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When I started writing for Land-Grant Holy Land in the fall of 2019, they asked me if I would be interested in starting a college basketball podcast on top of writing. Already unfamiliar with the writing side of the job, and not at all confident in myself to record a podcast, I declined. LGHL did not have a podcast focusing on basketball at the time, and — unsurprisingly — the content was very heavy on the football side of things (and still is, understandably).
This spring, the idea was pitched to me again, and I decided to give it a whirl. Shortly afterwards, Justin Golba returned to LGHL, and with that we had a pair of basketball heads who could collaborate for a basketball-focused podcast. We hit the ground running in May, and have been putting out episodes every two weeks all summer. Soon, that will be changing.
I’ve always been a huge Ohio State hoops fan, even more than of football. The OSU basketball fanbase is extremely underrated on a national scale, perhaps because it lies in the shadow of a behemoth football program. But Ohio State’s hardcore basketball fans are just that — hardcore and very passionate. I hope that over the past five months we’ve been able to whet the whistles of our fellow basketball fans with some off-season content, and hopefully you’re just as jacked up as I am for the season to start next month.
If you’ve been listening to our podcast through the summer, this is just a recap for you all. If you’re jut now starting to think about college basketball, this article is for you. Below, I’ll give a quick recap of our first nine episodes, as well as a link to each one. Whether you just read through or want to go back and listen to each one, we appreciate your support all the same.
Our next episode will be released on October 14, and it will be our first “pre-season” episode after covering mostly off-season stuff for the better part of five months. Additionally, we will be releasing a new episode every single week moving forward. There’s going to be a lot of basketball to stay on top of, and we’ll do our best to cover all of it.
We also created a Twitter account for the podcast, and self-admittedly it has been pretty dead so far. It should heat up here in a few weeks when the season really gets going. Toss it a follow to keep up with the latest Ohio State basketball news!
Connect with the Podcast:
Twitter: @BucketheadsLGHL
Connect with Connor:
Twitter: @lemons_connor
Connect with Justin:
Twitter: @justin_golba
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
And without further ado, the first nine episodes of Bucketheads:
Episode 1: Ohio State men’s basketball lineups depending on Liddell, Washington returns
May 25, 2021
Connor and Matt (Episode 1 was pre-Justin) broke down all of the possible lineups if E.J. Liddell and/or Duane Washington Jr. did not return to school. Clearly, Liddell came back and Washington Jr. did not, but it’s still fun to look back at our guesses before we knew what would happen.
We also talked about how important regular season vs. postseason success is when looking at a coach’s pedigree, the 2021 Carmen’s Crew roster, and ask for listeners to suggest some names for our (at the time) unnamed college basketball podcast.
Episode 2: Bucketheads’ on Duane Washington Jr., Greg Gard, TBT bracket reveal, and more:
June 23, 2021
This was Justin’s first episode, and the boys covered both Liddell and Washington’s performances at the G League Elite camp as well as Washington’s last-second invite to the NBA Draft Combine.
They also covered the drama that unfolded in Madison, Wisc. back in June. Reports out of Badgerland alleged that basically the whole team hated Greg Gard last season, and some players were fueled by their dislike of him to play well — not by their desire to win games.
They close it out by reading through the freshly-released TBT bracket.
Episode 3: Bucketheads Podcast: Joey Lane talks TBT, Duane and E.J., Thad vs. Holtmann, more
July 6, 2021
Episode 3 featured our first guest, as former Ohio State guard Joey Lane joined us to discuss TBT as well as his collegiate hoops career. Joey gave some great insight on the work ethic of Duane Washington Jr., some differences between Chris Holtmann and Thad Matta, and which road venues he thought were the most intimidating.
Episode 4: Bucketheads Podcast: Filling out this year’s TBT Bracket
July 14, 2021
Bonus episode! We couldn’t wait two weeks to record again because the TBT bracket was released during our off week. We printed out brackets and made our picks, including some questionable upsets, in hindsight. If you didn’t watch TBT or don’t watch TBT, this one probably isn’t for you.
Episode 5: Bucketheads Podcast: Chatting with Sports Illustrated’s Kevin Sweeney, NBA draft, Felix Okpara
August 4, 2021
In Episode 5, Connor and Justin talk Carmen’s Crew following their loss to The Money Team in TBT. They also debrief following Felix Okpara’s commitment to Ohio State, and how some Ohio State fans need to stop being so damn cranky and pessimistic.
They then welcome Sports Illustrated’s Kevin Sweeney to the show to talk Big Ten Hoops and what to expect from the Buckeyes this season.
Episode 6: Bucketheads Podcast: Chris Holtmann talks OSU pro week, the salmon suit, and Duane Washington Jr.
August 17, 2021
Did the Bucketheads podcast peak at episode six? Many people are saying we did.
We talked to Ohio State head coach Chris Holtmann about Duane Washington’s decision to leave for the NBA, Ohio State’s pro week tradition that they began last summer, and Holtmann’s ever-growing wardrobe. We also talked about the city of Columbus and how location played a factor in his leaving Butler for Columbus.
Before they bring Holtmann on, Connor and Justin talked about Dillon Mitchell and other Ohio State recruiting updates.
If there’s one episode to listen to, this is it.
Episode 7: Bucketheads Podcast: Recruiting updates and the Emoni Bates mystery
September 5, 2021
Episode 7 veered away from Ohio State for the most part. Instead, we talked about Emoni Bates’ ongoing recruitment saga and Chris Mack’s six-game suspension at Louisville that will be served this season.
They also did a draft of Big Ten coaches for a hypothetical pickup basketball game that would be played the very next day. To absolutely no one’s surprise, Tom Izzo was not an early draft pick.
The guys close it our with some OSU recruiting updates.
Episode 8: Bucketheads Podcast: Full schedule breakdown, Seth Towns’ back, and the rise of Brice Sensabaugh
September 23, 2021
During episode 8, Connor and Justin look over Ohio State’s full schedule and point out which stretches could be the most challenging for the Buckeyes. The fellas then hypothesize on the destinations of four-star forward Brice Sensabaugh and five-star Dillon Mitchell, and if one going to Ohio State means the other won’t (news flash: that’s exactly what it meant!).
They close it out by discussing Seth Towns’ back surgery, which by all accounts sounds like it went well, and how it impacts his 2021-22 season.
Episode 9: Bucketheads Podcast: Dillon Mitchell is a no, Brice Sensabaugh is a yes, Ohio State has No. 2 class
September 30, 2021
In our most recent episode, Connor and Justin discuss the significance of Brice Sensabaugh committing to Ohio State and what it means for the class as a whole. They also discuss Dillon Mitchell and his leaving Ohio State out of his top three schools and the ugly mutiny that backfired at St. John’s head coach Mike Anderson last season. A lot of juicy stuff!