Hoop Heads

Nick Lorensen just completed his second season on the La Salle University Men’s Basketball Staff as a graduate assistant under Fran Dunphy in year one and Darris Nichols in year two. Lorensen previously spent time on the sidelines as a coaching intern at Queens University (N.C.). Prior to his time at Queens, Lorensen had a focus on the media side of sports, with positions including scouting at The Portal Report, working as a Communications & Marketing Intern for the Bowie BaySox, and working as a communications intern for UMBC.

On this episode Mike and Nick discuss hi...

On this episode Mike and Jason preview the 2026 NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks.

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Give With Hoops is a groundbreaking initiative that fuses basketball analytics with modern sponsorship. Built for teams who see data as opportunity, from AAU programs to college powerhouses. By tying on-court performance directly to community and sponsor engagement, Give With Hoops help programs raise more while deepening support from those who believe in the game.

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Kip Ioane just completed his second season as the Head Boys’ Basketball Coach at South Salem (OR) High School where he has led the Saxons to a 34-19 record . Ioane previously served as the head coach of the men’s basketball team at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon for 14 seasons and as an assistant for 8 seasons.

Ioane also attended Willamette as a student-athlete and played for the Bearcats from 1997-98 through 2000-01. He was a two-year captain who earned a total of four letters while playing at Willamette.

Ioane's Teams Of Men Character Development program has...

Dr. Daniel Jacobsen is the founder of MindFit, helping coaches and parents build mentally tough athletes through proven sport psychology training. Daniel has spent 8 years working directly with high school, collegiate, and elite athletes not in a lab, not in an office, but on the court, in the locker room, and in the high-pressure moments that define seasons.

On this episode Mike & Daniel discuss the impact of mental training on athletic performance. Jacobsen emphasizes the significance of meditation within teams, citing historical examples from the championship-winning squads of Phil Jackson, who employed meditation to enhance team cohesion...

On this episode Mike and Jason discuss the Cavs' dismal performance against the Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals. They break down the Cavs' defensive issues, the James Harden experience, Kenny Atkinson, Evan Mobley, and whether Donovan Mitchell can be the best guy on a title team (no). Then they look into all the potential strings the Cavs could pull to change up the roster including LeBron and Giannis. Finally, they look ahead to tonight's Game 6 between the Spurs and Thunder.

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Maureen Hirt is the Women’s Basketball Head Coach at Denison University where she led the Big Red to the D3 National Championship in 2026. On their way to the title, the Big Red took down two unbeaten squads and became the first NCAC team to win the national championship since DePauw in 2013.In her 4 seasons at Denison Hirt has compiled a 75-36 overall record

Hirt came to Denison after spending the previous season as the Associate Head Coach at Oberlin College, her third year on staff as an assistant for the Yeowomen. During her second year at Ob...

Diana Cutaia is the founder of Coaching Peace and the author of the new book, "Protect Your Confidence", a year long journal style book in which Diana shares why confidence isn’t something you build It’s something you protect. In the book, readers will rediscover the confidence they’ve always had and protect it from the noise that tries to chip away at it.

Diana's coaching experience includes serving as the head women's basketball coach at Curry College and as assistant women's basketball coach at Mount Holyoke College. She was also the head women's basketball coach at Nor...

On this episode Mike and Jason discuss the Cavs' destruction of the Pistons in Game 7 in Detroit. Next, they look ahead to the Knicks-Cavs Eastern Conference Finals before breaking down the Thunder-Spurs series out West.

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Give With Hoops

Give With Hoops is a groundbreaking initiative that fuses basketball analytics with modern sponsorship. Built for teams who see data as opportunity, from AAU programs to college powerhouses. By tying on-court performance directly to community and sponsor engagement, Give With Hoops help programs raise more while deepening support from those who believe...

Easton Bazzoli is the Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Gannon University where he led the Golden Knights to the 2026 Division 2 National Championship. In two seasons as the head coach Bazzoli has compiled a 61-10 overall record. He spent one season at Gannon as an assistant to Jordan Fee in 2023-24 where he helped the team to a record of 32-3 and an appearance in the Elite Eight.

Bazzoli Previously served as an assistant at Union University, helping guide the Bulldogs to a 96-71 record during his six seasons at the school.

Bazzoli played his co...

Welcome to the 89th edition of the Coach’s Corner Round Table on the Hoop Heads Podcast. Each episode of the Coach’s Corner Round Table will feature our All-Star lineup of guests answering a single basketball question. A new Coach’s Corner Round Table will drop around the 15th of each month.

May’s Round Table question is: If one of your former players became a coach, what’s something you hope they’d steal from you...and something you hope they wouldn’t?

