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Turning basketball analytics into fundraising impact. Every stat tells a story — and now, every story drives sponsorship, engagement, and team growth.
This Week’s Hoop Heads Podcast Episodes
KEVIN CONNORS – MILLION COACHES CHALLENGE LEAD & MANAGING DIRECTOR AT SUSAN CROWN EXCHANGE – EPISODE 1232
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 build confidence, belonging, and life skills through sport.
TEAMS & PLAYERS THAT HAVE MADE US FEEL FOOLISH THIS SEASON – EPISODE 1233
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.
MARK CASCIO – DIRECTOR OF COACH DEVELOPMENT AT SAVI COACHING – EPISODE 1234
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 of 26. Mark’s tireless work ethic and quest to be a lifelong learner has provided him with resources he is eager to share. He is passionate about helping build better programs, coaches, and players through innovative concepts on the court and implementing championship systems off the court.
This Week’s Coaching Articles
This article highlights how Mike Neighbors intentionally tracked and reflected on his coaching mistakes to improve as a leader. His biggest lesson was that even well-intentioned decisions, especially around roles and communication, can backfire if they erode trust or create pressure within a team. Ultimately, he emphasizes that honest self-reflection and prioritizing relationships are essential to effective leadership in modern college basketball.
This article explains that losses in the NCAA Tournament carry deeper emotional weight than typical defeats because of the single-elimination format and finality of the season. Coaches and players often frame these losses as moments of growth, emphasizing joy, connection, and long-term development despite heartbreak. The broader takeaway is that March Madness magnifies both pain and meaning, making defeat a powerful part of the sport’s identity.
This article argues that shot selection should be taught through constraints and decision-making rather than rigid rules or labeling shots as simply “good” or “bad.” Coaches are encouraged to design practices that replicate game situations so players learn context: time, space, defender positioning, when choosing shots. The goal is to develop adaptable, thinking players instead of robotic ones who rely on fixed guidelines.
This Week’s NBA Articles
This article breaks down major NBA award races, highlighting standout seasons from stars like Victor Wembanyama and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. It evaluates candidates based on team success, statistical dominance, and narrative momentum, while also recognizing emerging players such as Kon Knueppel. The piece emphasizes how awards are shaped not just by performance, but by storylines and voter perception.
This article explains the most recent news of the complex, ongoing investigation into whether the Los Angeles Clippers and owner Steve Ballmer circumvented the salary cap by facilitating a $28 million endorsement deal between Kawhi Leonard and Aspiration, a company in which Ballmer had invested. While some former Aspiration employees raised concerns about the deal’s purpose and structure, Ballmer, Leonard, and team officials have denied wrongdoing and say they are cooperating fully with the investigation. After months of interviews and document reviews, the probe remains unresolved, with its outcome potentially determined by a neutral arbitrator depending on the league’s findings.
This article proposes the “Goldich Plan,” a new NBA draft lottery system tied to division performance, where non-playoff teams receive equal odds within their division and better odds if their division has a stronger overall record. This structure flips incentives by rewarding teams for winning games, since better division records improve lottery chances, while still helping struggling teams and preserving the randomness of the lottery. While not a perfect solution (it doesn’t fully eliminate late-season playoff-avoidance tanking), the plan offers a more effective and realistic path to reducing tanking, especially if implemented alongside future league expansion.
This Week’s College Basketball Articles
This article highlights a viral CBS broadcast image capturing UConn Huskies men's basketball watching a game-deciding shot, emphasizing how it froze a moment of collective anticipation, emotion, and powerlessness across coaches, celebrities, and everyday fans alike. What makes the image special is its authenticity, almost no one is distracted by phones, allowing the raw, shared experience of sport to take center stage in a way that feels increasingly rare. Ultimately, the photo endures because it reflects a universal truth about sports: in the biggest moments, everyone, regardless of status, is united in suspense and hope.
This article breaks down the 2026 Final Four matchups, highlighting a highly anticipated clash between Arizona and Michigan alongside a UConn - Illinois rematch, with detailed position-by-position analysis. Illinois is projected to defeat UConn due to its elite half-court offense, paint pressure, and depth, especially with UConn dealing with key injuries. In the other semifinal, Michigan is favored over Arizona thanks to its superior half-court efficiency, defense, and the dominant play of Yaxel Lendeborg, giving the Wolverines a slight overall edge.
This article ranks the top players expected to enter the college basketball transfer portal, highlighting how roster movement continues to reshape the sport. It emphasizes the growing influence of NIL deals and immediate eligibility in driving player decisions. The transfer portal is framed as a central force in team building, rivaling traditional recruiting in importance.
This Week’s YouTube Coaching Videos
This video is a breakdown of College Basketball Sets from February 2026.
This video breaks down how ball screen defense dictates high-value scoring opportunities in college basketball. By mastering the off-the-bounce three-pointer, guards force defenses into difficult choices between switching, hedging, or dropping, creating vulnerabilities that offenses exploit for open layups or perimeter shots.
This video breaks down how to handle real ball pressure, bring the ball up the floor without getting sped up, and use the defender’s aggression against them
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