In Episode 78 of the Talking Grammer podcast, I talk with SI.com's Kevin Sweeney about NCAA Tournament bracketology for the Mountain West conference and the UNM Lobos. Are they in? Are they out? Does any of this really matter in the first week of February? (Nevada 12:00, BSU 14:20, CSU 18:00, USU 21:00, SDSU 28:35, UNM 31:20).

In Episode 77 of the Talking Grammer podcast, I talk with BJ Rains, Publisher of Bronco Nation News in Boise, covering the Boise State Broncos. We talk the media landscape covering Mountain West level programs, his recent power rankings that drew criticism from some fan (including plenty of angry Lobo fans), and of course Wednesday night's big Boise State Broncos/UNM Lobo men's basketball game in the Pit.

In Episode 76 of the Talking Grammer podcast, I talk about UNM Lobo basketball breaking into the AP Top 25 rankings, JT Toppin winning his sixth Mountain West Freshman of the Week and have a conversation (11:30 mark) with Lobo forward Mustapha Amzil, the Dayton transfer who put a rough start to the season behind him to become a key piece of the UNM puzzle right now. We talk about his soccer background, his buzzer beater to beat Kansas while playing for Dayton, whether or not his teammates appreciate Finnish rap music and about the proper way to pronounce his name.

In Episode 75 of the Talking Grammer podcast, I talk Mountain West hoops and have a conversation (11 minute mark) with Danny Sprinkle, the head coach of the No. 16 Utah State Aggies before the UNM-Utah State game in the Pit on Jan. 16. The first-year USU coach has his program out to a 16-1 start and atop the Mountain West standings. Danny and I talk about that fantastic start, his having two former Lobo assistants on his staff and the meaning and importance to his program of UBUNTU.

In Episode 74 of the Talking Grammer podcast, I have a conversation with former Eldorado Eagles state champion and three-year UNM Lobo Cullen Neal, who is in his second season as Director of Player Development and Video Coordinator for the Rice Owls, who play in this week's Ball Dawgs Classic in Henderson, Nev., along with the UNM Lobos. We talk about basketball, including his time with and departure from the UNM Lobos, playing for his dad, Craig Neal, at UNM and how life is now as a father, husband and aspiring coach himself.

In Episode 73 of the Talking Grammer podcast, I have a conversation with former UNM Lobos hoops star Hugh Greenwood. The fan favorite, 4-year starter from Australia is back in Albuquerque visiting friends and the family of his Albuquerque-native wife, Kjiersten Straub, ahead of the upcoming Australia Football League season, where he will start his ninth season as a professionally footballer (playing "footie", not hoops and not American football). We talk his current sport, catching up with old friends and some fun memories of his time as a Lobo.

In Episode 72 of the Talking Grammer podcast, I joined Rob Dauster of the Feld of 68, as a guest on the debut show of the Mountain West Insider podcast for a season preview of the college basketball season ahead. We talk NCAA Tournament hopefuls in the conference, top players and top storylines for the 2023-24 season. The Field of 68's weekly Mountain West podcast is available on their YouTube page while this episode is also available as part of the Talking Grammer podcast.

In Episode 71 of the Talking Grammer podcast, we have a conversation with Jason Hooten, the new men's basketball coach of the New Mexico State Aggies. We talk with Jason about taking on a new job after 19 seasons at Sam Houston State, the unenviable task of rebuilding a program from scratch with an entirely new roster and coaching staff, he tells us about his family and he breaks down a little bit of what fans can expect on the court this season as NMSU tries to turn the page on the tumultuous season a year ago.

In Episode 70 of the Talking Grammer podcast, we have a conversation with Matt Flores, the third-year strength and conditioning coach of the UNM Lobo men's basketball team about what his job entails, his background as a player, Marine and father, and how it is working for the second time with head coach Richard Pitino. And who was on the McDonald's cheeseburger diet last year as the team desperately tried adding weight to one player's frame?

In Episode 69 of the Talking Grammer podcast, we have a conversation with Kurt Roth, the founder and president of the 505 Sports Venture Foundation, the collective spearheading college athlete compensation efforts for the University of New Mexico. We talk the law, the ever changing landscape of the NCAA's oversight, how Lobo athletes are taking advantage, recruiting and the relationship between the collective and UNM itself.