Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast! Episode 126 - The "One Shining Moment" Episode includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics: - NCAA: News & Storylines - - NCAA College Basketball: Financial penalties will be imposed on schools that do not follow the new player availability reporting process in the upcoming NCAA men's and women's basketball tournaments, according to the NCAA, who released a statement regarding the update last Wednesday - - **NOTE: For the first time ever, teams will be required to submit player availability information for NCAA tournament games- - If a school does not abide by this process, it will reportedly face potential fines: A first offense will result in a penalty of up to $10,000. . .the second offense is a fine up to $25,000. . .and the third offense includes a fine of up to $30,000 for the school and $10,000 for the program's head coach - as all penalties will be assessed after the tournament - - For this year's NCAA Tournament, teams must submit an initial report to the NCAA by 9 p.m. local time the night before a game is scheduled to occur, as well as provide an update two hours prior to the scheduled tip time on game day - Both reports must list players as one of three designations: (1) available, (2) questionable or (3) out. . .Players not listed as questionable (i.e., up to a 75% chance of playing) or out are assumed to be available to play - - **NOTE: Player availability reports have become required in the five (5) major conferences over the past couple of seasons, with the ACC, Big 12 and SEC posting their initial reports the night before a game, and the Big East & Big Ten conference(s) publishing their reports the morning of games - - This will be the first time player availability reports will be used for NCAA championships, with the men's and women's basketball tournaments serving as a pilot program for potential use in other sporting events - - The reports are "intended in part to reduce betting-related pressure, solicitations and harassment student-athletes and other team personnel receive from bettors connected to playing status," per the NCAA's statement - - HD Intelligence, a service for which several of the aforementioned conferences already use, will serve as the primary provider for player availability reporting services. . .Q: What are your thoughts on the NCAA's announcement regarding the mandated player availability reports, and their use throughout the men's and women's 2026 NCAA Tournament?. . ."31 & OH:" No.19 Miami (Ohio) RedHawks at Ohio Bobcats - - Miami (OH) closed out the regular season as the only unbeaten team in Division I men's college basketball, with guard Eian Elmer scoring a career-high 32 points & grabbing 12 rebounds in a gritty 110-108 road victory over in-state, MAC conference rival, Ohio, on Friday (3/6) night - - Peter Suder scored five (5) of his total 13 points in OT for the RedHawks (31-0, 18-0 MAC), which became the first program to complete an unblemished regular season since Gonzaga in 2021 - - Guard Trey Perry added 21 points and forward Brent Byers scored 15 for the RedHawks, who topped Akron (17-1 MAC) for the regular-season league title - - **NOTE: Despite its' magical season, Miami (OH) might need to win the MAC Conference tournament this week to guarantee themselves a spot and/or to become an automatic qualifier in this year's NCAA Tournament. . .Q: How do you feel about this particular subject: should the Miami (OH) RedHawks receive an "automatic bid" to the 2026 NCAA Tournament regardless of whether they or not they win the MAC Conference championship? - - Guard Jackson Paveletzke led Ohio (15-16, 9-9 MAC) with a career-high 37 points, while forwards Javan Simmons scored 30 and Aidan Holloway added 20 points as well, as the Bobcats closed out the regular season after losing three (3) consecutive games - - HC Travis Steele's squad had a bumpy stretch over its previous dozen games, with four (4) one-possession wins & two others that they won in OT - - This time, the story wasn't much different, as the RedHawks needed some late game heroics again to win in Athens for the first time in 15 years: Ohio forward Javan Simmons' basket off a missed shot by teammate Kirr Kuany gave the Bobcats a 108-107 lead with 26 seconds remaining in OT - - Miami guard Peter Suder then sank two FTs to put the RedHawks ahead, and guard Justin Kirby made another for the final margin - - The Bobcats had an opportunity to steal the game, but guard Jackson Paveletzke missed two shots in the final five (5) seconds that could have given Ohio the lead (and win), including a 