Arizona's Tommy Lloyd gives us his thoughts on the Wildcats' first five games. Is he surprised by how in sync they've been with so many new players? Discussing the big win at Duke. Why he loves the balance of this year's team. Finding balance with Love. Why he enjoys the challenge of the non-conference schedule. Previewing their matchup with Michigan State. And why you don't get bitter, you get better! Plus, Jon's giving thanks for the amazing spread of college basketball games this week! And...

Illinois' Brad Underwood and the Illini are gearing up and preparing for an early season test against Marquette. Coach breaks down this heavily anticipated matchup. He also discusses the importance of early season "buy" games and exhibitions. Terrence Shannon Jr is their go-to guy but who are the candidates to emerge as other primary scorers? His assessment of their point guard play. Why he likes his team depth. Thoughts on possibly going to a 20 + league game schedule. And what are the...

Virginia's Tony Bennett enters the season with a new look team and a ton of excitement. But how good will they be defensively and what goes into finding that identity? Was it harder to build Virginia up to a national championship contender or keep it among the nation's elite after winning it all in 2019? Breaking down his team - Who steps up as a returner and who makes the biggest impact out of the incoming players? How can the ACC get more teams into the NCAA tournament this season? How much...

Purdue's Matt Painter is humbled by the Boilermakers back-to-back early NCAA tournament exits and has taken a deep dive into why that has happened. How has his team been so dominate in the regular season and not been able to find success in the NCAA Tournament? But why is a teams' success only measured by their NCAA Tournament performance? Is the NCAA not listening to the coaches? His thoughts on the current NCAA system. With the core nucleus in tack for this season the expectations are sky...

North Carolina's Hubert Davis enters his third season as the Tar Heels head coach and wants to bring their vintage pace back to the forefront. Will filling the court with multiple playmakers accomplish that? Why he loves this year's mix of veterans and incoming freshman... Armando Bacot and RJ Davis are back and there is major buzz around freshman Elliot Cadeau and his playmaking ability. But can they sure up their defense this season and become dominant again in the rebounding department?...

UConn's Dan Hurley is coming off a National Championship season and believes this year's team has tremendous potential to repeat. Why the development of the bench is of the upmost importance. Which freshman will be able to produce? A Donovan Clingan update. Why he believes UConn is the college basketball Capital of the world. His emotions when UConn was being mentioned as a possible target for the Big 12? Why the Beg East is a beast. Why they have earned the right to play in big time...

Houston's Kelvin Sampson is entering his 10th season with the Cougars and is proud of the program that he has built. How he's made Houston his "next job". Why he credits his staff continuity for their success. His thoughts on entering Big 12 play this season. Which returning player makes the biggest jump? How about a newcomer poised to make an impact? Why he believes growth is the biggest key to success this season. Win or lose you must grow. Does going to the Big 12 re-invigorate him as a...

UCLA's Mick Cronin has a brand-new challenge with lots of foreign appeal as the Bruins lost over 80% of its scoring from last season. Will an influx of talent from abroad be the answer to getting back to a Final Four? What can we expect from big man, Adem Bona? Is Dylan Andrews the next quintessential guard at UCLA? Just how good is their incoming class of freshman and how much will they need to rely on them this season? Why we can expect to see a lot of "big man ball" from the Bruins. Why...

Michigan State's Tom Izzo has a loaded team and is excited to get their first official practice under the belt. Are the Spartans built to get back to a Final Four for the ninth time under Coach Izzo? Why it's all about the chemistry. Which returning players will have the biggest jump in production this year? Discussing their talented Freshman class. Could they have up to a 12-player rotation? Thoughts on the Big Ten becoming a coast-to-coast league? And why hasn't the Big Ten done better in...

Duke's Jon Scheyer knows continuity is a major factor in the Blue Devil's success this year, but you can't assume anything, and every day is a chance to get better. How has the summer progressed for the team? Have they been getting better each day? An update on Kyle Filipowski's health. Who steps up and makes the biggest jump this year? Excitement around their incoming Freshman class. Why he wants to be tough and together. Thoughts on their style of play this year. Conference realignment and...

Miami's Jim Larranaga led the Hurricanes on a tremendous run in the NCAA Tournament last year that ended in the Final 4! Is it National Championship or bust for coach and the Canes this year? Reflecting on last year's team and season. Reasons for playing "small". Which returning players make the biggest jump this year? Why he believes their bench needs to get more experience. Could he imagine a life without basketball in it? Thoughts on the ACC/SEC matchup with Kentucky. Why the ACC regular...

Florida Atlantic's Dusty May led the Owls to a historic season that ended with an appearance in the Final 4! Was it a surprise to him that they had such a great year? Can they sustain this type of success into the future? Dealing with being the "hunted". Lessons learned from Bob Knight. How were they able to keep their core nucleus intact in a time when player movement is the new normal? Thoughts on moving up a weight class and joining the American Athletic Conference. Tackling a daunting...

