March Madness Rising, Olympic Gold Glory & The ABA’s Soul Power Story

March is knocking — and the madness is building.

On this episode of Sports IQ, Larry Smith and Producer Tony break down a loaded sports landscape as we close out February and head into tournament season.

🏀 College Hoops Heats Up

• Duke surges toward a No. 1 seed

• Iowa State remains in the mix for a top-two line

• Kansas’ inconsistency continues

• UCLA stuns Illinois in an OT thriller

• Women’s basketball headlines with UConn’s dominance and UCLA’s Big Ten breakthrough

Tony sits down with Iowa State beat writer Eugene Rapay of the Des Moines Register to talk Cyclones seeding projections, Big 12 battles, Hilton Magic, and what Iowa State must improve to make a serious March run.

🏒 Olympic Gold & Record Ratings
Team USA closes out the Winter Games in Milan-Cortina with a bang, capturing men’s hockey gold over Canada in overtime — the first since 1980.
Plus:

• Italy’s historic medal haul

• NBC’s 90% ratings surge

• What’s next as the Games head to France in 2030

🎬 The ABA’s Cultural Impact – “Soul Power” Documentary
Larry is joined by filmmaker Eternal Polk to discuss the new Prime Video documentary Soul Power: The Legend of the American Basketball Association.

They dive into:

• The ABA’s revolutionary style and social impact

• The behind-the-scenes business battles

• The St. Louis Spirits’ legendary ownership deal

• How today’s NBA mirrors the ABA’s innovation

• Parallels between the ABA and AFL mergers

A must-listen for basketball historians and fans of sports business storytelling.

⚾ Moment of Awe
On this date in 1988, Wrigley Field finally installed lights — becoming the last MLB stadium to host night games. A historic shift in baseball tradition.

🎧 Subscribe, rate, and follow Sports IQ for daily insights beyond the buzzer.