The Upside with Adam Finkelstein: Recent Episodes
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The Upside with Adam Finkelstein, powered by Yurview. Former NBA scout and college assistant coach Adam Finkelstein talks all things hoops, from recruiting to the NBA and everything in between.
Known as a top recruiter, Earl Grant recently became the 13th head coach at Boston College. Under Grant's leadership the College of Charleston was one of only 21 NCAA Division I schools to have players drafted in both the 2019 and 2020 NBA Drafts. Grant led the Cougars to a top-four finish in the CAA in each of the last five seasons, including the 2018 regular season and conference tournament championship. He also led the Cougars to their first NCAA Tourney appearance in 20 years. Now as leader of the Eagles, Grant looks to bring the passion back to Chestnut Hill as he joins host Adam Finkelstein on The Upside Podcast.
She's a pioneer in the world of grassroots basketball. ReeCee (Aisha) Hollans is the first female in charge of a grassroots basketball circuit. She was born and raised in the Bay Area while winning a state championship at Berkley High School. Highly decorated out of high school she got a full ride at USC. Playing overseas in several countries led her to 'blindly' answering a Craiglist ad that got ReeCee to Nike. Now as a pioneer in the field of Grassroots basketball at Adidas, Ms. Hollans joins host Adam Finkelstein on The Upside Podcast.
He's had to build a brand new coach staff during a pandemic. Agreeing to a 5 year deal Ben Johnson joins his alma mater after spending 3 seasons at Xavier as an assistant coach.
Johnson helped lead Xavier to consecutive top-30 recruiting classes in 2019 and 2020 and the Musketeers posted a collective record of 51-37 in three seasons with him on the bench.
In his previous stint at Minnesota in 2013, Johnson helped recruit local standouts and current members of the Los Angeles Clippers organization Daniel Oturu and Amir Coffey to the Gophers. He also recruited current Gopher Gabe Kalscheur to the Maroon and Gold. Johnson was instrumental in recruiting and developing Jordan Murphy, who finished his career atop the Gopher record books in rebounds (1,307), free throws made (460), free throws attempted (698) and second in scoring (1,802 points).
The sports card trading market is absolutely blowing up right now. If you're hold a Michael Jordan rookie card in a high-grade condition, you are sitting on hundreds of thousands of dollars.
So what (and who) is behind the madness?
Mike Gioseffi is one of the lucky ones who was able to trade in his hammer and construction career and make a go of it in the world of sports cards. His brand, 'Sports Card Nonsense', is now the latest podcast on The Ringer Network and includes an active community on his website and a variety of social media channels.
Mike's been able to take his talents to help both experts and newbies alike help navigate this suddenly hot alternative asset class.
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Rachel Baker may be the most influential person in the world of grassroots basketball that the average college basketball fan has not heard of. She grew up the son of longtime college and professional coach Rod Baker, began interning with Nike shortly after her college graduation and ended up becoming a pioneer for women in the grassroots basketball space. Her current work ranges from working with families to coordinating EYBL events to contributing to Kevin Durant's product line.
In this interview, she talks about her roots and path, obstacles she faced along the way, how her job has evolved, what she envisions for her future, and what her advice would be to the next generation of young women looking to break into this space.
Rebecca Bonner comes from one of the more well known basketball families in New England. She played her college ball at Stanford and Boston University and later had a pro career overseas. After coaching stints at Louisville and Maryland, Becky moved into the administrative ranks. Now, after 4 years as Director of Player Development and Operations with the Orlando Magic she is the leading candidate to become the first female General Manger in the NBA.
The Coaches vs Cancer initiative kicks off this week, January 25-31. Head Coaches around the country will wear sneakers with their suits during games to create awareness for the cause. Current Michigan assistant and long-time St. Joseph's coach Phil Martelli joins us, along with Brian Casalinova from the American Cancer Society to discuss the challenges of fundraising in the current climate. Visit https://suitsandsneakers.org/ for more information on how to support Coaches vs Cancer.
The Ivy League was one of the first conferences to opt out of the 2020-2021 basketball season. In 21 years at the helm in New Haven, Jones has never had a single player transfer. He also has finished in the top four in the Ivy every single season. Yale Head Coach James Jones gives us insight on how the dark period will effect recruiting and his program long term as the nation slowly climbs out of the pandemic. He's still very busy looking at players, learning new aspects of the game all while always trying to continually get better and grow his program.
