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This Week’s Hoop Heads Podcast Episodes
KIP IOANE – FOUNDER OF TEAMS OF MEN & BOYS’ BASKETBALL HEAD COACH AT SOUTH SALEM (OR) HIGH SCHOOL – EPISODE 1259
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’s Teams Of Men Character Development program has garnered national recognition for its work in developing a healthy version of manhood with teams, coaches, and players around the country.
2026 NBA FINALS PREVIEW: SPURS VS KNICKS – EPISODE 1260
On this episode Mike and Jason preview the 2026 NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks.
NICK LORENSEN – LA SALLE UNIVERSITY MEN’S BASKETBALL GRADUATE ASSISTANT COACH – EPISODE 1261
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.
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This Week’s Coaching Articles
This article argues that the most important muscle in basketball is the brain, because film study teaches players how to use their physical skills more effectively. In the film room, players can evaluate intangibles like communication, hustle, body language, spacing, decision-making, defensive anticipation, and leadership habits that may not show up in the box score. By learning to watch the game beyond the ball, players develop better awareness, faster “next play” recovery, and a deeper understanding of how to help their team win.
This article argues that coaches should maximize “Time on Task,” or the amount of practice time players spend actively engaged, rather than standing in lines or listening to long explanations. It emphasizes that high-efficiency practices should use small-sided games, live defenders, bursts, minimal instruction, time constraints, and variable shooting activities to create game-like decision-making and “repetition without repetition.” By shifting from traditional, idle-heavy practices to shorter, more active CLA-style sessions, coaches can build players who are more adaptable, focused, resilient, and skilled.
This article argues that research on early specialization and multi-sport participation is often oversimplified, misinterpreted, or used to support conclusions that the actual data does not clearly prove. Definitions of “specialization” vary widely, high-school single-sport participation is not the same as early specialization, and many studies are influenced by confounding variables such as age, survey wording, sample selection, and year-round competition. McCormick supports early sport sampling, child-led specialization after around age 10, regular offseasons, informal play in other sports, and broad movement development rather than relying on headlines that claim “science proves” one rigid path.
This Week’s NBA Articles
This article looks back at 27 years of New York Knicks heartbreak, dysfunction, strange roster moves, brief bursts of hope, and memorable chaos since their last NBA Finals appearance in 1999. It highlights key moments including the Frederic Weis draft pick, the Isiah Thomas era, Linsanity, the Carmelo Anthony trade, the Kristaps Porzingis rise and injury, failed superstar pursuits, Tom Thibodeau’s firing, and the team’s recent return to relevance. Despite decades of disappointment, the article celebrates the unique emotional experience of being a Knicks fan and frames the 2026 Finals matchup with the Spurs as a long-awaited, nostalgic, and thrilling return to basketball relevance.
This article focuses on how the San Antonio Spurs, led by Victor Wembanyama, are trying to respond after letting Game 1 of the NBA Finals slip away against the Knicks. It traces the many challenges San Antonio overcame during the season, including Wembanyama’s return from injury, rookie injuries, Mitch Johnson replacing Gregg Popovich as head coach, lineup changes, key regular-season losses, and playoff adversity. Despite falling behind in the Finals, the Spurs believe their difficult journey has built the resilience, confidence, and toughness needed to bounce back.
This article examines the Dallas Mavericks’ head coaching search after firing Jason Kidd, framing the job as attractive because of Cooper Flagg, two upcoming first-round picks, and a roster with quality talent. It breaks down several possible coaching paths, including college coaches Jon Scheyer and Dusty May, top NBA assistants such as Micah Nori, Royal Ivey, Jama Mahlalela, Tony Dobbins, and Noah LaRoche, plus former NBA head coach Terry Stotts. The Mavericks’ biggest priority should be hiring a coach who can develop Flagg while building a team capable of returning to contention.
This Week’s College Basketball Articles
This article examines the Memphis Grizzlies’ decision at No. 3 in the 2026 NBA Draft, focusing on the debate between Duke’s Cameron Boozer and North Carolina’s Caleb Wilson. Boozer is presented as a highly productive, skilled, physical, and intelligent player whose processing and feel may outweigh concerns about his explosiveness, while Wilson offers elite athletic tools and major upside but comes with questions about shooting, defensive awareness, physicality, and how his offensive game will translate. Ultimately, the author favors Boozer because his proven skill, durability, physicality, and basketball IQ make him the safer and potentially higher-upside NBA bet.
This article argues that Congress’s latest hearing on the Protect College Sports Act focused heavily on the problems facing college athletics, including NIL, transfers, media rights, realignment, and rising player costs, while largely ignoring the record revenues and benefits athletes are now receiving. The author criticizes college sports leaders for wanting limits on athlete compensation and transfer movement while refusing to seriously address runaway spending on coaches, administrators, and other adult-driven costs. College athletics will not be truly “saved” until leaders treat athletes as partners in the system rather than financial threats to it.
This article looks at college basketball coaches who had the difficult task of replacing legendary figures at major programs, using Hubert Davis following Roy Williams at North Carolina as the starting point. It highlights a wide range of outcomes, from successful successors like Bill Self at Kansas, Joe B. Hall at Kentucky, and Jon Scheyer at Duke to shorter, more difficult tenures such as Adrian Autry at Syracuse, Kyle Neptune at Villanova, and Craig Esherick at Georgetown. Following “the guy” at a blue-blood or tradition-rich program can be one of the toughest jobs in college basketball, where even solid results may not be enough.
This Week’s YouTube Coaching Videos
This video breaks down how the Knicks operate within a modern conceptual offense built on spacing, advantage creation, decision-making, and offensive flow.
This video breaks down how core basketball principles like spacing, ball screens, and defensive rotations define offensive success in the WNBA. This breakdown illustrates how players create and capitalize on gaps in coverage to generate scoring opportunities.
This video breaks down the art of leaking out in transition, a strategy that sacrifices a potential rebounder in exchange for some of the easiest points in basketball. By sending a player down the floor before the defensive rebound is secured, teams can turn routine stops into uncontested layups and force opponents to think twice about crashing the offensive glass.
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