Tennessee Hoop Talk

Rick Byrd is a Knoxville native, a Nashville icon and a Tennessee coaching legend.
In Episode 13, the Hall of Fame coach reflects on his early days on the sideline with Coach Ray Mears at the University of Tennessee, how the greatness of Don Meyer and David Lipscomb pushed him and his program to improve and stories of his greatest teams and players.

Coach Hubie Smith is a Tennessee coaching legend. He finished his coaching career with 707 wins and just 250 losses.  He won his first state title at Bartlett in 2001, won the girls title twice at Ensworth and won four straight championships back on the boys side at Brentwood Academy.

In this episode Coach Smith reflects on some of those teams. He also discusses how Rick Byrd changed the way he taught motion offense, the art of shooting the basketball and what he thought the first time he saw Darius Garland.

From his early days of battling his older siblings in the driveway, to starring on one of the winningest teams in TN high school history, to ultimately ending up a fan favorite for the TN Vols, Dane Bradshaw has always been a winner.

In episode 11 of Tennessee Hoop Talk, Dane shares his work ethic as a youngster, stories about his legendary high school coach Terry Tippett and what he's doing these days to get his b-ball "fix".

Alysha Clark is currently a professional basketball player and most recently a WNBA champion with the Seattle Storm. She shoots a staggering 39.8% from 3 (2nd among active players) and has twice been named to the WNBA All-Defensive Team; however, Alysha’s road has not been typical and most definitely has not been easy. 

In Episode 10 of TN Hoop Talk, we talk to the former Mt. Juliet star about her unique basketball journey! She shares her experiences from trying to figure out what a pivot foot was in that first HS practice, to her first couple of years at Belmont and the final two dynamic years at MTSU.  Alysha has continued to work hard and adapt her game at every level and she shares some of that journey with us!  This is a feel good story about good people that work hard and are rewarded.

Basketball is a family affair for the Bone brothers, Josh and Jordan. In Episode 9 of TN Hoop Talk, we caught up with the first family of basketball in Tennessee. Listen in as we discuss their early hoops years in Nashville and how they are inspired to work by doubters. They also share insight into playing for legendary high school coaches, George Pitts and Ricky Bowers and college coaches, Bruce Pearl and Rick Barnes.

Ron Slay is one of the most dynamic basketball players and personalities in Tennessee basketball history.   Having lived all over the state, he is a TN kid through and through that settled in Nashville where he became a legend.  In Episode 8 of TN Hoop Talk, listen in as Ron shares stories of his high school career at Pearl Cohn, how he almost ended up at the University of Kentucky and how you always have to “shoot your shot.” 

Coach John Wild is a State Winning High School coach and one of the most successful girls’ coaches in Tennessee.  He is one of only 3 coaches to win a state championship in both the girls and boys game in TN history.  In Episode 7 of TN Hoop Talk, Coach Wild shares career advice for young coaches, stories of the great players he has coached and his favorite Meat and Threes from around the state!!

If you like great basketball stories then you need to listen to Episode 6 as TN Hoop Talk host, Matt Kizer, visits with Perry County & Indiana Hoosier Great Kirk Haston.  Haston was a Tennessee Mr. Basketball and All-American at Indiana University under legendary Coach Bobby Knight.  He was selected 16th by the Charlotte Bobcats and later went on to coach at his Alma Mater, Perry County HS, where he took his team to a pair of State Tournament appearances.  

Listen to Episode 6 as Kirk tells us stories of his incredible HS State tournament run, being recruited in a small town and his career at Indiana.  Plus, we learn about his current role as a TN State Representative.

In episode 5, host Matt Kizer sits down with All Around Game owners and cousins, Spencer and Jamal Richardson, to talk about their love of basketball and the business that they have built around the sport.

Spencer and Jamal Richardson play a very vital role in the development of many of Nashville’s best basketball players.  As owners of All Around Game, a Basketball training business, they have built an elite client base and continue to pour into their native city.  Join us on Episode 5 of TN Hoop Talk as they talk about their playing days at Maplewood, how they got their business started and what it was like having their first long time client, Darius Garland, drafted in the first round of the NBA Draft.

Follow All Around Game on Twitter - HERE. 

In episode 4 of Tennessee Hoop Talk, host, Matt Kizer sits down with former Goodpasture High School and Vanderbilt Commodore, Drew Maddux.  Maddux is basketball royalty in Nashville.  He is a member of one of the most memorable playing duos in TN high school history who later fulfilled his dream of playing for his hometown Vanderbilt Commodores. Listen as he shares stories from his basketball past , his current experiences coaching at CPA and his role in developing the Next Level Hoopfest, a premier holiday tournament in Nashville, TN.