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Hoops and Howie wrap up Season One of the podcast with a look back at the game they’d been waiting for all season long: Baylor vs. Gonzaga. They detail what impressed them most about the Bears’ dominating win over the previously unbeaten Bulldogs, as well as the historic and memorable Final Four. They reflect on the unusual season that was and react to the tumultuous aftermath that is upon us — including significant coaching changes and the impact that 1,200+ student-athletes entering the transfer portal will have on the game they love.We thank everyone who helped make this first season of the Hoops & Howie Podcast happen, especially everyone who listened, subscribed, left a rating and a review, and helped spread the word. Thanks, as always, to Dick Vitale, Chris McLernon, Ricky Sanders, and Sonic Librarian. Stay tuned for details about Season Two.

The Final Four is set, and Hoops and Howie break down the quartet that has advanced to college basketball’s ultimate weekend: * An 11-seed (UCLA) that became the second team to reach the Final Four after starting its postseason in the First Four;* A 2-seed (Houston) that played an unprecedented four double-digit seeds to reach the national semifinals;* Two 1-seeds (Gonzaga and Baylor) who have been the top two teams in the country since this crazy season tipped off.Thanks, as always, to Dick Vitale, Chris McLernon, Ricky Sanders, and Sonic Librarian

Hoops and Howie review the stunning opening weekend of the 2021 NCAA men’s basketball tournament. They discuss which coaches are making a name for themselves, break down the upcoming Sweet 16 games, and reveal their picks for the Final Four. Plus, they explore whether East Coast bias played a role in tournament seeding and if there is such a thing as too many tourney upsets. Thanks as always to Dick Vitale, Chris McLernon, Ricky Sanders, and Sonic Librarian.

Hoops and Howie reveal their NCAA Tournament first-round upset picks, project how power conference teams seeded unusually low will fare, and make their Final Four predictions. They also explain why one conference will have a chip on its shoulder early and pinpoint the one guy in the tourney who is on his way to becoming a “generational player.” Thanks as always to Dick Vitale, Chris McLernon, Ricky Sanders and Sonic Librarian. 

With conference tournaments in full swing, Hoops and Howie predict why first- and second-round games could be unique in this year’s NCAA Tournament, which schools may follow a trend and make their first Final Four appearance, and two things that will matter most this year as a result of the pandemic. They also make several bold tourney picks and reveal the teams and conferences that may be in for surprises come Selection Sunday. Plus, Howie talks to Auburn coach Bruce Pearl, whose team this season faced four of the top-8 teams in the latest AP poll: Gonzaga, Baylor, Alabama and Arkansas. Thanks to Bruce Pearl for joining us, and big thanks as always to Dick Vitale, Chris McLernon, Ricky Sanders and Sonic Librarian. 

Hoops and Howie reveal which conference tournaments are most intriguing this year and why, with NCAA bids and seeding more affected than ever. They also predict why their NCAA Tournament sleeper picks could make Final Four runs and which conference is most likely to place two teams in the Final Four — and which teams it could be. Thanks as always to Dick Vitale, Chris McLernon, Ricky Sanders and Sonic Librarian. 

Perhaps college basketball’s game of the year leads Hoops and Howie to consider possible deep-run NCAA Tournament teams beyond the Big Two, as well as which traditional powers need a strong finish to have postseason hopes. Also, are the NCAA’s NET rankings off the mark this year because of Covid-reduced schedules — and which teams will be helped or hurt by the skewed system? Plus, Hoops and Illinois coach Brad Underwood discuss his 5th-ranked team’s season and what’s ahead. Thanks to Coach Underwood for joining us, and as always to Dick Vitale, Chris McLernon, Ricky Sanders and Sonic Librarian. 

One month before the NCAA Tournament tips off, Hoops and Howie explain how conferences will respond to the Feb. 26 deadline to determine their automatic qualifiers. They also discussthe Big Ten’s title drought dating back to 2020 — despite sending 14 teams to the Final Four in the last 19 tournaments — and whether that streak will end this year, and they identify potential contenders left out of the selection committee’s Top 16. Plus, Hoops talked with Big East Conference commissioner Val Ackerman about the abrupt ending to last year’s league tournament and the preparations for this year’s event at Madison Square Garden.Thanks to Val Ackerman for joining us, and as always to Dick Vitale, Chris McLernon, Ricky Sanders and Sonic Librarian.

Hoops and Howie explain why it’s the year for mid-majors and other non-traditional powers to make a name for themselves in the NCAA Tournament, and which teams are likely to make it happen. Also, Howie has a revealing interview with Baylor coach Scott Drew — recorded just before the 17-0 Bears were placed on their second COVID-related Pause of the season. And Hoops and Howie examine Gonzaga’s and Baylor’s unprecedented dominance this year, and which teams and styles of play could have a shot at upsetting them. Thanks to Coach Drew, and as always to Dick Vitale, Chris McLernon, Ricky Sanders, and Sonic Librarian. 

Five teams currently ranked in the Top 25 have never reached the Final Four. Hoops and Howie predict which of those teams could make it happen this season. And they discuss which teams that entered February outside the Top 25 could become the ninth unranked team in 10 tournaments to make a Final Four run, as Auburn did in 2019 and Loyola-Chicago in 2018. Plus, Florida State head coach Leonard Hamilton joins the podcast for a moving conversation about his career, and Hoops and Howie reflect on the life and legacy of a college basketball pioneer, Temple coach John Chaney. Thanks to Coach Hamilton for his time and candor, and as always to Dick Vitale, Chris McLernon, Ricky Sanders and Sonic Librarian. 

