“This isn’t the guy you run through a brick wall for; this is the guy you follow after he’s already run through the brick wall for you. He’s the Kool-Aid Man.”

On Mark Pope, tradition, a group text, bike rides with Jeff Sheppard and, yes, a Reed update:
theathletic.com/5414012/2024/0…

There will be many more words, but here are a bunch — some from me, some from Mark Pope, a few from CJ Moore — on Kentucky’s new basketball coach.

Not one of the names people expected, but an intriguing choice nonetheless. Certainly a new era.
theathletic.com/5409789/2024/0…

If there had only been Twitter when Kansas hired some assistant coach named Roy Williams back in 1988.

The Mark Pope hire might suddenly become a popular choice if Pope is the guy to get Reed Sheppard to return to school.

Big news for Marquette. Think he’ll probably be on my preseason All-America team.

Scott Drew is staying at Baylor, source confirms. Matt Norlander had it first. Huge day for Baylor athletics.

.CJ Moore is on 810BorderPatrol and Sports Radio 810 WHB now.

It’s not easy to put together a preseason Top 25 yet, but that didn’t stop Sam Vecenie and I from trying! theathletic.com/5396158/2024/0…

UConn started scheming how it would guard Purdue midseason. Donovan Clingan’s request and simple math won the Huskies the title. A breakdown of how it happened: theathletic.com/5401518/2024/0…

Believe that CJ Moore and I had Cam Spencer at No. 9 last year in our transfer rankings. Think we were higher on him than anyone else in the industry and we were still too low. Unreal fit and player at UConn.

This is a terrific read.

Your 2024-25 preseason Top 25: theathletic.com/5396158/2024/0…

Pumped for this championship. Keys to the game:

1. Stephon Castle's defense on Braden Smith and can Smith get into teeth of defense and complete passes.
2. Can UConn slow Edey without doubling and giving up 3s?
3. Who can score at the rim
4. Karaban-TKR matchup

Some pregame reading on the Huskies for tonight.

How UConn built the ‘most complex’ — and efficient —offense in college basketball: theathletic.com/5397989/2024/0…

Your The Athletic CBB pregame reads before Purdue-UConn tonight:

Kyle Tucker and I on Zach Edey vs. Donovan Clingan:
theathletic.com/5397802/2024/0…

Our staff picks:
theathletic.com/5397818/2024/0…

CJ Moore on the making of UConn’s beautiful offense:
theathletic.com/5397989/2024/0…