Steven Johnston & Ralph Manigat | Devon Still Co-Founder
73 episodes listed below
Grassroots hoops talk with a player-first edge.
The Basketballists is a conversational basketball show with a strong grassroots and college-hoops lens. Its episodes move from Connecticut player recognition and tournament reactions to NIL education, overseas opportunities, shooting, coaching changes, and documentary talk.
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The Basketballists is a basketball conversation show rooted in player development, grassroots hoops, and the college game. It carries a strong Connecticut and Northeast perspective. The discussion often starts with what happened in a gym, a bracket, a recruiting list, or a social feed, then turns into a larger argument about how basketball careers are built. Recent episodes cover NCAA tournament results, McDonald's All-American selections, Hoopaw matchups, NIL, social media promotion, coaching changes, and overseas expectations for American players. The pacing is loose and reactive. That looseness is part of the appeal, because the show frequently catches basketball thoughts while they still feel fresh. A tournament game becomes a conversation about shooting. A recruiting decision becomes a question about what a player should do when a coach leaves. A recognition list becomes a debate about responsibility, visibility, and who gets left out. The show is especially interested in the space between talent and opportunity. It asks what players need to control, what systems reward, and how young athletes can position themselves without losing sight of the work. Episodes can be rowdy and conversational, but the core concern is practical: how basketball people make better decisions. The NIL episode with Aisha Foy brings that into clearer focus through social media and the small-world nature of basketball connections. The documentary conversation around The Greatest Mixtape Ever adds historical curiosity, using And1 as a way to talk about basketball culture and influence. The Basketballists is not only about elite names, though elite names come up. It pays attention to regional prospects, role context, development habits, and the details that decide whether a player can move up. Listeners looking for tidy national recap may find it too informal. Listeners who like heated, informed basketball talk from people close to the gym will hear the point quickly. The show's best moments come when opinion, memory, and player-focused advice collide in real time.
Made for: For basketball listeners who follow college hoops, grassroots circuits, Connecticut and Northeast prospects, player development, recruiting, NIL, and basketball culture beyond box scores.
What sets it apart: The show stands out by treating local and regional basketball conversations as seriously as national stories. Its perspective stays close to players, trainers, recruiting choices, social media exposure, and the practical pressures around recognition.
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Recruiting hype meets the people who ask what your circle sees when the rankings do not.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A tournament chat that keeps circling back to shooting, recruiting, and the coach-school question.
Episode 65 keeps its focus on the NCAA tournament and the panel's blunt view of what matters most: teams that can shoot keep moving, and teams that cannot get exposed.
A recruiting-heavy episode that starts with the McDonald's All-Americans and expands into Euroleague and the pressure on American players.
The episode stays anchored in the McDonald's All-Americans announcement, with the hosts unpacking Abdu Ture's omission and the response it drew in Connecticut.
A loose, opinionated college hoops debate that stays rooted in real games.
Episode 62 keeps the Basketball List rhythm intact: a loose check-in that settles into an opinionated college hoops debate about what teams owe a star when the game is on the line.
NBA arguments before the take cools.
Sports takes with receipts.
NBA talk with pace and bite.
Daily NBA stakes, fast and opinionated.
Fast arguments for serious NBA obsessives.
NBA arguments from the crowded couch.
Coach Ike says his "double clap" is a focus check in practice, and that PSA is "not just a basketball program" but "a frat" that follows players through college and after.
The Basketballists Episode 65, "The Price Is Right," centers on the men's NCAA tournament, Sweet 16 NIL budgets, and coaching leverage at St.
The Basketballists episode 63 opens with the McDonald’s All-American list, Abdu Ture’s omission, and the hosts’ frustration about how the selection criteria works.
The Basketballists Ep.
The Basketballists return to Space 67 Studios with Dre for a preseason discussion centered on Connecticut basketball and a planned camp for roughly 15 of the state’s top 20 ranked high-school players.
Aaron Wheeler tells Steve and Ralph how he grew from a 5'11" high-school freshman into a 6'7" basketball player while retaining guard skills.
Host Steve interviews former student athlete Aisha Foy about her career, NCAA recognition, and her consulting business focused on NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) deals for athletes.
The hosts discuss the 30 for 30 documentary 'The Greatest Mixtape Ever' about the And1 basketball phenomenon, sharing their perspectives and analysis.