Hoop Heads

On this episode Mike & Jason discuss Kawhi Leonard’s surprising $115 million extension with the Toronto Raptors and the fallout it leaves behind for the Clippers. They question whether Toronto can contend with Kawhi’s injury history and whether Los Angeles received enough in return for a franchise-altering star. The conversation then turns to Jalen Duren’s contract demands and whether Detroit’s core of Duren, Cade Cunningham, and Ausar Thompson can succeed in the playoffs. They also evaluate young players and rising teams, including Amen Thompson, Keyonte George, the Utah Jazz, and the NBA’s upcoming rookie class. The episode cl...

Michael Martinez is an overseas professional basketball player who currently competes  internationally in Columbia. Michael has also built a bilingual following of 275K+ across Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Snapchat, posting training, game day, and everyday content in English and Spanish.

On this episode Mike and Michael discuss how disciplined training, careful shot tracking, and his father’s guidance helped him develop from a young basketball player into a professional athlete. He explains how making more than 150,000 shots during COVID, practicing with purpose, and maintaining a “next shot” mindset changed his trajectory. The conversation also explores the importance of AAU...

Welcome to the 93rd 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.

September’s Round Table question is:  What’s something about winning that you understand differently now than you did when you first became a coach?

Our Coaching Lineup this month:

On this episode Mike & Jason discuss a slow NBA news week, including potential league expansion to Seattle and Las Vegas and which Western Conference team might move east. They criticize the confusing and expensive ways fans must access local NBA games, arguing that a reasonably priced League Pass-style package would be a better solution. The hosts examine Steve Ballmer’s decision not to challenge the NBA’s punishment of the Clippers and debate what the franchise’s future looks like without full ownership of its draft picks. They continue ranking the best NBA players from each state, selecting players such a...

Bill Taylor is the author of the book, Managing Sports Conflict, and the founder of the Sports Conflict Lab which helps sports professionals navigate conflict, elevate leadership, and build cultures that win with integrity.

Over a remarkable 28-year coaching career in track & field and cross country, including 22 years as a collegiate head coach and administrator,  Bill’s leadership has produced a National Championship (NAIA), 16 Conference Titles (12 NCAA Division I, 4 NAIA), and 28 Coach of the Year honors.

On this episode Mike & Bill discuss why conflict is unavoidable in sports and relationships. Taylor explains how a difficult con...

Nick Nichay is entering his first season at Dartmouth College as a Men’s Basketball Assistant Coach under Brett McConnell.  Nick previously served as the Head Coach at D3 Franklin & Marshall College for seven seasons where he led the Diplomats to consecutive appearances in the NCAA Tournament in 2025 and 2026. Nichay was elevated to head coach in the spring of 2020. He served as the Interim Head Coach at the start of the 2019-20 season after spending the previous seven seasons as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator with Franklin & Marshall.

Prior to arriving at Franklin & Marshall, Nichay spent two...

On this episode Mike & Jason discuss the Clippers/Kawhi Fiasco from every angle, but Kawhi escaping any real punishment is the most shocking aspect of the entire situation. Next, they discuss Ben Simmons signing with the Kings and how far his star has fallen from his early years in the league. Following that, Mike and Jason talk Rockets and the Amen Thompson Rookie Scale Contract extension. They wrap the episode with some quick Cleveland Browns predictions before choosing the best NBA players from Alabama and Alaska.

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Andre Jackson is the producer and director of the documentary Beyond Banners which follows sixty years of Gwynn Park High School basketball, a powerhouse public school program in Prince George’s County, Maryland.  The doc begins as the story of one basketball program and grows into an examination of  what is happening to high school sports on a national level. As school choice, Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) deals, and unrestricted transfers change high school sports, the film asks what communities lose when the players who once carried their traditions leave and go elsewhere.

On this episode Mike...

The 26th 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”.

Website - https://schools.snap.app/bolingbrook...

On this episode Mike & Jason grade each Western Conference team's off-season moves and breakdown their current depth chart as the summer winds down.

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Rommel Corro is the Head Coach and General Manager of the Austin Bats of the American Basketball Association.  He led the Bats to the ABA Championship in the 2025 - 2026 season.  Corro was named the 4th head coach of the Austin Bats in 2018, taking over after the team reached the 2017–2018 ABA Finals.

