We are still a couple of months away from the tip-off of a new college basketball season, which means that we have plenty of time to start preparing for the action ahead. We will do so via a series of season previews featuring the best players/coaches in the country. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel commences our coverage with Wagner SR PG Javier Ezquerra, who talked about winning the NEC tourney as a #6-seed and his expectations for this season.
You were born in Puerto Rico: how did you 1st get into basketball? I started playing basketball at age 3. My dad would dribble a ball while I was in my little bed and I would always get excited about the ball.
What made you choose Wagner for college? Former assistant coach Bobby Jordan used to coach me at IMG, so that is how I 1st got recruited, and Coach Donald Copeland used to play in Puerto Rico: it has been a great decision to come here.
What makes Coach Copeland such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you have learned from him so far? His toughness: he loves basketball and is great at breaking down film. He cares a lot about us and wants to win and is the best coach I have ever had: he is a winner.
You played in 26 games as a freshman: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? I started a couple of games but came off the bench for most of them. At 1 point we had the longest winning streak in the nation: it was 1 of the best teams that I have ever been on with guys like Alex Morales/DeLonnie Hunt.
You led the team in AST in 2023 and led the conference in AST in 2024: what is the key to being a good PG? You need to be vocal and lead the team. When you are on the court you are the coach of the team so you have to take care of the ball. Coach gives me the confidence to be a true PG: I do not score if I score 0 PTS because all I care about is winning and taking care of my guys.
Last January you scored a career-high 22 PTS/6-9 3PM in a 1-PT OT loss at CCSU: was it just 1 of those scenarios where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were “in the zone”? For sure. I made back-to-back threes to start the game and stayed hot the whole game. We were up the whole time but they put pressure on us at the end and we ran out of gas.
Take me through the 2024 postseason:
As a #6-seed in the NEC tourney title game you scored 9 PTS in a 7-PT win over Merrimack: how big a deal was it to become the lowest seed in 25 years to win the NEC tourney and the 1st team ever to win 3 straight road games en route to an NEC title? It was awesome! We only used 7 players but knew that we had everything we needed to win. We were mentally focused because the coaches did a great job of preparing us for our great run.
In the NCAA tourney you had 8 AST in a 3-PT win over Howard and 4 STL in a loss to UNC: what did you learn from your postseason run that you think will help you this year? March Madness was a great experience and it taught me the importance of playing hard. Even if someone is bigger/tougher/quicker you can still compete…and even win.
In November you have non-conference road games at Rutgers/St. John’s/Seton Hall/Georgetown: is there any 1 game that you feel will present your biggest test or that you are looking forward to the most? I would say Rutgers: it is the 1st game of the season and they have a couple of top prospects so hopefully we can steal that game.
What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? The goal is always the same: hang a banner. We want to get back to March Madness and if we do not win then we will not be satisfied. The way to do that is defense, which is what we preach.