A Hoops Journey

A podcast that looks at people, and how their lives have been shaped by basketball. Hosted by Aaron Mitchell.

A Hoops Journey is a sports podcast hosted by ahoopsjourney, with 196 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

ahoopsjourney hosts A Hoops Journey, a sports show with 196 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

• 

  Episode #192

  Episode 192: From Hong Kong Basketball to the CBA — Championship Success, International Competition, and a Career of Firsts with Duncan Reid

  Sep 25, 20261h 10m

  Episode 192 has us go international with big man Duncan Reid! The 6'9" Reid learned the game in Hong Kong on the city's outdoor courts, has a crazy story of making it to Canada and playing at Guelph, and broke into the A1 Division in 2007. Duncan spent most of his prime with South China AA across two stints, winning five A1 Division titles and two league MVPs, and in 2017 became the first Hong Kong-born player picked in the CBA draft, going third overall to the Zhejiang Golden Bulls before a stint with Nanjing Tongxi. Along with his great Pro career Internationally he's represented Hong Kong at the FIBA Asia Cup since 2013, standing out at the 2015 Asia Championship, and continues balancing club and country duty. Off the court, he's built a media presence to match, co-hosting the (SHOUTOUT) hi low podcast and coaching youth basketball in Hong Kong. We appreciate Duncan and his story, lots of great takeaways on this one with a crazy journey! Duncan Reid - Guest https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duncan_Reid https://www.instagram.com/duncanreid33 Aaron Mitchell - Host Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/a_a_mitch/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ahoopsjourney/

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #191

  Waterloo to Bucknell, the NCAA Tournament, and the Coaching Ranks — Pro Hoops, Vermont Championships, and Building a Career on the Sidelines with Bryson Johnson

  Sep 11, 20261h 6m

  Bryson Johnson’s path runs through Waterloo, Ontario’s St. David’s Catholic High School before landing at Bucknell University, where he became a four-year standout and two-year captain under head coach Dave Paulsen. He helped lead the Bison to two NCAA Tournament appearances (2011, 2013) and an NIT trip (2012), finishing 11th in program history with 1,384 career points and earning Second Team All-Patriot League honours. After college, the 6’2” guard played professionally with the Fraport Skyliners in Germany and spent a season with the Orangeville A’s in Canada’s NBL, before pivoting to coaching. His coaching career has run almost entirely alongside Paulsen: a graduate manager stint at George Mason, an assistant year at Brown, a return to George Mason, then two America East Championship seasons at Vermont, where he helped coach two straight America East Players of the Year. When Paulsen took over at Holy Cross in 2023, Johnson followed as associate head coach — a role he still holds, with Paulsen calling him the best assistant in his 33-year coaching career. Bryson Johnson - Guest https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryson-johnson-33589596 https://gomason.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/coaches/bryson-johnson/699 Aaron Mitchell - Host Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/a_a_mitch/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ahoopsjourney/

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #188

  Episode 188: Florida Prep to March Madness and the CEBL — Transfers, Breakthrough Seasons, and the Rise of Josh Omojafo

  Jul 17, 202638 min

  Episode 188: Florida Prep to March Madness and the CEBL — Transfers, Breakthrough Seasons, and the Rise of Josh Omojafo Episode 188 brings you one of the more slept-on stories; a guy who has quietly gone about his business carving out a great career and has pretty much just getting started, Josh Omojafo! The Hamilton native found football and basketball to be his things, but eventually he made the choice to stick with hoops, and his journey is a good one. After leaving Hamilton to go play high school in Florida he came back for his senior year and signed with D2 Gannon University. After a solid year he then transferred to Robert Morris where his team earned a tournament spot and almost upset Alabama. In 2025-26 he transferred to USF for 2025-26, where he started 32 of 34 games, averaging 11.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game. Now playing in the CEBL for Brampton this young man is on the rise! Tap in! Josh Omojafo - Guest https://www.instagram.com/josh.omoo/ https://www.cebl.ca/canadian-guard-omojafo-signs-with-brampton-honey-badgers Aaron Mitchell - Host Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/a_a_mitch/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ahoopsjourney/

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #187

  Episode 187: Brandon to the Winnipeg Wesmen and Sea Bears — Grinding Through the Game, Building Programs, and a Life in Coaching with Mike Raimbault

  Jul 3, 20261h 12m

  Happy Summer to all our listeners! We hope the next two months create memories and you get the chance to relax! We kick off July with Mitch’s former teammate and roommate on the road, Winnipeg Wesmen Head Coach and current Winnipeg Sea Bears Head Coach AND General Manager Mike Raimbault!! Mike’s story is a unique one; a Brandon native who grew up watching the Bobcats from a young age, eventually trying to get in off-season runs with the actual team, and cracking a roster spot…..which happened! A story of adversity and hard work through the game, grinding as a coach and carving out a solid career. After hoops was done, Mike jumped right into coaching, first alongside Barnaby Craddock at BU, and then onto UNBC where he developed a national championship team and was CCAA Coach of the year. Mike was settled in at UNBC but it was a phone call and push from mentor Dave Crook that had him apply for the Wesmen job. Fast forward 17 years and Coach is still at it! What a fun episode to go back and catch up on! Tap in! Mike Raimbault - Guest https://wesmen.ca/staff-directory/mike-raimbault/8 https://www.seabears.ca/bio--mike-raimbault https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-raimbault-a186b3251/ Aaron Mitchell - Host Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/a_a_mitch/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ahoopsjourney/

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #186

  Episode 186: Ottawa to Louisville, National Teams to 3x3 — Elite 8 Runs, World Cup Experience, and the Next Chapter with Merissah Russell

  Jun 19, 20261h 10m

  This episode is all about a young up-and-coming hooper on the women’s side, but someone who has been with our National teams since she was 17, Merissah Russell! What a fun episode, the energy Merissah brings to this one is so good, and you can see why she is a do-it-all type on the court! Once basketball became the focus (and not volleyball like her big sister), Merissah pursued the next level and traveled North America to see the best. In the end, she committed early to the Louisville Cardinals program, a storied program that made two Elite 8’s and one final four! That, plus national team experience with two World Cups (U17 and U19), is why it feels like Merissah has been around so long! The Ottawa native found herself on a recent new adventure, hoopin' up in the 3x3 with our legendary Women’s team! This episode has it all, don’t forget to tap in! Merissah Russell - Guest https://www.basketball.ca/athlete/merissah-russell https://www.instagram.com/mruss15 https://www.linkedin.com/in/merissah-russell-9b52b2309 Aaron Mitchell - Host Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/a_a_mitch/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ahoopsjourney/

  ListenShow Notes

Recent guests on A Hoops Journey. Study who booked and why before you pitch.

Based on semantic analysis of episode topics and host coverage, this show is a strong guest fit for executives in:

Industry fit is computed by PitchCentric using vector embeddings of the show's episode catalog.