Podhero Picks: The One Shining Moment Edition
It’s around this time of year that shot clocks and the sounds of sneakers squeaking urgently on gym floors across the country take over our public consciousness. March Madness is nearly upon us (with this year’s Selection Sunday taking place on March 15th, 2020), and we’ve got the podcasts to keep you up on the action between and around games — especially as that action is increasingly uncertain.
Courtside with Greenberg and Dakich (ESPN Radio)
ESPN’s Seth Greenberg and Dan Dakich cover the college football beat year-round, but truly come alive each March when their coverage gets to take center stage. Their commentary is supplemented by interviews with coaches across the sport, getting the inside scoop on how the sport plays out each season. They said it best when describing the moment we’re about to enter: “the madness is upon us.”
March Madness 365 with Andy Katz (NCAA March Madness)
As the name would imply, Andy Katz covers the ins and outs of college hoops all year round, and he even got an extra day this year! Fortified with interviews from analysts, commentators, coaches, and athletes, it provides a well-rounded look at a sport many of us only really think about during a short window of time.
Late Night Hoops Talk (Big East Unfiltered Podcast)
Want to tailor your March Madness coverage to a specific conference? Look for shows like Late Night Hoops Talk, which strive to cover the field of Big East schools in regionally specific detail. Hosts John Fanta and Josh Adams divide their time between stoking anticipation for the games ahead, interviews with coaches and players, and more conversations with writers and podcast listeners, creating an overall sense of community that spans the conference’s 10 schools.
Looking for more conference-specific coverage? We’re recommending pods like ACC Basketball Report, 3 Bid League (for the Atlantic 10), and Ten12 (for the Big 12).
Pick and Pop College Hoops Podcast (Gannett)
In addition to several podcasts that present a broad look at the March Madness field, and some that cover the intensity of specific conferences, there are also a number of hyperlocal offerings that are worth your time. The Providence Journal’s Pick and Pop College Hoops podcast is one such example. Focusing on detailed coverage for Rhode Island college basketball darlings Providence College and The University of Rhode Island, we recommend it for a taste of the awesome work Kevin McNamara and Bill Koch are doing with this super specific form of coverage.
The Her Hoops Stats Podcast (John Liddle)
While the men’s side of the tournament tends to get much of the glory, we haven’t forgotten that there are talented and determined women playing in March Madness…and neither has John Liddle. The longtime broadcaster for women’s basketball spends time on his show breaking down the game with the help of the biggest names in women’s college basketball and the WNBA. We’re calling his show a go-to for a much-needed, much-appreciated look at the incredible female athletes who make up the sport.
Want more? Check out ESPNw’s Around the Rim and Growing Our Game, a podcast from the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association.
The Lead, “College Basketball Games with No Fans? It’s Happened Before.”
While the, well, madness, around college basketball playoffs is expected, this year’s tournament is contending with a kind of madness that is new: that of the coronavirus, and the recently announced that this year’s games will likely take place in empty arenas.
The Athletic and Wondery’s The Lead took to the “airwaves” this week to let us know this seemingly novel occurrence…isn’t actually new. A measles outbreak in 1989 led to a similar set of conditions. It’s a good listen to learn about how those players, broadcasters, and others dealt with the drastic shift — and a reminder that we’re all gonna get through this.
From Selection Sunday all the way to the cutting of the net, we hope that these podcasts will help you get through the season excited, entertained, and enthusiastic about this annual sports tradition that we love so much. We recognize that this is only a small sampling of what’s out there to listen to. If there are other shows we should know about, share them with us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram!
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