In Episode 80 of the Talking Grammer podcast, I talk Lobo hoops, JT Toppin's case for all-league, and have a conversation with one of the best to play in the Mountain West, Colorado State point guard Isaiah Stevens (9:00 mark). We talk his career, his future, his go-to candy after road wins and some Mountain West memories.
In Episode 79 of the Talking Grammer podcast, I talk Mountain West and UNM basketball and have a conversation with Nevada Wolf Pack head coach Steve Alford (16:20 mark) about his team, the depth of the league, being a grandpa and this week's rematch with the Lobos.
In Episode 78 of the Talking Grammer podcast, I talk with SI.com's Kevin Sweeney about NCAA Tournament bracketology for the Mountain West conference and the UNM Lobos. Are they in? Are they out? Does any of this really matter in the first week of February? (Nevada 12:00, BSU 14:20, CSU 18:00, USU 21:00, SDSU 28:35, UNM 31:20).
In Episode 77 of the Talking Grammer podcast, I talk with BJ Rains, Publisher of Bronco Nation News in Boise, covering the Boise State Broncos. We talk the media landscape covering Mountain West level programs, his recent power rankings that drew criticism from some fan (including plenty of angry Lobo fans), and of course Wednesday night's big Boise State Broncos/UNM Lobo men's basketball game in the Pit.
In Episode 76 of the Talking Grammer podcast, I talk about UNM Lobo basketball breaking into the AP Top 25 rankings, JT Toppin winning his sixth Mountain West Freshman of the Week and have a conversation (11:30 mark) with Lobo forward Mustapha Amzil, the Dayton transfer who put a rough start to the season behind him to become a key piece of the UNM puzzle right now. We talk about his soccer background, his buzzer beater to beat Kansas while playing for Dayton, whether or not his teammates apprec...
In Episode 75 of the Talking Grammer podcast, I talk Mountain West hoops and have a conversation (11 minute mark) with Danny Sprinkle, the head coach of the No. 16 Utah State Aggies before the UNM-Utah State game in the Pit on Jan. 16. The first-year USU coach has his program out to a 16-1 start and atop the Mountain West standings. Danny and I talk about that fantastic start, his having two former Lobo assistants on his staff and the meaning and importance to his program of UBUNTU.
In Episode 74 of the Talking Grammer podcast, I have a conversation with former Eldorado Eagles state champion and three-year UNM Lobo Cullen Neal, who is in his second season as Director of Player Development and Video Coordinator for the Rice Owls, who play in this week's Ball Dawgs Classic in Henderson, Nev., along with the UNM Lobos. We talk about basketball, including his time with and departure from the UNM Lobos, playing for his dad, Craig Neal, at UNM and how life is now as a father, hus...
In Episode 73 of the Talking Grammer podcast, I have a conversation with former UNM Lobos hoops star Hugh Greenwood. The fan favorite, 4-year starter from Australia is back in Albuquerque visiting friends and the family of his Albuquerque-native wife, Kjiersten Straub, ahead of the upcoming Australia Football League season, where he will start his ninth season as a professionally footballer (playing "footie", not hoops and not American football). We talk his current sport, catching up with old f...
In Episode 72 of the Talking Grammer podcast, I joined Rob Dauster of the Feld of 68, as a guest on the debut show of the Mountain West Insider podcast for a season preview of the college basketball season ahead. We talk NCAA Tournament hopefuls in the conference, top players and top storylines for the 2023-24 season. The Field of 68's weekly Mountain West podcast is available on their YouTube page while this episode is also available as part of the Talking Grammer podcast.
In Episode 71 of the Talking Grammer podcast, we have a conversation with Jason Hooten, the new men's basketball coach of the New Mexico State Aggies. We talk with Jason about taking on a new job after 19 seasons at Sam Houston State, the unenviable task of rebuilding a program from scratch with an entirely new roster and coaching staff, he tells us about his family and he breaks down a little bit of what fans can expect on the court this season as NMSU tries to turn the page on the tumultuous s...