Originally from the Philippines, Corro played high school varsity basketball in Lamar, Missouri, and is a U.S. Army veteran. Prior to joining the Bats, Corro brought eighteen-plus years of basketball coaching experience, most of it in high-level amateur competition, winning various tournaments and league championships, as w...

Danny Servick founded Pro One Sports in 2003 and built the company into one of the top global agencies in the business. Danny served as an NBA and FIBA agent, provided scouting services for top teams all over Europe, and helped players and coaches all over the world.

Servick ran day-to-day operations for Pro One in the U.S. where he specialized in scouting, recruiting, contract research, negotiations, and draft preparation. He also oversaw player development programs, creating and implementing comprehensive training programs for draft prospects and free agents.

In addition to making an impact on...

On this episode Mike & Jason grade each Eastern Conference team's off-season moves and breakdown their current depth chart as the summer winds down.

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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 in the game.

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Linda Martindale is the Founder of Martindale Coaching where she works with athletes on their mental fitness. Linda has been a head varsity basketball coach for both girls and boys, most recently as the boys’ varsity basketball head coach at Lincoln-Sudbury High School in Massachusetts. She is also the host of the Game Changers podcast and a non-profit board member.

Linda played college basketball at Alaska-Anchorage and The University of Arizona. She has 4 children who have all been college athletes.

On this episode Mike & Linda discuss the integration of mental fitness into athletic development. Martindale st...

CJ Armitage spent last season as a Men’s Basketball Assistant Coach at Simpson College before stepping away from coaching to take a teaching position in Boulder, Colorado.

Armitage previously served as a graduate assistant at the University of Colorado during the 24-25 season following three years as a team manager. While at Colorado, he was part of the program’s winningest season in 2023-24 (26-11). The Buffaloes won two NCAA Tournament games.

Prior to his time in Boulder, Armitage coached high school basketball at International School Bangkok. He has also worked with USA Basketball’s U16...

Welcome to the 92nd 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.

August’s Round Table question is: If every coach in the country had to copy one thing from your program, what would you want it to be?

Our Coaching Lineup this month:

Calvin Booth is the Founder of Standard Front Office and the former General Manager of the Denver Nuggets where he helped build the 2023 NBA Championship Team. Standard Front Office is a real-time, expert-built evaluation of the college basketball player market that is delivered to every program on equal terms.

Calvin has served in NBA scouting and front office positions for the New Orleans Pelicans, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Denver Nuggets, eventually being named general manager of the Nuggets in 2020.

Booth began his front office career after playing 10 years in the NBA. He played his college basketball...

On this episode Mike & Jason are back after nearly a month to discuss LeBron's decision to join the Sixers. We look at how he fits in Philly: the great theoretical starting five, the injury risk, and the very questionable bench led by Dean Wade. Next up, a conversation about the teams that either didn't want (OKC, Spurs, Knicks) or didn't get (Cavs, Heat, Warriors) LeBron. After that, a quick look at the schedule on Opening Night and Christmas Day and which games we like most and why. The episode wraps with Mike choosing a team on the 82-0 app...

Will Marchino is entering his first season as a Women’s Basketball Assistant Coach at the University of Louisiana Monroe. He spent the past three seasons as the head coach at Seward County Community College. He led the Saints to their second consecutive 20+-win season in 2025-26, recording a 57-39 overall record.

Marchino previously spent a season at Washburn as an assistant coach. He began his first stint at Seward in 2020, where he helped the Saints to four Top 25 wins and a finish in the Region VI semifinals.

Marchino spent the 2018 to 2020 seasons at Grand Vi...

Nick Friedman is entering his second season as a Men’s Basketball Assistant Coach at Wake Forest University. He previously served in numerous NBA and G-League coaching roles including four seasons as an assistant coach with the Charlotte Hornets.

Friedman has also worked with the Capital City Go-Go, Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Northern Arizona Suns, Maine Celtics, and the University of Miami during his coaching career.

Since 2017, Friedman has served as the associate head coach for the Haitian National Team and this summer as the newly appointed head coach, led the team to their first ev...

