Ready or not, it’s time for the Big Ten men’s basketball tournament, as the conference decided to stage its signature hoops event a week early for the sake of getting to play in Madison Square Garden. The Ohio State Buckeyes, one of the great stories in all of college basketball this season, figure to be a big factor this weekend in New York and in March Madness as well. The guys welcome back Josh Poloha of WaitingForNextYear.com to discuss how first-year coach Chris Holtmann has revitalized the program in Columbus, the stellar play of conference player of the year Keita Bates-Diop and others on the roster, and the teams who stand in the Buckeyes’ way in the Big Ten tourney. … Plus: A look at the scandals hanging over college basketball, the impact they could have on the NCAA tournament, and whether a day of reckoning is coming for some of the sport’s biggest names.
The guys are back to talk about all the big matchups from the opening weekend of March Madness, including Villanova vs. Wisconsin, Duke vs. South Carolina, and AT&T Uverse vs. Raycom Media. (Come back, CBS!) … Plus, the NBA's problem of resting stars and how ESPN, the network that invented “Embrace Debate,” blew a chance to have a discussion of actual back-and-forth substance about it during Cavs-Clippers on Saturday night.
The Mid-American Conference men’s and women’s tournaments take over Quicken Loans Arena this week, and Jason Arkley, Ohio University beat writer for The Athens Messenger, joins the show to preview the men’s bracket. Among the topics covered: No. 1 seed Akron reinventing itself as a 3-point shooting machine, the players who revived the Ohio program and helped the Bobcats double their win total from last season and claim the No. 2 seed, the unpredictable nature of the MAC tournament and a potential darkhorse lurking in this year’s field. … PLUS: The guys dive into the Big Ten tournament, and Travis breaks down Ohio State’s chances of earning an NCAA tournament bid. (Spoiler: It’s going to be an uphill battle on a very steep mountain.)