Saint Mary's Randy Bennett has been the head coach of the Gaels for over 20 years... How has he built what he has up in Moraga, California?! Can he lead them to a third NCAA Tournament in a row for the first time in school history? Is the door open in the WCC to win the conference outright? Gonzaga vulnerable? The Saint Mary/Gonzaga dynamic. How they've cracked the scheduling code. When did he start thinking about implementing an international pipeline? His unique coaching tree. Thoughts on...

Auburn's Bruce Pearl has consistently led the Tigers into the NCAA Tournament but knows it will be harder to sustain success moving forward. What will it take for the Tigers to get back to a Final Four? Could this be the team to do it? Why team depth is a strength for them. Discussing his philosophy of "getting old and staying old". The sense of pride he feels coaching at Auburn. Using Non-conference scheduling to send a message to the fans? Could we see eight SEC teams back in the NCAA...

Villanova's Kyle Neptune is thankful the Wildcats are finally healthy and ready to be the best they can be in 2023. What was it like for them to lean into the transfer portal this offseason? Why he believes they have a deep and committed team. What are the expectations for Justin Moore? Why basketball is the lead sport in the Big East. Discussing their difficult non-conference schedule and why it's nothing new for them. And how iron sharpens iron... Does this squad have a chance to be a...

San Diego State's Brian Dutcher had a season to remember; leading the Aztecs to the Final Four and their first ever National Championship game appearance! How can they get back and finish the job this year? It might start with the starting back court from last season returning... Why coach loves his team depth and mix of returning and new players. Why rim protection and rebounding will be of the up most importance this season. The importance of getting better every day. And is this their...

Colorado's Tad Boyle has his core nucleus of players returning and is looking to make some noise in their last season in the Pac-12. What went into the decision to leave the conference? His initial feelings on this year's team? Why he believes in building, developing and buy in. What are realistic expectations for freshman Cody Williams? Why he likes the continuity of his team. And can they win the Pac-12 title outright this year? Plus, a full Pac-12 offseason breakdown and preview of what's...

Cincinnati's Wes Miller is entering his third season as the Bearcats' head coach and knows they need to up their game as they enter the Big Twelve. What's the biggest thing he's learned about being the Cincinnati head coach? Why they must "maximize" everything and be at their best entering a new league. How can they get back to the NCAA Tournament? The power of a strong schedule. Creating team chemistry with old and new players. Getting back to their "standard". And why it's all about having...

Northwestern's Chris Collins knows the Wildcats can't rest on last year's success and must shift their mindset from being the hunter, to being the hunted! How different has his summer been after an NCAA tournament appearance? What will the make-up of this team look like? Discussing the Big Ten's lack of success in the NCAA Tournament. Why they must hang their hat on the defensive end of the court. Utilizing the transfer portal. The importance of a home-court advantage. And how do they make...

Louisville's Kenny Payne enters year two wanting to prove that the Cardinals have grown a lot in a short time. Well, a four-win season in year one didn't deter him from recruiting a top 10 incoming freshman class! And they added two dynamic players from the transfer portal as well. Can he get his talented roster to buy into his team concept? What are realistic goals for this season? Why Skyy Clark "has the keys to the car". The importance of playing well in the early season Empire Classic...

With adversity comes opportunity and West Virginia's Josh Eilert has been on a roller coaster of emotions over the past few weeks. Being named interim head coach of the Mountaineers basketball program is an extremely exciting opportunity, but also bittersweet because of the Coach Bob Huggins situation. How was he able to navigate bumpy waters and keep key players in the program? Discussing how he compartmentalizes doing the best job he can this season and becoming the permanent head coach....

Temple's Adam Fisher is thrilled with the caliber of his first head coaching job and excited at the prospect of getting the Owls back in the NCAA Tournament. What are his year one goals? How coaching lessons from Jay Wright, Micah Shrewsberry and Jim Larranaga helped shape his philosophies. What has he learned about the Temple job since taking the post? Recruiting the Philly area. Thoughts on his current team. Why grit and toughness will be staples of the program. And how will he get Temple...

Georgia Tech's Damon Stoudamire is getting integrated and learning his new surroundings but ultimately wants to be a force in college basketball. What will it take to get the Yellowjackets back on track? With coaching stops at Pacific and the Boston Celtics, as well as a successful playing career at Arizona and in the NBA, how does he view today's game? Did he always want to come back to college coaching? Thoughts on his current roster and why he favors athletic, interchangeable players....

VCU's Ryan Odom is excited for the responsibility of leading the Rams' prestigious program into its next chapter. Why he didn't take the job to be comfortable. Leaving Utah State. How is he a different coach now? Can the Atlantic 10 get more bids into the NCAA Tournament? Why he's thrilled with the current roster and excited to get going. Are they looking to add any other games to an already challenging non-conference schedule? Year one goals? And why coach believes a title can be won at VCU...

Georgetown's Ed Cooley is excited but still getting comfortable in his new surroundings as he endeavors to bring the Hoyas back to national prominence. How does he go about getting the brand back? Balancing freshman players with transfers. Implementing his philosophy of playing basketball. Why Providence College holds such a special place in his heart. Why he choose to leave and take the job at Georgetown. What will it be like to go back and coach at Providence as the head coach of...