Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast! Episode 123 - "The 3ARNHARDT Episode" includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics: - NCAA: News & Storylines - - NCAAM College Basketball Week in Review: Week 15: In this first segment, JD & Spencer discuss & review a few of the most notable NCAAM college basketball games from across the league, as well as evaluate some of the most buzzworthy storylines of Week 15 of the NCAA D-I Men's College Basketball season; in particular, the following NCAAM college basketball games are discussed in greater detail: Friday, February 13th: No.23 Miami (OH) RedHawks vs. Ohio Bobcats Tuesday, February 17th: No.22 Miami (OH) RedHawks vs. UMass "The Race to a Perfect Season:" Miami (Ohio) remains the lone unbeaten team in NCAA D-I Men's College Basketball after winning their 26^th straight game over UMass on Tuesday night, 86-77. . .On the docket, the RedHawks' remaining schedule includes the following matchups: Miami (OH) vs. Bowling Green (H) Miami (OH) at EMU (A) Miami (OH) at WMU (A) Miami (OH) vs. Toledo (H) Miami (OH) at Ohio (A) Q: Based on the RedHawks' remaining schedule, do you think that No.22 Miami (Ohio) will pull off what many will consider to be an "improbably perfect" 31-0 season? Or will the RedHawks drop at least one of their final five games to close out the 2025/2026 college basketball season?. . . Saturday, February 14th: No.17 St. John's Red Storm at Providence Friars: Guard Dylan Darling recorded 23 points & eight (8) rebounds as No.17 St. John's scored eight (8) straight points following a massive brawl that resulted in six (6) player ejections to take the lead and earn its' 11^th straight victory, a 79-69 victory over Big East foe, Providence, on Saturday - - Forward Bryce Hopkins had nine (9) points & nine (9) rebounds for the Red Storm (20-5, 13-1 Big East), and the ex-Friars star was in the middle of it all when he was taken down by a hard foul with 14:25 left and Providence (11-15, 4-11 Big East) up 40-39 - - Hopkins, who spent two seasons as one of Providence's top players before tearing his ACL in 2023-24 and transferring to St. John's, was excessively booed during warmups & the Providence student section cheered after each unsuccessful shot attempt - - The Friars were up by one point prior to the bedlam eruption in Amica Mutual Pavilion less than six (6) minutes into the second half of the game - as Friars' graduate forward Duncan Powell committed a Flagrant 2 foul on a driving Hopkins, which led to the fight that resulted in six (6) of the game's seven (7) ejections, that included four (4) St. John's players & two Providence players - - Following a stoppage in play that lasted close to 20 minutes while the officials sifted through the punishments, Rick Pitino's squad took control of the game & took down Providence 79-69 in a testy, Big East contest - - The seventh player ejection came later in the second half when Providence's Jamier Jones was booted from the game after being called for a Flagrant-2 foul committed on St. John's star forward, Zuby Ejiofor. . .Q: What are your thoughts on the six-player scuffle/brawl that took place on Saturday in the St. John's-Providence matchup?. . . Monday, February 16th: No.2 Houston Cougars at No.6 Iowa State Cyclones: Guard Nate Heise hit a go-ahead 3-pointer and Tamin Lipsey came up with a huge offensive rebound in the final seconds to cap No.6 Iowa State's rally in a 70-67 victory over Big 12 Conference leader, No.2 Houston, on Monday night - - Heise was 3-for-3 from three-point range, just hours after his sister, Taylor Heise, scored a goal to help the U.S. Women's Olympic Hockey team defeat the Swedish national team, 5-0, to reach the gold-medal game in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan - - The Cougars had two chances to tie the game or possibly take the lead, but was called for a shot-clock violation with 43 seconds to play, then Houston forward Chris Cenac Jr. missed a shot with four (4) seconds remaining on the clock - - The Cyclones (23-3, 10-3 Big 12) closed the game on a 17-4 run to take down a second top-10 team in three (3) days, after Iowa State defeated the No.8 Kansas Jayhawks 74-56 on the Saturday - - Meanwhile, the Cougars (23-3, 11-2 Big 12) had their six-game winning streak snapped, and their stronghold over the Big 12 Conference lead, was cut to just a half-game over No.4 Arizona for the top spot, as they head into a