As we inch our way toward Selection Sunday, slowly but surely NCAA Tourney bids are disappearing, as teams win their conference tournaments, and others do enough to play themselves in as at-larges. And while this week has been beneficial to some, it has also left a lot of teams uneasy as we creep towards the unveiling of the brackets Sunday night.

One of which is anxiously awaiting Selection Sunday is the Iona Gaels, who finished 25-7 and won the MAAC regular season, but was unable to clinch the league’s automatic bid earlier this week. Because of it, Iona Athletics Director Gene Marshall was nice enough to join the Aaron Torres Sports Podcast to state the case for his program getting an at-large bid.

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Included in our discussion was:

- Marshall just took this job last spring. Did he realize quite the talented program that he was inheriting in New Rochelle?

- Why Iona faced major scheduling woes last spring, and why it led to 12 of Iona’s first 14 games being played away from home.

- What went wrong in the MAAC Tournament, and why it could be indicative of how tough the league actually is? Do people realize how good Fairfield is? How about Loyola?

Over the last few years, Mark Titus has become an internet phenomenon with his popular website ClubTrillion.com, which chronicled all the funny stories of Mark’s time as a walk-on with the Ohio State basketball team. Now a writer at Grantland.com, Titus has elected to write a book based off Club Trillion called 'Don't Put Me In Coach,' and on Monday he was nice enough to join the Aaron Torres Sports Podcast to discuss it all.

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Amongst the topics Mark and I discussed:

- Why he decided to walk-on at Ohio State in the first place, and why it was one of his best friends, Greg Oden, who convinced him to come to campus.

- Why head coach Thad Matta may have had reservations when Oden told him that he wanted to room with Titus his freshman year at Ohio State.

- Titus’ favorite memories from Ohio State, from the Final Four his freshman year, to an NIT title his sophomore year and beyond.

- Why Thad Matta is a “player’s coach,” why players respond to that, and why Matta is unequivocally one of the most underrated coaches in the sport of college basketball.

- Why Mark decided to start ClubTrillion.com, and why the website was originally it was a defense mechanism on his part.

- The first time Mark knew that the website had really exploded, and why, right then and there, he knew he would eventually write a book.

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Note to anyone who is in high school or college that is reading this site: Always put 100 percent effort into everything you write. You simply never know who is reading your writing, or listening to your audio interviews.

Never has there been a better example of that than today’s Aaron Torres Sports Podcast.

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Early last week, I wrote an article called ‘It’s Time To Embrace College Basketball’s Mid-Majors’ where I proclaimed the 2012 season to feature the best group of mid-major teams I could ever remember in college basketball. In the article, I cited the impressive play of Long Beach State, which at the time was 19-7, and had just come off a heartbreaking loss at Creighton in ‘Bracket Busters Weekend.’

Well, one person who really enjoyed that article was Long Beach State Athletic Direct Vic Cegles, who found the article, and sent me a nice note after it was posted. We started communicating, and on Thursday afternoon, he was nice enough to join me on the podcast to discuss his program and their run toward the NCAA Tournament.

Amongst the topics we discussed, included:

- Whether there’s such a thing as “West Coast” bias, even when it comes to mid-majors. Even as a small school, is it easier for a VCU or Iona to get more exposure, because of where their school is physically located?

- The art of scheduling with mid-majors. LBSU played the No. 1 out of conference schedule in the country this year, and it undoubtedly prepared them for conference play. What were the negative consequences to playing such a tough schedule?

- The development of senior Casper Ware, from a shy freshman into the superstar that he has become as a senior.

As many of you know, I recently read the new book ‘The Last Great Game’ a few weeks ago, and loved it. The book about arguably the greatest game in college basketball history (the 1992 East Regional Final between Duke and Kentucky) arrived at my doorstep, and I finished it within days.

Luckily the author of the book, ESPN.com columnist Gene Wojciechowski was nice enough to join me on my podcast this week. We discussed the book, the legacies of many of the players and coaches involved in that game, and much more. Including:

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- The unique backstory of how Gene was able to get a contract to write this book, and why it took one prominent author dropping out for him to get final approval.

- Why it was actually Kentucky strength-and-conditioning coach Rock Oliver who provided some key insight into the Kentucky narrative of the story.

- The legacy of Christian Laettner, what motivated him, and why he was a player that opponents not only hated, but that his own teammates hated as well.

- Why Rick Pitino was as ahead of the curve as any coach in college basketball back in the early 1990’s, and why that legacy is largely forgotten now.

- The hype surrounding the game, and why many didn’t expect it to be close at all. Did you know that CBS didn’t even send their No. 1 announcing crew of Jim Nantz and Billy Packer to cover the game?

- Gene’s memories of the postgame scene as a young reporter writing for the Los Angeles Times.