3-pointer at the buzzer - - While the RedHawks capped off an impressive and historic 31-0 regular season and an insane 110-108 victory over in-state rival, Ohio, it was what occurred after the final buzzer that was even more enthralling: Chaos erupted in the Athens arena from both sides, with frustrated Ohio fans throwing trash onto the court and in the direction of the elated RedHawks, who returned the favor by giving them a "California hello," (aka, the bird/middle finger). . .Things only escalated as taunts were thrown back & forth between the two teams, as Ohio forward Aidan Hadaway was sent back to the locker room amid the chaos and was forced to skip the postgame handshake line. . .Miami guard Peter Suder, most notably, kept waving goodbye to the Ohio fans as he backed away from the crowd, while seemingly mouthing "F*** you, b—hes,". . .Q: What's your take on the chaos that erupted at the Ohio University arena following the Miami (OH) RedHawks' gritty OT victory? What are your thoughts on the on-court behavior/demonstrations of the RedHawks players, for instance, that of guard Peter Suder?. . .No.8 Michigan State Spartans at No.3 Michigan Wolverines - - Forward Yaxel Lendeborg scored 19 of his 27 points in the first half, and Morez Johnson Jr. finished with 18 points, leading No.3 Michigan in a 90-80 win and season sweep over "little brother" No.8 Michigan State on Sunday (3/8) to give the Big Ten regular-season champions a 15^th straight conference victory - - The Wolverines (29-2, 19-1 Big Ten) are headed to the Conference tournament, hoping to earn a No.1 seed in March Madness, prior to shooting for the program's second national championship (and first since 1989) - - The Spartans (25-6, 15-5 Big Ten) were swept by their in-state rivals in the regular season, but might get another shot at the Wolverines this week in the Big Ten Conference tournament - - Lendeborg, a preseason All-America selection, was once again the best player on the court, on Sunday, as the UAB transfer shot 8-for-12 from the field, matched a career high with five (5) three-pointers, recorded three (3) assists & also made winning plays at the other end of the court defensively - - "A Dirty Play/Villain:" After Spartans guard Jeremy Fears Jr. made a jumper to pull Michigan State within three (3) points with 3:47 remaining, Lendeborg made a 3-pointer on the ensuing possession to start a 10-2 run that ultimately sealed the victory for the Wolverines - - Fears finished with 22 points & nine (9) assists, forward Jaxon Kohley matched a career high with 23 points as big man Carson Cooper added 19 points for the Spartans - - However, it was Fears, who once again drew unwanted attention for another kick toward an opponent's groin, as he was called for a technical foul after a video review clearly showed that he swung his right leg backward and into Wolverines' guard Elliot Cadeau. . .but this wasn't his first rodeo: when the Wolverines won the first matchup earlier this season, Fears appeared to intentionally trip Yaxel Lendeborg, and in the postgame press conference, Michigan HC Dusty May made mention of the "several dangerous," plays in the game, in reference to Fears' on-court antics. . .Q: Is Michigan State's Jeremy Fears Jr. the modern version of former Duke Blue Devils' Grayson Allen (or former Michigan State forward Draymond Green)?. . ."NCAA College Basketball Championship Week:" The 2025-26 men's college basketball regular season is officially over, and Championship Week is in full swing: Conference tournaments are pitting member schools against one another for the right to represent their league as one of the 31 automatic qualifiers in this year's NCAA Tournament - - It all ends with the Big Ten Conference Tournament on Sunday, just before the full 68-team field for March Madness is revealed - - In this week's "Champ Week" segment, JD & Spencer introduce & discuss each of the men's basketball conference champions, to date, that have already punched their ticket this year's Big Dance: Ohio Valley Conference (OVC): Tennessee State Tigers (23-9) - - Third overall appearance (first since 1994) Northeast Conference (NEC): Long Island University (LIU) Sharks (23-10) - - Eighth overall appearance (first since 2018) Missouri Valley Conference (MVC): Northern Iowa Panthers (20-14) - - Ninth overall appearance (first since 2016) Big South Conference: High Point Panthers (30-4) - - Second straight appearance Atlantic Sun (ASUN) Conference: Queens University Royals (21-13) - - First overall appearance Summit League: North Dakota State Bison (21-13) - - Fifth overall appearance (first since 2019) <...