Our Coaching Lineup this month:

On this episode Mike and Jason discuss the Spurs convincing win over the Wolves in Game 5 following Wemby's Game 4 ejection. Next they briefly look at the Thunder's beat down of the Lakers. Then they shift their attention East to discuss the Pistons offensive challenges, the Cavs guards up and down postseason, and some potential adjustments for each team heading into Game 5. After that, they discuss the Knicks sweep of the Sixers and the continued health issues for Joel Embiid. They wrap up the pod with some quick reactions to Sunday's lottery results.

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Wayne Mays is the Executive Vice President of Training & Development and Revenue at Basketball Training Systems, a full-service platform that provides everything that is needed to own and operate a successful youth basketball business. In his role at BTS Wayne leads the creation and execution of scalable basketball training systems across all academies nationwide. His focus is on standardizing operations, strengthening sales processes, and building structured training platforms that ensure consistency and growth across every location. Wayne is committed to using basketball to develop confidence, discipline, and life skills in young athletes.

On this episode Mike & Wayne...

Sherry Levin is the author of the new book “Pre-Game: A Winning Mindset”. Sherry is a trailblazer in the world of sports and leadership. From being the all-time leading scorer at Holy Cross College to becoming an internationally recognized basketball coach, Sherry’s career reflects her passion for resilience, teamwork, and positivity.

Sherry has been inducted into four Hall of Fames (Holy Cross, Newton North High School, New England Basketball, and Jewish Heritage Athletic). Her coaching record is 420-97. She has won 82% of her games and has earned multiple New England Championships.

Sherry has mentored top-ti...

On this episode Mike and Jason discuss the Cavs winning Game 7 against Toronto behind a huge 3rd quarter from Jarrett Allen. They also break down the Pistons beating the cold shooting Magic to come back from 3-1 down and the Sixers winning Game 7 in Boston to do the same. Next they turn their attention to the 4 Conference Semi-finals and look ahead to the matchups before making predictions for each series.

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Mike Williams is the Head Women’s Basketball Coach at Grand Valley State University where he just led the Lakers to back to back D2 National Championships in 2025 and 2026. In his 11 years at the helm of the Laker program, he has amassed a 314-50 (.863) overall record and a 188-28 (.870) record in the GLIAC. He has led the Lakers to six GLIAC regular season titles, four GLIAC Tournament titles, four Midwest Regional titles, and two National Championships.

This is the second stint for Williams at GVSU, as he was an assistant coach with the Lakers from 2002-2007, which in...

George Michalowski is the President and Co-Founder of The Portal Report which was started 2022 with the goal of creating a media outlet completely focused on the transfer portal recruiting scene. Michalowski has worked directly with more than 150 college basketball staffs in their transfer portal recruiting process. The Portal Report strives to present the most complete and comprehensive coverage of the college basketball transfer portal recruiting world.

On this episode Mike & George discuss the evolving landscape of college basketball recruiting, particularly in the context of the transfer portal. Michalowski shares how the recruitment process has undergone a paradigm...

On this episode Mike and Jason discuss the unpredictable Eastern Conference including the Celtics Game 5 loss to Joel Embiid and the Sixers, the Knicks up 3-2 on Atlanta, the Magic on the brink of eliminating the #1 seed Pistons, and the Cavs recurring playoff nightmares. Next, they quicky break down the Spurs and Thunder first round wins before discussing Denver's chances for a 3-1 comeback against the Wolves without Ant and DiVincenzo. The episode ends with Mike's prediction of a 3-0 comeback for the Houston Rockets!

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Dyami Starks is one of the Midwest’s premier basketball trainers. His approach to training combines professional-level insights with data-driven development strategies. Starks also serves as the player development coach for All Iowa Attack, the director of Starks Elite AAU program, and as an assistant women’s basketball coach at The College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, Minnesota.

Dyami was a Division I standout at Bryant University and enjoyed a professional career that included stops in Australia, Kazakhstan, Turkey and Latvia.

On this episode Mike and Dyami discuss the metaphorical totem pole of recruitment, and how...

Colin Doss just completed his first season as the Head Boys’ Basketball Coach and Assistant Athletic Director at Murray High School where he led the Tigers to a 21-8 record and was named the 2026 KABC Region 1 Coach of the Year.

Doss guided the program to a 2026 2A Sectional Championship, Murray High School’s first 2A title in school history and led the largest turnaround by a first-year head coach in the state of Kentucky as the team improved from 9 - 19 in 2024–2025.

Colin previously served as the Head Men's Basketball Coach at John Melvin College in 2024-25 af...

On this episode Mike and Jason discuss the Tuesday night Game 2 wins by the Sixers over the Celtics and the Blazers over the Spurs. Why does Boston keep firing threes? When will Wemby be able to return after his concussion? Next they look at the Cavs 2-0 lead over the Raptors, the Nuggets/Timberwolves battle, and the Knicks issues vs the Hawks. Finally, they talk about the resurgent Magic taking Game 1 from the Pistons, OKC routing the Suns, and why the Lakers might actually be able to beat the Rockets even without Luka and Reaves.

