On today’s Sports IQ, Larry Smith and the crew break down a loaded day across college basketball, the NFL, and the Pro Football Hall of Fame — with powerhouse programs, rising contenders, and a Hall of Fame controversy that just won’t go away.

The show opens with headlines from the NBA and college hoops, including a potential farewell moment for LeBron James in Cleveland, dominant performances around the league, and another overwhelming win by the UConn women — who continue to look untouchable as March approaches.

From there, LSU women’s basketball takes center stage as Reed Darcy, LSU beat writer for The Advocate, joins the show to discuss the Tigers’ depth, rebounding resurgence, and championship ceiling in a brutally deep SEC. Reed also reflects on Angel Reese’s lasting legacy, Kim Mulkey’s leadership style, and where LSU fits nationally behind the juggernaut that is UConn.

Later in the hour, Chapel Fowler of The State stops by to talk Clemson basketball’s impressive ACC run, Brad Brownell’s program turnaround, and why the Tigers are a legitimate threat heading toward a marquee showdown with Duke at Cameron Indoor. Chapel also dives into Clemson football, unpacking Dabo Swinney’s explosive press conference accusing Ole Miss of tampering — and what it means for the future of the transfer portal and NCAA enforcement.

The show wraps with a spirited discussion on the Pro Football Hall of Fame, questioning the snubs of Bill Belichick and Eli Manning, before closing with today’s Moment of Awe — a look back at the very first Pro Football Hall of Fame class, selected on this day in 1963.

🏀 Topics Discussed in This Episode

• LeBron James’ possible final game in Cleveland

• NBA and college basketball headlines

• UConn women’s historic dominance

• LSU women’s basketball depth and SEC title hopes

• Angel Reese’s legacy at LSU

• Kim Mulkey’s impact and coaching philosophy

• Clemson basketball’s rise in the ACC

• Brad Brownell’s program turnaround

• Duke vs. Clemson looming showdown

• Dabo Swinney, Ole Miss, and alleged transfer tampering

• Transfer portal calendar flaws

• Bill Belichick & Eli Manning Hall of Fame snubs

• Pro Football Hall of Fame origins

  
  

  🏛️ Moment of Awe

On this day in 1963, the first-ever Pro Football Hall of Fame class was announced — a legendary group that included George Halas, Curly Lambeau, Red Grange, Bronko Nagurski, and Jim Thorpe. Those original inductees helped shape the game of football as we know it today.

The road to Super Bowl 60 is officially set — and it didn’t come without drama.

On today’s episode of Sports IQ with Larry Smith, we break down a wild Championship Weekend in the NFL, including two nail-biters that sent the Patriots and Seahawks to San Francisco for a Super Bowl rematch. Heavy.com’s Shane Shoemaker joins the show to analyze the conference title games, Sam Darnold’s career-defining run, the Patriots’ suffocating defense, and what this matchup says about the NFL’s evolving quarterback and salary-cap landscape.

We also dive into one of the biggest headlines of the week: Bill Belichick failing to make the Pro Football Hall of Fame on his first ballot, plus a flurry of coaching news across the league as teams scramble to fill vacancies in an increasingly offense-driven NFL.

On the college hardwood, ACC basketball takes center stage. Virginia is back in the national conversation, and Zach Carey of StreakingTheLawn.com explains how first-year head coach Ryan Odom has reshaped the Cavaliers with modern analytics, three-point shooting, and elite shot-blocking — all while ushering in a post-Tony Bennett era in Charlottesville.

We also cover:

• Nebraska’s first loss of the season and what it revealed about the Huskers

• Purdue’s skid and Big Ten shakeups

• Major results across college basketball

• Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers surging in the NBA

Plus, today’s Moment of Awe looks back at Olympic history as the Winter Games return to Italy — 70 years after the host nation’s only medals in 1956.

Smart analysis, big stories, and context beyond the scoreboard — that’s Sports IQ with Larry Smith.

🔍 Topics Discussed in This Episode

• Super Bowl 60 preview: Patriots vs. Seahawks

• Sam Darnold’s postseason rise and legacy shift

• Bill Belichick’s Hall of Fame snub

• NFL coaching carousel and offensive trends

• Virginia basketball’s resurgence under Ryan Odom

• ACC depth and March Madness outlook

• Nebraska, Purdue, and Big Ten title implications

• NBA: Clippers surge behind Kawhi Leonard

• Moment of Awe: Italy’s Olympic history

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

The college basketball season is officially heating up, and today’s episode of Sports IQ with Larry Smith dives straight into the heart of it.

