Memphis Hoops is the first episode for HODGEPOD. Author Keith B Wood joined HODGEPOD August 14th to discuss Memphis State Basketball with the Larry Finch putting the city on his shoulders from Melrose High School to guiding Memphis State as a player to the Final Four in 1973. Eventually Finch became Head Coach for the MSU in 1986. Even through his firing from Memphis he loved Memphis. Rob and Keith discuss Larry Finch’s influence on Penny Hardaway. If you love Memphis Tiger Basketball this episode is for you.

Thank you to Keith B Wood for being my first guest on my first episode on HODGEPOD.

Recorded 6/20/2022

A full interview with Dr. Keith Wood, author of Memphis Hoops: Race and Basketball in the Bluff City, 1968-1997. Dr. Wood is a 1995 graduate of Saint John Fisher College. He earned his Masters Degree in History and his PhD in American History from the University of Memphis. A long time educator, Dr. Wood has spent 29 years teaching high school History. Memphis Hoops can be found online and at local Memphis, TN bookstores.

Troy A. Hallsell, PhD is the 341st Missile Wing Historian at Malmstrom AFB, Montana. My day-to-day duties require me to chronicle and analyze the wing's activities throughout the calendar year. My annual command history report and special studies not only captures the wing's past events, but also provides leaders the historical foundation upon which they make present-day decisions. In my own time I research and write about urban history topics, infrastructure, historic preservation, and outdoor recreation. I received my PhD in history from the University of Memphis in 2018.