This is our 1st offseason Ad Hoc episode, as promised, where we'll be discussing the big roster decisions made shortly after the Portal season opened up.  The coaching staff & the LinkingCoogs NIL Collective stepped up big-time w/ their creative "Run it Back" campaign to facilitate 4 of our 5 starters returning next season to make a run at that elusive National Championship!  To complete the puzzle, Coach Sampson was able to hand select his desired top PG from the Portal (Milos Uzan) to run the show for what could be a historic run next year.

So we'll begin this Portal episode by making a few comments on the success of the "Run it Back" campaign, provide different perspectives on Milos Uzan's game & how we each believe it will fit in with this Cougars program, and then provide a "way too early" forecast of how we see the line-ups & rotations breaking down going into next season.

- No Conference for Old Men is available for free via Spotify / Apple Podcast / SoundCloud & the GoCoogs.com website; we're also available via the Republic of Football Podcast feed from the folks at Dave Campbell's Texas Football as their only basketball-centric offering

- Intro / Exit music:  Ground Zero provided by FreeBeats.io

- Please follow us on https://gocoogs.com/old-men/

The Cougars finish the season 32-5, after a heartbreaker in terms of how things ended. We started fast in the Sweet 16 game, Duke had a "deer in the headlights" look to them, and the refs were letting the teams play. But a devastating game-ending ankle injury to Shead at the 6:50 mark of the 1st half (when we led 16-10), proved pivotal in allowing Duke to eek out a 54-51 win to end the Cougars’ season.

So we'll begin this final in-season episode summarizing the Duke game & the impact of Shead’s injury, forecast how the team looks heading into next season & what we should look for in the Transfer Portal as the gates are already open, and then provide a brief forecast of how we believe the Final 4 will play out.

- No Conference for Old Men is available for free via Spotify / Apple Podcast / SoundCloud & the GoCoogs.com website; we're also available via the Republic of Football Podcast feed from the folks at Dave Campbell's Texas Football as their only basketball-centric offering

- Intro / Exit music:  Ground Zero provided by FreeBeats.io

- Please follow us on https://gocoogs.com/old-men/

Welcome to Episode 23 of the No Conference for Old Men Podcast.

The Cougars are now 32-4, after overcoming some one-sided officiating & 4 starters fouling out to beat Texas A&M 100-95 in OT!  This was a complete team effort, where the entire roster had to dig in & contribute to pull out the win.  That included key contributions by Ramon Walker (who we all thought was lost for the season) & walk-on Ryan Elvin.  It was truly just "survive and advance", and that now allows us to play our 2nd weekend games within the state of Texas in Dallas!   

So we'll begin this Sweet 16 episode with some thoughts on the 1st 2 games of the tourney, focusing primarily on the A&M one.  Then provide a preview of the Duke Sweet 16 matchup, while keeping an eye on potential opponents in a possible Elite 8 battle.  And we'll wrap up with a re-projection of our brackets w/ the Final 16 teams left.

- No Conference for Old Men is available for free via Spotify / Apple Podcast / SoundCloud & the GoCoogs.com website; we're also available via the Republic of Football Podcast feed from the folks at Dave Campbell's Texas Football as their only basketball-centric offering

- Intro / Exit music:  Ground Zero provided by FreeBeats.io

- Please follow us on https://gocoogs.com/old-men/

Welcome to Episode 22 of the No Conference for Old Men Podcast.

The Cougars are now 30-4, the #2 1 Seed of the NCAA Tourney, & the #1 Seed in the South Region where we'll get to play the 2nd weekend within the state of Texas!  And though we lost a meaningless Big 12 Championship game to ISU by a large margin, the key for us was getting out without any further injuries & providing our bench players more meaningful minutes.  

This is our inaugural March Madness episode, so we'll begin this one with a few thoughts on the Big 12 Championship.  Then spend the bulk of the time discussing the NCAA Draw, zeroing in on the South Region & what we think of Houston's chances.  But also provide an overall view of each region, how we think things will shake out, & then each predict our Final 4 participants and winners.

- No Conference for Old Men is available for free via Spotify / Apple Podcast / SoundCloud & the GoCoogs.com website; we're also available via the Republic of Football Podcast feed from the folks at Dave Campbell's Texas Football as their only basketball-centric offering

- Intro / Exit music:  Ground Zero provided by FreeBeats.io

- Please follow us on https://gocoogs.com/old-men/

Welcome to Episode 21 of the No Conference for Old Men Podcast.

The Cougars are now 28-3,  15-3 in the Big 12, undisputed Champions of the Big 12, & end the regular season as the #1 team in the Nation!!!  And to end this magical 1st season in the Big 12 with a demolition of KU by 30 points at home, just made it all that much sweeter for fans.  We begin this episode with a summary of the KU win, spend some time reflecting on what this Big 12 championship in year 1 meant to us, and then wrap-up by weighing in on the Big 12 Tournament & potentially what's in store in the NCAA Tourney ahead of Selection Sunday.

