Kyw Newsradio's 1-on-1 With Matt Leon

The Drexel University women’s basketball team is getting ready for the WNIT. The regular season Colonial Athletic Association champions, the Dragons fell just short of the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, losing the conference title game to rival Delaware, 63-59. On Thursday night, they will host Norfolk State in the WNIT’s first round at 6pm at the DAC. Matt Leon spoke with head coach Amy Mallon about the game and their season so far.

Erik Kratz spent parts of 11 seasons as a catcher in the Major Leagues. The Lansdale native spent parts of four seasons with his hometown team, the Phillies, where he became a fan favorite. He’s back with the Phillies organization now, recently announced as a new member of the radio broadcast team. In Episode #123 of “1-on-1 with Matt Leon,” Matt talks with Kratz about coming on board in the broadcast booth. They also look back at his playing career, including the moment he got his first call to the big leagues, his time with the Phillies and much more. "1-on-1 with Matt Leon" is a KYW Newsradio original podcast. You can follow the show on Twitter @1on1pod and you can follow Matt @Mattleon1060.

Amidst the backdrop of a delicate dynamic this season, University of the Sciences women’s basketball clinched a berth to the Division II NCAA Tournament. The Devils are the champions of the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference and they will bring a 23-4 record into a first round matchup with Le Moyne on Friday in Manchester, New Hampshire. Now this season has been played under tough circumstances for Sciences because it's actually the program’s last season. University of the Sciences will be merging with Saint Joseph’s University, and the Sciences' athletic programs will be eliminated, making this run extra special for our guest, long-time head coach Jackie Hartzell.

For the first time in program history, the Chestnut Hill College women’s basketball team is headed to the Division II NCAA Tournament. The 24-6 Griffins out of the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference have enjoyed a tremendous season and earned an at large berth. Ahead of their first round matchup against Pace on Friday, we talk with head coach Jim Connoly about his squad, their history making season, and how they're preparing to make the most out of this opportunity.

Kevin Owens is a Camden Catholic High School product who enjoyed a long professional basketball career playing in what is now the NBA G League and overseas. He made many stops in his career, from Australia to Kosovo to South Korea to Estonia, and he has written a book about the experience – Overseas Famous: The Trials and Tribulations of a Basketball Globetrotter. In Episode #122 of “1-on-1 with Matt Leon,” Matt speaks with Owens about the book and his career. They look back at his many stops playing overseas and Owens talks about the book writing process and the many challenges of being a professional athlete in foreign countries, both on and off the floor. You can purchase the book here - https://amzn.to/3HLE0ly. "1-on-1 with Matt Leon" is a KYW Newsradio original podcast. You can follow the show on Twitter @1on1pod and you can follow Matt @Mattleon1060.

The Jefferson University women’s basketball team is headed to the Division II NCAA Tournament, and Tom Shirley, in his 32nd season as coach, is leading them there. The 23-8 Rams have earned an at large berth after advancing to the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference title game and they will play Bentley in the first round on Friday on the campus of Southern New Hampshire University in Manchester, New Hampshire. In advance of the matchup, Shirley talks about his squad, and how it sustained success amidst an infusion of youthful talent.

The Division II NCAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments get underway this week. On the women’s side, the Lincoln University Lions are in the field - an impressive feat in and of itself, but even more so considering head coach Janice Washington is in her first season on the sidelines. Washington talks about Lincoln winning the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Tournament Championship and earning an automatic bid into the field. She also looks back on the Lions' 22-7 campaign, and previews her program's first-round opponent, Glenville State.

The Swarthmore College men’s team has earned an at large bid to the Division III NCAA basketball tournament. The 22-5 Garnet hail from the Centennial Conference and they will host the first weekend, opening with a matchup with Keene State on Friday at Tarble Pavilion. Swarthmore has become one of the top programs in the country under head coach Landry Kosmalski. The last five seasons the Garnet have played, they have advanced to the NCAA Tournament, and in 2019 they advanced all the way to the national championship game. Matt Leon spoke with Landry Kosmalski about his team’s journey this season. Swarthmore’s game on Friday is slated for a 5:35 pm start at Tarble.

It is always special for a college basketball team to make the NCAA Tournament, but there is nothing like getting in the field for the first time. That’s the situation for Division III Eastern University in St. David's, Delaware County. The Eagles lost the championship game in the MAC Commonwealth, but their resume was impressive enough to earn at large berth into the Division III NCAA Tournament and in the first round they will play the University of Rochester on Friday in Marietta, Ohio. Matt Leon talked with head coach Dan Pruessner about his 21-5 squad that has already made program history. Eastern’s first round game with Rochester is set for a 4:15pm tip on Friday. 

The Rowan University men’s team down in Glassboro, NJ are getting ready for the Division III NCAA Tournament. The 23-5 Profs have earned an at large bid after falling just short in the New Jersey Athletic Conference title game, and they will play Susquehanna in the first round down at Christopher Newport in Newport News, Virginia. Matt Leon caught up with Rowan head coach Joe Crispin to talk about his squad, Rowan’s first round game with Susquehanna is set for a 5:00pm tip on Friday. 