Mohegan Sun was the host site for one of college basketball's first 'bubbles' in 2020. The sheer size of the property and the amenities that the Uncasville, Connecticut property offered made it alluring for teams to feel they were putting their student-athletes in a safe situation in which to compete. Naismith Hall of Fame Vice President of Basketball Operations, Greg Procino takes us inside the logistics of pulling off the 'minor miracle' of hosting 27 games in these unprecedented times.
He was 5'9" as a high school freshman leading his team to a league title in Massachusetts. A few short years later growing to 6'6" Michael Carter-Williams would become the 2014 NBA Rookie of the Year. Now, this Syracuse University alum is in his 9th year as an unrestricted free agent. In this very special edition of The Upside, Adam and the New England native are joined by his 2 younger brothers, Max Zegarowski currently at Franklin-Pierce and Marcus Zegarowski with the #11 pre-season ranked Creighton Blue Jays. Who won those backyard battles? Who gives who coaching advice? You'll be surprised at some of the answers.
He's recruited for and studied under the likes of Lute Olson and John Calipari. In 2017, Joshua Pastner was named the ACC Coach of the year in just his first year at Georgia Tech. This self-claimed 'gym rat' catches up with Adam as he readies his Yellowjackets while discussing the changes in recruiting rules due to the Pandemic and the academic challenges student athletes faces while trying to fit in at one of the nation's elite engineering schools. As Pastner puts it "you can't hide anyone academically at Georgia Tech. You got to put your hard-hat on to get a degree".
Going into the 2020-2021 season, Pastner has put together his best recruiting class ever. In the always ridiculously talent deep ACC conference, he will need his 5 star player development momentum to keep rolling.
He was one of the most prolific pure shooters in all of college basketball, and still holds the Atlantic 10 record for 3 pointers made from his time playing for his dad at the University of RI. Now, after an 11 year pro career overseas, Jimmy Baron Jr, is retiring from the hardwood as he moves on to a new career at the prestigious IMG Academy as a skills coach.
The Rhode Island native reflects back on his working relationship with his dad while being a mentor to his brother Billy Baron. Plus we hear of Jimmy's experiences playing in Turkey, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Lithuania and Russia.
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Even though he's coached and had success at just about every level in the game, Arkansas head coach Eric Musselman is constantly looking to innovate and learn. As college basketball attempts to push through the Pandemic, the 2nd year Razorbacks coach gives us an idea of his personal and professional experience through an unprecedented summer of racial turmoil in a nation looking to heal.
At the end of the 2019-2020 season, the URI Rams had some serious roster holes to fill. That's when David Cox went to work. Now with the additions of transfers Jalen Carey, Malik Martin, along with the Mitchell twin and others, the new look Rams will be in a position to bolster their depth and play the defense style that Cox has been wanting to play. Not to mention that the new transfer rule was a big help. Plus the DC native and former educator discusses his communication with the Rams on the Black Lives Matter movement from a historical perspective.
Entering his 3rd year as head coach of the Bryant Bulldogs, Jared Grasso has offered nearly 500 scholarships. How does the coach of a mid-major playing in the Northeast Conference expect to land top talent? Find out as host Adam Finkelstein takes a close look at this 'out of the box' approach to recruiting.
He's the man behind the scenes of some of the NBA's biggest stars. Rob McClanaghan has worked with Steph Curry, Derrick Rose, Kevin Durant and John Wall just to name a few. His book 'Net Work' gave fans a unique look at the world of the NBA superstar. McClanaghan's ability to gain the trust and confidence of the game's elite makes him one of the NBA's hottest commodities.
After more than 40 years in the business of being a professional scout, the legendary career of Tom Konchalski is coming to an end. He was the first scout to tell then North Carolina assistant Roy Williams about a talented kid out of Wilmington that he should take a look at. That kid was Michael Jordan. Some say the Missouri native has an photographic memory of players. Adam puts that recall to the test on this very special episode.
Kenny Blakeney took over as head basketball coach at Howard over a season ago and is already having a huge impact, not only on the basketball community at Howard but at the University as a whole. Outside of basketball, Blakeney is an entrepreneur and leader in the black in community. He is currently working with Michelle Obama and Chris Paul's 'When We All Vote' initiative with the goal of increasing black voter registration among young people. When Covid-19 forced students to abruptly leave campus, Coach Blakeney helped implement a virtual fundraiser through the student assistance fund to help students get home and give families that had someone laid-off or furloughed a bit of financial relief. His game plan at Howard is to utilize the brand of Howard to promote academics and basketball as the two can work hand in hand. Blakeney's strategy seems to be working as he is starting to land some of the top recruits in the nation.