Matt Rogers is the Founder and CEO of Significant Coaching & Recruiting, where he advises student-athletes and families, consults with college athletic programs, and speaks on recruiting, leadership, and personal development. Over a coaching career spanning more than 25 years, he has led men’s and women’s college basketball programs, guided teams to NCAA Tournament appearances, earned multiple conference Coach of the Year honors, and helped transition Maryville University from NCAA Division III to Division II. Rogers also spent nearly nine years with NCSA, where he helped more than 4,000 student-athletes across 34 sports earn opportunities to compete at all five collegiate leve...

Ari Miller is the founder of ASM Performance and a Certified Mental Performance Consultant who helps athletes, coaches, executives, and organizations perform more consistently under pressure. Miller began his career as a college basketball coach, serving on staff at St. Michael’s College, Bryant University, and the University of Vermont. He brings more than 15 years of experience in college athletics as a coach, administrator, counselor, and performance specialist. Miller has developed and led mental health, leadership, and performance programs at several NCAA institutions, including Vermont and Johns Hopkins. In 2024, he began working with New York University Athletics as a me...

Welcome to the 91st 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.

July’s Round Table question is: What's something you've completely stopped doing as a coach that you used to think was essential?

Our Coaching Lineup this month:

On this episode Mike & Jason talk about the rookie class performances in the NBA Summer League. Maleek Thomas of the Cavs has been lighting it up and the top 4 of Dybansta, Peterson, Boozer, and Wilson have all shown why they were thought of as potential franchise players. Mike continues to believe that Caleb Wilson will win the ROY and emerge as the best player from this rookie class in the long run. Next, they discuss Wemby forgoing the 5% All-NBA/DPOY kicker in his max contract and the curious contract that Gary Trent Jr. signed with the Bucks. Mike and...

Malin and Lucas Morrison are the mother-and-son ownership team behind Red Rose Thunder, a professional basketball organization based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. They purchased the franchise in 2020 and have built it into a respected program that has competed in professional and pro-am leagues while helping players pursue opportunities around the world. Malin, who grew up playing basketball in Sweden, serves as the team’s head coach and became one of the first women to lead a team in The Basketball Tournament. Lucas became the youngest general manager in TBT history at age 20, overcoming the challenges of autism and Crohn’s dise...

Ednaija “Nay” Lassiter is the Girls’ Basketball Head Coach at Governors Academy in Byfield, Massachusetts. In addition to her coaching role, Nay is the founder and CEO of Heavy Hearted Convos, a non-profit organization dedicated to mental wellness and fostering open discussions about emotionally challenging topics.

Nay began her coaching career as a graduate assistant at Northeastern University, followed by an assistant coaching position at The College of Charleston.

As a player, Nay played college basketball at the University of Rhode Island and Southern Connecticut State University, earning a degree in Sociology.

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On this episode Mike & Jason debate the merits of Donovan Mitchell's $273 Million - 4 year extension with the Cavs before diving into the possibility of LeBron joining the Cavs. They also discuss Detroit's curious off-season, the Wizards reacquiring Kris Middleton, the summer league debuts of Cam Boozer and Darryn Peterson, and a few other off-season happenings around the league.

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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...

Larry Shyatt is a longtime college basketball coach who spent the final three years of his career with the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA. He spent time as a head coach at both Clemson and Wyoming, making the 2015 NCAA Tournament with the Cowboys.

Shyatt was an assistant at Utah, Cleveland State, New Mexico, Providence College, Clemson, and Florida. Shyatt has worked with legendary coaches throughout his career including Rick Barnes, Billy Donovan, and Rick Carlisle.

Shyatt played two years of college basketball for the College of Wooster before deciding after his sophomore season that he...

Denny McDonnell is entering his third season as a Men’s Basketball Assistant Coach at D3 Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa. McDonnell's extensive coaching career includes serving as the boy's assistant coach at North High School in Des Moines, Iowa and the girls' basketball coach at Valley High School in West Des Moines. He is also the founder of the 4VLegacy development basketball program in Central Iowa, a program dedicated to offering private instructional basketball skill development for young athletes aged 8-18.

On this episode Mike & Denny discuss the challenges and rewards of coaching at both high sc...

