Texas head men's basketball coach Shaka Smart is the latest guest of The Upside Podcast with Adam Finkelstein. In this wide-ranging conversation, Shaka and Adam talk about the recent signing of five-star prospect Greg Brown III, not only discussing what he brings to the Longhorns but the added challenge of recruiting against the NBA G-League to get him, the dynamics of coaching and building lifelong relationships with potential one-and-done caliber talent, and a frontline which should be one of college basketball's best next season. They also discuss Smart's significant coaching tree, his daily habits amidst these uncertain times, passion for reading, and book recommendations.

Chris Herren was once a childhood basketball prodigy who battled addiction throughout a career that went from Durfee High School to the Boston Celtics. He's been drug and alcohol free since 2008 and, in that time, has developed into one of the nation's most recognizable speakers on issues of addiction and mental health while also building three organizations - Herren Talks, Herren Wellness, and Herren Project - dedicated to substance use prevention and recovery. In this conversation, Herren discusses the unique challenges and implications presented by the coronavirus, not just to those battling addiction but to so many others who are struggling with mental health right now.

ESPN National Recruiting Director Paul Biancardi joins us on this special edition as we break down top recruits Jalen Green, Cade Cunningham and Evan Mobley as well as other top players as part of the ESPN 100 final listing for this season.

The Last Dance is a highly anticipated sports documentary miniseries profiling the 1997-98 Chicago Bulls and their season long quest for a sixth NBA championship. With Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Toni Kukoc, Dennis Rodman, and Steve Kerr are some of the most recognizable names on that roster, current Southern Connecticut State University head coach Scott Burrell was also a key member of the rotation after joining the team the previous season. In this episode of The Upside Podcast he gets candid about playing on that legendary team as well as alongside arguably the greatest player to ever play the game.

Dr. Joe Carr is perhaps the most well-known sports psychologist in the world of basketball. With over 30 years of experience in clinical, sports, and community psychology, Dr. Carr is a co-creator of the NBA's "Rookie Transition Program" and has worked privately with individuals including Lebron James, Carmelo Anthony, Allen Iverson, and Victor Oladipo. He has also worked with numerous high-profile college basketball programs including Kentucky, Notre Dame, UConn, Florida State, Texas A&M, Arkansas, Clemson, Georgetown, Arizona State, Auburn, California, Washington, Texas, Marquette, Missouri, Oregon, and Penn State among others.

In this conversation how Dr. Carr went from a youngster who had to stay back SIX times to the prominent doctor he is today. We also discuss his his unique approach and work with players, coaches, and parents alike. Finally, we wrap up with a discussion about the current coronavirus pandemic and how players and coaches can best deal with these trying times. Along the way, Dr. Carr shares actionable advise and numerous stories about some of basketball most well-known players and coaches.

This was the season that Pat Chambers, his staff, and program had been building towards for literally the better part of the last decade. They were a ranked within the top ten programs in the country at one point this winter and a virtual lock to hear their name called on Selection Sunday. Of course, after the season's abrupt end due to the coronavirus, they never got that chance to hear their name called.

In this conversation, we explore into the process of one of college basketball's most notable rebuilding efforts in recent years - the patience that was required, the unique recruiting philosophy, and the gradual linear progression that led to this year. We also explore the coach behind it all - his habits, routines, books, and what he's doing with this new, unprecedented time.

Georges Niang had just finished warm-ups with the rest of this Utah Jazz teammates last Wednesday, March 11th when officials ran onto the floor at Oklahoma City to stop the game before the opening tip. The next 24-hours essentially shut down the sports world as the NBA suspended their season, college basketball conferences tournaments were cancelled one by one, the NCAA tournament was cancelled, and then essentially every major professional league in the country. During that time though, the Utah Jazz players were going through a whirlwind of emotions themselves as they were masked, stuck in their locker-room, tested, left to wonder who had been exposed, and ultimately quarantined for two weeks.

This interview doesn't just focus on the last ten days though, but the better part of the last ten years as Niang has gone from a player that many thought wasn't a D1 athlete to a one who had one who scored 2,000 points in high school, won a national prep championship, AAU national championship, and Nike EYBL championship. He was a two-time All-American at Iowa State and finished as the second all-time leading scorer in program history. He bounced around to three NBA franchises and G-League teams before setting in with the Jazz in recent years and has played with the likes of Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Donovan Mitchell among others.

Dayton sensation Obi Toppin is poised to help his Flyers make a deep run in this year's NCAA Tournament while being projected as a potential National Player of the Year and future lottery pick. Toppin's growth on the hardwood has been far from an overnight success.

Adam catches up with Mt. Zion Coach Roderick Harrison and New York Jayhawks Executive Director Jay David. Both coaches had Toppin in their programs and discuss the recruiting and development of the sophomore sensation.

The basketball world and beyond was rocked this week by the loss of Kobe Bryant, his daughter, and 7 others in a tragic helicopter accident over the weekend. One person who got unique access to Kobe and a look at his process was Mike Procopio, who worked directly for Kobe for the better part of four years as his Strategic Game Management Coach. That relationship has been captured by the likes of ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Yahoo Sports, and numerous others over the years, and this week in particular, but in this conversation, Procopio shares the stories, memories, and lessons learned from one of the game's all-time greats.

Miami Heat forward Duncan Robinson came into the new year leading the NBA in both true shooting percentage and effective field goal percentage. Robinson is a New England native who was just 5-foot-7 as a high school freshman but has since grown over a foot. He started his college career at D3 Williams College before transferring to Michigan. He initially went undrafted but signed a two-way contract with Miami last year and has now started 29 straight games for a Heat team that is off to a 26-10 start. In the month of December, Robinson averaged 13.9 points per game while shooting 53% from the field, 50% from the three-point line, and 100% from the free-throw line. His contract will become full guaranteed for 1.3 million this week.