There's certainly more to future Hall of Fame coach Bob Huggins than meets the eye. Most fans glimpse of the Morgantown native is that of a hard-nosed sideline general. Those close to Huggins know there's a lot more to understand. Beloved by his players and the coaching community Huggins' road to success is one paved by gritty hard work born into humble origins and a coaching and mentor tree that includes the likes of Lou Carnesecca, Jerry Tarkanian and Al McGuire. His work with the McLendon Minority Leadership Initiative aims to improve the number of minorities scholarships in athletic administration roles. Huggins' accolades include Big 12 Coach of the Year (2015), Three times Conference USA Coach of the Year (1998-2000), Jim Phelan Award (2015), Big East Tournament Championship (2010), five Sweet Sixteens, two Elite Eights and two Final Fours. In this intimate sit-down here's a great chance to get to know one of the greatest college coaches of our time. While 'feeling blessed' for all he has received he still feels like he needs to give more back to others as a result of others giving so much to him.
Bryce Drew came to national attention as a player in the 1998 NCAA tournament as 13 seeded Valparaiso upset 4 seed Ole Miss on Drew's buzzer-beating bomb. Now in his third head coaching job and 1st year with a rebuilding Grand Canyon, Drew discusses the challenges of coaching during Covid-19 while raising a young family and utilizing his strong faith.
Team Takeover CEO Keith Stevens is one of the most influential people in the basketball world that most average fans have never heard of. His Nike sponsored grassroots program is annually one of the nation's best with dozens of alums competing both professionally and in college, and over 20 coaching alums having now moved on to college staffs. Stevens is a mentor to numerous other grassroots directors across North America and has one of the best networks in basketball at any level. Most recently Stevens has taken a leadership role in the fight for social injustice and racial inequality. Team Takeover hosted close to 100 college coaches including 10 or more high-major head coaches and 3 national championship coaches for a 3 day virtual seminar entitled A Long Walk with Team Takeover.
How does a coach get his team ready during a pandemic? USF head coach Brian Gregory sheds some light on the challenges, procedures and pitfalls of navigating pre-season conditioning drills while trying to keep his student athletes safe. Gregory's coaching tree includes Kevin O'Neal, Tom Izzo, Jud Heathcote, and was a former teammate of David Robinson at Navy as they advanced to the Elite 8 in 1986.
21 minority Big East assistants have announced they’ve formed Coaches For Action, a coalition created to use their platform of athletics to educate and bring awareness to social injustices.
Four of the coalition member coaches joined Adam Finkelstein for a live roundtable on The Upside to discuss the initiative.
We welcome Dwayne Killings of Marquette University, Kyle Neptune from Villanova, Kimani Young from UCONN and Ivan Thomas of Providence College.
In 1921 one of the nation's most heinous acts of racial injustice occurred on the streets of Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Tulsa was home to one of the most prosperous African American communities in the country. Nicknamed, 'Black Wall Street', hundreds of black business owners and families flourished. That all came crashing down as the result of an alleged sexual assault in an elevator leading to 3 days of horrific violence and the 'massacre' of more than 300 African Americans.
The anniversary of this event on May 31 has been met with historic coincidence considering our current state of racial tension in America.
Several media outlets including 60 Minutes have reported on this story. LaBron James and Russell Westbrook are producing documentaries on the event.
Today, we get the full account of this event from Phil Armstrong, Project Director of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Centennial Commission.
In the fourth installment of our series 'Race in Sports' the Upside broaches the subject from a slightly different perspective as we look at the sport of college baseball and HBCU's. We welcome legendary coach Roger Cador. Coach Cador is the 'John Thompson' of college baseball when it comes to black leadership. He is also a member of a Major League Baseball task force to improve African-American participation in the sport. Claudell Clark is currently in his 13th season as head coach of Norfolk State University and the Executive Director of the Hampton Roads Sports commission.
They were both teammates and later co-workers on the staff of Mike Krzyzewski at Duke. In the third installment of our series 'Race in Sports' University of Pittsburgh head coach Jeff Capel and Marquette head coach Steve Wojciechowski join Adam. These two friends witnessed through their careers the same situations while looking through different lenses. Today we get their unique perspective on racial injustice and how it's impacted the world of basketball.
