By Matt Norlander

NBA season's over, so now all the attention is beamed at Newark, which is hosting this year's NBA Draft. (I never thought I'd be making two trips in three months to such a paradise.)

The previous podcast was with the proprietor of the terrific draftnik website, DraftExpress.com. Today we've got some CBS synergy going on, as I wrangled Wally Szczerbiak from the CBS Sports Network. It's a breezy podcast, clocking in at under 18 minutes, but in that time Wally gives plenty to think about. His thoughts on Kyrie Irving and Derrick Williams struck me as against-the-grain in nature and you'll definitely want to listen for those.

Then there's the special moment when I'm talking about Trey Thompkins and he's talking about Tristan Thompson. Wait for that -- it's magical. I also do some name-association with about 10 to-be-drafted guys, Wally giving me one-sentence recaps on them as we go. He's a huge Ben Hansbrough guy.

Also, I ask the former No. 6 overall pick to retrace his steps when he was coming out of Miami of Ohio in 1999, being a high picked from a mid-major school. Are there comparisons to Jimmer Fredette that are fair? A reminder: subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, or if you have a Zune, we've got you covered there as well. And for the XML-savvy, here's a permalink.

Posted by Matt Norlander

Not only do we have a new podcast for you today -- look at that new-and-improved player!

Shiny, bigger, better, newer things. Exciting. Enjoy the new look and way to listen to the podcast. I'm afraid our default logo for the posts will remain the same until I'm inspired to Photoshop up something snazzier.

With the Draft closer than you think, I wanted to amp up our coverage, so I brought aboard DraftExpress.com's Jonathon Givony, one of the sleekest draftniks around. Givony was the man who got video of Minnesota GM David Kahn at the lottery, when Kahn made comments that made headlines.

So we talk about that, of course, but there's also chatter on why Givony started the site on a whim as a college freshman, and what it has become today. Then there's this year's crop: quite underwhelming. Or is it? Givony explains why that may not be the case, and we talk overvalued and undervalued picks in the first and second round, plus plenty more. We talk Cleveland's 1-and-4 situation, why Kyrie must go No. 1, etc. If you've got a hankering, it's catered to in the 28 minutes below.

The good and bad with this year's Draft class

Posted by Matt Norlander

After a few weeks away, the podcast is back.

Jeff Borzello and I recap who made the best and worst decisions re: the NBA Draft. Some are head-scratchers, while others who are staying in the pool will likely turn into solid NBA players years down the road. Additionally, Borzello explains why Ashton Gibbs went back on his guarantee to stay in the Draft.

It's a 28-minute discussion about nearly every player who flirted with leaving; we give equal time to those who chose to come back to school. There's also discussion about next year's probably mid-April deadline. Why's it come to this? Can the NBA do anything to force the NCAA to reconsider? And what are the unforeseen consequences?

A reminder: subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, or if you have a Zune, we've got you covered there as well. And for the XML-savvy, here's a permalink.  

The good and bad with this year's Draft class

Posted by Matt Norlander

Most believe Josh Selby is anything but ready for the NBA, so why is he going? Selby's been an easy target for criticism in the wake of his transparent decision to leave Kansas. He didn't improve his game, wasn't capable of a lot of responsibility, and it seemed he and Bill Self were never on the same page.

With all that criticism still in the air, Kansas City Star Jayhawks beat reporter Brady McCollough put out a story over the weekend that changed the tone and perspective of Selby and his choice. McCollough recently flew out to the slum streets of Baltimore in an effort to further understand Selby. The piece, entitled, "KU's Josh Selby not where he wants, but not yet where he wants to be" was met with a lot of acclaim in the past few days, and rightfully so. I wanted to know more; to have McCollough explain how and why he did the story.

So we talk Baltimore and how parts of it are just like what The Wire portrayed. The podcast is primarily about Selby and how the story got written. Near the end, it's a look ahead to Kansas next season, when the Jayhawks may experience their first rebuilding year under Self.