In Episode 70 of the Talking Grammer podcast, we have a conversation with Matt Flores, the third-year strength and conditioning coach of the UNM Lobo men's basketball team about what his job entails, his background as a player, Marine and father, and how it is working for the second time with head coach Richard Pitino. And who was on the McDonald's cheeseburger diet last year as the team desperately tried adding weight to one player's frame?
In Episode 69 of the Talking Grammer podcast, we have a conversation with Kurt Roth, the founder and president of the 505 Sports Venture Foundation, the collective spearheading college athlete compensation efforts for the University of New Mexico. We talk the law, the ever changing landscape of the NCAA's oversight, how Lobo athletes are taking advantage, recruiting and the relationship between the collective and UNM itself.
In Episode 68 of the Talking Grammer podcast, we have a conversation with Mr. Basketball in New Mexico, Brandon Mason, who played in the state for the NMSU Aggies and New Mexico Thunderbirds, coached collegiately with the UNM Lobos, NMSU Aggies and New Mexico Highlands and is now is the President and Coach of NCAA-accredited ABC Prep and dozens of youth club teams under the Albuquerque Basketball Club umbrella.
In Episode 67 of the Talking Grammer podcast, we have a conversation with UNM Director of Athletics Eddie Nuñez on his background as a college athlete, playing basketball with Nick Saban, coming to UNM at a time the athletics department was underneath a mountain of public and state scrutiny, the ever-changing landscape of college athletics, Name Image and Likeness, and the future of UNM Athletics, including basketball and football.
In Episode 66 of the Talking Grammer podcast, we have a conversation with all-Mountain West guard Jamal Mashburn Jr., the UNM Lobos' third-year captain who said he is in his "Deion mode" for the interview, donning sunglasses and talking about the season ahead, his bond with his famous father, how writing and reading helps his mental well-being and much more.
In Episode 65 of the Talking Grammer podcast, we have a conversation with new UNM Lobo men's basketball guard Jemarl Baker, Jr., one of four Division I transfers joining the team this season. Injuries have played a huge part in the playing career of Baker, who is entering his seventh season of college basketball, having previously played for Kentucky, Arizona and Fresno State. We talk about his family, his long career and his role this season with the Lobos.
In Episode 64 of the Talking Grammer podcast, we have part two of our in-depth conversation with UNM Lobo men's basketball coach Richard Pitino. Part one, heard in Episode 63, covered the offseason, the NCAA's transfer portal, and holes on the roster that need to be filled. This episode, Pitino goes player by player over the entire roster, letting fans know what to expect for the season ahead and also dives into a few reader mailbag questions.
In Episode 63 of the Talking Grammer podcast, we catch up with UNM Lobo men's basketball coach Richard Pitino for an in-depth, two part conversation that covers a lot of ground from the struggles of his beloved New York Yankees, to the NCAA transfer portal, and plenty about Lobo basketball. In this episode, we talk about the offseason, where the team has come in his two seasons as coach, the rather large holes to fill on the roster and plenty more. Next week's episode 64 will dive into a player-...
In Episode 62 of the Talking Grammer podcast, I catch up with Kurt Roth, the front man of 505 Sports Venture Foundation, the collective raising money to fund Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) payments to Lobo athletes. What is NIL? Where does the money go? Can UNM compete in the current college athletics landscape without it? How are athletes paid, and how much? We cover a lot of ground on NIL here.
In Episode 61 of the Talking Grammer podcast, I catch up with now former UNM starting power forward Josiah Allick who caught Lobo fans by surprise this past week when he entered his name into the NCAA transfer portal. What went into his decision? Was there a problem with coaches, teammates or will he be getting more NIL money by going elsewhere? He explains his decision and discusses his one season with the Lobos basketball program.
In Episode 60 of the Talking Grammer podcast, I catch up with former UNM and current Nevada coach Steve Alford ahead of Tuesday's Mountain West Conference showdown in the Pit between his current and former teams. His first return to the Pit in 2020 had about 12,000 fans on hand in a game in which neither team had postseason or league title hopes. This go 'round will have 15,000 in the Pit and both teams are in the hunt for the Big Dance and a league title. There's also sound from UNM's Richard P...