During this period of intense racial discord in America, The Upside has looked at some of the black leaders in the community of sports to give us their perspective on these historic events that are effecting every corner of our nation. Today we welcome Missouri Coach Cuonzo Martin to the show.
Not that long ago the names John Thompson and John Chaney were considered the black leaders in the sport of college basketball. Today, Mizzou coach Cuonzo Martin’s name will lead many in that conversation. The ever-humble coach Martin gives us his perspective on current events and how they are impacting his team. Cuonzo also takes us through his journey from East St. Louis, Illinois to Cal Berkley, battles with cancer and now on to the ‘Show Me State’ taking on a role a leader in the community.
Dr. Scott Brooks joined The Upside Podcast in the first of a series of discussions about the racial issues we're facing in this country and how they impact athletes, coaches, and families. Dr. Brooks is the Director of Research at the Global Sports Institute at Arizona State. He is also a senior fellow at the Wharton Sports Business Initiative and the Yale Urban Ethnography Project. He authored the book “Black Men Can’t Shoot” in 2009 and has consulted the NFL and MLB while being cited by the likes of the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Washington Post, and SLAM Magazine.
The son of a well known high school coach in the Cincinnati area, Mick Cronin's (@CoachMickCronin) coaching tree association includes the likes Bob Huggins and Rick Pitino. As a head coach, Cronin has led his teams to 11 NCAA tournament appearances and guided the Bearcats of Cincy to 9 straight bids. Now in his second year as head coach at UCLA Cronin sits down with Adam in this very candid conversation.
CBS Sports college basketball insider Jon Rothstein is the latest guest on the Upside Podcast with Adam Finkelstein. Rothstein is one of the most prominent analysts in all of college basketball and someone that Adam describes as having "an entrepreneurial approach to the media industry" through his use of branding, marketing, customer engagement, and distribution, with the way in which he provides content across multiple platforms. This conversation includes an exploration of that unique approach and how it's been necessary given the way in which the way the media industry has evolved in recent years. Jon and Adam also explore themes of philanthropy, gratitude, and perseverance in exploring Jon's story.
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.
Pittsburgh head coach Jeff Capel just finished his first season at the helm of the Panther program, reflects upon the last twelve months, while also looking back at his time as the associate head coach at Duke in order to share his unique perspective about recruiting at the highest levels, one-and-dones, and much more.
Jordan Brenner has covered the NBA and college basketball for over a decade at places including ESPN, Bleacher Report, and the Athletic. He also founded a site called Giant Killers back in 2006 which accurately projected George Mason's Cinderella run to the Final Four that year and went on to be the foremost authority on NCAA tournament upsets by using a variety of mathematical and statistical models. In this conversation, he gives away some of the secrets to help you with your bracket while also talking about other statistical trends in both the college and NBA games.
Hot off of his victory in the MAAC tournament, Iona Gaels head coach Tim Cluess joins Adam for this special podcast. Coach Cluess will tell us about the importance of conditioning and how that pays off in tournament situations as well as the challenges of getting ready for the Big Dance.
He's served as an Assistant Coach under Mike Krzyzewski at Duke before coaching at Michigan and Seton Hall. Now the head basketball coach at Harvard, Tommy Amaker joins Adam to talk branding, basketball, bonding in the Ivy culture and so much more.
Last year when they were freshly committed to Ed Cooley's Providence College Friars, both David Duke and A.J. Reeves were our first guests this Podcast. Now after 5 games with the program, both Freshman standouts are living up to the hype. Not only are they teammates, they are also college roommates as they are making an immediate impact for coach Cooley currently 2nd and 3rd on the roster in scoring. David and A.J. discuss their adjustment to Big East basketball, being a Friar and a college student in general.
Dean Oliver is considered by many to be the Godfather of Advanced Basketball Analytics. The author of the groundbreaking book "Basketball on Paper", Oliver was the first statistical analyst in the NBA. He has worked in the front office for the Sacramento Kings, Denver Nuggets and Seattle Supersonics. Journey 'inside the numbers' on this special edition of The Upside.
Adam visits with author Shane Snow. Shane is an award-winning journalist, celebrated entrepreneur, and the bestselling author of the books Smartcuts: The Breakthrough Power of Lateral Thinking and DREAM TEAMS: Working Together Without Falling Apart, as well as the co-author of The Storytelling Edge. He is founder-at-large of the content technology company Contently, and is a board member of The Hatch Institute, a nonprofit for investigative journalism in the public interest.
