Welcome to the latest edition of Talking Hoops With Ted Sarandis. We’re getting closer and closer to March, so the games are taking on added importance, especially since it looks like we’ll have a wide-open bubble this year.
We’re joined in our first segment by friend and colleague Kevin McNamara of the Providence Journal, who also does a podcast with John Rooke, the voice of the Friars, called This Week in the Big East, available on Westwood One Sports and anywhere that you can pick up podcasts. We start by talking about the season generally, then get to the Big East, a conference with little separation from top to bottom and arguably the least amount of that.
From there, we get into bigger issues than the current season, from the lack of continuity with early NBA Draft entrants and transfers, to how watered down Division I is, along with two things sure to happen now: players being compensated for name, image and likeness and a one-time transfer exemption where players will not have to sit out a year.
We return to the current season to talk about Providence, a team from which more was expected but there was a shaky start and some other growing pains. Now, though, the Friars have won two in a row, and while they haven’t been in a lot of bubble discussions, they can very much make a case, especially if they close out well. Kevin makes the case for them as much as any team in this year of a wide-open bubble.
After our segment with Kevin McNamara, we return to talk about off-court matters like Pittsburgh getting probation and former head coach Kevin Stallings getting a three-year show-cause for violations during his tenure at the school, as well as looking at whether or not referees have eased up on calling the game in such a way as to promote freedom of movement and what impact it may be having on scoring in college basketball.
From there, we look at recent games like NC State blitzing Duke on Wednesday night and Seton Hall winning at the buzzer against Butler, then talk about some great mid-major races as we enter the final weeks of the regular season.
We hope you enjoy the podcast and share it with your fellow college basketball fans. Be sure to tune in again next week as we continue our coverage of the stretch run of the regular season.
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