Breaking News - Bruce Pearl is set to retire. Jon Rothstein reacts! To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From perennial contenders to rising threats, these 10 non-Power Conference programs could make serious noise this college basketball season. We’re breaking down the teams you need to keep an eye on: Gonzaga, San Diego State, Utah State, Saint Mary’s, Memphis, San Francisco, UC Santa Barbara, VCU, Loyola Chicago, and Towson. Find out who’s built for a deep March run, which rosters are reloaded, and why these squads could crash the national conversation. (1:45 )Gonzaga (5:45) San Diego State (8:15) Utah State (10:30) St. Mary's (13:30) Memphis (17:45) San Francisco (21:30) UC Santa Barbara (24:05) VCU (29:20) Loyola Chicago (31:00) Towson To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Every season, some teams outperform the sum of their parts. On today's episode of Inside College Basketball Now, Jon Rothstein identifies which teams five teams those might be. 00:44 - Villanova 07:32 - Ole Miss 11:08 - Syracuse 17:42 - Nebraska 22:55 - TCU To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Every year in college basketball there are teams that make a statement out of nowhere. And every year pundits and fans alike are surprised by these teams. Inside College Basketball has the teams that you need to know about and will be on the rise in 2025 -2026. 01:25 - St. John's 09:57 - BYU 14:47 - Louisville 20:02 - Michigan 24:31 - San Diego State. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jon Rothstein identifies five college basketball teams that should make big jumps in 2025-26. In a crucial year for the ACC's reputation, there are three teams with new head coaches primed for meaningful moves in the right direction. Can the conference return to a strong place in the sport? Jon runs through his five teams representing three different conferences and breaks down coaching changes, roster moves & more. (0:00) Intro + 5 Teams the Should be Vastly Improved (1:50) NC State - Will Wade, Darrion Williams & more (10:59) Miami - Jai Lucas and a brand new roster (16:17) Virginia - Another new coach in Ryan Odom and a matter of when (22:54) Providence - Year 3 for Kim English, looking for first NCAA Tournament (26:59) Washington - a completely new roster, headlined by two USC transfers To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Auburn came within two games of a national championship; however, they fell short. Today, Jon sits down with Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl, who explains how he took last year's team as far as they could go, discusses when Pearl may retire, and why the transfer portal is detrimental to college athletics. 05:19 - Auburn as a top 10 program 08:39 - Last Year's Final Four had the BEST four teams 14:22 - Pearl's impression on this year's roster 18:35 - Bruce Pearl's thoughts on NIL and the transfer portal 24:00- Schedule discussion 28:35 - When will Bruce Pearl retire? To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sometimes, one can learn more from a loss than a win. Jon Rothstein chats with Duke head coach Jon Scheyer about every lesson he learned from losing to Houston. 00:00 - Start 08:40 - What Jon Scheyer told his team after the Houston loss. 15:57 - How Coach Scheyer chose coaching 25:00 - What the future looks like at Duke 33:40 - Scheyer's mindset behind non-conference scheduling To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why has Houston's transition to the Big 12 been so successful? Head Coach Kelvin Sampson joins Jon Rothstein on a new episode of Inside College Basketball Now to discuss that and more. Sampson talks about their success last season, their Final Four comeback against Duke, and their loss to Florida in the Championship. Later, he shares his thoughts on their young roster, Jo Jo Tugler's injury, and the importance of playing big non-conference games before Christmas. 0:00 - Intro 1:00 - Being around family at Houston making the job more fulfilling 3:15 - What it was like to be part of the comeback against Duke in the Final Four 6:00 - Does he teach his players about being men, not just basketball players 8:45 - His message to the team after their loss to Florida 11:00 - Why was the transition to the Big 12 so seamless for Houston? 17:20 - His thoughts on the roster for the upcoming season 22:00 - Update on Jo Jo Tugler’s injury 23:40 - Having a younger team this year 28:30 - Importance of playing a big non-conference game before Christmas 33:15 - One great win and one difficult loss he holds close to his heart 36:20 - What will it take for Houston to get back to the tournament To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Florida head coach Todd Golden sits down with Jon Rothstein to reflect on life after winning a national championship and the unforgettable run that got the Gators there. Golden discusses the emotions of the Elite Eight, key victories over Auburn and Houston, and whether he’s already thinking about a back-to-back title run. He breaks down this year’s roster — from dominant big men to impact transfer guards — and previews the Gators’ challenging non-conference schedule, including a showdown with Kentucky. Golden also opens up about his most memorable win, toughest loss, and the competitiveness of last year’s SEC. