The college basketball season is heating up — and this episode of Sports IQ with Larry Smith hits every major storyline shaping the road to March.

We begin with one of the best stories in the country: Miami of Ohio’s 20–0 start. Associate Head Coach Jonathan Holmes joins the show to break down how the RedHawks have stayed undefeated, why culture and continuity matter more than ever in the transfer-portal era, and what last season’s near-miss taught this year’s team. It’s a masterclass in building a winning program the right way.

Later, Sports Illustrated senior writer Hondo Carpenter delivers a wide-ranging, no-nonsense conversation on Michigan State, Tom Izzo, and the Big Ten’s rise. Hondo explains why Izzo schedules the way he does, why March is always Michigan State’s time, and why elite coaching matters more now than ever in the NIL era. The discussion expands into the future of college sports — including why a breakaway from the NCAA feels inevitable and how the next wave of coaching hires may surprise fans.

Plus:

• Arizona moves to No. 1 in the AP Poll

• Nebraska’s historic rise into the Top 5

• Big nights across college basketball and the NBA

• Super Bowl 60 trivia and storylines

• Pro Bowl controversy and roster chaos

• Today’s Moment of Awe featuring an all-time freshman performance

Insightful, informed, and forward-looking — this is a must-listen episode for college basketball and college sports fans alike.

What a show.

Larry Smith and the Sports IQ crew break down a packed sports weekend that somehow managed to deliver history, perspective, and jaw-dropping performances all at once.

The episode opens with a deep dive into UConn women’s basketball, as CT Insider’s Maggie Vanoni joins the show to explain how the Huskies look just as dominant—if not more—after losing Paige Bueckers to the WNBA. Why is this team blowing everyone out? Who (if anyone) can slow them down? And what does the current state of women’s college basketball look like in a post-Caitlin Clark, post-Bueckers era?

Then, history is made on the men’s side. Larry walks through a never-before-seen college basketball feat: three freshmen scoring 40+ points on the same day. From BYU to Houston to Illinois, the performances weren’t just big—they were draft-shaping, narrative-changing, and a sign of how wide-open this season may be heading toward March.

The centerpiece of the episode is a fascinating, emotional conversation with longtime NBA executive Pete Babcock, who joins Larry to discuss his new book Courts of Justice: Life in Basketball and Activism. Babcock shares remarkable, rarely told stories about Red Auerbach, the integration of the NBA, Bill Russell, Chuck Cooper, and how basketball quietly became a vehicle for social change. It’s part history lesson, part memoir, and entirely compelling.

The show wraps with Super Bowl thoughts, college basketball parity, and a Moment of Awe honoring the first Winter Olympic gold medal ever won—setting the stage for the upcoming Games.

This is Sports IQ at its best: smart, thoughtful, and packed with stories you won’t hear anywhere else.

The weekend edition of Sports IQ with Larry Smith delivers a wide-ranging look across the sports landscape — from NHL playoff races and Olympic hockey to NFL coaching trends and a powerful preview of an upcoming NBA conversation you won’t want to miss.

CBS Sports NHL writer Austin Nivison joins producer Tony Cordaro for a deep dive into the NHL at the halfway mark of the season. The conversation covers Team USA’s Olympic hockey roster, contenders and pretenders in both conferences, the resurgence of the Buffalo Sabres, Colorado’s dominance out west, Tampa Bay’s quiet return to elite form, and what moves could be coming at the NHL trade deadline.

Later in the show, Larry and Tony preview a special upcoming interview with longtime NBA executive Pete Babcock, whose new book Courts of Justice blends basketball history with civil rights and activism. Babcock shares remarkable, previously untold stories involving Red Auerbach, the integration of the NBA, and how basketball became a vehicle for social change — offering insight that left both hosts genuinely speechless.

The episode also breaks down:

• Major NFL coaching hires and the analytics behind offensive vs. defensive head coaches

• Conference Championship Weekend matchups and storylines

• Why experience still matters at quarterback in today’s NFL

• A Moment of Awe honoring LeBron James becoming the youngest player ever to reach 30,000 career points