- Why this might have truly been college basketball’s ‘Last Great Game’

Plus much, much, more…

Simply put, if you’re a fan of college basketball or looking for a good book to read, ‘The Last Great Game’ should be something that you pick up this spring. Wojciechowski does a masterful job of weaving the narratives of two great teams, two great coaches, and one incredible story into an easy to read, and highly enjoyable narrative.

For more information, feel free to listen to the podcast, and you can always hit me with any questions or comments you may have, either in the comments section below or on Twitter @Aaron_Torres.

Also, if you can’t listen to the podcast here and now, feel free to download it iTunes. You can also subscribe to the podcast by clicking here. And once you’re done listening to the podcast, feel free to find more information on the book at Amazon.com.

And finally, I just want to make one more quick announcement: As most of you know, Aaron Torres Sports is teaming with Guinness beer to bring YOU the ultimate St. Patrick’s Day experience. And guess what, that experience could net you a FREE trip to Ireland just for entering. Yes, I’m being 100 percent serious.

Please check out THIS LINK to see how you can enter to win, and if you’ve got any further questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.

Thanks to Gene again for swinging by the podcast, and thanks to all of you for taking the time to download.

Until next time…

I’ll be the first to admit that when it comes to NASCAR, I don’t know a whole heck of a lot. But when the opportunity came up to interview one of the sport’s up-and-coming stars, there was no way I was going to pass it by.

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That’s why on this edition of the Aaron Torres Sports Podcast, I’m glad to welcome Joey Logano to the show! Joey is a Connecticut native, one of racing’s rising stars and is looking for his second career win on Sunday, and first at Daytona. He discussed all that, plus a really cool giveaway (read below) and more on the show. Amongst the topics we discussed included:

- How Joey got into racing growing up in Connecticut, and why even when he had success as a youngster, few locally knew of his exploits.

- His early years at NASCAR’s highest levels. What he’s learned from his first few years, and what he will take with him going forward.

- A discussion on his new crew chief Jason Ratcliffe. Why Joey feels comfortable with Jason, and what he expects as they get set for their first race together.

- The significance of Daytona, and what the biggest challenges of the track are.

- And finally, what to expect from Joey this weekend at Daytona. More importantly, he discusses a giveaway that he is doing with Aaron Torres Sports. Which brings me to…

As the calendar slowly creeps from February to March, one of the biggest debates in college basketball continues to rage on: Who will take home this year’s National Player of the Year award. Will it be Kentucky’s Anthony Davis, or Thomas Robinson of Kansas? Jeff Borzello of CBS Sports to talk about both players, their unique developments and more o this episode of the Aaron Torres Sports podcast.

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Jeff covers both college basketball as well as recruiting for CBS, and has seen both Davis and Robinson develop from lightly-recruited, raw athletes to the superstars they’ve become. He discussed the two Player of the Year candidates and much more on the podcast, including:

- Davis’ humble beginnings as a 6’3 point guard, and why even after a growth spurt Jeff- and the college basketball world as a whole- still wasn’t sure entirely who he was, or how he’d develop at the college level.

- Why, even after Davis had entrenched himself as one of the top recruits in the country, Jeff still didn’t see him evolving into the offensive player he’d become.

- How impressive it is that Davis has been able to keep his guard skills, despite the growth spurt.

- Moving over to Robinson, what his backstory was, and how- much like Davis- no one could’ve projected superstardom for him when he was in prep school.

- Why the stories of Davis and Robinson prove that both John Calipari and Bill Self aren’t just “recruiters” but actual talent developers as well.

Well folks, football season over, which means it’s time to sit back and spend the next six weeks fully embracing college hoops. Here at Aaron Torres Sports, I’ve tried to help ease you into the season with Monday’s College Basketball Primer Part I (the second part coming later this week) as well yesterday’s column on UConn’s Unceremonious Downfall.

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But with that, it’s always good to get a second opinion on college hoops, which is exactly what I’ve elected to do on this edition of the Aaron Torres Sports Podcast. That’s why on Tuesday, I welcomed one of the top young bloggers in the college hoops game- Rob Dauster of BallInIsAHabit.net- onto the show.

Rob and his partner in crime Troy Machir at BIAH just finished an epic three-week college basketball road trip, and he talked about all of that, plus more in the podcast. Amongst the subjects we discussed included:

- The origins of BallInIsAHabit.net. How did it come about, how did it evolve, and what’s next?

- The origins of the BIAH Road Trip. Logistically, what goes into putting together a three-week cross country trip? What were some of the “must stops?” Were there any places that the guys wanted to get to, but just didn’t have the time for?

- Some volunteer work the BIAH guys did in Joplin, MO, and why even months after a tornado devastated the state, people are still feeling the after effects.

