back CBS Sports Network college basketball analyst Pete Gillen. With the basketball season up and running, Coach Gillen is one of the top color analysts in college basketball. He was also a solid head coach at Xavier, Providence, and Virginia where he won 392 games and had a 63.9 percent winning percentage. Topics of discussion include: Quality and parity inside the game in its first month The potential of a five-team SEC race Virginia, Virginia Tech, and Miami as challengers in the ACC The Big 12 as the top league in college basketball                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         … And much more!!!

In Episode 786 of “Marching to Madness,” Ken Cross welcomes back DePaul head coach Tony Stubblefield, who has led the Blue Demons to a 5-4 record as of now. Injuries have hurt DePaul early in the season, but they are developing depth on this roster with the injuries. The Blue Demons came from behind to beat Samford and Loyola Chicago, both in overtime. Topics of discussion include: Working on defense and rebounding Javan Johnson and Umoja Gibson as the two leading scorers The basketball acumen of Da’Sean Nelson Coach Stubblefield’s thoughts on analytics and NCAA Tournament expansion … And much more!!!

In Episode 785 of “Marching to Madness,” Ken Cross welcomes back North Texas Head coach Grant McCasland as his Mean Green are once again a challenger for the Conference USA crown with a defense that allows only 43.8 field goal attempts per game (1st/CBB) and 51.1 ppg (3rd/CUSA). Topics of discussion include: Tylor Perry’s offensive ability The rebounding efficiency of the Mean Green The team’s defensive philosophy Kai Huntsberry and Abou Ousmane as the other two double digit scorers beside of Perry … And much more!!!

In Episode 784 of “Marching to Madness,” Ken Cross welcomes back Kent State head coach Rob Senderoff as his Golden Flashes have started the season at 5-2 with a near miss at No. 1 Houston a week ago. Topics of discussion include: The 49-44 loss at Houston Kent State’s defensive characteristics Sincere Carry as the Golden Flashes’ leading scorer The use of Malique Jones and Miryne Thomas inside of their offensive and defensive attacks … And much more!

In Episode 783 of “Marching to Madness,” Ken Cross welcomes back Stetson head coach Donnie Jones. The Hatters own opening wins this season over Florida State and South Florida. The Hatters are a top shooting squad as they make 56.4 percent of their shots from two while 40.3 percent of their three-pointers. Topics of discussion include: Luke Brown, who has made 51.3 percent of his triples so far this season How coach Jones can put four shooters on the floor with Syncier Harrison, Stephen Swenson, and Jalen Blackmon in addition to Brown Harrison as a playmaker as well as a three-point shooter Coach Jones’ look at analytics … And much more!

In Episode 782 of “Marching to Madness,” Ken Cross welcomes back Utah State head coach Ryan Odom, who has led his Aggies to a 5-0 start to begin this season. Currently, the Aggies have made 12.8 three-point field goals in their first five games behind a balanced scoring attack where four players currently average double figures. Topics of discussion include: The Aggies’ 5-0 start The 3-Ball as a key in Utah State’s attack Steven Ashworth as USU’s leading scorer Taylor Funk as a key 3-point shooter with Ashworth. … And Much More!