Brian Rauf
banner
brauf33.bsky.social
Brian Rauf
@brauf33.bsky.social
2.1K followers 120 following 160 posts
Senior national writer for @HeatCheckCBB, videos for @SleepersMedia. Author of the #RaufReport. @USBWA Member. Proud @UofSC alum.
Posts Media Videos Starter Packs
A new episode of Basket Under Review's Weekend Under Review is OUT!

Join us as we discuss teams playing exhibition games this weekend and what we hope to learn about each team.

Available on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts! www.basketunderreview.com/weekend-unde...
Weekend Under Review - October 10, 2025
On this edition of Weekend Under Review, Brian Rauf and Matthew Winick preview a handful of exhibition games taking place this weekend. Matchups include: Baylor vs. Grand Canyon Arizona State vs. UC ...
www.basketunderreview.com
Purdue has a national title ceiling, but reaching that ceiling is dependent upon the Boilers figuring out how to maximize a frontcourt rotation with three bigs anchored to the paint.

Is that a puzzle they can solve?

From July, for Basket Under Review: www.basketunderreview.com/purdues-fron...
Purdue's Frontcourt Puzzle: The Challenge of Maximizing Multiple Bigs
An independent college basketball outlet.
www.basketunderreview.com
The preseason is the time for optimism, but a few "can't-miss" teams always end up missing.

Who are the contenders that might actually be built on false floors - those with high ceilings but lower floors than we want to admit?

For Basket Under Review ($): www.basketunderreview.com/false-floors...
False Floors: Hidden Flaws in Some of College Basketball's Most Hyped Teams
An independent college basketball outlet.
www.basketunderreview.com
Every season, a handful of good players make the leap & become great players.

Welcome to The Leap List, a look at 5 established contributors that have a chance to take their careers - and teams - to the next level.

For Basket Under Review (FREE): www.basketunderreview.com/the-leap-lis...
The Leap List: Players Ready to Go from Good to Great
Every season, we know who the stars are supposed to be. The All-Americans, the high-usage veterans, the five-star freshmen — they dominate the headlines and preseason lists. But the difference between...
www.basketunderreview.com
Every year, under-the-radar mid-major transfers emerge as indispensable pieces for some of the best teams in the country.

Who are this season's overlooked gems? Introducing the Hidden Impact Up-Transfers, for Basket Under Review: www.basketunderreview.com/college-bask...
College Basketball's Hidden Impact Transfers for the 2025-26 Season
An independent college basketball outlet.
www.basketunderreview.com
Got my Homefield kickoff box just in time for kickoff and, folks, it’s spectacular

Reminder that promo code REPORT gets you 15% off your first order ➡️ www.homefieldapparel.com?rfsn=7843002...
Many new hires have injected fresh energy and increased expectations for their new programs, yet no one may exceed preseason forecasts as much as Bucky McMillan & Texas A&M.

Why the Aggies are built to win big in Year 1, for Basket Under Review subscribers: www.basketunderreview.com/dont-sleep-o...
Don't Sleep on Texas A&M: Why Bucky Ball is Built to Win Big in Year 1
An independent college basketball outlet.
www.basketunderreview.com
If you're expecting Iowa State to take a step back this season, you may have another thing coming. The Cyclones are set to build off last season - not regress from it.

For Basket Under Review subscribers: www.basketunderreview.com/no-step-back...
No Step Back: Why Iowa State Is Resetting, Not Regressing, in 2025–26
An independent college basketball outlet.
www.basketunderreview.com
Saw this and simply could not say no.

These new Platinum Football Boxes look incredible - all 45 of them. Homefield really did it again.

Promo code REPORT gets you 15% off! www.homefieldapparel.com?rfsn=7843002...
Danny Wolf was the engine that drove Michigan last year. With Yaxel Lendeborg, the Wolverines might have found an upgrade - someone who can elevate that role in Dusty May's system.

Why Lendeborg is set to thrive at Michigan, for Basket Under Review (FREE): www.basketunderreview.com/michigan-man...
Michigan Man: Why Yaxel Lendeborg Might Be An Upgrade Over Danny Wolf
When Danny Wolf declared for the NBA Draft this spring, the conversation in Ann Arbor immediately shifted. Not to whether Michigan could find another big man — there are always big men in the portal —...
www.basketunderreview.com
Houston was seconds away from cutting down the nets last season, and it has a great chance to finish the job in 2026.

If the Coogs do that, Milos Uzan will be the reason why.

How Uzan unlocks Houston's ceiling, for Basket Under Review: www.basketunderreview.com/quiet-supers...
Quiet Superstar: How Milos Uzan Unlocks Houston's Ceiling
An independent college basketball outlet.
www.basketunderreview.com
Purdue has a national title ceiling, but reaching that ceiling is dependent upon the Boilermakers figuring out how to maximize a frontcourt rotation with three bigs anchored to the paint.

Is that a puzzle they can solve? Subscribe to read: www.basketunderreview.com/purdues-fron...
Purdue's Frontcourt Puzzle: The Challenge of Maximizing Multiple Bigs
An independent college basketball outlet.
www.basketunderreview.com
No program underwent an offseason overhaul quite like NC State. With a revamped roster and Will Wade leading the charge, the Wolfpack don't just have hope - it now has the expectation of success.

Inside NC State's fearless offseason, for Basket Under Review www.basketunderreview.com/the-reawaken...
The Reawakening of NC State Basketball: Inside the Wolfpack's fearless offseason
An independent college basketball outlet.
www.basketunderreview.com
Florida entered the NCAA Tournament as one of the favorites to win, but the path it took to cut down the nets was historically improbable.

“We showed up, man. We never blinked.”

On Florida’s comeback kids, from San Antonio: heatcheckcbb.com/we-never-bli...
'We never blinked': Florida's legendary run was both projected and improbable — Heat Check CBB
Florida entered the NCAA Tournament as one of the favorites to win, but the path it took to win was historically improbable.
heatcheckcbb.com
Reposted by Brian Rauf
"Houston doesn’t belong in the underdog role. This wasn’t David vs. Goliath. It was Godzilla vs. Kong."
Houston is embracing its role as this Final Four’s underdog, but that role doesn’t fit this team’s accomplishments.

The Cougars belong in the conversation with the all-time great teams, and it’s time we gave them the proper respect.

From San Antonio: heatcheckcbb.com/houston-bask...
Houston Basketball: Cougars are worthy of all-time great status despite 'underdog' role — Heat Check CBB
Houston was viewed as the fourth team in this Final Four but, one game away from winning a title, it deserves more respect than that.
heatcheckcbb.com
Houston is embracing its role as this Final Four’s underdog, but that role doesn’t fit this team’s accomplishments.

The Cougars belong in the conversation with the all-time great teams, and it’s time we gave them the proper respect.

From San Antonio: heatcheckcbb.com/houston-bask...
Houston Basketball: Cougars are worthy of all-time great status despite 'underdog' role — Heat Check CBB
Houston was viewed as the fourth team in this Final Four but, one game away from winning a title, it deserves more respect than that.
heatcheckcbb.com
Tahaad Pettiford doesn't start for Auburn, but there are few guards more valuable to their team.

A deep dive on Pettiford's "immense confidence," why Big Game Tahaad is real - and why he may be Auburn's most important player in the #FinalFour: heatcheckcbb.com/hes-just-rel...
'He's just relentless': Tahaad Pettiford shining while emerging as Auburn's most important player — Heat Check CBB
Tahaad Pettiford doesn't start for the Tigers, but his play will have as much of an impact on Auburn's Final Four success as anyone.
heatcheckcbb.com