Florida won the NCAA tourney in April and Oklahoma City 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 18th with 8 regions of 8 teams playing at Indianapolis/JMU/Kansas City/Lexington/Louisville/Syracuse/West Virginia/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 weeks ahead interviewing as many TBT participants as possible. We commence our coverage with Michael Weathers, who will be playing for Challenge ALS after being named Austrian Basketball Superliga MVP in 2024.
You and your twin brother Marcus began your college careers together at Miami OH: how easy a decision was that? It was kind of a no-brainer: it would have been harder to figure things out on our own.
In 2017 you were named conference ROY: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? We had 5-6 freshmen on the roster so it was a whole new system. I just tried to figure out the whole atmosphere and take the bull by the horns. We lost 21 games so it was a learning curve.
Take me through the 2021 SWAC tourney as a player at Texas Southern:
In the semifinals you scored a season-high 30 PTS in a 3-PT OT win over Jackson State including a game-tying 3-PT shot at the buzzer in regulation and a game-clinching 3-PT shot with 16 seconds left in OT: where does that rank among the most clutch games of your career? That was 1 of my most clutch games. We were coming out of COVID when there were no crowds so when the big moment came I was prepared for it. That COVID year turned out to be 1 of the best for me on the court.
In the title game you scored 13 PTS in a win over Prairie View en route to being named conference tourney MVP: what did it mean to you to win a title, and what was the feeling like in your locker room afterward? It was 1 of those “1 shining moments”. To represent HBCUs was a big thing so it was a thrilling time for us. We came together for 1 common goal, made a little history, and never stopped celebrating.
Take me through the 2021 NCAA tourney:
You scored 8 PTS in an 8-PT win over Mt. St. Mary’s: how was your team able to bounce back in the 2nd half after trailing by double-digits at halftime? We just kept our composure and stayed locked in on what we needed to do. It was our 1st time being under the bright lights so we were a little anxious in the 1st half before finally settling in.
You scored a game-high 24 PTS in a loss to Michigan: could you tell at the time that Hunter Dickinson (16 PTS) would become 1 of the top-25 scorers in the history of the sport? He felt tall to me and was a big presence in the paint. He is a skilled 7-footer so I knew that he would have a great career.
In 2017 you led the MAC in BPG and in 2021 you led the SWAC in STL: what is the secret to being a great defender? Just trying hard on defense. Most people do not do that so you have to take it personally.
You have spent the past few years playing pro basketball overseas: what is the biggest difference between basketball in the US vs. basketball in other countries? The teamwork aspect. In Europe they are organized around ball movement, while the US has better players working in isolation situations. Europe is very similar to college except for the 6-second difference with the shot clock (24 vs. 30).
Marcus plays pro basketball, your late father Michael Sr. played basketball at Drake, and your stepfather Henry played football at Grambling: who is the best athlete in the family? I will say myself: I have the highest vertical and can defend 1-5…but my brother is 2nd-best.
You are playing for Challenge ALS 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? We are looking good so far and I think that we can make a good run this year. If we win then I will probbably just invest my share and see how much money I can make.
