In addition to all the teenagers trying to win gold medals for USA Basketball this summer, there are also some veterans trying to help Team USA qualify for the 2027 FIBA Men’s World Cup in Qatar. The roster includes several former college stars such as 2020 Southland POY Kevon Harris, 2019 NCAA champ Jay Huff, and 2-time OVC POY Terry Taylor. 1 of the players with some prior professional experience is Jacob Gilyard, who spent 2 years in the NBA after setting the all-time NCAA record with 466 career STL at Richmond. Jacob is heading abroad in the days ahead for games vs. the Dominican Republic on Friday and Mexico on Monday, but earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with him about winning games in March and being a great defender.
You were born/raised in Kansas City, MO: what made you choose Richmond for college? I felt that the coaching staff, particularly head coach Chris Mooney/assistant coach Marcus Jenkins, did a good job of making me feel that they needed me. They did not make any promises that I would start as a freshman, but the gave me a chance to get some minutes, which was great because there was no NIL money back then.
In December 2017 you scored 23 PTS including a 3-PT shot with 0.4 seconds left in 3-PT win over JMU (www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYnbj2VxTVM): where does that rank among the highlights of your career? It was early in my career and that was a fun game. I had a STL a few possessions before that shot to keep it close: my teammates trusted me to have the ball in my hands at the end of the game, which gave me a lot of confidence.
During the 2022 postseason you won 4 games in 4 days to win the A-10 tourney title, then upset Iowa in the NCAA tourney before losing to Providence: what is the key to winning games in March? Staying together. Everyone has played 25-30 games at that point and has seen everything that their opponents do. We had a calm/cool/collected group that year, so even if the fans got loud there was nothing that rattled us.
You were named to the A-10 All-Defensive team 4 times and finished your career with an NCAA-record 466 STL: what is the key to being a great defender, and do you think that anyone will ever break your record? I saw that they passed a rule recently that players can stay in college for 5 years so I hope the record gets broken…but I am unsure if anyone will do it. I watched a lot of film and studied the game and took defense personally. Basketball is 50% offense and 50% defense so you must be good on both ends of the floor.
You played 2 years in the NBA with Memphis/Brooklyn: what is your favorite memory from your time in the NBA? 2 moments were pretty cool. Getting a block on my favorite player (Steph Curry) was incredible (www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ztxF00nwDI). My other favorite memory was in December 2023 when Ja Morant came back from suspension. In his 1st game back he took over down the stretch and made a game-winning floater to beat New Orleans, which was incredible to see from the sideline (www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7CoKXmtqts).
You also led the G League in AST in 2023: what is the secret to being a good PG? You need guys who can make shots! You need to read the defense, and pace is also a big part of it, but knowing your teammates’ tendencies is important so that you can make the game easier for everyone.
You are listed at 5’8”, which makes you 1 of the shortest players in NBA history: do you view your size as an advantage or a disadvantage on the court? I think it is a disadvantage, especially in today’s basketball era where it is a game of big wings. You need to turn your size into an advantage for yourself, which I feel I have done a good job of.
You have a birthday coming up next month: what are your plans for the big day? I am hoping we can win 2 games over the DR/Mexico, then come home so I can go have a good meal and celebrate with my family.
Your father Rodney played NAIA basketball and was his school’s all-time leader in AST/STL: who is the best athlete in the family? Believe it or not it is probably my older brother: he played football and runs faster/jumps higher. And as much as it hurts me to admit it, my dad was probably a better player.
Last week you were named to the roster for the USA Men’s World Cup Qualifying Team: what does it mean to you to represent your country? It is incredible. When they called me, it was a no-brainer to represent the Stars and Stripes. The 4th of July is my mom’s favorite holiday, but my dad said that after spending 26 of them with family, why wouldn’t I try to help the US as best I can this weekend?
