Marching to Madness

The Utah Valley Wolverines won the WAC regular season title and have a 28-8 mark as they match up with UAB in T-Mobile Arena in the NIT semifinals on Tuesday evening. Coach Mark Madsen has a multi-faceted team that plays well on both ends of the floor which includes a mobile fastbreak that averages 14.7 of the Wolverines' 77.2 points per game. Madsen has raised the Wolverines into one of the top teams in a deep WAC as they are 48-20 over these past two seasons. Kenpom.com had the WAC rated as the 23rd Conference out of the 32 only two seasons ago and this year, the league was rated 11th.

Topics of discussion include:

• The solidity in both the offensive and defensive approach
• Justin Harmon as a leader from the backcourt with Trey Woodbury and Le'Tre Darthard
• Aziz Bandaogo's overall skills as he was the WAC Defensive Player of the Year
• Tim Fuller's as an underrated player as he shoots 67 percent with .49 boards per night

… And much more!

Coach Bob Cantu once again joins "Marching to Madness" as he has worked as an interim coach at USC with assistant coaching jobs at UTEP, Portland, Sacramento State, and Cal Poly.

Coach Cantu has coached or recruited 14 NBA players as well as working under four NBA coaches. In this episode, he discusses Thursday night's NCAA Tournament wins by Kansas State, Florida Atlantic, Gonzaga and UConn before looking at the four matchups on Friday evening.

Topics of discussion include:

• Marquise Nowell's effect on Kansas State's run
• Classics in Kansas State-Michigan State and UCLA-Gonzaga
• Florida Atlantic's upset of Tennessee
• Friday night's Sweet 16 matchups

… And much more!

Coach Brad Korn has led his Southeast Missouri Redhawks to a four-game trek to when they turned up as winners in capturing the Ohio Valley Conference Championship. The Redhawks took an 89-82 win over Tennessee Tech in the championship game as Phillip Russell scored seven points in the overtime to finish off the championship victory.

Topics of discussion include:

• The presence of Philip Russell and how he affects a game
• Chris Harris's presence in the backcourt
• The Redhawks' presence on offense
• How the campus and Cape Girardeau support Southeast Missouri hoops

… And much more!

The Tigers finished the season on Saturday with a 79-70 victory over No. 17 Tennessee. Auburn shot 49 percent and was 8-of-22 from three as Wendell Green, Jr. led four Tigers in double figures with 24 points. Auburn is the No. 7 seed against No. 10 seed Arkansas on Thursday evening.

Topics of discussion include:

• Positive ballhandling numbers
• Defense has only allowed opponents to shoot 28.8 percent from three
• The work of big man Johni Broome on both ends of the floor
• The overall contributions of Allen Flanigan

… And much more!

Coach DeVries is back on "Marching to Madness" as his Bulldogs are a deep and experienced team that are led by Roman Penn and DJ Wilkins in the backcourt and leading scorer Tucker DeVries in the middle. Drake has won 13 of its last 15 games and will look for potentially another showdown with Bradley as the Bulldogs split with the Braves in the regular season.

Topics of discussion include:

• Being able to win three of four OT games
• Having Roman Penn and DJ Wilkins together on the floor
• Tucker DeVries' scoring and rebounding skills
• Having experience and depth in tournament play

… And much more!

UNCG Spartans head coach Mike Jones has his club as the third seed in the Southern Conference Tournament with the 8:30 game on Saturday evening. The Spartans finished 14-4 in league play which was one game behind Furman and Samford who tied for the top spot.

Topics of discussion include:

• A competitive 14-4 record in the Missouri Valley Conference
• Using the matchups and efficiency in averaging eight three-point field goals per game
• Keshaun Langley and Keondre Kennedy as a solid backcourt
• Mikeal Brown-Jones, who shoots 59 percent from the floor

… And much more!

Bradley Braves head coach Brian Wardle checks in as he has his Braves posted in a challenge with Drake as Sunday's winner wins the Missouri Valley Conference regular season title and the 1-seed at "Arch Madness" this upcoming week. The Braves are a solid inside-outside team on offense and they have an adjusted defensive efficiency rating in the top 9-percent in the nation.

Topics of discussion include:

• Offensive and defensive keys in the current 9-game winning streak
• Rienk Mast's post presence on both ends of the floor
• The versatility of guard Ja'Shon Henry
• Malevy Leons joining Mast in the post

… And much more!!!

Coach Donnie Tyndall has led the Chipola JC Indians to the JC Final Four in each of his first two seasons and currently, at 27-2, Chipola can win another Panhandle Conference with a win over Tallahassee CC on Saturday.. The Panhandle Conference is one of the top JC conferences in college basketball and Tyndall has an 80-13 overall record in leading the Indians in the third season. Tyndall is one of the top basketball minds inside the game on offense, defense, and all the depth of knowledge inside the game's intangibles.

Topics of discussion include:

• Having the No. 1 team in the nation and a 21-0 start
• Outscoring opponents by 17 points per game
• Top two scorers in Derrick Butler and Deyton Albury
• The defensive status of the Indians

… And much more!

Coach Casey Alexander has his Belmont Bruins in line for a bye in their first Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. In order to nail that down, a win at Northern Iowa on Sunday will bring forth that opportunity for Belmont. Wednesday, the Bruins came from 19 down to defeat Indiana State, 89-88.

Topics of discussion include:

• Ben Sheppard as an MVC first teamer
• 13 consecutive seasons that the Bruins have won at least 20 games
• The Bruins' renowned three-point game
• Assist makers Ja'Kobi Gillespie and Keyshawn Davidson

… And much more!!!

Pitt assistant coach Jason Capel checks in to discuss the Panthers as they are currently tied for first in the ACC. Capel is the brother of head coach Jason Capel as the duo have been a key in the resurgence of Pitt basketball as the Panthers won 10 of 11 after a 1-3 start and they have won six in a row. Blake Hinson leads the Panthers in scoring at 15.9 ppg as the Panthers have four players who average double figures.

Topics of discussion include:

• The shooting and playmaking skills of Jamarius Burton
• Blake Hinson's strengths as a scorer and a rebounder
• The inside play of Federiko Federiko
• Pitt's defensive persona