Bleav in Wizards Bleav Basketball

On this bonus episode of Bleav in DMV Hoops, Matt Modderno talks to American University star forward Matt Rogers. Rogers is also a Wizards fan and current intern for the Washington Mystics so we thought his experience may be interesting to fellow Wizards fans as well.

American University forward Matt Rogers returns to the show to talk about his decision to return to AU for a 5th season. Roger is a true student athlete and talks about how the AU education, the program's family atmosphere, and their unfinished business from last season all led to his decision to run it back. We talk about the influence of head coach Duane Simpkins on the program, which returning players are likely to take a jump this season, what they learned from last year, how he's grown on and off the court, and what the offseason is like for a D1 basketball player. Plus, AU's biggest rivals, his toughest matchups, and who the Wizards should take with the #2 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. If you want to go behind-the-scenes on what it's like to be on a college basketball team, this is the episode for you! Presented by betonline.ag!

Jahadi White and Matt Modderno break down the comments at Brian Keefe's introductory press conference and attempt to read between the lines on what the front office said about the hire. They discuss Keefe's player development track record, what that means for personnel moves, the duration of the rebuild, their culture, and more. They also discuss potential Kuzma trades, whether the Wizards will move either Deni Avdija or Corey Kispert, and if the Wizards should consider Nikola Topic with the #2 pick given recent knee injury concerns. Plus, some discussion on Danny Hurley potentially taking the Los Angeles Lakers job and NBA Finals predictions! Presented by betonline.ag!

Since we have a lot of Maryland basketball fans that listen to the show, I'm including an episode of Bleav in DMV Hoops with former Maryland center Damonte Dodd here as well. Make sure to subscribe to the separate DMV Hoops feed if you want more local college basketball coverage!

On this week's Bleav in DMV Hoops, Maryland Basketball alum Damonte Dodd joins to talk about his years at Maryland ('13-'17) and now his multi-year professional career overseas. Dodd shares some great stories about playing for Mark Turgeon, playing alongside guys like Melo Trimble and Jake Layman, their NCAA Tournament runs, putting in work over the summers, and having fun off the court with things like the Running Man Challenge. He has a lot of great stories about playing in the BIG10 Conference and shares who the worst fanbases were, who he liked playing against the most, and who his favorite teammates were. Since graduating, Dodd has played in countries like Mexico, Poland, Czech Republic, Kosovo, and Japan. We talk about his favorite places he's played in, what he's learned from playing across the globe, having teammates who don't speak the same language, what the food is like, and so much more! This is a can't-miss episode for Maryland fans! Presented by betonline.ag!

Matt Modderno is joined by NBA Draft analyst Ersin Demir to discuss the center prospects in the 2024 NBA Draft. In this episode, they cover options for the Wizards with the #2 pick: Alex Sarr and Donovan Clingan. They also break down bigs who could be in play with the 26th pick: Kyle Filipowski, Yves Missi, Zach Edey, Kel'el Ware, and DaRon Holmes II. They close with other names who could be options at 51 or undrafted: Adem Bona, Oso Ighodaro, Ulrich Chomche, PJ Hall, Izan Almansa, and Jonathan Mogbo. Presented by betonline.ag!

Check out Ersin's work at: https://edemirnba.substack.com/

The Washington Wizards have officially announced Brian Keefe as their head coach! Jahadi White and Matt Modderno are back to discuss the hire and what that means for the team moving forward. They also explain the importance of how Keefe fills out the rest of his staff and the types of coaches they'd like to see added. Next, they cover rumors that Alex Sarr could be available for the Wizards at #2 and lessons they can learn from past highly selected big men like Marvin Bagley and Kwame Brown. Matt asks Jahadi about why Kwame didn't pan out in Washington and Jahadi also provides some advice to their future picks. Plus, Bilal Coulibaly grew another inch, Corey Kispert is a top off-ball shooting threat, and a few words on Bill Walton's impact on the game. Presented by betonline.ag!

Jahadi White and Matt Modderno break down rumors of Kyle Kuzma being on the trading block and what potential deals would even be worth considering. Also, does it make sense for the Wizards to try to trade down from the #2 pick? There's also a young player on a current playoff team who would be an intriguing trade target that they discuss. Matt gets Jahadi's reaction to his take that Tyus Jones will be back on the Wizards next season and they react to what that could mean for Jordan Poole's continued development. They also talk about some coaching staff additions and whether JB Bickerstaff should be a head coaching candidate in Washington. Plus, who is the current Wizard with the best chance of eventually making it into the Hall of Fame? Presented by betonline.ag!