Marching to Madness

Mississippi State head coach Chris Jans once again joins "Marching to Madness" from Starkville, Miss., where he has compiled a 63-40 record and has led the Bulldogs to the NCAA Tournament in each of those seasons. It's the first time these Dawgs have been to March Madness for three or more consecutive seasons since 2002-2005. Jans changed his offensive approach last season as MSU averaged 79 points per game and 63.1 field goal attempts.

Topics of Discussion Include:

• Reinventing Mississippi State's offensive style
• Point guard Josh Hubbard's "Wow" factor
• Wichita State forward Quincy Ballard and former Georgetown guard Jayden Epps enter the program
• Changing strategic approaches from season to season

… and much more!

Coach Skerry is one of our favorite return guests on MTM as he has 34 years of experience and has built Towson into a perennial challenger in the Coastal Athletic Association. In 2024-25, the Tigers procured the CAA regular season championship, producing a 17-2 record over their last 19 games, which magnified the best start in conference program history. Coach Skerry details how he comes up with the contents of summer practices and workouts, and the ability to maximize possession length.

Topics of Discussion Include:

• Philosophically managing the transfer portal
• The sights and sounds of Abdou Samb on Twitter
• Using the half-court sets in his offensive rotation
• Tyler Tejada and Dylan Williamson as a prototypical scoring duo

… and much more!

Saint Mary's head coach Randy Bennett joins "Marching to Madness." Coach Bennett won his 7th WCC Coach of the Year honor as the Gaels enjoyed their third consecutive regular season WCC title, and they cut the nets in Las Vegas in 2024 with the tournament crown. He has built SMC into a featured program in the west after the Gaels finished at 1-27 in 2001, the year before Bennett touched down in Moraga, Ca.

Topics of Discussion Include:

• Improving Augustus Marcilonis in four seasons
• Adding Pacific center Jazz Gardner as the first signee from the transfer portal
• Mental Preparation and defensively philosophy
• Florida head coach Todd Golden as a player and now a national championship coach

… and much more!

Coach May is once again discussing his Michigan Wolverines here on MTM. In his first season in Ann Arbor, he led the Wolverines to 27 wins, the Big Ten Tournament title, and a date in the Sweet 16. Coach May holds a 153-79 record in seven seasons as head coach at Florida Atlantic and Michigan. Of course, he led the Owls to the Final Four in 2023.

Topics of Discussion Include:

• Guard Yaxel Lindeborg's positive approach to playing basketball
• North Carolina transfer Elliott Cadeau's approach to the game
• How key game elements are a factor in summer practices
• Opponents only shot 40.1 percent from the floor, but allowed 63 shots per game

Coach Gus Argenal joins "Marching to Madness" as he undertakes the UC Riverside Highlanders, who have become a tough out in the Big West Conference. Coach Argenal assisted Eric Musselman at Nevada and Arkansas and has 19 years of collegiate coaching experience. He coached at Cal State San Bernardino the last two seasons and recorded 50 wins. During his initial season in 2023-24, Coach Argenal led the Coyotes to the D-II Final Four and a California Collegiate Athletic Association championship this past season as Cal State San Bernardino won the CCAA regular season in what is potentially the toughest D-II Conference in the game.

Topics of Discussion Include:

• Coming aboard a successful UC Riverside program in the tough Big West
• Coach Arngenal's two years of posting 'W's at Cal State San Bernardino
• Working with USC head coach Eric Musselman at Nevada and Arkansas
• Strategic and philosophical ideas that he has developed in 19 years of coaching experience

Coach Musselman continually brings the Muss Bus through the "Marching to Madness" neighborhood. He is currently 238-111 in ten years in college basketball as he started at Nevada, where he took the Wolf Pack to the NCAA Tournament for three of four seasons, as he brought them to the Sweet 16, where they suffered a tough 69-68 loss to Loyola Chicago in 2018. Arkansas had not been to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament since coach Nolan Richardson retired, and Muss brought the Hogs to the Elite Eight in 2018. USC won 17 games last season as the Trojans fought the rigors of playing basketball in the Midwest and East in the Big Ten. USC made it into the Round of Eight in the inaugural College Basketball Classic in March.

Topics of Discussion Include:

• Reconfiguring the roster inside the Transfer Portal Era
• Tough Big Ten travels for the four West Coast basketball teams
• Adding Chad Baker-Mazara and Rodney Rice from the transfer portal
• A social media presence that helps to raise USC basketball

Coach Andrzejek came aboard the Buies Creek, NC, campus after working as the defensive coordinator for the Florida Gators for Coach Todd Golden in these last two seasons. Coach Andrzejek was the team's defensive coordinator as Florida finished sixth in the nation in defensive efficiency, according to kenpom.com. His defense was clutch as it played a key part in allowing the Gators to come from behind and win four of their six NCAA Tournament games. Campbell looks to be able to challenge in the Coastal Athletic Association with an improved defense in the paint which will coincide with the ability to outrebound opponents.

Topics of Discussion Include:

• Important dynamics of Campbell University that bring Coach Andrzejek to Buies Creek
• HIs last two seasons at Florida where the Gators finished 54-16 with the 2025-26 national championship
• Basketball philosophies that became part of Andrzejek's basketball acumen
• How Stanford head coach Kyle Smith made an impact on Andrzejek's career

Coach Jones comes aboard again on MTM after his Spartans finished second in the Southern Conference this past season and won 20 or more games for the third consecutive season. Coach Jones is well known as a defensive strategist, and we discuss that as well as working through roster changes to develop a quality team.

Topics of discussion include:

• Developing team identity upon many roster creations
• Demetrius Davis as a factor in the 2025-26 season
• How he developed his defensive mindset
• The presence of creating competition on both ends of the floor

Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl returns to "Marching to Madness" once again as we chat about the Tigers and various topics outside of college basketball. We discuss assistant coach Chad Prewitt leaving the Tigers to join the ministry, the faith-based basketball program that Coach Pearl has solidified at Auburn, and Israeli hostage situations in the Middle East. He also brings in new members of his roster and Auburn's berth in the Final Four in 2025.

Topics of conversation include:

• 32 wins, a regular season SEC Championship, and a berth in the Final Four
• Assistant coach Chad Prewitt leaves basketball after three decades to embark on a position in the ministry
• "Calling God" in the Auburn culture
• Tahaad Pettiford's return into the program

Coach Martelli joins MTM to discuss his move from Bryant University to VCU. He led the Bulldogs to the NEC championship and their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament. After five seasons on the coaching staff, he took over the program in 2023. We spotlight the move to VCU, a program that went to the Final Four in 2011.

Topics of Discussion Include:

• Competition in the Atlantic 10
• Sustainability from his father, legendary Phil Martelli, Sr.
• Philosophies Inside the game
• Working inside the transfer portal where entire teams now leave programs inside of a coaching change