On this episode Mike breaks down the LaMelo Ball, Kawhi Leonard, and Ja Morant trades before diving into LeBron's decision to leave the Lakers. It appears this was in the making for a while given how quickly the Lakers pivoted to trading for Walker Kessler and signing Grimes, Mamu, and Sexton. Mike shares his thoughts on each of the possible LeBron destinations: Golden State, Cleveland, and Miami. Finally, Mike talks Jaylen Brown and the Celtics possibly parting ways even as the Celtics add Mitchell Robinson and Mike Conley.

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Terry Awls is the General Manager of the Glass City Wranglers, an affiliate professional basketball franchise of the Basketball Super League. Awls also serves as the Director of Basketball & Recruiting for Hopson Elite, an AAU Program based in Toledo, Ohio.

Terry previously served on the Lourdes University men’s basketball staff and as the state director in Ohio for US Amateur Basketball, one of the largest travel/AAU associations in the country.

On this episode Mike & Terry discuss his transition from coaching to an administrative role, highlighting significant achievements such as leading the Wranglers to th...

Matthew Malc is the Boys' Varsity Basketball Head Coach at Yeshiva of Flatbush in Brooklyn, New York. He previously served as an assistant coach for the Ranney Panthers, a top-ranked New Jersey high school team that was also ranked #4 in the nation. Matthew has coached over forty Division 1 basketball players with multiple players going on to play in the NBA or professionally overseas. Malc also was the Gold Medal Head Coach of the 2022 U18 U.S. National Team at the Maccabi Games. He began his coaching career under the legendary Morgan Wooten at DeMatha High School in Hyattsville, Maryland.<...

On this episode Mike and Jason share their thoughts on the Giannis trade from the perspective of both the Bucks and Heat. Next they look at the main storylines from the draft including the top 4 picks going as predicted, the Clippers taking Keaton Wagler at 5, New Mavs Coach Dusty May grabbing Morez Johnson, and the Bucks picking Brayden Burries and Nate Ament. They briefly touch on the ridiculous Trae Young contract and what the Wizards may have been thing before wrapping up with a quick breakdown of Micah Nori's bizarre contract to become the Blazers' Head Coach.

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RJ Bell is entering his fourth season as an assistant coach and sixth season on staff for the Duquesne University Women's Basketball Team. After a two-year stint as a graduate student, Bell was promoted to assistant coach ahead of the 2023-24 season.

In his first season as offensive coordinator, Bell helped transform Duquesne into one of the top three-point shooting teams in the Atlantic 10 during the 2025-26 season.

Bell joined the staff after wrapping up his collegiate playing career at Geneva College. He played in all 65 games over his final three seasons with the Golden...

Welcome to the 90th 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.

June’s Round Table question is: What's the most valuable coaching lesson you've learned from someone who wasn't a basketball coach?

Our Coaching Lineup this month:

On this episode Mike and Jason look back at the 2026 NBA Finals between the Knicks and Spurs.

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Give With Hoops is...

The 25th 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”.

Visit our Sponsors!

Give With Hoops

Give With Hoops is a groundbreaking initiative that fuses basketball analytics...

Matt Elkin is in his second season with the Stanford men's basketball program and his first as assistant coach. Elkin spent 2024-25 as assistant recruiting coordinator at Stanford before spending one season at Columbia in 2025-26 as an assistant coach.

Elkin arrived at Stanford in 2024 after spending the previous four seasons at Yale as director of basketball operations. Concurrent with his role at Yale, Elkin has served as an assistant coach with Team USA with the under-18 team. He helped lead the American delegation to a gold medal at the 2022 World Maccabiah Games. Matt is also the...

On this episode Mike and Jason break down the 2026 NBA Finals following Game 3 between the San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks.

Visit our Sponsors!

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 in the game.

D3 Direct Recruiting Playbook

Hoop Heads...

Andy Stark is entering his 5th season as the Head Men’s Basketball Coach at D2 D'Youville University. The Saints advanced to the East Coast Conference Semifinals in 2026 and continued the program’s upward trajectory since Stark took over the program in June of 2022.

Stark previously served one season on the Baylor men's basketball staff under Scott Drew. During his time with the Bears, Stark helped the team to a 27-7 record, winning the 2021 Big 12 Championship and making it to the NCAA March Madness Round of 32 as a No. 1 seed.

Prior to his time with the...