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Marcus Kahn is the Head Men’s Basketball Coach at the University of Mary Washington where he just led the Eagles to the 2026 NCAA Division Three Men’s Basketball Championship in Indianapolis. Kahn also took the Eagles to the NCAA Tournament second round in 2023 and the sweet 16 in 2025.

Prior to Mary Washington Kahn posted a 153-27 record in six seasons at Cabrini College, including five consecutive Colonial States Athletic Conference championships and NCAA Tournament appearances, including a run to the NCAA Championship game in 2011-12. His mark of 131-19 over those five years was the best record in a...

Welcome to the 88th edition of the Coach’s Corner Round Table on the Hoop Heads Podcast. Each episode of the Coach’s Corner Round Table will feature our All-Star lineup of guests answering a single basketball question. A new Coach’s Corner Round Table will drop around the 15th of each month.

April’s Round Table question is: What is an untapped area of player development that you've started to spend more time working on with your players?

Our Coaching Lineup this month:

On this episode Mike and Jason discuss the last day of the season oddities that shifted some of the play-off seeding before diving into a breakdown of the Play-In games in both conferences. They wrap up with quick predictions for each of the first round series that are already locked in: Cavs-Raptors, Hawks-Knicks, Nuggets-Wolves and Rockets-Lakers.

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Give With Hoops

Give With Hoops is a groundbreaking initiative that fuses basketball analytics with modern sponsorship. Built for teams who see data as opportunity, from AAU programs to college powerhouses. By tying on-court...

Fonzo Martinez is the Boys’ Basketball Head Coach at McKinney Christian (TX) Academy where he led the Mustangs to a Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools 4A State Championship in 2026. With over a decade of coaching experience, including five years at McKinney Christian, Martinez is the winningest coach in school history.

Fonzo previously served as the Head Coach at Flower Mound (TX) Coram Deo, where he also became the winningest coach in school history. Over his career, he has helped lead teams to five district championships, four state tournament appearances, and two state titles. He has be...

Austen Hurley is a high school basketball coach in South Dakota. Austen has served as a head coach at Parker (SD) High School and as an assistant coach at Tea (SD) High School where he helped the team make three consecutive South Dakota State Basketball Championship Appearances and win 2 South Dakota State Championships. He was named assistant coach of the year in 2019. At the time of this episode Austen is currently searching for a new head coaching position.

On this episode Mike and Austen discuss the importance of fostering positive relationships with players, emphasizing the need for...

On this episode Mike is joined by Arapahoe (CO) High School Assistant Coach Erik Buehler to talk about the Nuggets' Playoff chances, why Jokic should win the MVP, and the improvement in the Nugget's bench this season. Next, they look at all the potential playoff matchups in the West. The conversation covers the Eastern Conference playoff picture including the impact of James Harden on the Cavs, the potential of the Boston Celtics, Joel Embiid's health and the importance of coaching in the playoffs.

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Freddie Owens is the author of the book “Echoes of Stark Park” which tells his story of basketball, community, and faith. Owens takes readers from the heart of Milwaukee’s north side to the pressure of the Big Ten and the isolation of professional basketball overseas, revealing the lessons that shaped him far beyond the game.

Freddie is a veteran NCAA Division I coach with over 20 years of NCAA Division I coaching experience, including stints at Oregon State, Iowa State, Montana and Holy Cross.

As a player at Wisconsin, Owens delivered one of the most iconic...

Mark Cascio is the Director of Coach Development at SAVI Coaching where he has partnered up with Founder Tyler Coston to provide community, courses, and consulting to coaches across the world.

Mark is a championship basketball coach with eighteen years of coaching experience at the both the high school and college level. During this time, his teams have won eight district titles, appeared in five Final Fours, and won a State Title in 2012. He was a head coach at the age of 21 and was the youngest coach to win a state championship in Louisiana at the age...

On this episode of the Hoop Heads Podcast Mike and Jason celebrate April Fool's Day by discussing some teams and players that had us fooled this NBA season including Jayson Tatum and the Celtics, Kon Knueppel and the Hornets, Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs, Doc Rivers and the Bucks, Evan Mobley, Zion Williamson, plus Matt Ishbia and the Suns.

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Give With Hoops is a groundbreaking initiative that fuses basketball analytics with modern sponsorship. Built for teams who see data as opportunity, from AAU programs to college powerhouses...

Kevin Connors is the Managing Director at Susan Crown Exchange, where he oversees grantmaking, leads new initiatives, and co-develops organizational strategy.

