In Episode 122 of the Talking Grammer podcast, I caught up with Lobo freshman guard Jake Hall, the 3,000 point high school scorer who is now one of three UNM freshman averaging double digit points this season. We also get a very entertaining scouting report on Jake from UNM assistant coach Tom Tankelewicz and Jake's younger brother, Dax. That scouting report includes talk of Jake being a competitive surfer when he was younger and some disagreement about who the best golfer in the family is.

In Episode 121 of the Talking Grammer podcast, I talked with 2025 NCAA Division I Cross Country champion Habtom Samuel, the third-year UNM Lobo star who helped lead the men's team to a second place finish at the race Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, in Columbia, Missouri. Samuel had been runner up the past two years. I also have interviews from the race with UNM head coach Darren Gauson and UNM Athletic Director Fernando Lovo.

In Episode 120 of the Talking Grammer podcast, I give my annual team-by-team breakdown of the Mountain West conference season ahead with audio from head coaches of all 12 teams. Here's a time breakdown for each team if you'd like to jump ahead (and not hear me talk so much): Air Force, 8:30; Boise State, 12:07; Colorado State, 16:05; Fresno State, 20:00; Grand Canyon, 24:05; Nevada 29:34; New Mexico 34:05; San Diego State, 39:20; San Jose State, 43:15; UNLV, 46:40; Utah State, 50:30; Wyoming, 53:40.

In Episode 119 of the Talking Grammer podcast, I catch up with Mountain West Commissioner Gloria Nevarez at the 2025-26 men's basketball media day event in Las Vegas, Nevada. We talk about the state of the league, both football and basketball, but primarily give the commissioner an opportunity to discuss ongoing litigation about exit fees and poaching penalties with five schools departing the league after this season to join the rebuilding Pac-12. This podcast was recorded BEFORE the Mountain West officially filed later in the day an 86-page court filing, including counterclaims made against the Pac 12.

In Episode 118 of the Talking Grammer podcast, I catch up with new UNM Lobos guard Luke Haupt. The sixth-year senior transfer from Division II Point Loma Nazarene in San Diego is the son of one of the winningest active coaches in California High School basketball, Mike Haupt. We talk taking the D-II route, his love of big dogs, whether he's got a chip on his shoulder to prove he can play at the DI level and did he really once fly a plane?

In Episode 117 of the Talking Grammer podcast, I catch up with new UNM Lobos point guard Deyton Albury, a native of the Bahamas. The senior transfer from Utah State is going to be relied on heavily to lead the new-look Lobos in the first year under head coach Eric Olen. We talk basketball in the Bahamas, compare New Mexican and Bahamian food, he gives three bold basketball predictions, and explains why we're all probably better off that he's here playing basketball and not playing the trumpet.

In Episode 116 of the Talking Grammer podcast, I catch up with Kimberly Eck, the wife of new UNM Lobo football coach Jason Eck trying to get a glimpse of the coach we won't see just watching him on game day. She talks about how they met, how he dances, their family's love of Bluey, and the strains of the coach's wife life, including how their five children were born in five different states as Jason moved from job to job in his career, and her superstitions before a game (did she or didn't she wash her car before last week's game at Michigan?).

In Episode 115 of the Talking Grammer podcast, I catch up with new UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball coach Josh Pastner, who despite never having had a sip of coffee in his life, brought enough energy to light up the Vegas strip. We talk coaching influences, hand writing more than 1,000 letters to college coaches to try and get recruited, playing for and coaching with Lute Olson, Bill Walton, A.J. Bramlett, his desire to get booed relentlessly in the Pit and much more.

In Episode 114 of the Talking Grammer podcast, I catch up with new Colorado State Rams head coach Ali Farokhmanesh. We talk his coaching influences, growing up with highly successful college volleyball coaching parents, baggy shorts, big shots and whether CSU and UNM will continue playing basketball when the Rams leave the Mountain West next year.

In Episode 113 of the Talking Grammer podcast, I catch up with Grand Canyon University men's basketball coach Bryce Drew, the newest member of the Mountain West conference. What should the league expect of the Lopes this year? How familiar is he with the league and its venues? And this NMSU grad even gets him to say something nice about NMSU the Aggies.