- No Conference for Old Men is available for free via Spotify / Apple Podcast / SoundCloud & the GoCoogs.com website; we're also available via the Republic of Football Podcast feed from the folks at Dave Campbell's Texas Football as their only basketball-centric offering

- Intro / Exit music:  Ground Zero provided by FreeBeats.io

- Please follow us on https://gocoogs.com/old-men/

Welcome to Episode 20 of the No Conference for Old Men Podcast.

The Cougars are now 27-3,  14-3 in the Big 12, guaranteed at least  a co-Championship in the Big 12, & still #1 in the Nation 1st week into March!!!  All this was achieved after overcoming the devastating season-ending loss of JoJo Tugler.  We begin this episode with a summary of the OU & UCF wins, spend some time discussing the impact of Tugler's loss to our post-season outlook, and then wrap-up by previewing the upcoming KU season finale.

- No Conference for Old Men is available for free via Spotify / Apple Podcast / SoundCloud & the GoCoogs.com website; we're also available via the Republic of Football Podcast feed from the folks at Dave Campbell's Texas Football as their only basketball-centric offering

- Intro / Exit music:  Ground Zero provided by FreeBeats.io

- Please follow us on https://gocoogs.com/old-men/

Welcome to a "Special Edition" Episode of the No Conference for Old Men Podcast.

The 3 Old Men had the incredible opportunity to sit down w/ Chris Pezman (VP of Athletics at the University of Houston), to talk all things Houston Cougars Athletics.  Questions submitted from fans went far and wide, including those related our recent move to the Big 12 & what it means to be part of a "big boy" conference now for our programs.

- No Conference for Old Men is available for free via Spotify / Apple Podcast / SoundCloud & the GoCoogs.com website; we're also available via the Republic of Football Podcast feed from the folks at Dave Campbell's Texas Football as their only basketball-centric offering

- Intro / Exit music:  Ground Zero provided by FreeBeats.io

- Please follow us on https://gocoogs.com/old-men/

Welcome to Episode 18 of the No Conference for Old Men Podcast.

The Cougars are now 25-3,  12-3 in the Big 12, still alone atop the Big 12 conference standings, & #1 in the Nation once again!!!  All this was achieved after punching Baylor in the mouth to win in OT in Waco & then battling fatigue to survive a physical battle with Cincy at home.  We begin this episode with a summary of the Baylor & Cincy games, highlight the other Big 12 games each of us identified last week, then transition to previewing the upcoming OU & UCF games this week, and wrap up with a new set of Big 12 games to watch out for.

- No Conference for Old Men is available for free via Spotify / Apple Podcast / SoundCloud & the GoCoogs.com website; we're also available via the Republic of Football Podcast feed from the folks at Dave Campbell's Texas Football as their only basketball-centric offering

- Intro / Exit music:  Ground Zero provided by FreeBeats.io

- Please follow us on https://gocoogs.com/old-men/

Welcome to Episode 17 of the No Conference for Old Men Podcast.

The Cougars are now 23-3,  10-3 in the Big 12, & sitting alone atop the Big 12 conference standings after demolishing Texas & smothering Iowa St ball handlers.  And Jamal Shead shined, showing the nation why he is the best PG in the country.  We begin this episode with a summary of the Texas & ISU games, highlight the other Big 12 games each of us identified last week, then transition to previewing another set of BIG upcoming conference games this week vs both Baylor & Cincinnati, and wrap up with a new set of Big 12 games to watch out for.

- No Conference for Old Men is available for free via Spotify / Apple Podcast / SoundCloud & the GoCoogs.com website; we're also available via the Republic of Football Podcast feed from the folks at Dave Campbell's Texas Football as their only basketball-centric offering

- Intro / Exit music:  Ground Zero provided by FreeBeats.io

- Please follow us on https://gocoogs.com/old-men/

Welcome to Episode 16 of the No Conference for Old Men Podcast.

The Cougars are now 21-3,  8-3 in the Big 12 & still  atop the conference standings tied with Iowa St, after a "Culture" win at Cincinnati where it was Mylik Wilson's coming out party.  We begin this episode with a summary of the Cincy game, highlight the other Big 12 games each of us identified last week, then transition to previewing the HUGE upcoming conference games this week with both Texas & Iowa St coming to town, and wrap up with a new set of Big 12 games of interest.

- No Conference for Old Men is available for free via Spotify / Apple Podcast / SoundCloud & the GoCoogs.com website; we're also available via the Republic of Football Podcast feed from the folks at Dave Campbell's Texas Football as their only basketball-centric offering

- Intro / Exit music:  Ground Zero provided by FreeBeats.io

- Please follow us on https://gocoogs.com/old-men/