Marching to Madness

Louisiana head coach Bob Marlin joins us on "Marching to Madness" as he begins his 15th season as the head coach of the Ragin' Cajuns. He has recorded 260 wins at Louisiana in a 32-year career that has seen him at Pensacola JC and Sam Houston State. Coach Marlin is currently the Sun Belt Conference leader in wins with 150.

Topics of Discussion Include:

• The injury to star Hosana Kitenge
• A backcourt with Kentrell Garnett and Oregon State transfer Michael Wright
• Coach Marlin's philosophy on time management in practice
• Newcomers in Jeremiah Evans and Koron Davis
• Much more!

Coach Dru Joyce debuted on MTM as he was the associate head coach to Coach Keith Dambrot who retired after the 23-24 campaign and after a 40-year career. Joyce's ability was a key concept in last season's 25-12 record, A-10 Tournament championship, and the Dukes' 71-67 win over BYU in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. He is a lifelong friend of NBA superstar Lebron James as LBJ broke the news on social media of Coach Joyce's move to the head coaching position.

Topics of Discussion Include:

• Transition from associate head coach to becoming Duquesne's head coach
• David Dixon and Jake DiMichele as key returnees and starters from a year ago
• 5-9 point guard Kareem Rozier with his skills as a playmaker who made 38.1 percent of his triples last season
• Eight transfers who can provide depth which will highlight the Dukes' successful opportunities
• Much more!

Auburn Tigers head coach Bruce Pearl returns to the layup line on "Marching to Madness" as he brings back numerous talent, leadership, and a bevy of players that can make another run towards the top of the SEC. Pearl has led these Tigers to a pair of SEC Tournament titles in 2019 and 2024 while finishing on top of the league in the 2018 and 2022 regular seasons. His 676 lifetime wins give him a 72 percent winning percentage for his career.

Topics Include:

• Auburn Basketball's accountability with the sustained success over these 10 years
• Johni Broome's toughness and leadership on the hardwood
• The Tigers' defensive endeavors
• Players' abilities and how this team can fit into one of the country's top programs in 2024-25
• Much more!

Coach Johnson has gotten the Golden Gophers on firmer ground as Minnesota won 19 games a year ago and made it to the second round of the NIT. The Golden Gophers welcome back Big Ten Player of the Year candidate Dawson Garcia, who can match up and be a factor on both end of the floor. Quality transfers entering the program include Mike Mitchell, Jr., (Canisius), Lu'Cyr Patterson (Charlotte), and Tyler Cochran (Toledo).

Discussions Include:

• The impact of Dawson Garcia
• How to prepare posts/bigs to be effective inside the Minnesota program
• Transfers who will help the Gophers move forward
• The growth of the Big Ten

Coach Justin Gray makes the move from Western Carolina to Coastal Carolina after he led the Catamounts to 22 wins last season, their highest win total since 2010. He now takes the position as legendary Hall of Famer Cliff Ellis retired early last season. Justin played for the late, great Skip Prosser in the 2Ks at Wake Forest where he averaged 37.1 percent from the three and was a key component in the Demon Deacons' playmaking abilities.

Topics of Discussion Include:

• Effects of transfer portal and NIL as Coach Gray moves into Coastal Carolina
• The rebuild of the roster
• Diversification of the three-point game from a year ago
• How the immediacy of accepting the position helped his transition

… And Much More!

Coach Hodgson led his red Wolves to an upset of Appalachian State in the Sun Belt semifinals as they won 10 of their last 13 games, placing them in the title game of the CBI. They lost to High Point, 81-80, but the prevalence of the end of last season has built confidence going into the 2024-25 season. Leading scorer Taryn Todd returns as a threat from the three as well as a solid scorer at getting the ball to the basket.

Topics of Discussion include:

• The influence of Alabama head coach Nate Oates on his basketball persona
• Key points of the Red Wolves' philosophy of building strong character for player
• Ways to use spring and summer practices to upgrade the team to make it stronger
• Getting into the finals of the CBI

… And Much More!

Coach Prosser enters his fourth season at Winthrop where his Eagles are a huge challenger inside the Big South Conference. Coach Prosser talks about returnee Kelton Talford, who could be a front-runner for Big South Player of the Year. Coach Prosser and I discuss some philosophies and his basketball knowledge in a prime conversation.

Topics of Discussion Include:

• Key ways of potentially challenging for a Big South title
• Kelton Talford and his abilities for the Eagles
• Thoughts and ideas on college basketball and where we are at this point
• Mark shares a couple of Skip-isms that were classic comments from his late father, Skip, who coached at both Xavier and Wake Forest

…And Much More!

Coach Spradlin comes over to the Dukes after building Morehead State into a winning program as he finished 94-40 in his last four seasons with the Eagles. As of now, a group of 11 players has planted themselves into the JMU program. Eddie Ricks and Mark Freeman come over to the Dukes with Coach Spradlin while Syracuse transfer Justin Taylor comes back into Virginia after starting 34 of 61 games for the Orange in his two years.

Topics of Discussion Include:

• Biggest keys in transferring from his winning Morehead State program to JMU, who had a 54-15 record the last two seasons
• Developing a quality roster as he came into Harrisonburg
• How Justin Taylor, Mark Freeman, and Eddie Ricks can help to create the JMU program under Spradlin
• How to develop positivity in players about their personal games

…And much more!

Coach Smith took his Utes to the NIT Championship game where they lost to Indiana State, but the plethora of positivity in being one of eight teams still playing in August could have major impact this season. Coach Smith discusses bringing 11 new players into the program and how you start from the beginning in putting together a new team. Coach also discusses the Utes' move to the Big 12.

Topics of Discussion include:

• Return of Gabe Madsen, who made 105 triples last season
• Philosophies on moving a program forward
• Ezra Ausar from East Carolina and Miro Little as two key incoming transfers
• Situational philosophies inside the game

… And Much More!

Coach Golden checks in after leading the Florida Gators to 24 wins and a berth in the SEC Tournament championship. Florida had one of the most potent offensive systems in the nation as the Gators averaged 85.6 points, 6th in the nation and they found 65.3 field goal attempts per contest. Returning Walton Clayton, Jr. and Will Richard to the backcourt gives the Gators a solid offensive advantage going into the 2024-25 season.

Topics of Discussion Include:

• Florida's exciting offensive attack through its running game
• Coach Golden's college career at Saint Mary's under coach Randy Bennett
• The versatility of returnees Walter Clayton, Jr., and Will Richard
• New transfers in FAU's Alijah Martin, UT Chattanooga big man Sam Alexis, and Rueben Chinelyu of Washington State
• Much more!