The Two Man Game – September 17, 2026 – Roster talk, figuring out the rotation, and more

The two-man game podcast with UNC head coach Steve Smiley and host Brady Hole opens on September 17, just four days before official practice begins on September 21. The conversation drifts through several loosely connected topics before settling on the concrete behind-the-scenes work that defines this pre-season twilight zone. Smiley is candid about the pressures of modern college athletics, the mechanics of building a roster he barely knows, and the specific rituals he uses to prepare his staff and players for the season ahead.

The changing landscape: Gambling, harassment, and the new normal

Smiley and Hole spend a significant portion of the episode discussing the dark side of college basketball's gambling boom. Smiley notes that the amount of money wagered on Big Sky men's basketball and football would "blow you away," and that this attention brings real consequences. He describes how players receive "hatred and borderline threats" in their DMs during slumps, and that this harassment is not abstract — UNC has worked with the Colorado Department of something (he does not name the exact agency) to provide resources for players to report threats and pursue criminal prosecution. A Zoom session with state officials happened just the night before the podcast was recorded.