Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast! Episode 125 - The "Dickie V" Episode includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics: - NCAA: News & Storylines - - NCAA College Basketball: "It's March, baby, with a Capital "M!" In this initial segment, JD & Spencer will discuss and provide a detailed analysis of a few of the most notable NCAA college basketball games from across the country from the previous week, and they will also acknowledge and/or mention the most buzzworthy storylines across Division I hoops. few of the more notable College Basketball games from across the country over the previous week, as well as to dive into any of the buzzworthy storylines surrounding the league. The following games are discussed in further detail in this week's episode: Friday, Feb. 27: No.21 Miami (OH) RedHawks at Western Michigan (WMU) Broncos. . . "The Race to 31-OH:" The RedHawks are chasing history with just two game(s) remaining as it attempts to finish the NCAA College Basketball regular season with an unblemished record of 31-0 - - Miami (OH) entered the week with an overall NET ranking in the 50s, while its' other metrics are not as favorable at the same juncture. . .Unfortunately for HC Travis Steele's squad, the ugly truth is this: If the RedHawks were to slip up and drop one of their remaining games during the regular season or lose in the MAC Conference Tournament next week, it could potentially be a "back-breaker" for the program - or, in other words, a loss could ruin the RedHawks' shot to secure it's first "at-large" berth into the NCAA College Basketball Tournament since 2007. . .Remaining Schedule: Miami (OH) vs. Toledo (H) 3/3 Miami (OH) at Ohio (A) 3/7 Q: Following the gutsy performance that led to a last-second win over WMU last Friday evening, do you feel even more confident in this team's ability to pull off a "perfect" 31-0 regular season?. . . No.3 Michigan Wolverines at No.10 Illinois Fighting Illini - - **NOTE: The Wolverines won their first outright Big Ten Conference regular-season title since 2014, and ironically, when they also clinched with a road victory over the Fighting Illini. . .Q: What are your thoughts on the Dusty May's Michigan squad right now? Do the Wolverines possess the necessary type of roster capable of winning a national championship this season?. . . Saturday, Feb. 28: No.20 Arkansas Razorbacks at No.7 Florida Gators - - The Gators took down the Razorbacks in a 34-point romp, which tied for the worst loss of Arkansas HC John Calipari's career, a 34-point loss against the Duke Blue Devils in 2018 while he was the head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats - - **NOTE: Florida has won six (6) in a row against ranked opponents, and on average, scored at least 90 points in each of those ranked-on-ranked matchups, which is the second-longest streak in college basketball history (i.e., streak is shared with the 1989-90 UNLV Runnin' Rebels and Loyola-Marymount (LMU) Lions). . .Q: Do the Florida Gators have what it takes to repeat as back-to-back national champions this year?. . . No.17 Alabama Crimson Tide at No.22 Tennessee Volunteers - - Alabama accomplished a feat on Saturday that they haven't experienced since 2021: pulling off an epic comeback win in Knoxville, as the Crimson Tide won its eighth consecutive game of the regular season. . .Q: Where do you stand on this Alabama Crimson Tide basketball team as it enters the month of March? What are a few NCAA Tournament pro's & con's of HC Nate Oats' squad?. . . Monday, Mar. 2: No.6 Iowa State Cyclones at No.2 Arizona Wildcats - - The Wildcats secured at least a share of the Big Ten Conference crown with the victory over the Cyclones, as Arizona earned it outright by smothering Iowa State defensively to give HC Tommy Lloyd his 140^th victory, the most in NCAA history in a coach's first five (5) seasons. . .Q: What makes this Arizona squad so dangerous as we draw closer to the 2026 NCAA Tournament?. . . -"An Abrupt Exit:" Nearly a year after helping the Auburn Tigers reach the Final Four, forward Chad Baker-Mazara is no longer a member of the USC men's basketball program, the team announced on Sunday - - Baker-Mazara, 26, was the team's second-leading scorer, and started in 22 of their 26 games played, for the struggling Trojans this season, including a 14-point effort in an 82-67 loss to No.12 Nebraska on Saturday, as USC has now lost five (5) games in a row, and is playing its way out of NCAA Tournament contention - - Baker-Mazara left Saturday's home loss to the Cornhuskers early in the second