The NBA Play-In Tournament is here, and this year’s playoff picture feels as open as it’s been in years.

The guys break down the biggest Play-In matchups, key storylines across both conferences, and what to expect as the road to the NBA Finals begins.

(0:00) Play-In overview and why this year feels wide open
(1:50) Heat vs Hornets breakdown
(8:30) Suns vs Trail Blazers preview
(14:30) Warriors vs Clippers (Steph Curry vs Kawhi Leonard)
(20:30) 76ers outlook with Joel Embiid returning
(27:00) Eastern Conference playoff matchups
(35:00) Knicks vs Hawks series preview
(44:00) Thunder and Spurs outlook
(52:00) Lakers injuries and impact on the West
(59:00) Nuggets vs Timberwolves preview

The discussion covers key players including Stephen Curry, Kawhi Leonard, and Joel Embiid, along with predictions for how the Play-In could reshape the playoff bracket.

With no clear superteam this season, the playoffs are set up to be unpredictable, competitive, and full of potential upsets.

Hoops After Dark Podcast
NCAA & NBA — All Hoops Talk

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We are back.

Michigan wins the national championship and proves what we kept saying all season… sometimes the best team just wins.

The guys break down the title game, why UConn isn’t going anywhere, and whether the Final Four as a whole was actually a letdown.

We also get into the bigger picture of college basketball, the new North Carolina hire, and what’s next across the sport.

Hoops, debates, and everything in between.

March Madness delivered.

We get into the tournament, the teams that showed up, the ones that didn’t, and what actually mattered from the weekend. Final Four picks, national title talk, and a real conversation about who’s built to win right now.

Then we zoom out.

NIL, roster building, and where the sport is headed. Why some programs reload and others fall off. Coaching situations at places like UNC and Kansas and what could be coming next.

We also get into the NBA side of things. Vegas expansion, Seattle coming back, and a quick run through the awards race.

Just hoops talk the way it should be.

Hoops After Dark
Dre Henderson x Mike Cooper x Sam Kingery X Mark Kruthaupt

Hoops After Dark breaks down the first two rounds of March Madness.

The upsets, the close calls, and the teams that actually look like they can make a run. From VCU’s comeback to Saint Louis rolling Georgia, to Duke nearly getting caught early, we go through what mattered and what didn’t.

We also get into the bigger picture. North Carolina moves on from Hubert Davis, opening one of the biggest jobs in the sport. Who makes sense and where things could go from here.

Plus the NIL conversation. Are Cinderella runs still real or are they getting harder to pull off?

And then the NBA news. Expansion is coming with Seattle and Las Vegas, and what that means moving forward.

#MarchMadness #CollegeBasketball #NCAATournament #BasketballTalk #HoopsAfterDark #SportsPodcast #UNC #NBANews

The Hoops After Dark Podcast breaks down the 2026 NCAA Tournament bracket.

In this episode we dive into:

• Full March Madness bracket reactions

• First round upset picks

• Sweet 16 and Final Four predictions

• Bubble team debates

• Advanced stats and betting angles

Hosts Mike Cooper, Dre, and Sam break down the biggest matchups in the tournament and debate which teams can make a run.

Who is your national champion? Drop your picks in the comments.

Subscribe for weekly college basketball and NBA analysis.

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#MarchMadness #NCAATournament #CollegeBasketball #BracketPredictions #HoopsAfterDark