Plant The Flag

Mid-Major basketball reporter Brain Bennett from The Athletic stops by the pod this week. Brian touches on the ever-changing landscape of college basketball, the Atlantic-10 and more. He references his work before the start of the season on the definition of Mid-Major, you can check it out here: Who are you Calling a Mid-Major

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

UMass alumnus ('99) and ESPN play-by-play broadcaster Mike Corey joins us on this episode of PTF. Mike reminisces about his time on campus and talks about the A-10 and the trends in college athletics. We thank Mike for taking the time and hope you will follow him on twitter @mikecoreysports and check out and share this story on Sean Locke, a former Delaware basketball star who suffered from depression that cost him his life.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Matt McCall chimed in from quarantine on a Zoom chat with Jay Burnham. McCall talks about the excitement level for six newcomers to the UMass Basketball program.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Senior Hockey defenseman Jake McLaughlin joins the show.

Part two of our conversation last week with Athletic Director Ryan Bamford. We talk Hobey Baker, program expectations and more.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

How do you prepare for a pandemic? What role, if any does athletics play in where we are in the world today? As UMass hopes everyone stays safe, we visit with Athletic Director Ryan Bamford to get his perspective on what the effects of Covid-19 have had and will continue to have on the department and society.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Head Coach Matt McCall reflects on a tough, one-point loss to rival Rhode Island and looks ahead to the Atlantic-10 tournament in Brooklyn. Coach also chimes in on the all-world performance from Tre Mitchell and his thoughts on the All-Conference team. 

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

From the moment he stepped on campus, Randall West Jr., has embodied what it means to be a Minuteman. New Jersey star QB turned basketball walk-on and UMass athletics icon, Randall West Jr. sits down with his father, Randall West Sr. and Jay Burnham to reflect on his time in Amherst, his future and his past. This pod features a strong family bond, student-athlete dedication and some important lessons about sliding into DMs. 

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What does it mean to be a student-athlete in the digital age? What are some of the challenges and hurdles that student-athletes have to navigate? On this episode of PTF Jay Burnham sits down with Alan Pandiani (External Operations), Sam Breen (Women's Basketball) and Kolton Mitchell (Men's Basketball) to discuss life on campus, culture and in the public arena. 

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

UMass Basketball has won three of the last five games and we break it all down with Head Coach Matt McCall. The Minutemen are gearing up for a matchup against a No. 6 Dayton at the Mullins Center.