Photo by Srdjan Stevanovic/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images Plus, what do the Magic need to do in the offseason? KOC and J. Kyle Mann open up the episode by discussing the return of international prospect Nikola Topic (01:29). Can he rise up the draft boards and be a top pick? Next, the guys look at some of the younger players who are making some noise in the playoffs, starting with the Thunder-Pelicans series (14:01). They discuss Cason Wallace’s role with OKC, as well as Herb Jones’s and Trey Murphy III’s play with the Pels. In looking at the Lakers-Nuggets series, the guys discuss t ..read more

Photo by Logan Riely/Getty Images Plus, Ceruti and Kyle join for Life Advice: How can I deal with rejection better? Russillo starts the pod with Tales From the Couch and shares his thoughts on MIN-DEN and DAL-MIA (0:49). Then, J. Kyle Mann joins the show to discuss John Calipari’s agreement to become Arkansas’s head coach and where Kentucky will go from here (20:26). Next, Michael Kim explains what makes Augusta National such a difficult course and reveals who he likes for the Masters (51:44). Plus, Ceruti and Kyle join for Life Advice (76:59)! How can I deal with rejection better? Check us ..read more

Set Number: X00004 TK1 KOC and J. Kyle Mann discuss UConn’s national championship win over Purdue, Stephon Castle’s draft ranking, French prospect Zaccharie Risacher’s struggles, and the news that Bronny James has entered the draft KOC and J. Kyle Mann discuss UConn’s national championship win over Purdue and look specifically at the battle of the bigs between Zack Edey and Donovan Clingan, as well as their rise up the draft boards during the NCAA tournament (02:51). They also debate Stephon Castle’s draft ranking. Next, they discuss French prospect Zaccharie Risacher’s struggles and debate ..read more

Getty Images/Ringer illustration LeBron James’s son is testing the NBA draft waters. Is the USC freshman ready for the NBA? We spoke with NBA personnel to assess his game. Bronny James has the type of athleticism, selfless passing ability, and defensive tenacity that gives him NBA potential. But as a freshman guard at USC, he underwhelmed as a shooter and shot creator, averaging 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game while shooting 36.6 percent from the field and 26.7 percent from 3-point range. If LeBron weren’t his father, Bronny would not be on the 2024 draft radar. “Bronny is n ..read more

Photo by Harry How/Getty Images Kyle and KOC debate whether Alabama’s Mark Sears can earn some first-round consideration, where Zach Edey should be on draft boards, and what DJ Burns Jr. needs to do to make it on an NBA roster KOC and J. Kyle Mann analyze the draft prospects from the teams in the Final Four, beginning with UConn and Donovan Clingan (3:42). They then debate whether Alabama’s Mark Sears can perform well enough to earn some first-round consideration (11:14). As Purdue’s Zach Edey continues to impress, the guys debate where he should be on draft boards (20:14) and discuss what N ..read more

Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images The guys also get into which prospects’ draft stock rose and fell over this weekend’s Elite Eight games Verno and KOC recap last night’s slate of games, beginning with the Suns as Devin Booker goes off against the Pelicans (01:47). Luka Doncic has the Mavs riding high as the guys debate whether they are the scariest team headed into the playoffs (05:46). As the Celtics continue to dominate the regular season, the guys debate who is going to be the key bench player for their playoff success (15:40). Josh Hart doesn’t sound too optimistic about the Knicks’ hea ..read more

Getty Images/Ringer illustration Purdue’s star center has cemented his draft stock, but a different big man is the tournament’s biggest riser. Plus, Alabama’s Jalen Brunson clone, an early look at the Final Four, and more. It’s April! We’ve entered the final stretch of the NBA regular season, and both Final Fours tip off this weekend. It’s the best time of the year for basketball, really. For this week’s column, we’ll focus on some of the most intriguing performances in the men’s NCAA tournament and how they could affect this June’s draft. Let’s dive in. 1. Donovan Clingan is the tournament’s ..read more

Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images Verno and KOC cover the Pelicans’ win over the Bucks, what will happen with Dejounte Murray and Trae Young, Joel Embiid’s potential return, and much more Verno and KOC go through last night’s slate of Sweet 16 games and discuss which players’ draft stock rose (01:33). After the Pelicans beat the Bucks, the guys debate just how high their ceiling is with Zion playing at this level (14:00). Next, they discuss the Hawks’ OT win over the Celtics and debate what is going to happen with Dejounte Murray and Trae Young, as well as Tom Haberstroh’s latest report sugg ..read more

Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images KOC and J. Kyle Mann discuss the players to keep an eye on, including Zach Edey, Donovan Clingan, Dalton Knecht, and more! The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor and J. Kyle Mann give you six prospects to keep an eye on heading into the Sweet 16. Also, they discuss the best potential Elite Eight matchups for scouting prospects, Kentucky’s disappointing performance in the tournament, and the overall strength of this year’s class (36:12). (02:42) - Zach Edey, Purdue (09:50) - Donovan Clingan, UConn (14:08) - Stephon Castle, UConn (20:55) - Jared McCain, Duke (26:14) - Har ..read more

Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images Verno and KOC discuss the NBA’s investigation into Jontay Porter, Jalen Green’s performance, Draymond Green’s huge defensive impact for the Warriors, March Madness, and more Verno and KOC discuss the NBA’s investigation into Jontay Porter after multiple instances of “betting irregularities” were discovered and debate the type of punishment the NBA should hand down (01:20). After this weekend’s March Madness games, they discuss the draft stock of Kentucky’s Reed Sheppard, UConn’s Donovan Clingan, Marquette’s Tyler Kolek, and more (19:32). While t ..read more