Larry is joined by Brian Barnhart, the longtime voice of Illinois basketball, to preview one of the Big Ten’s biggest matchups of the season as the red-hot Illini head to Mackey Arena to face Purdue. With Illinois riding an eight-game win streak and dealing with key injuries, Barnhart breaks down what’s changed defensively, why this team is deeper than ever, and how they match up against the Boilermakers.

Later, Kevin Brockway of The Gainesville Sun joins the show to analyze the defending national champion Florida Gators, who have surged back into SEC contention after a rocky start. Brockway explains what clicked for Florida, how chemistry and experience are driving their recent run, and what lies ahead in a loaded SEC race — plus a look at major changes surrounding Gators football under new head coach John Summerall.

The episode also hits major headlines across sports, including:

• Nebraska’s stunning rise to the top of the Big Ten

• Ongoing NIL and legal battles reshaping college athletics

• NBA and NFL updates

• And a special Moment of Awe honoring Kobe Bryant’s iconic 81-point performance, one of the greatest individual nights in basketball history

Smart analysis, strong opinions, and the stories that matter — this is Sports IQ with Larry Smith.

Indiana football has officially entered the history books — and college sports may never look the same.

On this episode of Sports IQ with Larry Smith, Larry is joined by Shannon Griffith of Hoosiers.com to break down Indiana’s stunning 16–0 national championship season, what it felt like inside Hard Rock Stadium, and why this title represents a true paradigm shift in college football. From NIL and the transfer portal to coaching culture and roster construction, Indiana’s rise may have rewritten the blueprint.

The show also dives head-first into the growing legal chaos in college athletics, including Duke’s lawsuit against quarterback DeMensa and Alabama big man Charles Bediako’s challenge to NCAA eligibility rules. Are contracts enforceable anymore? And is college sports heading toward total free agency?

Later, Michael Warren of Heavy.com joins Larry to preview NFL Conference Championship Weekend, breaking down Patriots–Broncos, Rams–Seahawks, coaching advantages, quarterback injuries, and why this Final Four feels refreshingly wide open.

Larry also delivers a pointed take on Mick Cronin’s postgame rant after UCLA’s win over Purdue, examines early preseason ranking bias, and wraps the show with a bizarre Moment of Awe involving a referee flop that has to be seen to be believed.

🏈 Topics Discussed in This Episode

• Indiana football’s 16–0 national championship run

• Why this may be the greatest turnaround story in modern sports

• NIL, the transfer portal, and roster age advantages

• Duke suing its own quarterback — what it means for contracts

• Alabama player suing NCAA over G-League eligibility

• Mick Cronin vs. the Big Ten: travel complaints unpacked

• NFL Conference Championship Weekend preview

• Coaching experience vs. momentum in the playoffs

• The changing power structure of college athletics

• Moment of Awe: A referee flop that stunned high school basketball

🎙 Sports IQ with Larry Smith
Smart conversations. Real insight. Beyond the buzzer.

Follow the show and join the conversation on YouTube and social platforms at SportsIQLS.

A new era in sports is officially underway.

On today’s episode of Sports IQ with Larry Smith, we examine how shifting power structures are redefining college football, college basketball, and the NBA — and why the old rules no longer apply.

We begin with one of the most stunning turnarounds in sports history as Indiana football completes a perfect season and wins a national championship, transforming a program long defined by losses into the sport’s newest standard-bearer. Larry and producer Tony Cordaro break down why this moment may represent a seismic shift in college football — and what it means for the Big Ten, the SEC, and the future of roster building in the NIL and portal era.

From there, we move to college basketball, where Wisconsin Badgers play-by-play voice Matt LePay joins the show to discuss the Badgers’ rise in a loaded Big Ten, the challenge of replacing legends, and how modern roster construction has reshaped the sport. LePay also explains why March success is defined by the second weekend — not just making the tournament.

In the NBA, CBS Sports writer Jasmyn Wimbish stops by to break down:

• LeBron James not being named an All-Star starter for the first time in his career

• The NBA’s changing of the guard and the league’s next generation of stars

• Detroit’s defensive dominance and Cade Cunningham’s rise

• Boston thriving without Jayson Tatum

• New York’s defensive collapse

• Why Oklahoma City remains the team to beat — despite recent stumbles

• Kevin Durant’s quiet climb up the all-time scoring list

We close with today’s Moment of Awe, spotlighting the first-ever 5-on-5 college basketball game, played in 1896 — a single decision that shaped the modern game forever.

Insightful. Historical. Forward-looking.

That’s Sports IQ.