- Looking across the college basketball landscape this year, who are a few teams outside the Top 10 that people need to keep an eye on. Who are teams that people shouldn’t trust?

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Over the last few years, there might not have been a single player in college football that was more exciting to watch on a day-to-day, game-to-game basis than Georgia cornerback/return man/spot offensive superstar Brandon Boykin. And on Wednesday, he was nice enough to join me on the Aaron Torres Sports podcast.

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It was a quick, 15-minute interview (that is easily digestible on a lunch break), but Brandon and I still squeezed in conversation on a number of topics, including…

- Expectations at Georgia entering the 2011 season. Did players feel those expectations? And why Brandon knew things would be different his senior season.

- What led to Georgia’s success, and why a strong group of poker willed this program back to the upper-echelon of the SEC.

- The split personalities of Todd Grantham, and why he is much different away from the field than on it.

- Brandon’s versatility on the football field, and why he was practically begging the Georgia coaches to let him get more touches on offense.

- His preparation for next week’s Senior Bowl, what he’ll be trying to prove to scouts, and why his height shouldn’t scare teams away.

- The NFL Draft process as a whole, and why Brandon has consulted with a number of ex-Dawgs on what he needs to know these next couple weeks.

You know how they say, “It’s better to be lucky than good?” Well, there has never been a truer case of that motto coming to life than the latest edition of the Aaron Torres Sports Podcast.

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That’s because for a few weeks now I’ve been trying to get Bryan Fischer of CBS Sports to come on and talk some recruiting stuff as well as early 2012 story lines. And after finally tracking Bryan down to do the interview late last week, news struck late Monday that was right up his alley. The news? Just that the No. 1 high school quarterback in the country Gunner Kiel had de-committed from LSU, and was headed to Notre Dame. You’ve probably heard about it by now, but still Bryan brought some unique insight to that subject, as well as others, including discussion on:

- How much of a role Kiel’s parents may have made in his decision, and why parents are more important in the recruiting process than the casual fan might think.

- How Kiel fits into what Brian Kelly is doing at Notre Dame, why Kiel is a better fit for the Irish than LSU, and why Tommy Rees and Andrew Hendrix should be worried.

Heading onto the national college football front, Bryan and I also discussed:

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For UConn basketball fans, it’s safe to say that the 2011-2012 season has been “interesting” so far. A team that is infinitely more talented than the 2011 title team has had plenty of ups and downs and inconsistent play. But coming off a hard-earned win over West Virginia, there’s plenty of reason to believe that maybe- just maybe- this group has turned the corner.

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One person who’d know better than most is Kevin Duffy, who covers UConn hoops for the Connecticut Post. Kevin was a huge help in the promotion of my book on the Huskies, and was nice enough to again do me a favor and stop by the podcast. We discussed a number of things, including:

- Why the win over West Virginia on Monday night well could’ve been a turning point in the Huskies season, and why the home crowd at the XL Center very well could’ve keyed the victory.

- The emergence of Andre Drummond in the West Virginia game, and why if he continues to play as well as he did, the Huskies can beat anyone.

- Why- as good as Drummond has been- another key component could be freshman Ryan Boatright. Is he the best “leader” this team has?

- A further discussion on some of the off-the-cuff comments that Shabazz Napier made following the Rutgers loss. Are they a big deal? Are fans looking too much into them?

- Why Alex Oriahki needs to continue to get better, and why “confidence” is more of an issue with him than any of his actual basketball skills.

- Where Kevin sees this team progressing to. What will they look like around NCAA Tournament time, especially relative to where they are now? How close are they to reaching their potential?

Plus much, much more!!

Folks, with college football season now in the books, I’ll be turning some (but not all) of my attention to college hoops at Aaron Torres Sports, and I’m flattered and honored that Kevin was nice enough to join me. Few are more in tune with what’s going with this team, and Kevin provided insight that just can’t be found anywhere else.

As always, there are plenty of ways to access the podcast, if you cannot listen to it here on the website. You can always download on iTunes, or simply subscribe to the Aaron Torres Sports Podcast in any number of ways. You should also be following on Twitter as well.

And finally, if you enjoyed the podcast, then you’ll definitely want to pick up your copy of ‘The Unlikeliest Champion’ the only book of its kind to capture last year’s National Championship run. It’s available in both paperback and on Kindle, and more information can be found at www.uconnbook.com as well as Amazon.com.

Also, I’m extending a special 15 percent off deal to listeners to the podcast.

All you’ve got to do is e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with the subject line “Aaron Torres Sports Podcast.” Do that, and I’ll send along a coupon code, which will allow you to get 15 percent off the purchase price of a paperback copy.

Thanks again to Kevin for joining me, and thanks to you for downloading the Aaron Torres Sports Podcast! Come back soon!