Kevin has helped lead the Million Coaches Challenge, a national initiative launched by the Susan Crown Exchange in 2021 to transform youth sports by training one million coaches in evidence-based youth development practices. Backed by 18+ partners, including the Aspen Institute’s Project Play and research led by the American Institutes for Research, the Million Coaches Challenge is transforming youth sports by equipping coaches with the information and tools to create positive, inclusive environments that help young people bu...

Karl Barkley is the founder of D3Direct. D3Direct exists to share the stories of NCAA Division 3 student-athletes and explore their journeys from recruit to the real world.

D3 Direct is the go-to source for info & advice on D3 recruiting, admissions, and post-grad ventures.Karl speaks directly to D3 student-athletes and coaches to learn about their college experiences and share those takeaways through the D3Direct Platform.

Karl played his collegiate basketball at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania where he was a team captain for two seasons.

On this episode Mike and Karl...

On this episode of the Hoop Heads Podcast Mike and Jason discuss the red hot Hawks and Lakers while trying to figure out if role player Lebron is sustainable into the playoffs. Next, they talk about Cade Cunningham's collapsed lung and the possibility that there could be a silver lining for the Pistons. After that they take a closer look at Wemby and the Spurs' chances of winning the NBA Title followed by some speculation on where Giannis may end up next season. They wrap up with a quick discussion of Ant's injury and Reed Sheppard joining the starting...

The 24th edition of “The Triple Double” with Rob Brost, Bolingbrook (IL) High School Boys’ Basketball Head Coach. Rob, Mike, & Jason hit on three basketball topics in each episode of “The Triple Double”.

Ryan Kilbane just completed his first season as the Boys’ Basketball Head Coach at Strongsville High School in the state of Ohio.

Prior to Strongsville Kilbane spent the previous seven seasons at Brunswick High School as the junior varsity head basketball coach (117-35 overall record) and an assistant coach on the varsity staff for Coach Joe Mackey. He also held those same positions at Strongsville High School for five seasons prior to his coaching experience at Brunswick.

On this episode Mike & Ryan discuss why the foundation of a successful team lies in the connections formed am...

On this episode of the Hoop Heads Podcast Mike goes Han Solo to share his thoughts on 5 NBA topics.

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Welcome to the 87th edition of the Coach’s Corner Round Table on the Hoop Heads Podcast. Each episode of the Coach’s Corner Round Table will feature our All-Star lineup of guests answering a single basketball question. A new Coach’s Corner Round Table will drop around the 15th of each month.

March’s Round Table question is: When players look back years later, what do you hope they remember most about playing for you?

Our Coaching Lineup this month:

Edwin B. Henderson II is the author of the book, The Grandfather of Black Basketball: The Life and Times of Dr. E. B. Henderson. Henderson is the grandson and namesake of Dr. E. B. Henderson who organized the first athletic league for Blacks, introduced basketball to Black people on a wide-scale, organized basis, and founded associations to train and organize Black officials and referees. He also wrote and co-edited the first Spalding publication that highlighted the exploits of African American participation in sports and authored The Negro in Sports. Outside of athletics, Henderson was instrumental in founding the first...

On this episode of the Hoop Heads Podcast Mike and Jason discuss Bam Adebayo's 83 point game against the tanking Wizards. Next, they analyze the impact of Jayson Tatum's return on the East playoff picture, before breaking down the SGA, Jokic, Wemby 3 man MVP race.

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Give With Hoops is a groundbreaking initiative that fuses basketball analytics with modern sponsorship. Built for teams who see data as opportunity, from AAU programs to college powerhouses. By tying on-court performance directly to community and sponsor engagement, Give With Hoops help programs...

Matthew Bowman and Wayne LeCheminant are the co-authors of the new book, Game Changers: AJ Dybantsa, BYU, and the Struggle for the Soul of Basketball.

In one of the most unlikely coups in college basketball history, a religious school in Utah signed basketball phenomenon AJ Dybantsa. He will play for Brigham Young University - hardly the sort of basketball powerhouse that typically attracts exceptional and non-Mormon players like him.

Game Changers explores how BYU managed this stunning feat. A year before signing Dybantsa, the university lured coaching star Kevin Young from the NBA to run...

Zach Brandon is the founder of MVP Mindset Consulting and a trusted advisor for professional athletes, coaches, executives, and organizations seeking to maximize performance and build sustainable cultures of excellence. Zach previously served as the Mental Skills Coordinator for the Arizona Diamondbacks from 2018 – 2025 where he oversaw mental performance services for players and staff across all levels of the organization. His focus was on helping players and coaches achieve peak performance consistently, while also increasing their enjoyment and satisfaction in sport and life.

Prior to his work in professional baseball, Zach served as a Mental Conditioning Coach at IM...