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo joins Jon Rothstein for an unfiltered, wide-ranging conversation on the state of college basketball. Izzo opens up about balancing family life with the demands of today’s game, reflects on last season’s team, and explains the fulfillment he gets from maximizing his roster’s potential. He doesn’t hold back on the transfer portal — calling it “way worse than NIL,” criticizing rampant tampering, and admitting the sport has been “too gutless” to fix its own mistakes. Izzo also looks ahead to the 2025–26 roster, addresses shooting improvements, previews marquee non-conference matchups, and shares his thoughts on the new-look Big Ten. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

UCLA Head Coach chats with Jon Rothstein about his impact transfer Donovan Dent, the reason why you need to "get old and stay old" and how NIL and the transfer portal have altered college athletics. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jon talks with the electrifying head coach of the UConn Huskies, Dan Hurley. Jon and Dan delve into the early parts of Hurley's coaching career, examine what went wrong last season, and how things look to change heading into the 2025-2026 season. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Legendary head coach Rick Pitino sits down with Jon Rothstein about forgiving the people at Louisville, his incoming recruiting class and more ! To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On a new episode of Inside College Basketball Now, Jon Rothstein is joined by Louisville basketball head coach Pat Kelsey to discuss the state of the program. Kelsey breaks down the impact some of the transfers, like Aly Khalifa, can make this season, as well as the incoming freshman, like Mikel Brown. Later, they discuss their challenging non-conference schedule as well and the rekindling of old rivalries. Finally, they discuss how the ACC improves and what it will take for the Cardinals to win the ACC regular season title and earn a spot in the 2026 NCAA Tournament. 1:43 - Why do you think you've been so successful as a HC? 2:10 - Who taught Pat Kelsey how to instill culture? 3:38 - How did you flip Louisville's program so quickly? 4:40 - Losing to Tennessee early last season 6:20 - What did you tell the team after you lost to Creighton in the NCAA Tournament? 8:30 - What's the biggest thing you know about being the Louisville HC now that you didn't know before you took the job? 9:45 - Thoughts on the roster 11:45 - Mikel Brown 12:45 - Conwell, McKneely, Wooley --- combined to make 273 three-point shots last season 14:00 - What type of impact can Aly Khalifa make? 15:00 - Which other newcomers could make an impact? 16:00 - Kasean Pryor's progress with his injury and process of being cleared 17:30 - Non-conference schedule this season 18:45 - Rekindling old rivalries 20:30 - Why is playing Kentucky earlier in the season better for CBB 22:00 - Welcoming Rick Pitino back to the KFC Yum Center 23:30 - How does the ACC improve? 25:10 - What’s 1 great win and 1 tough loss he careers with him 25:50 - What has to happen for Louisville to win an ACC regular season title and earn a high seed in the NCAA Tournament? To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jon Rothstein provides a full breakdown of the ACC entering the 2025-2026 college basketball season. The ACC NEEDS to put a third of its teams into the 2026 NCAA Tournament in order to start being viewed as respectable in the power conference landscape. Duke is Duke; they have some of the best freshmen in the country, and returning players who can make a big impact. Louisville’s revival continues under Pat Kelsey. Jon runs through his complete preseason power rankings from top to bottom, with Duke at No. 1 and Florida State rounding out the list. He delivers projected starting fives, key newcomers, and notable departures for every team, along with his picks for preseason Player of the Year, All-ACC First Team, and the sleeper program that could sneak into the top tier. He answers questions from the audience and closes with three key nuggets to keep in mind heading into the year: Louisville’s three perimeter transfer additions will make a big impact, Isaiah Evans’ stock is escalating and Syracuse is looking to return to the tournament for the first time since 2021.  