In Episode 59 of the Talking Grammer podcast, I have a brief conversation with new Mountain West Conference Commissioner Gloria Nevarez, who was in Albuquerque this past week. Just the second-ever commissioner in the Mountain West, Nevarez and I talk about the leagues current positioning in the college athletics landscape, how realignment might affect the league, what the future of the mutlimedia rights deal is and just how important a healthy basketball league is to the conference as it hopes a...
In Episode 58 of the Talking Grammer podcast, I talk with UNM Lobo forward Morris Udeze. He recently had a four-game streak of double-doubles, has been stepping up his rebounding game of late and the additions of he and Josiah Allick in the offseason have proven to be what the program had hoped. Their presence has been vital in elevating the Lobos to Mountain West title contenders again. We talk about that, about the team, about his being 'Uncle Mo' to his three freshmen teammates/roommates and ...
In Episode 57 of the Talking Grammer podcast, as Mountain West Conference play is about to begin, I talk with UNM Lobo assistant to the head coach Dave Pilipovich, the former Air Force head coach and now three-time guest on the podcast, about his unique perspective on the challenges of league play, being a part of a 12-0 team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, what his relationship with Richard Pitino is like and what it is he does every day in his unique role with the Lobo basketball team.
In Episode 56 of the Talking Grammer podcast, ahead of Sunday's Pitino vs. Pitino game in the Pit between the Iona Gaels and UNM Lobos, we hear sound from both head coaches -- Rick and Richard Pitino -- and have conversations with the great Dick Vital and with Dan McHale, the former Lobo assistant who has the unique perspective not only of having coached under both Rick and Richard Pitino, but having been on the flight home with both men after the last time the two coached against each other in ...
In Episode 55 of the Talking Grammer podcast, after a rather unique first month to the season for the UNM Lobos for a variety of reasons, I thought it would be a good time to sit down with Lobo coach Richard Pitino to talk about the canceled rivalry series with NMSU and how that, along with the team's fast start (7-0 at time of this podcast), played into the decision to find a new, short-notice game coming up in Las Vegas vs. San Francisco. We also talk game-day routine, the upcoming game agains...
In Episode 54 of the Talking Grammer podcast, I played a little catch up with former Lobo basketball great Cameron Bairstow who lives in Australia. We talk about his professional career, from the NBA to overseas and playing in Australia -- both professionally and with the Australian National team -- as well as his recent decision to retire due to injuries. Cam is now starting a career as a sports agent. We also talk about his upcoming trip back to the Unites States where he hopes to catch a game...
In Episode 53 of the Talking Grammer podcast, I sat down for a conversation with college basketball analytics guru Ken Pomeroy. As the 2022-23 college basketball season begins, I wanted fans to get a good understanding how his ratings work, how the preseason ratings are formulated and how a team like the UNM Lobos could be rated 8th in the Mountain West right now when the preseason poll ranked them 5th (and I even ranked them 3rd). Let's take a dive inside the mind of KenPom.
In Episode 52 of the Talking Grammer podcast, I offer up an 11-team Mountain West Conference basketball preview as the 2022-23 season that starts this week. The podcast features storylines and sound from each of the league's 11 coaches and is presented in order of the preseason media poll: SDSU (4:10), Wyoming (11:40), Boise State (18:45), Colorado State (26:40), UNM (34:50), UNLV (42:00), Fresno State (46:30), Utah State (51:15), Nevada (57:35), San Jose State (66:05) and Air Force (70:55). Hop...
In Episode 51 of the Talking Grammer podcast, we cover a lot of ground with Lobo guard K.J. Jenkins, from his riding motorcycles growing up in Georgia and his relationship with his cousin Deandre Hopkins, the All-Pro wide receiver of the Arizona Cardinals, to his college basketball journey that has included getting only one Division I scholarship offer out of high school, redshirting at a DII school, playing in junior college and now his being voted by his teammates a team co-captain.
