The Practice Players Podcast

Michael Visenberg covers over a wide array of topics including his role with Pro Insights, who is his GOAT, and the current role length + versatility plays in the modern basketball landscape. Him and The Practice Players breakdown the start to this NBA season, debating which teams will stay hot and which will fall off. 

Michael Visenberg is the Basketball Database Manager of Prospective Insight, a company that specializes in providing grassroots scouting and media coverage. He has covered events including the Nike Hoop Summit, Adidas Global Nations, the Nike Global Challenge, the Les Schwab Invitational, Border League, and the Sports Academy National Cup among many others. Born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and a graduate of the University of Oregon, he has written and covered the NBA Draft extensively and has his eye on multiple levels of basketball.

Prior to Ohio State

• Played in 34 games as a true freshman at Penn State, averaging 2.8 points and 1.7 rebounds per game, while shooting 56.9 percent from the field in an average of 9.4 minutes per contest
• Scored a career-best 12 points on a perfect 4-for-4 effort from the field while adding three rebounds and an assist against Indiana on Jan. 11
• Appeared in both NCAA Tournament games for the Nittany Lions against Texas A&M and Texas
• Was a consensus three-star prospect coming out of Cincinnati’s Archbishop Moeller High School
• As a senior at Moeller, he was a finalist for 2022 Ohio Mr. Basketball, the GCL Conference Player of the Year, the Ohio Player of the Year by Cincinnati.com and a Division I first-team All-Ohio honoree

(from OSU's website)

Danny Cooper is a basketball trainer and content creator. He has clients including Mac McClung (76ers), Brendan Hausen (Villanova), and many more. He documents his journey, using basketball as a vehicle to travel the world and inspire.

2022 AP All-American and current New Orleans Pelican EJ Liddell reflects on his time at Ohio State with The Practice Players. EJ offers some powerful advice from his own experiences for players dealing with social media threats as well as major injuries. With his NBA debut right around the corner, EJ shares what life in the league has been like and what he is looking forward to.

Career Accolades:

High School:

•2x Illinois Mr. Basketball Award Winner

•2019 4 Star Recruit

College (Ohio State):

•2x 1st Team All-Big Ten (2021 & 2022)

•Big Ten All-Defensive Team (2022)

•2022 3rd Team AP All-American

NBA (New Orleans Pelicans):

•41st pick in the 2022 NBA Draft

•Signed a 3 year deal in July 2023 after missing all of the 2022 season with an ACL injury

2022-23 (Freshman):

•Three star recruit out of Princeton High School in Cincinnati, Ohio

•Appeared in seven games in a reserve role

•Scored first career points in a win over Maine (12/21/22)

Career Highlights:

2003-07: Cincinnati Student Assistant

2004-07: Walsh Assistant

2007-12: West Virginia Assistant

2012-17: Fairmont State Head Coach

2017-Present: Youngstown State Head Coach

NCAA Division 2 Runner Up (2017)

Horizon League Coach of the Year (2023)

Horizon League Regular Season Champions (2023)

Jalen Hill was a 4 star recruit in the 2019 class, who spent the last 4 seasons playing at the University of Oklahoma. In 2019-20, Hill started in just one game and played 10.9 minutes for the Sooners. He worked his way up the depth chart, and started every game he appeared in his Junior (2021-22) and Senior (2022-23) seasons. In 2022-23, Hill averaged career highs in minutes (32.7) and points per game (9.7). Hill scored a carrer high 26 points in an upset win versus #2 Alabama (1/28/23). During this game, Hill also held 2023 #2 overall pick Brandon Miller to 4/14 shooting and just 11 points as his primary defender. In the summer of 2023, Hill elected to use his 5th year of eligibility and transfer to UNLV for the 2023-24 season.

Zach Collins is a Las Vegas Native who played at national powerhouse Bishop Gorman High School. After a stellar 2017 March Madness performance with Gonzaga, including a trip to the national title game, Zach Collins went one and done. He was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers with the 10th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. In his 4 years with Portland, Collins was an integral part of multiple playoff teams. Prior to the 2021 NBA season, Collins signed with the San Antonio Spurs. In 2022-23 (with the Spurs), he averaged career highs in points (11.6 per game), rebounds (6.4 per game), assists (2.9 per game), and 3-point percentage (37.4%). 

Coaching Background:

2022-Present – Ohio State Associate Head Coach
2019-2022 – Ohio State Assistant Coach
2017-2019 – Vanderbilt Assistant Coach
2014-2016 – Ohio State Video Coordinator
2012-2013  – Valparaiso  Assistant Coach
2011  – Valparaiso Director of Operations
2010 – Valparaiso Student Assistant

Played collegiately at Valparaiso from 2005-09. Ranked among the Horizon League Top 10 in multiple categories as a senior, finishing fourth in minutes played (33.8/game), sixth in 3-pointers made (1.8/game) and eighth in steals (1.3/game). He finished his Valparaiso career 10th all-time with 130 career steals and 16th all-time with 229 career assists.

Career Honors

• Julius Erving Top 20 Watch List (2023)

• All-Big Ten Honorable Mention (2022)

• All A-10 Third Team (2021)

• A-10 All-Rookie Team (2020)

• CSC Academic All-District (2023)

• Academic All-Big Ten (2023)

Prior to Ohio State:

Played two seasons at George Washington and two seasons at Minnesota. Started 45 of the 47 games he played at George Washington, averaging 13.5 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. As a freshman in 2020-21, set a George Washington single-season record for 3-pointers made (89) and led the A-10 in made 3-pointers (89), 3-point attempts (243) and 3-pointers per game (2.8). In 2020-21, was named All A-10 third team after averaging 17.3 points and 5.2 rebounds per game

Transferred to Minnesota for the 2021-22 season and earned All-Big Ten Honorable Mention honors after leading the team in scoring at 17.5 points per game. In 2022-23, missed the early part of the season with a foot injury but finished with an average of 12.4 points over 27 games.

(Bio from Ohio State's Website)