half following a hard fall after he blocked a shot from Pryce Sandfort - - Baker-Mazara told Trojans HC Eric Musselman that he couldn't go back (or re-enter) the game, then sat near injured USC star Rodney Rice in an area with fans in the stands, rather than on the bench with the rest of the team - - Following Saturday's loss, the second-year HC, Musselman was asked about Baker-Mazara's potential injury and his future status at the post-game press conference: "He said he couldn't go," Musselman said, adding that he had not spoken to a trainer about the player's health - - No reasons and/or additional details for Baker-Mazara's departure from the USC program were provided in the brief statement released, as issued per team spokesperson Kristin Keller, who told the Associated Press in a text message: "We have nothing additional to add at this time," - - Of course, the program's decision to be "hush-hush" about Baker-Mazara's departure does anything put this story to rest, instead, it adds to further speculation - as well as to the trolls on the World Wide Web, who have provided a sleuth of reasons for why he is no longer with the team. . Q: What do you make of Chad Baker-Mazara's abrupt exit from the USC men's basketball program after playing in 22 of the team's 26 games to date this season?. . - NFL - - "[Slim] Pickens:" The Dallas Cowboys did what they were long expected to do on Friday, placing the franchise tag on WR George Pickens to secure his rights at least through the 2026 season - - The Cowboys used the nonexclusive tag designation on Pickens, sources reported to ESPN, which allows him to speak with other teams when NFL free agency begins next Wednesday (i.e., March 11th) - - Should Pickens sign an offer sheet with another team, the Cowboys will have the right to match the offer or decline to do so and receive two first-round draft picks as compensation - - The NFL set the 2026 salary cap at $301.2 million earlier last Friday, making Pickens' guaranteed salary $27.298 million for next season if he chooses to play on it - - While working out a long-term deal remains a possibility, the two sides have until July 15 to get a new contract finalized or, by NFL rule, the player must play on the one-year deal or choose to hold out - - **NOTE: This is the 11^th time the Cowboys have used the franchise tag, and WR George Pickens is the eighth different player - - Pickens' first season with the Cowboys could not have gone much better after he was acquired along with a 2027 sixth-round pick from the Pittsburgh Steelers for a 2026 third-round pick & a 2027 fifth-round draft selection - - Pickens put up career highs in catches (93), yards (1,429) and TDs (9) while playing in every game, being named to the Pro Bowl for the first time and earning second-team All-Pro honors - - Pickens, 24, had five (5) games with more than 100 yards receiving, including two that came when WR CeeDee Lamb was out of the lineup due to a high ankle sprain - - **NOTE: Pickens set a franchise record with five (5) games where he accounted for at least 130 yards receiving & a TD reception. . .Q: What are your thoughts on the Dallas Cowboys using their franchise tag on WR George Pickens? Was it a smart move by team owner Jerry Jones?. . .2026 NFL Scouting Combine: It was an eventful week, with more than 300 prospects in the 2026 NFL draft class heading to Indianapolis for on-field drills, 40-yard dashes, medical testing and/or interviews with team personnel - - Not everyone participated in workouts, and some were selective in what drills they participated in, but several players improved their draft stock by putting up solid performances & exceeding expectations. . .So, which prospects did the most for their NFL draft stock at this year's NFL Scouting Combine? Who is suddenly getting buzz ahead of where they were slotted prior to the NFL Combine?. . .That's exactly what JD and Spencer discuss within this particular segment, starting with the first night of workouts, which included the defensive linemen and LBs taking center stage on Thursday: One such player that drastically improved his draft stock on Day One of the combine, was Ohio State LB Sonny Styles, the son of former NFL LB Lorenzo Styles Sr., who came into the combine as a probable top-12 pick: His on-field workout might have solidified his spot in the top 10 - and maybe even in the top five (5) - as the 6-foot-5, 244-pound LB, had a historic performance, becoming the first player to run a sub-4.5-second 40-yard dash with a vertical leap of 40+ inches and a broad jump of 11+ feet at 230+ p...