Marching to Madness

Baylor Bears head coach Scott Drew checks in as he has put together a 19-10 postseason record in Waco with a national championship in 2021 as well as the Final Four and two Elite Eight appearances. He discusses his returning players as well as additions via the transfer portal and recruiting the high school hardwood. Coach Drew also checks in on the NBA opportunities for guard Keyonte George, who was the 16th pick on the first round. Coach Drew was enshrined into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in April.

Topics of discussion include:

• Coach Drew discusses four of his former assistant coaches and have moved to head coaching positions
• How his Texas Hall of Fame induction illustrates the work of his assistant coaches and players
• His philosophy of how to grasp change and move forward
• Discussion of Bears players who return to the hardwood as well as incoming Baylor players

… And much more!

Coach Mills take over the legendary Shockers program after he led ORU to two NCAA Tournaments in their last three seasons. Shockers big man Kenny Photo is the leading returning scorer after he started all 30 games and shot 49 percent from the floor. Coach Mills discusses his philosophy of prioritizing people and how that makes for the opportunity to help in the many ways he leads his program.

Topics of discussion include:

• Coach Mills' thoughts on building Wichita State back to it's highest levels
• His relationship with Rockets' legendary former head coach Rudy Tomjanovich
• Spending 14 seasons at Baylor in Coach Scott Drew's program
• Kenny Pohto as the leading returning scorer

… And much more!

Coach Jans led the Bulldogs to their second NCAA appearance in the last 13 seasons as they lost a tough 60-59 decision to Pitt in the opener. Mississippi State will return its starting five which should give the 'Dogs an impactful group as Tolu Smith is a key inside performer beside of the athleticism of 6-7 DJ Jeffries. Cameron Matthews can also score in the paint and guards Shakeel Moore and Dashawn Davis provide MSU with a solid backcourt.

Topics of discussion include:

• The NCAA Tournament appearance in Year 1 of Jans' regime
• The return of the five starters
• Tolu Smith's versatility
• The shooting ability and offensive acumen of Marshall transfer Andrew Taylor

… And much more!

Coach Todd Golden took over at Florida last season after three years at San Francisco where he brought the Dons to a 57-36 record and placed them into the NCAA Tournament in 2022 for the first time since 1998. Will Richard and Riley Kugel return from last season's team as they were the second and third leading scorers. The Gators' staff has added six transfers as five players left Gainesville via the transfer route.

Topics of discussion include:

• The transition from the Univ. of San Francisco to the Univ. of Florida
• The return of Richard and Kugel
• Using analytics in today's basketball culture
• Competitive challenges in college basketball

… And much more!

First-year USF Bulls head coach Amir Abdur-Rahim discusses last season's 26-9 finish for his Kennesaw State Owls as he led them to their first D-1 NCAA Tournament and the A-SUN regular season and tournament championships. He also discusses his system and how he looks to build USF within his philosophies and ideology. The Bulls return Selton Miguel, Sam Hines, and Corey Walker, Jr. from last season as well as a talented recruiting class.

Topics of discussion include:

• Building Kennesaw State into a winner in his four seasons
• Coach Abdul-Rahim's system and how to apply it to USF Basketball
• The return of Selton Miguel, Sam Hines, and Corey Walker, Jr., from last season's USF roster
• Coach Billy Kennedy's influence

… And much more!

Coach Adam Fisher enters his first season as a head coach at Temple after he was an assistant at Villanova and Boston University before spending eight years at Miami and two at Penn State, his alma mater. Coach Fisher gives Miami coach Jim Larrañaga credit for helping him to solidify himself inside the game and learn many of the phases of coaching. He also credits Micah Shrewsberry, who was the head coach at Penn State as another key figure in his career ascension on the hardwood.

Topics of discussion include:

• The legendary status of Temple basketball
• Key elements in recruiting
• Hysier Miller as the Owls' leading returning scorer
• The importance of transfers Jordan Miller and Quante Berry

… And much more!

Coach Barnes discusses his role of being the chair of the NCAA Rules Committee and a couple of rules changes going into this upcoming season. He also talks about His Tennessee Volunteers, who made it to the Sweet 16 this past season, despite the loss of point guard Zakai Ziegler. He has posted 779 career wins at George Mason, Providence, Clemson, Texas, and Tennessee throughout his 36 seasons as a head coach.

Topics of discussion include:

• Working on the rules as the chair of the NCAA Rules Committee
• A change to the block/charge call
• The loss of guard Zakai Ziegler for the post season
• Key in continuing to win at a high percentage

… And much more!

Coach Bobby Lutz was the head coach at Charlotte from 1999-2010 and he raised the 49ers to a high level of play where they went to six NCAA Tournaments as well as two NITs in that time period. During his 11-year run in Charlotte, Coach Lutz became the winningest coach in program history with 218 'Ws'. He then became an assistant at Iowa State, Nebraska, and Ole Miss and the associate head coach at NC State.

Topics of discussion include:

• Coaching assignments in the SEC, ACC, Big 12, and Big Ten after the 11 years at Charlotte
• The pinnacle of success with the 49ers
• Thoughts on college basketball as of now
• NCAA Tournament and NBA Playoffs

… And much more!

Coach A.W. Hamilton makes his debut on MTM as the Colonels have set 49 program records in his five seasons at EKU. The coach talks about his friendship with NC State head coach Kevin Keatts, who has been a solid person throughout his career. Hamilton is a stellar offensive coach whose Colonels averaged 78.6 points per game this past season and they shot 34.3 percent from three.

Topics of discussion include:

• Developing a winning mentality at Eastern Kentucky
• How NC State head coach Kevin Keats has been an influence in his career and life
• How Devontae Blanton became a solid leader and contributor for the Colonels
• Developing an offensive approach that has allowed his teams to be successful

… And much more!

Coach Tinkle discusses this third rebuild in his eight-year tenure as head coach of the Beavers. Oregon State picked up 11 wins this past season which is eight more than two years ago. OSU welcomed freshman point guard Jordan Pope after Georgia transfer Christian Wright was injured last season. Coach Tinkle also discusses ideas and philosophies throughout running the program.

Topics of discussion include:

• How Coach Tinkle and his staff have brought back the Beavers' culture
• Three rebuilds in nine seasons
• The play of freshman point guard Jordan Pope
• Depth on the point with Tyler Bilodeau and Michael Rataj in the post

… And much more!