The Ohio Bobcats are back in the NCAA tournament since the program made a Sweet 16 run in 2012. Long-time OU broadcasters Russ Eisenstein and Rob Cornelius will be at Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana, on Saturday night to call the game vs. Virginia. They join The Nail to discuss the Bobcats’ blitz through last weekend’s MAC tournament in Cleveland, how the team came together through two COVID-related shutdowns, the matchup with the defending national champions, and the unique, near empty-arena atmosphere that awaits on Saturday.
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With the Ohio State Buckeyes set to open their NCAA tournament run against Oral Roberts on Friday afternoon, sports reporter/anchor Whitney Harding of NBC4 in Columbus joins The Nail to talk March Madness, how OSU has built its program and thrived this season without a surefire future NBA draft pick on its roster, and why some of college basketball’s bluebloods have struggled to adjust to the changing landscape of college basketball.
Plus: The turning point that put Cleveland State on the path to its first NCAA tournament appearance since 2009, catching Cade Cunningham and Oklahoma State, and other teams to watch this weekend.
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The Mid-American Conference men’s and women’s tournaments are back at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse this week, one year after COVID-19 brought the sports world to a halt. Ohio University beat writer Jason Arkley was in Cleveland to cover the tournaments for the Athens Messenger last year when the plug was pulled. This year, he's working independently—and from home—as the MAC is back, but full arenas and press rows are not just yet.
Arkley joins The Nail to discuss the challenges universities have faced in trying to get through their sports seasons, a year of change in how college sports are covered, and the players and teams to watch this weekend in Cleveland.
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With no March Madness this year, CBS is dusting off some classic NCAA tournament games to fill airtime. Last Saturday afternoon, that included a replay of the Duke vs. Kentucky regional final from 1992, considered by many the greatest game of all time. Tom Withers, now a sportswriter for the Associated Press in Cleveland, was courtside in the Spectrum to cover the game. He joins The Nail to share memories of a crazy Saturday night in Philadelphia, Christian Laettner somehow avoiding an ejection and then hitting the buzzer-beating game-winner, the mostly forgotten miraculous shot by Kentucky’s Sean Woods, and the challenge of trying to write about an all-time thriller on deadline.
Plus: Withers talks about his new second job—serving as an assistant coach for the Westlake High School varsity girls basketball team—and the impact his work as a sportswriter has had on his coaching, and vice versa.
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A week ago, Bill Bender of the Sporting News was covering college basketball and gearing up for a trip to Cleveland to cover the NCAA tournament. It goes without saying that a lot has changed in the days since. Bender drops by The Nail to talk about sports being put on pause, where things could be headed in the coming months, getting an occasional break from serious news headlines on Facebook thanks to NFL free agency, and the joys of playing classic sports video games with his kids.
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This year’s Mid-American Conference tournament will be a made-for-TV event, as concerns over the potential spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) have led the league to restrict the list of attendees at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse to family members of players, credentialed university and team personnel, and media. Jason Arkley, Ohio University beat writer for the Athens Messenger, joins the show to discuss the MAC’s decision and how other leagues are handling similarly tough calls.
On the court, this year’s MAC tourney appears to be wide open, especially with Buffalo, winner of four of the past five years, bowing out in the first round on Monday. Arkley details Ohio’s surge in the second half of the season under first-year coach Jeff Boals, how former OU coach John Groce has rebuilt Akron into becoming the top seed in this year’s bracket, and rest of the teams and players to watch (on TV from the comfort of your home).
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A quarter-century after helping to lead the Ohio men’s basketball team to an NCAA tournament appearance and a Preseason NIT championship as a team captain, Jeff Boals is back in Athens to guide the program as its new head coach. Boals joins The Nail to talk about returning to Southeast Ohio to take his dream job, getting students and fans excited about Ohio basketball, and going through a change in athletic directors shortly after being hired.
Plus, Boals explains what he learned as an assistant under coach Thad Matta at Ohio State and what he thinks Cavs fans can expect from John Beilein after seeing the longtime Michigan coach from the opposing bench in Big Ten play.
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It’s Mid-American Conference tournament week in Cleveland, and Jason Arkley of the Athens Messenger is back on The Nail to set the stage. The No. 1 seed Buffalo Bulls seek their third conference championship in four years, but the rest of the top teams in this year’s bracket – Toledo, Eastern Michigan and Ball State – are all looking to break long droughts. Arkley breaks down Thursday’s quarterfinal matchups and discusses whether a MAC team can win an NCAA tournament game for the first time since 2012. ... Plus: The effect of the graduate transfer rule on college basketball and whether the sport's latest scandals are being felt at the mid-major level.
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.
It’s championship week in college basketball, and that means the Mid-American Conference is bringing its brand of mid-major hoops back to The Q. With nearly every team coming to town having a realistic shot of cutting down the nets on Saturday night, Jason Arkley, the OU beat writer for the Athens Messenger, is back on the show to bring us up to speed on all things #MACtion. … Plus: With a disjointed regular season finally winding down, the guys lament the endless wait to see the Cavs at full strength and start thinking ahead to what their playoff rotation could look like.
After college basketball fans survived an interminable selection show from CBS on Sunday, we’re ready for March Madness. From favorites to win and mid-majors who were snubbed to upset alerts and theories on just who leaked the bracket on Twitter, the guys have all the angles covered. … PLUS: The Cavs win three of four in a west coast trip while tinkering with their rotation and the Browns have a curious start to free agency.
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.)