pivotal matchup versus the Wildcats at home this upcoming weekend - whereas with the win, Iowa State is now third in the Big 12 Conference standings, one game behind Houston. . . Tuesday, February 17th: No.1 Michigan Wolverines at No.7 Purdue Boilermakers: Elliot Cadeau scored 14 of his 17 total points in the second half Tuesday night, and Aday Mara added 10 points & 11 boards to send the No.1 Wolverines past the Boilermakers, 91-80 - - Trey McKinney, Yaxel Lendeborg, and L.J. Cason each had 13 points for the Wolverines, who won their 11^th straight game and took a big step towards capturing their first outright Big Ten regular-season title in five (5) years - - The win came less than 24 hours after Michigan (25-1,15-1 Big Ten) moved into the nation's top spot or No.1 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll, for the first time since January 2013 - - While the support system was effective, it was time for the 'big man' to shine - all 7-foot-3 of him, as it was Aday Mara's early tone-setting presence that helped the Wolverines turn the tables on Purdue's usually dominant front line - as Mara made each of his first four (4) shots on the way to a 10-point, 8-rebound first half, yet he spent a majority of the second half in foul trouble, finishing 4 of 6 from the field as Michigan finished with a 39-31 rebounding advantage - - Purdue forward Trey Kaufman-Renn scored a season-high 27 points to lead the Boilermakers on a night in which most of his teammates struggled from the field - - All-America guard Braden Smith added 20 points as the Boilermakers (21-5, 11-4 Big Ten) had their four-game winning streak snapped, and they now trail Michigan by 3 ½ games in the Big Ten Conference title race. . . Wednesday, February 18th: No.20 Arkansas Razorbacks at No.25 Alabama Crimson Tide: In what is being referred to as the College Basketball 'Game of the Year,' Houston Mallette hit a 3-pointer with 51 seconds remaining in the second OT period, and No.25 Alabama survived one of the most dominant single-game performances of the season, to edge the visiting Razorbacks 117-115 on Wednesday night in Coleman Coliseum - - **NOTE: Arkansas freshman Darius Acuff Jr. scored 49 points - the second most points recorded by a college basketball player this season - while playing all 50 minutes, however, Acuff did miss pivotal jumpers at the end of both extra frames that would have given the Razorbacks (19-7, 9-4 SEC) a short-handed victory on the road- - Arkansas used a seven-man rotation throughout regulation, but had four (4) players foul out in OT, including Acuff Jr., which forced HC John Calipari to turn to two players who had played a combined 35 minutes all season - - It was just the opening to the extra period that Alabama (19-7, 9-4 SEC) needed to pull out a game that will go down as an instant classic - - Star guard Labaron Philon scored 35 points, while big man Aiden Sherrell added 26 - both career highs - to help the Crimson Tide win its' fifth consecutive victory - - Arkansas, meanwhile, lost for the first time in its' last four (4) games played, and Acuff's 49 points are the second most by an Arkansas player, and the most points scored by an Arkansas player ever in SEC Conference play - - Alabama trailed by 14 points in the second half, but an 18-4 run by the Crimson Tide, tied the game, yet they moved in front in the waning seconds of regulation, until Darius Acuff Jr.'s clutch 3-pointer tied the game, 95-95, to send the game into OT - - Meleek Thomas (24) and Billy Richmond III (20) also scored in double figures for the Razorbacks prior to fouling out in the extra period(s), whereas Alabama's Aiden Sherrell & Amari Allen came up big on the boards, recording 13 and 11 boards, respectively - and guard Aden Holloway also finished with 15 points for Nate Oats' squad. . .Q: What are your thoughts on what was, to date, the college basketball "Game of the Year?". . . - "[No More Pooty] Tang:" Kansas State fired men's basketball coach Jerome Tang for cause, the school announced on Sunday night - - The last-place Wildcats, at the time of Tang's firing, had recorded only one win in Big 12 Conference play this season, and Tang, in his fourth year with the program, lashed out at his players following a blowout loss at home to Cincinnati on Wednesday evening - - The basis for the 'for-cause' firing, per ESPN, is the language that was included in Tang's contract, which specifically references any activ...