UConn won the NCAA tourney in April and Boston won the NBA Finals in June but there is still 1 more basketball champion to be crowned this summer. The Basketball Tournament (aka the TBT) kicks off on July 19th with 8 regions of 8 teams playing in Butler/Cincinnati/Dayton/Houston/Lexington/Louisville/Pitt/Wichita. Each region will send 1 team to the quarterfinals, with the championship game taking place during the 1st week of August, and the winning team walking away with $1 million in prize money. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel will spend the days ahead interviewing as many TBT participants as possible. We continue our coverage with Dylan Penn, who will be playing for UKnighted after winning back-to-back conference tourney titles at Bellarmine/Vermont.
In addition to playing basketball in high school you played football and were a track star: how much of an advantage do your skills in other sports give you on the basketball court? I only played football for 1 year but the strength/conditioning I learned taught me how to take care of my body. When I got to college I noticed that the track part helped me a lot because I like to play fast.
What made you choose Bellarmine to start your college career? I had a pair of D-2 offers but Bellarmine had a family atmosphere where I felt that I could thrive. Their recruiting pitch made me feel a lot more comfortable.
You appeared in 29 games as a freshman: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? A lot of freshmen are not brought in to score points right away so I made sure that I would help guys get prepared for games during practice. 1 of my biggest strengths is my speed so I would push the transition in tempo and try to give the best effort I could.
In 2020 your school made the leap from the Great Lakes Valley Conference to the Atlantic Sun Conference: what is the biggest difference between D-2 and D-1? Definitely the size/athleticism, especially at the 4/5 spot: instead of 6’8” centers you might see some 7-footers.
In the 2022 conference tourney title game you had 22 PTS en route to being named tourney MVP in a 5-PT win over Jacksonville: how weird was it to hoist the championship trophy but not get to go to the NCAA tourney because schools are prohibited from participating during their 4-year transitional period from D-2 to D-1? I think that I am the only player who ever won a championship and felt depressed afterward because we did not feel like champions. We earned everything we got but it was a very hollow feeling that stretched out for an entire year. It felt like I was not fulfilled despite our team’s success.
That spring you had offers to transfer to several great schools including Missouri/Purdue/VCU: what made you choose Vermont? Things are VERY fluid/fast-moving in the transfer portal: you can go from 30 offers in 1 day to 10 the next and then 50 the day after that. I knew that Vermont would make me a priority and had a well-established coach. I visited Missouri but Coach Dennis Gates and his staff were still trying to figure things out. I already knew Robin Duncan and his brothers who played there, which helped get me in the door, but I liked that they were not just using me to fill out a spot. I knew with the roster they had that we were good enough to win a conference title and compete with any mid-major team in the country.
In 2023 you finished #2 in the conference with 54.4 FG% during league play: what is the secret to being a great shooter? You need the confidence to make shots and the intelligence to take good shots.
In the 2023 America East tourney title game you scored a game-high 21 PTS in a win over UMass-Lowell en route to being named tourney MOP: how did it compare to the previous year since you knew that you would finally get to play in the NCAA tourney? That was 1 of the most gratifying feelings in my life. I put a target on myself to play in the NCAA tourney that year, which some opponents used as bulletin-board material, but to win another title/MOP award is not something that a lot of people have done. I set a goal, worked for it, and eventually achieved it.
In the 2023 NCAA tourney you scored 11 PTS/5-10 FG in a loss to Marquette: what is the key to winning games in March? To approach each game as if it is the 1st game in December with a lot of preparation. I feel that the teams who are willing to give a little extra usually win: you cannot just be happy to be there.
You are playing for UKnighted in the TBT: how is the team looking, and what will you do with your share of the $1 million prize money if you win it all? I do not want to give away too much: we are building chemistry and the best part is having different generations of players come together. I also do not want to put the cart before the horse, but 1 of the 1st things I would do is take my car to the shop. I head overseas 3 days after the championship game on August 4th so if we win it all then I am taking my whole family to Hollywood!