The Immaculata College women's basketball squad has qualified for the Division III NCAA Tournament. The Mighty Macs earned an automatic bid after winning the Atlantic East Conference title. Immaculata is 18-8 on the season, and they will face off with a national power Trine University out in Angola, Indiana on Friday night. Matt Leon caught up with head coach Chrissy Rhine to talk about this matchup and her team’s great season. Immaculata’s first round game with Trine is set for a 7:00pm tip on Friday. 

It is NCAA Tournament time in college basketball. Division I is a couple weeks away, but the field is set for the Division III men’s and women’s tournaments, and we have a lot of local squads taking part. The Neumann University men’s squad out in Aston is in the field -- the Knights are champions of the Atlantic East Conference and they bring a 21-7 record into a first round matchup with Williams College on Friday in Alliance, Ohio. Matt Leon had the chance to speak with Neumann head coach Jim Rullo about a great season for his squad. Neumann’s first round game with Williams is set for a 3:20 tip on Friday. 

Keith Mondillo has been the head women’s basketball coach at Division III Gwynedd Mercy University in Gwynedd Valley since 1995. For much of that time, he also has served as athletic director. He has led the Griffins to seven conference titles during his run at the helm of the program, and his team has advanced to the NCAA Tournament nine times. In Episode #121 of “1-on-1 with Matt Leon,” Matt catches up with Mondillo to talk about his time at Gwynedd Mercy. They also talk about how he got into coaching in the first place, what it is like to be a part of the Philadelphia basketball community and much more. "1-on-1 with Matt Leon" is a KYW Newsradio original podcast. You can follow the show on Twitter @1on1pod and you can follow Matt @Mattleon1060.

Logan Brockway is a swimmer at West Chester University. Last Thursday (Feb 17) he was in York, Pennsylvania with his team for the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Championships. In the middle of an intense day of swimming, he went to lunch and the trained lifeguard ended up saving a woman’s life. Matt Leon caught up with Brockway to talk about what happened and how he feels about saving someone's life!

David Miller is in his first season as the head baseball coach at Division III Penn State Abington. Miller has already enjoyed a very successful career in coaching, including leading the La Salle Explorers until the program was discontinued. His coaching career follows his playing days where he starred at Chestnut Hill Academy in Philadelphia and then Clemson University. He was eventually drafted in the first round by the Cleveland Indians in 1995, and reached as high as Triple-A. In Episode #120 of “1-on-1 with Matt Leon,” Matt speaks with Miller about his life in baseball. They talk about why he took the job at PSU Abington, how he got into coaching and look back at his playing career. "1-on-1 with Matt Leon" is a KYW Newsradio original podcast. You can follow the show on Twitter @1on1pod and you can follow Matt @Mattleon1060.

The Villanova women’s basketball team is having a great season. The Wildcats are 17-7 overall, 11-4 in the Big East, and last week they turned everyone’s head with an impressive 72-69 win in Hartford against UConn. Matt Leon caught up with Villanova head coach Denise Dillon to talk about how her team is preparing for Sunday’s home game against DePaul, what’s working for her squad, and what the UConn win means for the program. The Wildcats' game with DePaul on Sunday will be a 2pm tipoff at the Pavilion. 

One of the best performances on the local college basketball scene this season occurred this past Tuesday night when Division II University of the Sciences beat Goldey-Beacom, 64-56. In the win, Sciences graduate student guard Jess Huber poured in a program record 45 points. She went 14 of 22 from the field, 6 of 11 from the three point line, and a perfect 11 of 11 from the foul line. 32 of her points came in the second half when she actually outscored the entire Goldey-Beacom team by 8 on her own. The win improved Sciences to 18-3. Matt Leon caught up with Huber, a North Penn HS product, to talk about her incredible night.

Theresa Shank Grentz is a member of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. As a player, the Cardinal O’Hara product was a star on those incredible “Mighty Macs” teams at Immaculata in the early 70’s that won three straight national championships. She then went on to win more than 650 games as a head coach at St. Joseph’s, Rutgers, Illinois and Lafayette. In Episode #119 of “1-on-1 with Matt Leon,” Matt speaks with Grentz about her career in hoops. They talk about what it was like to be a part of those historic teams at Immaculata, how she got into coaching and much, much more. "1-on-1 with Matt Leon" is a KYW Newsradio original podcast. You can follow the show on Twitter @1on1pod and you can follow Matt @Mattleon1060.

The Drexel men’s basketball team will be looking for a third straight win on Thursday night when the Dragons host Hofstra. Drexel is 11-10 overall this season, and 6-5 in the Colonial Athletic Association. Of course Drexel is coming off of a 2020-2021 season that saw them win the CAA Conference Tournament and advance into the NCAA Tournament. Matt Leon caught up with Drexel head coach Zach Spiker to talk about his team’s progress, what’s been working as of late, and what he expects against the Pride. 

Janelle Benner has been the head field hockey coach at Division III Ursinus College since the 2011 season. During her time in Collegeville, she has led the Bears to five Centennial Conference championships and six NCAA Tournament appearances – reaching the national semifinals in 2011 and 2015.  In Episode #118 of “1-on-1 with Matt Leon,” Matt talks with Benner over Zoom about her career in field hockey. They chat about her success with the Bears, how she got into coaching and also talk about Benner’s passion for music. "1-on-1 with Matt Leon" is a KYW Newsradio original podcast. You can follow the show on Twitter @1on1pod and you can follow Matt @Mattleon1060.