A reminder: subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, or if you have a Zune, we've got you covered there as well. And for the XML-savvy, here's a permalink.  

The story behind Selby's Baltimore roots

Posted by Matt Norlander

How did CBS and Turner do in presenting the 2011 NCAA tournament? We're not above criticism or praise here at the blog and on the podcast, so I brought on one of the most well-respected, knowledgeable and intelligent media critics (he prefers entertainer, off the record) there is: Richard Deitsch.

He and I discuss a lot of the facets, television-wise, of what did and didn't work with the tournament. There's also some women's basketball discussed; Deitsch covers the sport, and we try to spread the discussion out a bit on that. He also tries to become the interviewer and make the podcast more about me than him. It's a fun, informed listen that flies by.

Deitsch has had his gig at Sports Illustrated for more than a decade now. Within the past year, he's become more and more of a valuable resource for links, commentary and crowd-sourcing on Twitter. I certainly recommend giving him a follow, but chances are, if you're already on the tweet machine, then you're already doing just that.

A reminder: subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, or if you have a Zune, we've got you covered there as well. And for the XML-savvy, here's a permalink.  

Sports Illustrated's Richard Deitsch

Posted by Matt Norlander

Happy Monday to you. Need one more retrospective on the season that was? Well, today's podcast isn't quite that, but it does address, once and for all (at least here on this site) whether this season was more about Jimmer Fredette or Kemba Walker. In light of UConn/Kemba's national title, the case can be made for No. 15.

On Friday's podcast, Gary Parrish said 2010-11 was unequivocally Jimmer Fredette's time. Jeff Goodman from FoxSports.com makes the case for Kemba in this episode. Aside from that, Goodman and I discuss what looms ahead for players making their NBA draft decisions, what with the lockout almost a certainty. And what lies ahead for coaches? Goodman's one of the most well-connected men in the business, so I get his perspective on some of the hires that work, some that won't, and what Frank Martin's going to do.

It's a 22-minute listen, so enjoy. And just because the season's over doesn't mean you can't subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, or if you have a Zune, we've got you covered there as well. And for the XML-savvy, here's a permalink.  

Jimmer/Kemba, plus what lies ahead

Posted by Matt Norlander

Just 'cause the season's over doesn't mean we'll stop doing the podcasting. After a few days of decompression, I snagged CBSSports.com's national college basketball writer, Gary Parrish, for a 30-minute, all-encompassing chat about the end of the season, and the season as a whole.

We discuss the social and logistical failures of Houston hosting a Final Four, as well as, you know, the games themselves. Plenty of Kemba legacy talk in addition to this being The Year of Jimmer, even if BYU didn't make it past the Sweet 16.

Plus: Jim Calhoun says he wanted to serve his three-game suspension this season rather than next. Does Gary believe him? And what are the chances Frank Martin actually takes the Miami job?

If you want to feel smarter, listen to Parrish speak. A quality listen here, I promise.

Norlander and Parrish wrap up the season, look ahead

Posted by Matt Norlander

How about a little audio-driven Final Four hype to complement the visual preparation we've had here at the blog. Yesterday, Matt Jones and I had a 30-minute conversation wherein he was at the airport, waxing on his Wildcats' Final Four run, the first in the modern Internet era.

So that is part of today's podcast. But we also get into VCU and Butler and the unlikeliness of all that. I lament the First Four; Jones supports it. Fact is, the First Four is here to stay because VCU came out of that mini bracket and is going to college basketball's final weekend. It's frickin' incredible this happened on the first go-round. I address the insanity of Butler-VCU, but don't think I do a good enough job of articulating how this continues to blow my mind. You be the judge.

We also talk the best moments/memories of the tournament so far, and handicap which teams have the best chances to win, and what game we'd like to see Monday night. Enjoy!

Jones and Norlander talk Final Four

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