Hoops and Howie look at the players they’d want on the floor at crunch time — and what that could mean come NCAA tourney time. Plus, they highlight six freshmen making major impacts and some surprising teams stepping up their games. Also, they explain the reasons behind a stunning fact facing Hall of Famers Coach K, Pitino, Calipari and more. And Saint Louis coach Travis Ford joins the podcast to reveal how COVID impacted his team’s season and what’s ahead for the #22 Billikens. Thanks to Coach Ford for joining us, and as always to Dick Vitale, Chris McLernon, Ricky Sanders and Sonic Librarian. 

Duke, North Carolina, and Kentucky are all out of the AP Top 25 for the first time since Dean Smith’s first season, and Hoops & Howie examine what that means for their respective NCAA Tournament hopes. In this episode, they also reveal why the top teams in the state of Texas are enjoying unprecedented success this season. And don’t miss an exclusive interview with Villanova coach Jay Wright, one of just three coaches in the last 45 years to win two titles in three years, as he and his team return from Covid-19 restrictions. Thanks, as always, to:Dick VitaleChris McLernon, Ricky Sanders and Sonic Librarian. 

Hoops and Howie evaluate the decision to hold the entire NCAA Tournament in and around Indianapolis — and what that may mean for conference tournaments across the country. They discuss whether schools that self-ban from postseason play are helping or hurting their case, and speculate which teams might actually have a shot at an undefeated regular season. Hoops talks with “program builder” Kelvin Sampson, the head coach at Houston, who reveals what initially drew him to the Cougars and what has fueled his 11th-ranked program’s rise. And Bud Withers, author of the recently released book, "Mad Hoops: The dizzying, floor-burning ride of the Kamikaze Kids of 1970s Oregon," joins the conversation to talk Oregon, Gonzaga and Pac-12. Thanks, as always, to:Dick VitaleChris McLernon, Ricky Sanders and Sonic Librarian

The NCAA may keep moving the three-point line back, but Baylor, the nation’s leader in three-point percentage, is among several top teams still firing away and reaping results. Hoops and Howie look at those teams’ early success, what’s ahead, and a recent team that rode hot shooting from deep to a national title.   What it takes to build a successful program is at the heart of Hoops’ interview with Steve Pikiell, coach of 15th-ranked Rutgers. Pikiell experienced that first-hand as a captain at UConn during its rise to national prominence.  But first, Hoops and Howie look at why there is a dearth of black head coaches in a sport with predominantly black players and what can be done to change the dynamics.  Thanks to: Steve Pikiell and Rutgers basketballDick VitaleChris McLernon, Ricky Sanders, and Sonic Librarian

While the little guy rarely gets a playoff shot in college football, college basketball offers more hope. Hoops and Howie discuss several unexpected teams and players already making an impact this season. Two conferences have a pair of those teams making a name for themselves.  Hoops and Howie wrap up 2020 by reflecting on five iconic coaches who died this year - John Thompson, Lute Olson, Eddie Sutton, Lou Henson, and Billy Tubbs - and the legacies they left.  Thanks to: Dick VitaleChris McLernon, Ricky Sanders, and Sonic Librarian Happy New Year!

No. 1 Gonzaga’s return and its game with No. 3 Iowa and Player of the Year candidate Luka Garza gets Hoops and Howie debating which is more important: individual star power or team chemistry, especially in this pandemic-challenged season.  Don’t miss Hoops' conversation with Michigan State coach Tom Izzo, whose 6-2 Spartans are looking to navigate the toughest conference in the country. Hoops and Howie start things off with a trip back to Dec. 23, 1982 to remember perhaps the greatest upset in college basketball history.  Thanks to:Tom Izzo and Michigan State men's basketballDick VitaleChris McLernon, Ricky Sanders, and Sonic Librarian for the theme music, "Joe Blob."

Dick “Hoops” Weiss and Howie Schwab examine several key factors affecting teams across the country this season. In particular, the pair break down the impact of transfers, the changing landscape for one-and-done players, and how Covid-19 could impact recruiting this year and beyond. Five of the top seven teams in early AP polls have transfers playing key roles: Gonzaga, Baylor, Michigan State, Villanova and Houston. Hoops and Howie explain why the impact of transfers has changed the game of college basketball.  They also break down why the programs with one-and-done stars haven’t been teams winning national championships recently. And they look at how programs have adapted as the coronavirus has changed the rules for recruiting and what it means for programs at all levels.  Thanks to:Dick VitaleLearfield IMG CollegeChris McLernon, Ricky Sanders, and Sonic Librarian for the theme music, "Joe Blob."

On the first Saturday in December, Gonzaga and Baylor, were scheduled to meet each other in the middle of the country for a widely anticipated showdown of the top two teams in the country. But like with so much else in the unraveling early stages of the 2020-2021 college basketball season, plans for that game were wrecked by the coronavirus. In this debut episode of the Hoops & Howie podcast, our hosts – a couple of college hoops institutions, Dick “Hoops” Weiss and Howie Schwab – explore the many ways the COVID-19 public health crisis is disrupting every team in the country. They discuss the pandemic’s effect on everything from practice routines to game scheduling, analyze which teams are best-suited to handle the uncertainties and interruptions, and ponder the NCAA’s many crossroads and challenges as it tries to navigate this unprecedented season. Our guest is Lea Miller-Tooley, the driving force between the Battle 4 Atlantis preseason tournament. Miller-Tooley talks to Hoops about the scramble to reinvent her event this season, and create in its place the Crossover Classic – an event so successful that the NCAA sought her insights and advice as it begins planning for the most unusual NCAA Tournament ever. Thanks to: * Chris McLernon, Ricky Sanders and Sonic Librarian for the theme music, Joe Blob.* Learfield IMG College for the audio from the championship game of the Crossover Classic between West Virginia and Western Kentucky.