Ep. 184 - Caitlin Clark/W Tourney Take Center Stage, Big Man Final? & More!

04/02/24 • 82 min

On Episode 184 of the Ballislife In The Paint Show, hosts Ronnie Flores, Ani Umana and Chelsea Hopkins go hard on the epic Monday Elite 8 games, particularly Iowa and LSU, and women's NCAA March Madness.

Before the ITP Crew goes in on the Caitlin Clark phenomenon, Ani gives a quick breakdown on the high school scene and why its a bit mundane right now because of the success of older college teams with transfers in the NCAA Tournament. UCONN and Purdue are not big surprises on the men's side. Is a showdown imminent?

Chelsea and Ani then give their reactions to the Elite 8 WNCAA Tourney showdown between Iowa and LSU, a rematch of last year's NCAA title game. Did Iowa improve that much over the course of the season? Is Clark, Iowa's star guard, just that good or did Kim Mulkey devise a fatal game plan to slow her down? Did LSU lose focus after winning the title last season? Ani and Chelsea go hard!

After a former all-conference D1 player, Chelsea gives her insight of coaching adjustments, strategies and ego. How much does ego come into the outcome of a college game? Do players ever scrap the game plan on their own?

The ITP crew also debate just how great of a college player Clark is (Top 5 ever?) and her potential impact on the WNBA. Will she develop into a WNBA MVP candidate? Chelsea and Ani dish hard on the topic!

LSU-Iowa turned out to be the most watched womens' college basketball game, ever. Will the Caitlin effect transfer over to the WNBA when she joins?

The ITP Crew also offers their W and Men's NCAA Final Four predictions. Does UCONN have a chance to win BOTH championships? Can Purdue vs. UCONN be the big man matchup the men's game needs?

The ITP Crew goes hard on Caitlin Clark, March Madness and offers plenty of terrific insight, so make sure to tune in to Episode 184 from start to finish! Also make sure to check out our ITP Overtime shorts for more info, insight and behind the scenes stories!

(0:00) - Intro

(1:12) - Successful NCAA Teams vs. HS Standouts!

(3:33) - NCAA: UCONN vs. Purdue = No Surprises!

(8:27) - 10 March Madness Defining Moments (Ballislife.com)

(10:54) - WNCAA: Epic Elite 8 Quick Reactions!

(15:08) - Ani's Reactions To Iowa-LSU

(22:31) - Did LSU Lose Focus This Season?

(25:50) - Insight/Perspective From Former WNCAA Player

(34:19) - WNCAA Final Four Preview

(40:43) - Just How Good Is Caitlin Clark? A Debate!

(1:03:18) - Can W Carry Over Caitlin's Lightning In Bottle?

(1:11:49) - Can UCONN's Paige Bueckers Run It Back?

(1:15:47) - Clingan vs. Edey: The Big Man Matchup We Need?

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LSU-Iowa turned out to be the most watched womens' college basketball game, ever. Will the Caitlin effect transfer over to the WNBA when she joins?

The ITP Crew also offers their W and Men's NCAA Final Four predictions. Does UCONN have a chance to win BOTH championships? Can Purdue vs. UCONN be the big man matchup the men's game needs?

(0:00) - Intro

(1:12) - Successful NCAA Teams vs. HS Standouts!

(3:33) - NCAA: UCONN vs. Purdue = No Surprises!

(8:27) - 10 March Madness Defining Moments (Ballislife.com)

(10:54) - WNCAA: Epic Elite 8 Quick Reactions!

(15:08) - Ani's Reactions To Iowa-LSU

(22:31) - Did LSU Lose Focus This Season?

(25:50) - Insight/Perspective From Former WNCAA Player

(34:19) - WNCAA Final Four Preview

(40:43) - Just How Good Is Caitlin Clark? A Debate!

(1:03:18) - Can W Carry Over Caitlin's Lightning In Bottle?

(1:11:49) - Can UCONN's Paige Bueckers Run It Back?

(1:15:47) - Clingan vs. Edey: The Big Man Matchup We Need?

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Previous Episode

Ep. 183 - March Madness Hot Takes & Picks, Star Power & Portal!

On Episode 183 of the Ballislife In The Paint Show, hosts Ronnie Flores, Ani Umana and Chelsea Hopkins go hard on the upcoming men's and women's NCAA March Madness.

Before the ITP Crew goes in on the NCAA Tournament brackets, Ron gives a quick take on Chipotle Nationals (April 4-6). Can any team beat FAB 50 No. 1 Montverde Academy (FL)?

Chelsea gives her insight and first reaction to the WNCAA Tournament. What top seeds set to join No. 1 overall team South Carolina in the women's Final Four? The Albany 2 Region is a gauntlet. Will Iowa and LSU meet in a much-anticipated Elite 8 game?

Chelsea breaks down three names you need to know going into the W tournament that doesn't play on one of the top seeded and star-studded teams: Dyaisha Fair (Syracuse), Madison Booker (Texas) and Alissa Pili (Utah) and what makes them must-watch players.