Wall-to-wall ACC hoops. No nonsense. Just Rothstein. 0:00 - Intro  1:45 - Three big things about the ACC 12:50 - Early Projections and Preseason Awards 27:45- All-ACC Preseason First Team 28:11 - ACC Preseason Player of the Year 29:30 - ACC Preseason Sleeper 31:50 - Listener Questions 34:00 - Three things to note about the ACC 34:00 - Three things to note about the ACC  To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Production note: *This episode was recorded on Monday, July 21, prior to Coach Self's hospitalization* The introduction of the transfer portal and NIL has affected everyone, even historically dominant programs like Kansas. Every coach has had to operate differently in new environment. So when a coach like Bill Self wants to sit down and talk about what he's learned. Obviously, you listen. Jon Rothstein sits down with legendary Kansas head coach Bill Self on what to expect in 2025-2026. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jon Rothstein provides a full breakdown of the Big 12 entering the 2025-2026 college basketball season. Houston may be younger than we’re used to, but they’re deep, talented, and right back in the mix for a league title. BYU is heading into the most anticipated season in program history, while Kansas and Baylor — two longtime anchors of the conference — are facing major transitions on and off the floor. Jon runs through his complete preseason power rankings from top to bottom, with Houston at No. 1 and Arizona State rounding out the list. He delivers projected starting fives, key newcomers, and notable departures for every team, along with his picks for preseason Player of the Year, All-Big 12 First Team, and the sleeper program that could sneak into the top tier. He answers questions from the audience in a live chat and closes with three key nuggets to keep in mind heading into the year: BYU’s Richie Saunders averaged 22 a game in the NCAA Tournament, Cincinnati hasn’t danced since 2019, and Baylor, UCF, and West Virginia return zero percent of their scoring from last season. Wall-to-wall Big 12 hoops. No nonsense. Just Rothstein. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jon talks with Creighton's Greg McDermott about his long career, the succession plan with head coach in-waiting Alain Huss and moving forward without impact big man Ryan Kalkbrenner. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We’ve got a lot to get to. St. John’s and UConn are on a collision course. Rick Pitino’s roster looks like a high-major All-Star team, and Dan Hurley is reloading with talent that fits his system like a glove. Those two are headed for fireworks. Shaka Smart? He’s about to face his greatest challenge yet at Marquette. No more Tyler Kolek. No more Oso Ighodaro. This will be a pure coaching job — and it’ll tell us a lot about where the program stands. And then there’s Villanova and Georgetown. Two of the most storied programs in the Big East — and quite frankly, the league needs them to matter. The Big East is better when the Wildcats and Hoyas are in the mix. Jon dishes his full preseason power rankings — from St. John’s at No. 1 to Seton Hall at 11 — along with projected starting fives, key newcomers, and a few names you’re going to want to remember come February. Plus, he hands out his preseason awards, including Player of the Year, All-Big East First Team, and his sleeper pick to shake things up. Jon takes your questions and your takes in the live chat — let’s make this a conversation. And before we wrap, Rothstein has three nuggets you need to know: — Bryce Hopkins averaged 17 and 7 in just three games last year. He’s back and healthy. — It’s been over 1,200 days since Villanova played in an NCAA Tournament game. — And DePaul? Quietly returns nearly 49% of its scoring from last season. Only UConn returns more. Let’s talk Big East basketball. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Arkansas head coach John Calipari gets candid in a wide-ranging interview with Jon Rothstein. He opens up about the state of college basketball today — from the chaos of the transfer portal and why he believes “we’re hurting kids, not helping them.” Calipari explains how he turned around Arkansas last season, how he finally feels like he has a team, and why his '25/'26 squad is built differently — with elite guard play, old-school conditioning, and a schedule he isn’t afraid of. He also shares behind-the-scenes moments from beating Kentucky, the heartbreak of the 2008 title game Kansas loss, and reflects on what drives him heading into the next chapter of his career. From tournament expansion talk to why he’s calling Congress about the transfer portal, Coach Cal holds nothing back. And no — broadcasting is not in his future. This is Calipari unfiltered, and it's a must-watch for any college hoops fan. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices