Inside College Basketball Now

Auburn first-year head coach Steven Pearl joins Jon Rothstein to discuss taking over the program, year one as the lead man, his roster and one of the most difficult nonconference schedules in the country. (0:00) Intro (0:30) Being introduced as Auburn’s head coach (1:00) Describing the days since becoming the lead man (3:00) How your schedule changes going from assistant to head coach (4:45) Growi...

Jon Rothstein poses five questions for the Big 12 ahead of the 2025-26 college basketball season. Can Houston continue it's Big 12 dominance? Is Kansas ready to return to its vintage form? Will BYU have the season everyone is expecting? Jon answers those questions and more for the Big 12. (0:00) Intro (0:45) Time to go conference-by-conference: let’s talk Big 12 (1:45) How will Houston deal with m...

It's the Big East's turn as Jon has five big questions for the Big East -- including whether or not UConn can bounce back to being a title contender and whether St. John's will withstand the pressure of their most anticipated season in over 25 years.

Gonzaga head coach Mark Few joins Jon Rothstein to discuss the NCAA Tournament expansion, this year's roster in Spokane and getting back to another Final Four. Jon and Mark cover everything from Gonzaga's point guard position this season to the 1999 NCAA Tournament. (0:00) Intro + the annual Few family vacation & pizza (1:45) Balancing family & the requirements of the job (3:10) Gonzaga is...

Jon Rothstein provides the latest around college basketball and reports from his recent travels to practice around the country. (0:00) Intro + three weeks from college hoops! (2:41) St. John’s needs its two exhibition games (15:14) PG and SF are the biggest questions for Duke (18:50) Other Nuggets from the Triangle - UNC, NC State (27:30) Chat Questions! (32:30) Three Good Nuggets #collegebasketba...

Our conference previews roll on as Jon has some questions for the Atlantic Coast Conference members. Specifically, can Duke repeat or improve on last year's performance? And who might be the sleeper in the conference be this year.

Fans of teams in the non-power 5 conferences were probably wonder when Jon was going to preview their seasons. Wonder no more as Jon unveils his five MASSIVE non P5 questions including is Gonzaga STILL is a national power and if the Mountain West can send multiple teams to the dance again. 01:24 - How many non-power conference will be multi-bid leagues? 08:05 - Does Gonzaga have enough to remain a...

Purdue head coach Matt Painter joins Jon Rothstein to discuss the upcoming season, why this is the team best equipped to win a title and what it means to get back to a Final Four in the state of Indiana. (0:00) Intro + the Cubs! (0:45) The Cubs World Series vs. Purdue Final Four (1:55) Returning 86% of scoring from a Sweet 16 Team (3:50) Why is Purdue so good at retention? (4:30) Maintaining a ros...

Jon Rothstein has been on the road again! After another trip taking in preseason practice across the country, he's back to report on what he saw. Plus the latest in the college basketball universe! (0:00) Intro (1:48) Jon making the rounds to preseason practice - Virginia, VCU and all across the east coast (3:45) Three Big Things (4:00) Report: 76-team NCAA Tournament Expansion (20:19) Auburn shou...

Jon Rothstein identifies five dark horse candidates for the 2025 Final Four. There is always one collection of teams that are dubbed "Final Four contenders" before each college basketball season. What about those flying under the radar? Jon highlights and discusses five teams that might not be considered Final Four good but have a chance to go all the way to Indianapolis. (0:00) Intro + subscribe...

Jon Rothstein identifies 15 soon-to-be stars of college basketball. Rosters change, transfers come in and big roles need to be filled each and every season. In 2025-26, some of the biggest names are gone and talented players are ready to step in to the spotlight. Jon goes through 15 players that he believes will become stars in 2025-26 all across the country. (0:00) Intro (1:00) 15 household names...

Jon sits down with Michigan Head Coach Dusty May to discuss what he learned in his first year on the job, why he believes this year the Wolverines can win a title and more! 00:33 - Coach May is a good food critic 01:10 - Biggest lesson learned in Year 1 at UM 02:05 - Differences between UM and Indiana 03:01 - Coach May’s coaching Influences 05:42 - Unique team 06:12 - Dusty’s Roster building philo...