Ani breaks down the state of the transfer portal and the strategies college staffs are using to get a leg up on the competition. It's the game within the game and it began way before the portal officially opened up!

The ITP Crew then give their reaction to the men's brackets and the teams to watch to come out of each region, and why the West Region seems to be the one that will be a bracket buster! Is top seed North Carolina a strong pick? Why is Chelsea a bit shaky on No. 2 seed Arizona? Who has the bet chance to blow that region wide open?

Ron and Ani then break down five men's transfer portal players you need to watch and that could have an impact on the brackets: Keshon Gilbert (Iowa St.), Tyon Grant-Foster (Grand Canyon), Jaden Bradley (Arizona), Shahada Wells (McNeese St.) and RayJ Dennis (Baylor).

The ITP Crew then gives their best picks for those interested who follow Ballislife Bets! What are the best first round games to watch where underdogs will cover and the best money line picks?

The crew closes out the show with Chelsea giving her Final Four picks on the W side. Can the Pac-12 have three teams in the Final Four in the conference's last year of existence?

The ITP Crew goes hard on March Madness and offers plenty of terrific insight on both the men's and women's tourney, so make sure to tune in to Episode 183 from start to finish! Also make sure to check out our ITP Overtime shorts for more info, insight and behind the scenes stories!

(0:00) - Intro

(2:47) - Chipotle Nationals: Quick Breakdown

(5:10) - W NCAA Tourney: Chelsea's Overview

(8:04) - Iowa, LSU & UCLA In Same Region! A Gauntlet!

(11:04) - W Tourney: 3 Names You Need to Know!

(21:14) - NCAA Tourney: Transfer Portal Importance!

(28:55) - NCAA Tourney: First Reaction To Brackets & Top Teams

(36:36) - West Region: Bracket Buster!

(40:50) - 5 Transfers To Know About!

(52:48) - Ballislife Bets: Best 1st Round Winners!

(57:35) - Closing Thoughts On Tourney! Age Matters!

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Next Episode

Ep. 185 - The REAL On WNBA Draft, Nike Hoop Summit, USA Basketball Camp & More!

On Episode 185 of the Ballislife In The Paint Show, hosts Ronnie Flores, Ani Umana and Chelsea Hopkins go hard on a variety of topics, including the record-breaking WNCAA Final and WNBA Draft and separating hype surrounding those event from the actual basketball perspective.

Before the ITP Crew goes in on the past few weeks in women's basketball, Chelsea and Ani give their insight on the 2024 Nike Hoop Summit. Is Duke-bound Cooper Flagg head and shoulders above the other elites in the 2024 class? Who else stood out?

The ITP Crew also give their take on the NCAA Final Four and UConn repeating as champions? Are the Huskies an all-time great NCAA team? Or was the field not very strong because of the parity and older players that switch teams in the NCAA transfer portal? Is Mark Pope's hiring at the University of Kentucky a big sign that relying on high school recruits is not an attractive strategy or was the pressure-cooker that is Big Blue Nation just not from some of the big-time coaches that were considered good candidates for the job?

Chelsea goes in on the WNCAA Championship and the greatness of South Carolina's Dawn Staley to put together an unbeaten season with five new starters. This women's Final Four and the WNBA Draft drew record-breaking audiences, but will this crop of players make a big WNBA impact.

Chelsea goes hard on why this WNBA Draft class will have a big impact socially but perhaps not as much on-court. Is there another sure-fire star besides Iowa's Caitlin Clark? Who was the best first round pick after the Indiana Fever's new star guard at No. 1? Who was the steal of the draft and which pick will a team regret down the line?

The ITP crew also debates the NBA Play-In Games and if the Oklahoma City Thunder are a disrespected No. 1 seed? Is guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander a worthy MVP, or is the Nugget's Joker and the Mavs' Luka Doncic on another level? Chelsea and Ani dish hard on the topic!

The ITP Crew goes hard on the most relevant topics in grassroots, college and pro basketball, and offer plenty of terrific insight, so make sure to tune in to Episode 185 from start to finish! Also make sure to check out our ITP Overtime shorts for more info, insight and behind the scenes stories!

(0:00) - Intro

(1:17) - Nike Hoop Summit Insight!

(5:16) - Nike Hoop Summit Player Breakdown

(10:01) - Cooper Flagg: Chelsea's Changing Eval!

(14:38) - Kentucky's Coaching Change: Sign of Times?

(18:20) - UConn Mens: Is This Team LIKE That?

(22:39) - USA Basketball Mini-Camp: Eye-Catchers!

(27:28) - Perspective On Record-Breaking WNCAA Tourney

(37:18) - Chelsea's Perspective On 2024 WNBA Draft

(43:42) - WNBA Draft: Veterans Not Playing It Forward?

(54:22) - W Draft: Basketball Breakdown, Analysis

(55:57) - ITP Hot Take: Best 1st Round Pick After Caitlin!