High School Basketball Happenings

By Zain Motani

ESPN's National Director of High School Recruiting Paul Biancardi and High School Basketball Enthusiast Zain Motani discuss all the key happenings in the high school basketball world.... more

· Sports

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FAQs about High School Basketball Happenings:

How many episodes does High School Basketball Happenings have?

The podcast currently has 54 episodes available.

High School Basketball Happenings episodes:

May 30, 2022Interview with Dr. Karissa Niehoff - NIL for High Schoolers and High School Shot Clocks Status Update
In this episode, Paul and Zain connect with Dr. Karissa Niehoff for a continuation of the conversation they had in July.
Dr. Niehoff is the executive director of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS). The NFHS is the organization that writes the rules of competition for most high school sports and activities in the US. It has almost 8MM athletes under its purview.
Dr. Niehoff talks about:
What has her excited and concerned for the further rollout of the high school shot clock

What the primary challenges are of rolling out the shot clock to more states

How the NFHS and states think about if a shot clock rollout is successful

Her thoughts on how the first 10 months of NIL have played out at the college level

The fragmentation that exists at the high school level from an NIL perspective

What her favorite NIL activities to this point have been

You can follow Dr. Niehoff on Twitter at @KarissaNFHS and the NFHS at @NFHS_Org
...more
34min
May 20, 2022Interview with Ron Holland, the #4 Ranked Player in the Class of 2023 Rankings
Paul and Zain connect with Duncanville High School and Drive Nation star forward Ron Holland.
Ron is the #4 ranked prospect in the ESPN Top 100 Class of 2023 Rankings and recently announced his final list of top schools: Houston, UCLA, Arkansas, Texas, Memphis, Auburn, Kentucky, and the G League.
Ron talks about:
Duncanville's seemingly impenetrable defense

Who he thinks will go #1 overall in the NBA Draft

The genesis of his incessant motor

The culture at Duncanville high school (beyond basketball)

What it's like in a Coach Peavy practice

What factors will determine where he ends up playing after high school
You can follow Ron on Instagram @_ronhoops and on Twitter @ron2kholland
...more
15min
December 09, 2021Interview with Cason Wallace, Kentucky Signee and the #9 Ranked Player in the Class of 2022 Rankings
Paul and Zain connect with Richardson High School and Pro Skills EYBL Star Cason Wallace.
Cason is the #9 ranked prospect in the ESPN Class of 2022 Rankings and is signed to play his college basketball at Kentucky.
Cason talks about:
Richardson's big win over #1 ranked Arizona Compass

Why he committed to Kentucky and his conversations with Coach Calipari

The flood of basketball talent in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area in the Class of 2022

His focus and proficiency on the mid-range jumper

Who would win a one-on-one game between him and his brother Keaton Wallace
You can follow Cason on Instagram @cason.wallace and on Twitter @wallace_cason
...more
11min
November 18, 2021 Interview with the 4-Star Point Guard and Stanford Commit – Isa Silva
4-Star point guard and Stanford commit Isa Silva (#49 in the ESPN Top 100 for the Class of 2021) joins Paul and Zain on this episode of the High School Basketball Happenings podcast to talk about:
- How he has been staying in shape during the quarantine
- Who else he is recruiting to Stanford
- Where his next level passing capabilities come from and tips to become a great passer
- How he remains grounded even as his followers and views grow
- What's one thing non-basketball related that he's been intentional about getting better at during the quarantine
- What NBA players he studies
You can follow Isa on Twitter at @isilv3 and Instagram at @air_isa
...more
22min
November 05, 2021Interview with Jared McCain - #29 Ranked Player in the Class of 2023 Rankings
Paul and Zain connect with Centennial High School and Team Why Not star guard Jared McCain.
Jared is the #29 ranked prospect in the ESPN Top 60 Class of 2023 Rankings and holds offers from Stanford, Duke, and Gonzaga, and more.
Jared talks about:
The experience playing for the CIF championship in front of LeBron and Drake

The experience of being in the Peach Jam Bubble and playing 14 games over 14 days

Where his head is at with the recruiting process

His vision boards - some of the goals he has achieved and some of the goals he would like to achieve

How his Corona Centennial team is going to have to approach the season differently now that they have more of a bulls-eye on its back

His huge social media followings and how he thinks about producing high quality content