Snow's writing has appeared in Fast Company, Wired, and The New Yorker. He's a fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts and has been called a “Wunderkind” by The New York Times.
Jonathan Givony is in his first year as ESPN's NBA Draft analyst and reporter but established himself as the foremost authority on the NBA Draft long before that. He is the founder and former director of Draft Express and spent the previous two years working with The Vertical at Yahoo Sports. Jonathan has traveled across the globe for the better part of the last decade to personally scout NBA hopefuls and was one of the first people who helped identify current NBA superstar Giannis Antetokuonmpo when he was growing up in Greece.
Fresh off their fifth straight NCAA Tournament appearance, Providence College head coach Ed Cooley sits down with us this week. Adam also discusses some of the recent coaching changes including UCONN's hiring of Dan Hurley, Memphis coach Penny Hardaway and the impact on recruiting of some of these moves.
Bob Walsh has carved a career in the northeast to become one of the most respected coaches in the area. As a former Providence College assistant coach, Rhode Island College head coach and his most recent stint at Maine, Bob now prepares for the next phase of his basketball journey. On this episode, Bob takes us behind the scenes of the NCAA tourney as he travels with Virginia Tech and Buzz Williams to the first round in Pittsburgh.
Brad Wachtel has been described as the best bracketologist you've never heard of. While he may not yet have the national popularity of others that project the NCAA tournament field, his history of being able to predict the bracket is unmatched. In fact, from 2008 to 2010 he was the most accurate of the 170+ people in the country who attempt to do so according to bracketmatrix.com. From 2010-2016, Wachtel took a hiatus from his bracketology calculus as he joined the men's basketball staff at Rutgers University. He returned to the field in 2017 and now posts his projections on his own free site at factsandbracks.blogspot.com as well as interacting with fans on twitter at @bwachtel23....Also in this episode, host Adam Finkelstein goes to the mailbag to answer questions about Creighton, Boston College, and the potential impact on prep school basketball if the NBA should change their one-and-done rule.
Former Marquette and Indiana head coach Tom Crean is the latest guest on the Upside Podcast. In addition to being one of the most well-known college coaches in the country over the course of the last decade, Crean has also proven to be an exemplary evaluator having identified and recruited the likes of Dwayne Wade, Victor Oladipo, and O.G. Anuby when they were both under-rated and under-recruited. In this interview, Crean talks about what he prioritized in the evaluation process while also detailing some of his skill development programs. He goes on to discuss his relationships with some of his players, his thoughts on shot selection, and how much he has learned this year as an analyst for ESPN.
Micah Shrewsberry has been an assistant coach with the Boston Celtics for the last four seasons. Prior to that he was also by Brad Stevens' side during Butler's consecutive Final Four runs and also spent two years at Purdue. While he has now coached at the very highest levels of both college and professional basketball, Shrewsberry's roots were at the small college level as both a player and young coach. In this wide ranging discussion, we talk about everything from his diverse experiences to how the Celtics teach shot selection to his goal of becoming a head coach.
Xavier assistant coach Luke Murray is the latest guest of the Upside Podcast. Murray speaks candidly about what it was like to grow up as the son of one of the world's most famous actors and how his love for the game and current career is rooted in his childhood in many ways. He also traces back his education and evolution in the game while crediting former bosses like Sean Miller and Dan Hurley and simultaneously recognizing how their upbringings were vastly different than his own. Later in the episode Murray discusses his reputation as a top recruiter, the process of educating fans and recruits on the success of Xavier and the Big East, and aspirations of one day being able to run his own program.
ESPN National Director of Recrutiing Paul Biancardi joins Adam as they discuss Duke's big snag of top recruit Zion Williamson, North Carolina's recruiting class. Plus your Twitter questions and more.
There are few basketball professionals that can come close to duplicating the diverse experiences that Stu Jackson has had over the last 30 years. Currently the Big East's Senior Associate Commissioner for men's basketball, Jackson's career also includes stints as a head coach at both the college and the NBA level. He was named the head coach for the New York Knicks when he was just 33 years old after previously serving as Rick Pitino's Associate Head Coach at Providence College. He returned to the college level in 1992 when he was named head coach at the University of Wisconsin. When the NBA expanded into Canada in 1994, Jackson was the first ever hire of the Vancouver Grizzlies and led that organization's front-office for the next 6 years. In 2007, he was named the Executive Vice-President of Basketball Operations for NBA. That unique combination of experiences has provides Jackson with an almost unmatched insight and perspective that he shares on this podcast.