UConn coach Dan Hurley opens up on writing his new book, his journey through coaching, and the challenges of growing up in Bobby Hurley’s shadow. He reflects on early career struggles, coaching breakthroughs at Wagner and Rhode Island, building an elite program in the portal era, and why he’s convinced he’ll stay in college basketball for the long haul. (0:30) Writing a book (2:30) Childhood (5:30...

Jon returns from his first leg of his College Basketball walkabout to give you the scoop on multiple teams, including BYU, Arizona, and more. Also, is Brandon Garrison the most important Kentucky Wildcat, Jon's reasoning might be eye-opening. 02:51 - BYU's Richie Saunders might be headed to college basketball stardom. 08:46 - Arizona needs a main man 12:59 - Brandon Garrison is the most important...

Jon breaks down his ten most anticipated non-con matchups of 2025 -2026.

Jon Rothstein gives you 10 head coaches to keep an eye on in 2025-26. A mid major coach faces a host of challenges. From NIL struggles to scheduling hurdles, running a mid major program is a tall task. However, there is a long list of coaches doing an excellent job outside of the power conferences. Jon identifies 10 head coaches on the rise in the 2025-26 college basketball season that you could s...

BYU is poised to have the best season in school history. So who better to talk to before the season starts than the head man, Kevin Young. Jon and Kevin dive into the beauty that was last season, dealing with massive expectations this year AND talk a little bit about freshman sensation Aj Dybantsa. 00:40 - Montana 1:14 - Biggest thing Kevin Young learned 1:50 - Differences between NBA and College...

Breaking News - Bruce Pearl is set to retire. Jon Rothstein reacts!

From perennial contenders to rising threats, these 10 non-Power Conference programs could make serious noise this college basketball season. We’re breaking down the teams you need to keep an eye on: Gonzaga, San Diego State, Utah State, Saint Mary’s, Memphis, San Francisco, UC Santa Barbara, VCU, Loyola Chicago, and Towson. Find out who’s built for a deep March run, which rosters are reloaded, and...

Every season, some teams outperform the sum of their parts. On today's episode of Inside College Basketball Now, Jon Rothstein identifies which teams five teams those might be. 00:44 - Villanova 07:32 - Ole Miss 11:08 - Syracuse 17:42 - Nebraska 22:55 - TCU

Every year in college basketball there are teams that make a statement out of nowhere. And every year pundits and fans alike are surprised by these teams. Inside College Basketball has the teams that you need to know about and will be on the rise in 2025 -2026. 01:25 - St. John's 09:57 - BYU 14:47 - Louisville 20:02 - Michigan 24:31 - San Diego State.

Jon Rothstein identifies five college basketball teams that should make big jumps in 2025-26. In a crucial year for the ACC's reputation, there are three teams with new head coaches primed for meaningful moves in the right direction. Can the conference return to a strong place in the sport? Jon runs through his five teams representing three different conferences and breaks down coaching changes, r...

Auburn came within two games of a national championship; however, they fell short. Today, Jon sits down with Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl, who explains how he took last year's team as far as they could go, discusses when Pearl may retire, and why the transfer portal is detrimental to college athletics. 05:19 - Auburn as a top 10 program 08:39 - Last Year's Final Four had the BEST four teams 14:22...

Sometimes, one can learn more from a loss than a win. Jon Rothstein chats with Duke head coach Jon Scheyer about every lesson he learned from losing to Houston. 00:00 - Start 08:40 - What Jon Scheyer told his team after the Houston loss. 15:57 - How Coach Scheyer chose coaching 25:00 - What the future looks like at Duke 33:40 - Scheyer's mindset behind non-conference scheduling

Why has Houston's transition to the Big 12 been so successful? Head Coach Kelvin Sampson joins Jon Rothstein on a new episode of Inside College Basketball Now to discuss that and more. Sampson talks about their success last season, their Final Four comeback against Duke, and their loss to Florida in the Championship. Later, he shares his thoughts on their young roster, Jo Jo Tugler's injury, and t...