New skills and hobbies he has picked up during quarantine
You can follow Jared on Instagram @jmccain24, TikTok @Jaredmccain24 and on Twitter @J_mccain_24
...more
16min
October 01, 2021Interview with Dereck Lively II - #2 Ranked Player in the Class of 2022 Rankings
Paul and Zain connect with Westtown School and Team Final star center Dereck Lively II. Dereck is the #2 ranked prospect in the ESPN Top 100 Class of 2022 Rankings and recently committed to play his college basketball at Duke.
Dereck talks about:
Why he chose to commit to Duke

What influence his mom had on his game

The support from Duke nation he has had since committing

The hardest thing about being 7'2

Winning Peach Jam with Team Final

Playing with Jalen Duren

What the off-court experience at Peach Jam was like

What advice he would offer to other top recruits going through the recruiting process
You can follow Dereck on Instagram @derecklively and on Twitter @dereckl41
...more
10min
September 01, 2021 Interview with Nick Smith Jr - #6 Ranked Player in the Class of 2022 Rankings
Paul and Zain connect with North Little Rock and Bradley Beal Elite guard Nick Smith Jr. Nick is the #6 ranked prospect in the ESPN Top 100 Class of 2022 Rankings and holds offers from Kansas, UNC, Auburn, Arkansas, and Alabama among others.
Nick talks about:
- The Peach Jam championship against Team Final
- What the Peach Jam experience was like off-the court
- Latest on his recruiting and Memphis entering the fold
- If he (and other players) look at the rankings
You can follow Nick on Instagram @lif3nick and on Twitter @ntsmith1402
...more
14min
August 14, 2021 Interview with Dariq Whitehead - #4 Ranked Player in the Class of 2022 Rankings
Paul and Zain connect with Montverde Academy and Team Durant star small forward, Dariq Whitehead. Dariq is the #4 ranked prospect in the ESPN Top 100 Class of 2022 Rankings and recently committed to play his college basketball at Duke.
Dariq talks about:
- How Montverde’s 2020, 2021, and 2022 teams compare to each other
- How the EYBL Peach Jam experience was not too different than what he experienced at Montverde his junior year
- His background as a football player and when he decided to give up football to focus on basketball
- What Olympic sport he believes he could be serviceable in and what Olympic sport he stands no chance in
- The genesis of his nickname
You can follow Dariq on Instagram @_riqwhitehead2 and on Twitter @dariq_whitehead
...more
14min
July 28, 2021NIL for High Schoolers! Interview with Dr. Karissa Niehoff - Executive Director of National Federation of State High School State Associations
The NCAA's name, image, and likeness guidance effective July 1st sent shockwaves throughout the amateur athletics landscape. There is still confusion about what is and is not permissible for amateur athletes, particularly for high school athletes, in how they can get paid legally for NIL activities.
In this episode, Paul and Zain connect with Dr. Karissa Niehoff
Dr. Niehoff is the executive director of the National Federation of State High School State Associations (NFHS). The NFHS is the organization that writes the rules of competition for most high school sports and activities in the US. It has almost 8MM athletes under its purview.
Dr. Niehoff talks about:
What the current guidance for high school athletes who want to get paid for their name, image, and likeness is

The relationship between the NFHS and the state associations

What has her most excited and most concerned for NIL at the high school level

How Mikey Williams is able to get legally paid for his NIL

What advice she would offer for high schoolers interested in getting paid for their NIL

What advice she would offer to coaches and school administrators with athletes trying to navigate the NIL waters
You can follow Dr. Niehoff on Twitter at @KarissaNFHS and the NFHS at @NFHS_Org
...more
29min
July 13, 2021Interview with Jazian Gortman - #7 Ranked Player in the Class of 2022 Rankings
Paul and Zain connect with Keenan High School and Nightrydas Elite SG Jazian Gortman. Jazian is the #7 ranked prospect in the ESPN Top 100 Class of 2022 Rankings and is one of the fastest stockrisers in the entire high school game. Jazian has picked up offers from Illinois, Florida State, Clemson, and more this summer.
Jazian talks about:
What has led to his rapid ascension in the rankings

How he plays with such joy and intensity

Updates on what schools he's talking to the most to.

The intense game that the Florida Nightrydas had against Mokan Elite in which might have been the game of the summer.

His love of music and what instrument he played when he was growing up
You can follow Jazian on Instagram @jaygort1and on Twitter @TreonLil
...more
12min

FAQs about High School Basketball Happenings:

How many episodes does High School Basketball Happenings have?

The podcast currently has 54 episodes available.