ESPN Insider Jeff Goodman is the latest guest on the podcast and he checks in directly from Lithuania where he is currently covering the arrival of the LaMelo and LiAngelo Ball, the younger brothers of Los Angeles Lake rookie Lonzo Ball, who arrived this week to begin their professional basketball careers. Goodman addresses some popular misconceptions about the amount of coverage geared towards the Ball family and also speaks with his typical candor about the current state of the college basketball media. He talks about how personal relationships impact so much of the current coverage, why his unique style is considered controversial at times, and some regrets he has from years past. Finally, he gives some of us impressions of the current college season to date.
He's won 3 national championships with the UCONN Huskies. He's in the Naismith Hall of Fame. He's none other than Jim Calhoun. On this very special episode Adam and coach Calhoun take us on his basketball journey, philosophies of coaching young players all the way to his next challenge as he takes over at St. Joseph's in West Hartford.
Michael Peck is currently Associate Head Coach at Texas at San Antonio. Once a head coach at Findlay Prep., Michael then moved up to be a D-League head coach and is now a college coach. Mr. Peck is one of the few people who has coached in the pros, college, and high school all within the last few years and brings a contemporary perspective on player development in today's environment.
ESPN's Jeff Borzello joins Adams Finkelstein on the podcast to discuss national recruiting, college basketball results to date, and much more. Borzello and Finkelstein discuss some of the best recruiting classes in the country to date, whether or not Duke has missed anyone they wanted, if Kentucky's recruiting class might actually be their best in recent years, and how Bryce Drew and Vanderbilt were able to pull off the impossible. Then they dive into the college season and talk about Arizona State's rise to the top of the ESPN power poll, Villanova's unique approach, and the early success of programs including Wichita State and TCU among others.
College basketball recruiting expert and host Adam Finkelstein speaks with ESPN NBA Draft Analyst Mike Schmitz. Their conversation ranges a number of topics beginning with Schmitz’ unique path to his current spot as one of the leading experts on the NBA Draft as well as the cumulative evaluation process beginning in the high school ranks and extending all the way through college and into the NBA. Finkelstein and Schmitz also discuss a number of the top freshmen in college basketball and their chances of being the top pick in next June’s NBA Draft. Schmitz also shares his opinions on some of the top European prospects eligible for the 2018 draft. Finally, they discuss some of the top New England prospects at the college level and what their chances might be of making it to the NBA one day.
URI Ram Associate Head coach David Cox catches up with Adam right before the Thanksgiving holiday as Dan Hurley's Rams boast one of top recruiting classes among mid-majors in the nation. It's little wonder why people in Kingston are starting to get very excited.
Mass Rivals teammates and future Friars A.J. Reeves and David Duke talk about their respective commitments to Providence College on The Upside with Adam Finkelstein.
NERR's Adam Finkelstein recaps the 2016 NEPSAC Class A, AA and AAA Championships and previews the 2016 National Prep Championship on The Upside podcast.
Adam Finkelstein gives his insights into NEPSAC Basketball's 2016 Championship Weekend.
Adam Finkelstein recaps the action from the 2016 Hoophall Classic where we saw some of the most talented high school basketball players in the country.
On The Upside, Adam Finkelstein talks with South Kent's Kelvin Jefferson, Bridgton's Whit Lesure, and Northfield Mount Hermon's John Carroll about the 2015 NEPSAC basketball season.
In this episode of The Upside with Adam Finkelstein, Big East basketball coaches discuss the importance of recruiting New England, and how they go about preparing for Kris Dunn.
Adam Finkelstein talks with Worcester Academy and BABC Forward Kevin Marfo, who is set to announce his college basketball commitment between three schools, Boston College, Providence College, and George Washington. Finkelstein then recaps the Elite 75 Frosh/Soph with HoopRootz' A.J. Stokes.
On The Upside podcast, Adam Finkelstein talks with Luc Smith about the summer breakouts on the recruiting trail before speaking with Wenyen Gabriel, who has narrowed his college choice to Duke, Kentucky, Maryland, UConn and Providence.